Most Dangerous And Safest Places For Gay Travelers Worldwide
Depending on where you may be residing or vacationing, gay travelers can face some huge risks. A few years ago, Brunei made it legal to stone and flog people from the community to death. It is not the only nation to have the death penalty on its books. Some of the few other nations include Iran, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia. Several gay activities are banned in more than seventy nations. Many people have attempted to rank the most dangerous places and safest places for gay travelers over the years. They have looked at over a hundred of the most-visited nations on the globe by the number of incoming travelers every year. They have ranked them using various factors, such as legal protection against discrimination, laws against gay relationships, and more. There are some factors such as worker protection and adoption recognition that are not going to affect any of the travelers in a direct manner. But it is a great indication of the overall attitudes within the cultures.
Journalist and blogger Lyric Fergusson said, "This is horrifying. We have seen LGBTQ+ people dear to our hearts be discriminated against, and our deepest desire for writing this article was to bring awareness to these issues and hopefully catalyze change. As travel journalists, we wanted to help the LGBTQ+ community educate themselves on the complex and layered world of staying safe during international travel. These issues can affect everything, from your ability to show public displays of affection to be 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 whopping 47 of the 70 countries that have illegal same-sex relationships were part of the British Empire. That is 67 percent! This isn't a coincidence. In almost all cases, the laws outlawing consensual gay sex were put under British rule and left in place following independence. In 2018, India managed to annul Section 377, a British colonial-era law prohibiting 'unnatural acts,' in order to legalize consensual gay sex."
"Long story short, this points to the fact that it was likely the British influence that largely led to Indian homophobia in the first place. We found this to be a bit ironic as the reason for many of the harsh homophobic laws in countries throughout the world is largely leftover from laws created during British rule. However, in modern times, the U.K. has made great progress with legalized same-sex marriage, worker protections, and the criminalization of homophobic violence. There are also no constitutional or broad protections for LGBTQ+ rights under federal law in the U.S. The U.S. might have come far, but it has a long way to go in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, especially for young transgender people. These laws are not widely known amongst Western travelers, and we hope others—no matter their orientation—are shocked as well. The whole research process was very eye-opening, emotional, and frustrating. Our hope is that by making this research widely known, we might be able to catalyze change within some of these governments that rely heavily on tourism."
A Discussion on the Most Dangerous Places and Safest Places for Gay Travelers
The most dangerous nation for gay travelers has been considered to be Nigeria. In this African nation, people can be put behind bars for over a decade for being gay. Some of the states also have the death penalty under Sharia law. Sweden has been termed the safest nation for gay travelers. Same-sex weddings have been legal there for the past thirteen years. No other nation has more Pride festivals per capita anywhere else on the globe. The United Kingdom is among the top seven of the world's safest nations for gay travelers. India is a nation that has taken a lot of years to make some progress when it comes to this community. In ancient Indian literature, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there have been several references to this community's heroes, including some transgender warriors. On the contrary, the United States has not done as well as some of the other western nations when it comes to ensuring the safety of gay travelers. One of the reasons behind this is that there is a lot of variation in gay rights, depending on the state.
It is also surprising that several nations still have imprisonment, lashings, or the death penalty for gay relationships. The attitudes and laws of several famous Caribbean vacation spots, such as Jamaica, were also an eye-opener. There are several nations on the island where such relationships are outlawed. These include the Grenadines, Saint Vincent, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Grenada, Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda.
The Most Dangerous Places for Gay Travelers
1. Nigeria
This nation is situated in the heart of the African continent. It is ranked as the most dangerous place for gay travelers. It has been ranked in this position because of the harsh penalties imposed for being gay. The sole discussion of such rights is criminalized under the present system. Under their prohibition act, the nation has seen a growth in extortion and violence against the gay community.
2. Qatar
The following position is taken by the nation of Qatar. It is an oil-rich country in the Middle East with more than a couple of years behind bars for gay people. It also has the death penalty and flogging under Sharia law for such acts of homosexuality. Tourism in this country was also predicted to go up during the upcoming Fifa World Cup that is going to happen there. So, it has been discussed to suspend the laws against gay travelers during the entirety of the tournament. But it was not accepted by the government there.
3. Yemen
In this nation, the punishment for being gay for women and men is time behind bars and numerous lashes. Any married man caught in such an act is stoned to death. This conservative Muslim nation is very strict when it comes to rejecting homosexual acts of any kind. This is present in its laws and the usual sentiment among the public. The nation has a mostly hostile attitude toward the mostly underground LGBTQ community.
The Safest Places for Gay Travelers
1. Sweden
The safest place in the world for gay travelers is Sweden. This region is quite well known for its adjusting locals and freedom of expression. The nation legalized homosexual weddings nearly thirteen years ago and did well in a lot of the measured categories. This place is also called the land of the Northern Lights. It has hosted more Pride festivals per capita than any other place on the globe.
2. Canada
Canada has positive laws and liberal attitudes towards this community. This has ranked it second in the safest nations for gay travelers on our list. Canada is well known for its chilly winters and kind locals. The nation has a lot of constitutional safeguards in place to guard this community against discrimination and violence. Same-sex weddings are legal in this nation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promoted inclusivity by going to the Pride Parade held in Toronto. He also became the first Prime Minister to go to a gay bar.
3. Norway
The nation is well known for its unique culture, friendly people, and gorgeous landscapes. So, it does not surprise that this nation ranks among the safest nations for gay travelers. Norway legalized same-sex weddings nearly thirteen years ago and safeguarded against violence and discrimination against the community. Over the past forty years, the nation has become one of the initial nations in the world to give equal rights to every person regardless of the orientation of their sexuality. The nation is home to a lot of events for the LGBTQ+ community.
Conclusion
The globe is made up of numerous beliefs, norms, and cultures. So, while a certain culture may believe in some things, others may not. This is what applies to the LGBTQ+ community also. Some cultures in the world encourage it openly. But the others just accept it silently and still think of it as one of the worst crimes that can be committed. Our list of the most dangerous places and safest places for gay travelers shows exactly that.
