After some isolated years in the pandemic, you might be thinking of your next holiday destination. If you have a lot of money, that is, because the cost to travel overseas is absolutely outrageous right now.
One thing that’s on lesbians’ minds, when it comes to overseas travel, is our safety. Where are the safest (and most dangerous) countries for us to visit? Asher and Lyric have taken the hefty research upon themselves, ranking the safest–and most dangerous–countries for LGBT people to vacay.
The project was inspired by noticing the disparity of treatment towards LGBT people in each country the pair visited. “Instead of relying on hearsay and anecdotes from other travelers, we took a deep look at LGBTQ+ rights, country by country.”
The research was laborious, due to their attention to reliable data: “After 350+ hours of research, we’ve reviewed all countries’ individual laws and gathered data from a variety of trusted international sources to create the definitive “LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index” that will help you find the safest (and least safe) countries for your next trip abroad.”
The ranking system took the following into consideration: legalized same-sex marriage, worker protections, protections against discrimination, criminalization of violence, adoption recognition, livability, trans laws, the legality of same-sex relationships, and propoganda/morality laws.
The most dangerous
Out of the 203 countries Asher and Lyric assessed, Brunei comes in at most dangerous. “In 2019, Brunei passed a penal code that made homosexual acts punishable by death by stoning.”
Nigeria is next most dangerous, where “homosexuality receives up to 14 years in prison or the death penalty.” Nigeria also “criminalizes discussion of LGBTQ+ rights.”
In Saudi Arabia, “homosexual acts as interpreted by Sharia law can be punished by the death sentence, 100 whips, or 1-year banishment. Flogging can occur for cross-dressing.”
In Malaysia, “homosexual intercourse results in up to 20 years in prison, whipping, and fines.”
The death penalty for homosexuals exists in Somalia and Afghanistan.
Some surprises in the “most dangerous,” including a country I’ve been to (with an ex-girlfriend) before, were Indonesia and Singapore. In fact, they were ranked “more dangerous” than China: a country that is known for censoring homosexuality.
The safest countries
The safest country, is… drum roll please… Canada!
Sweden (2nd), Netherlands (3rd), Malta (4th) and Portugal (5th) also vied for the top spot.
There were many surprises in the “safest” quarter. Spain and Chile beat Australia (15th) and the United States (24th). In fact, South Africa (21st) was ranked safer than the United States.
Israel (35th), Puerto Rico (38th), and Peru (39th) beat Greece (43rd) and Italy (53rd).
South Korea (74th) beat Japan (80th).
The ranking system took a lot of effort and labor; it only used reliable sources and data. So my assumptions about particular countries–largely based on anecdotes from online friends who live there–were definitely challenged.
BRB, just dreaming of the moment I can afford to visit Malta (4th)…
