GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026

The world, colored by how it treats us

Every country on the map is shaded by its composite GayOut Index — legal reality (max 60 points) plus the measured LGBTQ+ scene on the ground (max 40 points), scored out of 100. Hover for the breakdown, click through for the country profile.

75+ — strongest 60–74 40–59 20–39 Below 20 Not assessed

208 countries and territories assessed in release 2026.3 · Index = Legal (≤60) + Scene (≤40), out of 100 · Source: open dataset (CC BY 4.0)

Law vs scene divergence

Where the law and the nightlife disagree

The two halves of the Index measure different things: what the statute book says, and what a Saturday night actually looks like. These tables rank the biggest gaps — countries whose queer scene punches far above their legal protections, and countries with strong laws on paper but a thin scene on the ground. Only countries with a fully measured scene component are ranked.

Where the scene outruns the law

Scene share of its 40 points minus legal share of its 60 points — biggest positive gaps.
#CountryLegal /60Scene /40IndexGap
1 Lebanon High risk 18 9 27 +-8 pts
2 Sri Lanka High risk 18 8 26 +-10 pts
3 Italy Some caution 47 27 74 +-11 pts
4 United States Some caution 50 29 79 +-11 pts
5 North Macedonia Some caution 40 22 62 +-12 pts
6 Hungary Some caution 37 19 56 +-14 pts
7 Philippines Some caution 38 19 57 +-16 pts
8 Belize Some caution 40 20 60 +-17 pts
9 Georgia Some caution 32 14 46 +-18 pts
10 Peru Some caution 40 19 59 +-19 pts

Strong law, thin scene

Full legal protections, but the measured scene lags furthest behind — biggest negative gaps.
#CountryLegal /60Scene /40IndexGap
1 Cuba Welcoming 55 8 63 -72 pts
2 Bolivia Some caution 50 5 55 -71 pts
3 Ecuador Welcoming 57 11 68 -68 pts
4 Taiwan Welcoming 55 10 65 -67 pts
5 Costa Rica Welcoming 60 15 75 -63 pts
6 Uruguay Welcoming 60 18 78 -55 pts
7 Colombia Welcoming 57 16 73 -55 pts
8 Botswana Some caution 46 10 56 -52 pts
9 South Africa Welcoming 58 18 76 -52 pts
10 Brazil Welcoming 60 20 80 -50 pts