Amsterdam leads the “Sexually Liberal City Index 2025” created by the erotic platform Erobella.com. The Dutch capital has overtaken the American metropolis San Francisco, which last year — in the pre-Trump era — still held the top spot, but this year earned only the silver medal. In third place once again sits Cologne, the cathedral city and leading liberal German city. The other two German metropolises also cracked the Top Ten: Berlin ranked sixth, Hamburg eighth.
Overall, 41 cities worldwide were analyzed. The index weighs factors such as how many queer-friendly venues or events a city offers, as well as anti-discrimination laws, abortion rights, and whether transgender and nonbinary people are recognized. “The index lists the cities where sexual and gender diversity is not merely tolerated but celebrated,” notes Erobella.
In particular, U.S. cities slipped in the ranking: San Diego fell from 12th to 19th place. Atlanta, which last year rose to 15th, could only manage 28th this year.
“A Barometer of Societal Openness”
“Sexual freedom is a barometer of societal openness,” explained Brenda Jensen, the scientific director at Erobella. “With our index, we aim to offer guidance — and encourage people to push for visibility and self-determination. Germany is sending a signal: alongside Amsterdam, German cities rank among the most liberal worldwide. In particular, Cologne stands as a beacon of sexual freedom.”
Earlier in May, Erobella introduced the Kinky City Index Germany: Berlin clearly led the field, while Cologne only made it into the middle of the pack (TheColu.mn reported). The index used Erobella’s own data, including search behavior in five categories (BDSM, foot fetish, latex, spanking, bondage).
