Looking to move abroad? Here are 10 countries LGBTQ+ people could consider
| 01/02/25
Wut_Moppie/shutterstock; aushilfe444/shutterstock; Sandor Szmutko/shutterstockThere was a whopping 300 percent surge in U.S. citizens searching for foreign destinations during the election, according to insurance company William Russell.
While many Americans are considering life abroad following Donald Trump's reelection, not everywhere is safe for LGBTQ+ people. But there are still several places that offer queer events, safety laws, parental rights, anti-discrimination laws, and medical rights.
Based on those categories and data from William Russell, here are the top countries for LGBTQ+ people looking to move out of the U.S. from.
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9. Chile (tie)
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Chile tied with the United Kingdom in its overall rating, but fell short in its anti-discrimination and safety index scores of 0.57 and 2.439, respectively. About 8 percent of its population identifies as LGBTQ+, and it does not have medical rights based on sex characteristics.
9. United Kingdom (tie)
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An estimated 12 percent of the United Kingdom is LGBTQ+. The nation tied with Chile in its overall rating, but edged out the country in its anti-discrimination and safety index scores of 0.68 and 1.569, respectively. It does not have medical rights based on gender expression, and recently banned gender-affirming care for youth.
8. Portugal
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Portugal earned an anti-discrimination score of 0.63, and a safety index score of 1.561. Its LGBTQ+ population is the lowest on the list at 7 percent, and it does not have medical rights based on sexual orientation.
7. Canada
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An estimated 10 percent of Canada's population are LGBTQ+. The country earned an anti-discrimination score of 0.62, and a safety index score of 1.660. However, it does not have medical rights based on sex characteristics.
6. Germany
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Germany has a high LGBTQ+ population of 11 percent, and high anti-discrimination and safety index scores of 0.77 and 1.58, respectively. However, it does not have medical rights based on gender expression or sex characteristics.
5. Sweden
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Sweden earned an anti-discrimination score of 0.75, and a safety index score of 1.535. An estimated 11 percent of the country's population are LGBTQ+. However, it does not have medical rights based on sex characteristics.
4. Belgium
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An estimated 9 percent of Belgium's population are LGBTQ+. The country earned an anti-discrimination score of 0.77, and a safety index score of 1.697. It has full adoption, marriage and medical rights.
3. Spain
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Spain has the second-highest LGBTQ+ population of all countries analyzed at 14 percent. It has an anti-discrimination score of 0.71, and a safety index score of 1.691. There are also over 20 events held for the LGBTQ+ community in the country.
2. Australia
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Residents have been protected against discrimination when accessing healthcare since 2013, and same-sex marriage was legalized in all states and territories in 2017. Approximately 10 percent of the population identifies as LGBTQ+.
1. Netherlands
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The Netherlands earned an impressive safety index score of 1.482 out of five and an anti-discrimination score of 0.80 out of one. It’s estimated that 12 percent of the country’s population identifies as LGBTQ+.
