The weather is rather chilly, but the welcome for queer travelers is strong. Iceland tops the list of queer-friendly travel destinations in the 2026 Gay Travel Index (GTI). Sharing second place are Malta and Spain, with Belgium, Canada, Portugal, and Germany right behind.
The index rates countries and regions based on how safe, legally protected, and socially accepted LGBTQ travelers are.
Bottom dwellers: Afghanistan, Chechnya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Yemen
The biggest leap this year is Poland: the country rose from 118th to 59th due to political changes, including stronger rights for transgender people. Nepal climbed 21 places to 32nd thanks to new self-ID rules for transgender individuals and growing acceptance.
The biggest losers, according to the index, are Iraq, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan. Increased state repression and rising violence against queer people led to a drop to the lower ranks. At the bottom of the list of 217 countries surveyed are Afghanistan, Chechnya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Yemen.
Special case USA: The situation is divided
A look at the numbers shows the United States presents an uneven picture. While the country sits at 47th place in the global ranking with an overall positive assessment, looking at the individual states reveals a split.
On one side are states like Delaware, Rhode Island, and Michigan, which are expanding legal protection for queer people. They improve their ranking significantly.
On the other side, conservative states like Idaho are tightening their laws. Therefore, according to the GTI coordinators, it can happen that between a safe state and an openly hostile environment for queer people there is sometimes only a state border.
At the top of the US state rankings are New York State, California, and Nevada. Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee sit at the bottom of the 49 slots.
