The most LGBTQ+-friendly countries have been ranked. (Getty)
Trans advocates have discovered the friendliest cities for LGBTQ+ travel lovers; unsurprisingly, London hasn’t even made the top 10 on the list.
Trans prosthetic experts at Emisil conducted a study to discover the best LGBTQ+-friendly cities across the globe for queer travellers.
The team took worldwide marriage equality, queer nightlife, and safety of these LGBTQ+-friendly cities all into consideration. The study also looked at the Global Trans Index for 2023, which assesses gender-recognition, anti-discrimination laws and hate crime rates in various countries.
And in a less than surprising turn, it’s not great news for any of the UK’s major cities. London, Manchester, Leeds, and even queer-favourite hotspot Brighton didn’t make the cut.
Luckily, the flight to the world’s most queer and trans-friendly city in the world is only a mere two hours and 45 minutes from London, as Lisbon, Portugal claims the top spot. The city earned itself an impressive score of 9.26, given its high safety and positive attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community. Same-sex marriage has been legal there since 2010, so get yourself a Pastéis de Nata (that’s a Portuguese custard tart) while you’re there – you deserve it.
Meanwhile, Copenhagen, Denmark, takes second place, with New York City, USA, coming in third. While the Big Apple has the third-lowest safety ranking on the list, it is home to many queer-forward bars, clubs and drag performers.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands comes in fourth, with Taipei, Taiwan, Barcelona, Spain, and Reykjavik, Iceland nabbing the fifth, sixth and seventh spots.
At number eight is Toronto, Canada, with a score of 8.77 and isn’t well-versed in the queer entertainment scene, but definitely makes up for it with its high Global Trans Index scoring.
The second-lowest country on the list is Tokyo, Japan, which has yet to sign marriage equality into law. Nonetheless, the city scored 8.67 as it features over 40 queer nightlife venues and a high safety ranking.
Paris, France claims the final city on the list, with over 30 queer entertainment venues and an 8.57 score. With arguably better cheese, wine and accents, we’re not mad about hopping over the English Channel to reach this queer-friendly spot.
What are you waiting for? Grab your passport, download Grindr’s new travel feature, and get ready to catch flights and feelings.