Our methodology
We looked at the top 150 most-visited countries in the world by number of incoming tourists, then examined LGBTQ+ rights by country. We created our LGBTQ+ danger index based on a total of eight factors.
Positive factors
- Legalized Same-Sex Marriage (0 to +50 Points) — Is same-sex marriage legal and equal under the law in this country? If marriage is not equal, are civil unions legal? If not, does the country legally recognize foreign LGBTQ+ marriages? We ranked the scores for this metric based on how many years same-sex marriage has been legal in this country. Civil unions and other types of partnerships received half points and were also ranked by number of years they have been legal.Source: Recognition of same-sex relationships – Human Rights Watch
- LGBTQ+ Worker Protections (0 to +50 Points) — For the people living in that country, are there legal protections against discrimination in the workplace? Full points were awarded for both sexual orientation and gender protection; half points were awarded for sexual orientation protection only.
- Source: LGBTQ+ Worker Protections – The World Policy Center
- Legal Protections Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination (0 to +50 Points) — Are there either constitutional or broad legal protections of LGBTQ+ people in this country? Constitutional protections were awarded full points; broad protections were awarded half points.Source: Sexual Orientation Laws 2019 – ILGA
- Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence (0 to +50 Points) — Is anti-LGBTQ+, hate-based, or homophobia-inspired violence considered a hate crime in this country? Is hate-based, anti-LGBTQ+ speech considered hate speech? The existence of hate crime penalties received full points; incitement-only punishments received half points.Source: Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence 2017 – ILGA
- Adoption Recognition (0 to +50 Points) — Is joint adoption and/or second-parent adoption legal in this country for same-sex parents? The recognition of both joint and second-parent adoption received full points, while only second-parent adoption recognition received half points.Source: Adoption Recognition 2017 – ILGA
- Gallup Poll Scores (0 to +100 points) — In a 2018 Gallup poll, individuals were asked, “Is the city or area where you live a good place or not a good place to live for gay and lesbian people?” The percentages represented and used in our metrics include those who said “good place” for that country. We gave this factor a double weighting because it gives a very good pulse on the general attitude towards LGBTQ+ people in that country.Source: Gallup World Poll (2018 Data)
Negative factors
- Illegal LGBTQ+ Relationships and Acts (0 to -100 Points) — Can “sodomy,” “indecent acts,” or “buggery” result in punishments under the law such as physical violence, a fine, or prison time? Any possible death sentences or life-in-prison sentences under the law receive the maximum -100 safety penalty. All other punishments were ranked by severity. We gave this factor a negative double weighting because the fact that homosexuality is illegal and can receive the death sentence means that the laws of these countries are definitely not favorable to LGBTQ+ people.Source: Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Human Rights Watch
- Propaganda/Morality Laws (0 to -50 Points) — Are there laws sanctioned by the state to prevent the dissemination or publication of information about queer culture? Are there laws affecting the creation of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)? This metric was graded based on the severity of the punishments.Source: State Sponsored Homophobia 2017 – ILGA
To measure LGBTQ+ safety abroad, one cannot look only at data on whether or not same-sex marriage is legal and if anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination laws are in place. It also depends on the general attitude of the culture, minutiae of the legal system, and oppression of LGBTQ+ rights. These issues can affect everything, from your ability to show public displays of affection to being able to share a hotel room bed to the capacity at which you can use dating apps without being caught by the local police. A few items on our list, such as adoption recognition and worker protections may not affect LGBTQ+ travelers directly, but these factors are a good indication of overall attitudes within the culture.
Where are same-sex relationships illegal?
There are some places on the planet where it’s perfectly ordinary to kiss or hold hands with a same-sex partner in public, but in other places, that action could result in fines, imprisonment, hard labor, whipping, or, in some cases, death. These countries where homosexuality is illegal are also often severe human rights violators, usually penalizing male/male sexuality and/or trans women most harshly.
Unfortunately, some countries where it’s illegal to be gay or trans also happen to be popular vacation spots. For instance, it’s illegal to be gay in Jamaica; the “buggery law,” which is leftover from the colonial era, allows for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison including hard labor. Jamaica was called “the most homophobic place on Earth” by Time magazine in 2006. That label has clung to Jamaica ever since, and with good reason. In a 2013 survey of 71 LGBTQ+ people conducted by Human Rights Watch, more than half said they had been victims of homophobic violence. Non-violent discrimination is even more pervasive, with bullying and exclusion faced in education, healthcare and within local communities. Although there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Jamaica since there are signs that it’s moving toward reform.
Those looking for trans- and gay-travel-safe countries should reconsider popular vacation destinations like Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Myanmar, and Egypt as well as some of the more popular beaches in the Caribbean, like Saint Lucia and Barbados.
Please note: All countries marked with an asterisk* in the below list were former British colonies and their anti-LGBTQ+ laws mostly came into effect under British rule.
Caribbean
(CLICK the country names for more details on their anti-LGBTQ+ laws)
Barbados *
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: -118
Articles 9, 12.
9. Any person who commits buggery is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.
12. (1) A person who commits an act of serious indecency on or serious towards another or incites another to commit that act with the person indecency. or with another person is guilty of an offence and, if committed on or towards a person 16 years of age or more or if the person incited is of 16 years of age or more, is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of 10 years.
(2) A person who commits an act of serious indecency with or towards a child under the age of 16 or incites the child under that age to such an act with him or another, is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of 15 years.
(3) An act of “serious indecency” is an act, whether natural or unnatural by a person involving the use of the genital organs for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire.
Saint Lucia *
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: -110
Sections 132, 133.
132. GROSS INDECENCY
(1) A person who commits an act of gross indecency with another person commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years or on summary
conviction to 5 years.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an act of gross indecency committed in private between an adult male person and an adult female person, both of whom consent.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)—
(a) an act shall be deemed not to have been committed in private if it is committed in a public place; and
(b) a person shall be deemed not to consent to the commission of such an act if—
(i) the consent is extorted by force, threats or fear of bodily harm or is obtained by false and fraudulent representations as to the nature of the act;
(ii) the consent is induced by the application or administration of any drug, matter or thing with intent to intoxicate or stupefy the person; or
(iii) that person is, and the other party to the act knows or has good reason to believe that the person is suffering from a mental disorder.
(4) In this section “gross indecency” is an act other than sexual intercourse (whether natural or unnatural) by a person involving the use of the genital organs for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire.
Laws of Saint Lucia Criminal Code Cap.3.01 95 Revision Date: 31 Dec. 2005
133. BUGGERY
(1) A person who commits buggery commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for—
(a) life, if committed with force and without the consent of the other person;
(b) ten years, in any other case.
(2) Any person who attempts to commit buggery, or commits an assault with intent to commit buggery, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.
(3) In this section “buggery” means sexual intercourse per anus by a male person with another male person.
Jamaica *
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: -98
Section 76. Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable
crime of buggery, committed either with’ mankind or with any animal, shall be liable to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for a term not exceeding ten years.
The following countries are not in the top 150 most visited by international tourists, so they have not been included in our LGBTQ+ Danger Index graphic above. However, same-sex relationships are illegal:
Antigua and Barbuda *
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: N/A
Article 12, 15.
12. (1) A person who commits buggery is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment – for life, if committed by an adult on a minor; for fifteen years, if committed by an adult on another adult; for five years, if committed by a minor.
(2) In this section “buggery” means sexual intercourse per anum by a male person with a male person or by a male person with a female person. (Antigua and Barbuda 1995; ILGA May 2013, 89)
15. (1) A person who commits an act of serious indecency on or towards another is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment –
for ten years, if committed on or towards a minor under sixteen years of age;
for five years, if committed an or towards a person sixteen years of age or more;
2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an act of serious indecency committed in private between – a husband and his wife; or a male person and a female person each of whom is sixteen years of age or more; both of whom consent to the commission of the act.
(3) An act of “serious indecency” is an act, other than sexual intercourse (whether natural or unnatural), by a person involving the use of the genital organ for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire. (Antigua and Barbuda 1995; ILGA May 2013, 89)
Dominica *
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: N/A
Article 16. Buggery “(1) A person who commits buggery is guilty of an ofence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for—
(a) twenty-fve years, if committed by an adult on a minor;
(b) ten years, if committed by an adult on another adult; or
(c) fve years, if committed by a minor;
and, if the Court thinks it ft, the Court may order that the convicted person be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.
(2) Any person who attempts to commit the ofence of buggery, or is guilty of an assault with the intent to commit the same is guilty
of an ofence and liable to imprisonment for four years and, if the Court thinks it ft, the Court may order that the convicted person be
admitted to the psychiatric hospital for treatment.
(3) In this section “buggery” means sexual intercourse per anum by a male person with a male person or by a male person with a female person.
Grenada *
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: N/A
Article 431. If any two persons are guilty of unnatural connexion, or if any person is guilty of unnatural connexion with any animal, every such person shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.
Saint Kitts and Nevis *
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: N/A
Sections 56, 57.
56. Sodomy and bestiality.
Any person who is convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with mankind or with any animal, shall be liable to be imprisoned for a term not exceeding ten years, with or without hard labour.
57. Attempt to commit an infamous crime.
Any person who attempts to commit the said abominable crime, or is guilty of any assault with intent to commit the same, or of any indecent assault upon any male person, commits a misdemeanour, and, on conviction, shall be liable to be imprisoned for a term not exceeding four years, with or without hard labour.
Source: Offences Against the Person Act (2002), sections 56, 57.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
LGBTQ+ Danger Index Score: N/A
Sections 146, 148.
148. Any person, who in public or private, commits an act of gross indecency with another person of the same sex, or procures or attempts to procure another person of the same sex to commit an act of gross indecency with him or her, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years.
146. Any person who commits buggery with any other person; commits buggery with an animal; or permits any person to commit buggery with him or her; is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for ten years.
