Gay-friendly

Gay-friendly or LGBT-friendly are the places, policies, people or institutions that are open and welcoming to gay people (to include all members of the LGBTQ community) to create an environment that is supportive of gay people and their relationships, respectful of all people, treat all people equally, and are non-judgmental. This is typically a late 20th-century North American term that is the byproduct of both a gradual implementation of gay rights and acceptance of policies supportive of LGBTQ people in the workplace and in schools, as well as the recognition of gays and lesbians as a distinct consumer group for businesses.

Places

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven participated in Stockholm Pride parade, 30 July 2016

Cities that are known worldwide as being gay-friendly include San Francisco, Seattle, Tel Aviv, New York City, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne, Madrid, Paris, Puerto Vallarta, Chicago, Brighton, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Montería, London, Copenhagen and Berlin amongst others.[1][2]

The Advocate publishes a list periodically of the gayest cities in America that include cities such as Minneapolis, Albuquerque, San Diego, Austin, and several others based on facts such as their same sex marriage laws, number of same sex couples, and other qualifiers.[3]

The Spartacus International Gay Guide publishes the Gay Travel Index, a ranking of gay-friendly countries. Points are added to countries for anti-discrimination legislation, equal marriage, partnership and adoption laws, and LGBT marteking. Meanwhile, points are subtracted for anti-LGBT laws, HIV travel restrictions, religious influence, and prosecution, murders and death sentences to LGBT.

In 2013, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index features a majority of Western European countries in the top 11 (Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Spain), plus Canada, New Zealand and Uruguay.[4] The bottom 5 countries are Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Jordan and Jamaica.[5]

Spartacus also publishes a Gay Travel Index USA, listing the 50 states plus the District of Columbia with the same criteria as the countries ranking. In 2013, the top 5 regions are from the Northeast, whereas the top 10 also includes California, Illinois and Oregon. The bottom 10 states are mainly from the Southeast, except for a few Mountain states (Utah, Idaho and Montana).

Businesses

Many businesses now identify as gay-friendly, allowing for a more diversified employee and customer base. The Human Rights Campaign works to achieve equality for gays, lesbians and other and publishes a list of companies in relation to issues concerning LGBT people. Companies that are noted for gay-friendly work environments include Dell Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. Companies such as R Family Vacations, Manspray, Volkswagen, Ginch Gonch and Egotour and numerous others offer niche products and services for gay customers.[6] Others, such as LOT Polish Airlines sends the message of gay-friendliness by offering travel to major gay destinations with a rainbow flag[7] Studies have shown that LGBT communities tend to favor gay-friendly businesses, even if the cost of a particular product or service is higher.[8]

United States

List of U.S. states by their Gay Travel Index [9]
Rank State Total Anti-discrimination legislation LGBT-Marketing Equal Age of Consent Religious Influence Anti-Gay Laws Locals hostile
1 New York4211000
1 Massachusetts4211000
1 California4211000
4 Maine3201000
4 Vermont3201000
4 New Hampshire3201000
4 Connecticut3201000
4 Oregon3201000
4 Maryland3201000
4 Illinois3201000
4 Rhode Island3201000
4 Nevada3210000
4 Washington3201000
4 Wisconsin3201000
4 New Mexico3201000
4 Colorado321100-1
17 Iowa220100-1
17 Delaware2101000
17 New Jersey220100-1
17 Minnesota220100-1
17 Florida121110-10
17 Arizona211100-1
23 Pennsylvania1001000
23 Hawaii1201-10-1
23 Kansas110100-1
23 Alaska1001000
27 Ohio00010-10
27 Nebraska01010-1-1
27 Missouri01010-1-1
27 Indiana000100-1
27 Wyoming000100-1
27 West Virginia000100-1
27 Virginia000100-1
27 Texas2,30111-1-1-1
35 South Dakota-10010-1-1
35  North Dakota-10010-1-1
35 Michigan-10010-1-1
35 Tennessee-1101-1-1-1
35 Louisiana-1101-1-1-1
35 Kentucky-1101-1-1-1
35 Utah-10010-1-1
35 Oklahoma-1001-10-1
35 Montana-10010-1-1
35 Idaho-10010-1-1
45 Mississippi-2001-1-1-1
45 Georgia (U.S. state)-2001-1-1-1
45 Arkansas-2001-1-1-1
45 South Carolina-2001-20-1
49 North Carolina-3001-2-1-1
49 Alabama4-3001-2-1-1

Notes

1 In 2015 Florida explicitly lifted the adoption ban for homosexuals after federal judges ruled it unconstitutional in 2010.

2 In Texas as a result from supreme court ruling from 2003 in the case Lawrence v. Texas the sodomy law was deemed to contradict the constitution of the USA. The sodomy laws are however still found in the code of law in Texas, although no longer enforced.

3 Despite supreme court's decision on same-sex marriage, officials of one Texas county, Irion, issue marriage licenses but claim they will refuse same-sex couples. None have applied and no legal action has been taken.[10]

4 Officials in eight Alabama counties no longer issue any marriage licenses.[11][12] This is being done in accordance with a state law, which in 1961 was created to preserve racial segregation and made it optional for county clerks to issue marriage licenses. Several have chosen to exercise this option since the Obergefell ruling.[13]

World

List of Countries by their Gay Travel Index [14]
Rank Country Total Anti-discrimination legislation Marriage/Civil Partnership Adoption allowed LGBT-Marketing Equal Age of Consent Religious Influence HIV Travel Restrictions Anti-Gay Laws Homosexuality illegal Pride banned Locals hostile Prosecution Murders Death sentences
1 Sweden932211000000000
1 United Kingdom1932211000000000
3 Belgium822211000000000
3 Netherlands822211000000000
3 France822211000000000
3 Canada28322110-10000000
3 Denmark822211000000000
3 Reunion822211000000000
3 Iceland822211000000000
3 Finland832201000000000
3 Ireland3822211000000000
12 Norway722201000000000
12 Spain722211-100000000
12 Luxembourg722201000000000
12 Uruguay722201000000000
12 Andorra731201000000000
12 Portugal732201-100000000
12 Austria721211000000000
12 New Zealand722201000000000
12 Greenland722201000000000
12 Gibraltar722201000000000
22 Germany4621111000000000
22 French Polynesia622201-100000000
22 New Caledonia62220100000-1000
22 Malta621211-100000000
22  Switzerland621111000000000
22 Brazil612211-100000000
22 Slovenia632101-100000000
29 Guadeloupe522201-10000-1000
29 Martinique522201-10000-1000
29 Czech Republic521101000000000
29 Estonia521101000000000
29 Israel5521211-10000-1000
34 Argentina402211-10000-1000
34 South Africa43220000000-10-20
34 USA*412201-10000-1000
37 Australia3101110-10000000
37 Thailand320001000000000
37 Guam31200100000-1000
37 Colombia322201-10000-10-20
37 Puerto Rico6322201-10000-10-20
42 Hungary221001-10-1000000
42 Liechtenstein201001000000000
42 Ecuador231001-1-1000-1000
42 Mexico211211-10000-10-20
42 Virgin Islands (USA)6212001-10000-1000
42   Nepal230001-10000-1000
42 Mozambique210001000000000
49 Macao11000100000-1000
49 Aruba100001000000000
49 Croatia121001-10-100-1000
49 Bosnia-Herzegovina71200010000-1-1000
49 Costa Rica120001-10000-1000
49 Slovakia12000100-100-1000
49 Bolivia120001-10000-1000
49 Taiwan1200000-10000000
49 Italy111001-10000-1000
49 Greece111001-10000-1000
49 Cyprus111001-10000-1000
49 Curacao10001100000-1000
49 Mongolia11000100000-1000
62 St. Maarten8020001-10-100-1000
62 Bulgaria020001-10-100-1000
62 Montenegro020001-10-100-1000
62 Romania020001-10-100-1000
62 Benin00000100000-1000
62 Cambodia00000100000-1000
62 China/ Hong Kong00000100000-1000
62 Philippines9010000-100000000
62 Vietnam00000100000-1000
62 Albania020001-10000-2000
62 British Virgin Islands030001-20-100-1000
62 Japan00000100000-1000
62 Nicaragua010001-10000-1000
62 Kosovo030001-20000-2000
62 Latvia01000100-100-1000
62 Venezuela010001-10000-1000
62 Bermuda01000000000-1000
62 Lithuania020001-1000-1-1000
80 Poland-110001-10-100-1000
80 Guinea-Bissau-100001-10000-1000
80 Monaco-100001-10000-1000
80 San Marino-110001-20000-1000
80 Kazakhstan-1000010-1000-1000
80 Laos-10000000000-1000
80 Moldova-11000100-10-1-1000
80 Chile-111000-1000000-20
80 Seychelles10-120000-10000-2000
89 Macedonia-200001-10-100-1000
89 Azerbaijan-20000100-10-1-1000
89 Armenia11-20000000-100-1000
89 Serbia-220001-10-10-1-2000
89 Gabon-200001-10000-2000
89 Fiji-200001-1-1000-1000
89 Ukraine-210001-10-10-1-1000
89 Vanuatu-200001-1-1000-1000
89 Cabo Verde-210000-10-100-1000
89 El Salvador-220001-10000-20-20
89 Honduras12-220001-10-100-10-20
89 Panama-200001-1-1-1000000
101 Singapore-30000000-1-10-1000
101 Rwanda-300001-20000-2000
101 Georgia-320001-20-100-10-20
101 Kyrgyzstan-300001-1-1000-2000
101 Myanmar-30000100-1-10-1-100
101 Tunisia-300001-10-1-10-1000
101 Botswana13-310000-10-1-10-1000
101 Cuba-3100010-1-100-10-20
101 Burkina Faso-300001-20000-2000
101 Mauritius14-310001-10-1-10-1-100
101 Peru15-310001-10-100-10-20
112 Antigua & Barbuda-40000000-1-10-1-100
112 Equatorial Guinea-400001-2-1000-2000
112 Suriname-400000-1-1-100-1000
112 Tajikistan-400001-20-100-2000
112 Trinidad & Tobago-400000-1-10-10-1000
112 Guatemala-400001-10000-20-20
112 South Korea-400001-2-1-100-1000
112 Lebanon16-400001-10-1-10-1-100
112 Barbados-400000-10-1-10-1000
112 Namibia-400000-10-1-10-1000
112 Belize-400000-10-100-1-100
123 Angola-500000-10-1-10-1-100
123 Democratic Republic of the Congo-500000-20-100-2000
123 India17-500000-10-1-10-1-100
123 Sri Lanka18-500000-1-1-1-10-1000
123 Burundi-500000-10-1-10-1-100
123 Republic of the Congo-500000-20-100-2000
123 Samoa-500000-20-1-10-1000
123 Sierra Leone-500000-10-1-10-2000
123 Paraguay-500000-10-100-10-20
123 Grenada-500000-10-1-10-1-100
123 Belarus-500001-1-1-10-1-2000
123 Oman-500001-1-1-1-10-1-100
123 Syria-500000-1-1-1-10-1000
123 Madagascar-500000-10000-20-20
123 Bahrain19-500000-20000-2-100
123 Ivory Coast-500000-20-100-2000
139 Haiti-600001-2000-1-20-20
139 Morocco-600000-10-1-10-2-100
139 Kenya-600000-10-1-10-2-100
139 Turkey20-600001-10-10-1-1-1-20
139 Bhutan-600000-2-1-1-10-1000
139 Brunei-600000-2-1-1-10-1000
139 Central African Republic-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Djibouti21-600000-200-10-2-100
139 Eritrea-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Ghana22-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Liberia-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Togo-600000-10-1-10-2-100
139 Tonga-600000-2-1-1-10-1000
139 Uzbekistan-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Zambia-600000-20-1-10-1-100
139 Pakistan-600000-20-1-10-1-100
139 Bahamas-600000-10-100-20-20
139 Malaysia-600000-20-1-10-1-100
139 Nigeria23-60000000-1-10-2-10-1
158 Chad-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Dominican Republic-700000-2-1-100-10-20
158 The Gambia-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Egypt-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158Comoros Islands-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Dominica-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Ethiopia-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Iraq24-700000-2-1000-20-20
158 Kuwait-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Mauritania-700000-20-1-10-200-1
158 Papua New Guinea-700000-2-1-1-10-2000
158 Senegal-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Solomon Islands-700000-2-1-1-10-2000
158 Tanzania-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Turkmenistan-700000-2-1-1-10-2000
158 Maldives-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158  Vatican City25-700000-20-100-2-200
175 Bangladesh-800000-20-1-10-20-20
175 Swaziland-800000-20-1-10-20-20
175 Uganda-800000-20-1-1-1-2-100
175 Cook Islands-8-10000-2-1-1-10-2000
175 Qatar-800000-2-1-1-10-2-100
175 Sudan-800000-2-1-1-10-200-1
175 Zimbabwe-800000-10-1-10-2-1-20
175 Jordan-800001-2-1-100-2-1-20
183 Malawi-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Cameroon-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Guyana-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Libya-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Afghanistan-900000-20-1-10-20-2-1
183 Jamaica-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Russia-900001-2-1-10-1-2-1-20
190 Yemen-1000000-2-1-1-10-20-2-1
191 Saudi Arabia-1200000-20-1-10-2-10-5
192 United Arab Emirates-1300000-2-1-1-10-2-10-5
192 Iran-1300000-20-1-10-1-1-2-5
194 Somalia26-1400000-20-1-10-2-1-2-5

Notes:

1 In Northern Ireland the legal situation for same-sex adoption is unclear.

2 In Canada the adoption laws vary per province. Same-sex-adoption is however possible countrywide.

3 The Employment Equality Act allows religious-run workplaces exemption from its anti-discrimination provisions in order to protect their ethos.

4 In Germany, due to federal government system, there are varying regulations regarding arrival/residence HIV. For example, in Bavaria someone who is HIV-positive can be denied entry. The Federal Constitutional Court has stipulated in several renditions of judgment that the politicians implement the same rights for gay men and lesbians which apply to heterosexuals.

5 In Israel a civil marriage for both homosexual and heterosexual couples is not possible as marriage can only be performed by a Rabbi. This problem does not only apply to gays and lesbians but also heterosexuals belonging to different religious affiliations. There are limited anti-discrimination laws (exception: certain religious groups).

6 The Virgin Islands of the USA have the same legal status as Puerto Rico regarding the USA. Here there is also a ban on hate crimes. After the Supreme Court decision pro same sex marriage in the US, there are plans to implement SSM in Puerto Rico too.

7 Bosnia and Herzegovina passed an unclear anti-discrimination law in 2009 in which a ban on discrimination against “sexual expression” is mentioned. There is a reference that “sexual identity” is not meant in this case. It is obvious that an attempt to adhere to the minimum requirements from the EU has been made, in order to be accepted into the EU.

8 As an overseas territory of the Netherlands St. Maarten recognizes same-sex marriages which are performed in the Netherlands. In St. Maarten itself gay marriage is still not possible, but changes can soon follow. There are no adoption laws.

9 There are regional differences in the laws relating to homosexuals. In addition, the local religion is just as crucial, whether a law is implemented or not.

10 In May 2016 the Parliament of Seychelles decided to make homosexuality legal.

11 From Armenia we received many reports of illegal violence from police against homosexuals.

12 In Honduras an anti-discrimination law has recently been passed, but in practice it is ignored.

13 In Botswana is homosexuality practically illegally on the basis of the ban on “unnatural act”, but in the labor law there is still an explicit prohibition of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.

14 In Mauritius, the sodomy law tends to find application with the heterosexual population. The Equal Opportunities Act protects homosexuals against discrimination at work. It is therefore questionable whether homosexuality is classified as illegal or not.

15 Consensual homosexual acts in Peru between adults are legal. An exception applies for members of the military and police, who can be prosecuted with a prison sentence ranging from 60 days to 20 years or suspension from duty.

16 There are reports of a different judicial interpretations of the law on “sex against nature’.

17 In December 2013, the Supreme Court set aside a 2009 verdict by the Delhi High Court that had decriminalized homosexuality. This has turned gay sex into a punishable offence once again and catapulted India back into the legal standpoint of colonial times under the British.

18 At the request of the UNHCR Sri Lanka has announced that discrimination of homosexuals is constitutionally forbidden. It was further stressed that the anti-sodomy law is not aimed against homosexuals, but applies for all to protect public morals.

19 In Bahrain although the paragraph referring to sodomy was abolished in 1976 from the local legal code, gay men can still be punished with imprisonment according to the laws regarding “unmoral” behavior.

20 Police stopped violently the Gay Pride on June 29 th, 2015. This can be considered a de facto ban on the Pride.

21 The Shariah-law in Djibouti is often superior to the constitutional laws, so that it could be expected that homosexuality is punishable.

22 In Ghana there is a ban on unnatural sex. The government recognizes in this a clear ban on homosexuality.

23 In Nigeria the death penalty only applies for homosexuals according to the Shariah laws and therefore relates only to Muslims in the north of Nigeria.

24 Homosexuality in Iraq is formally legal, but police and military track down homosexuals, and reports of murder and rape exist.

25 The Vatican City adheres to Italian law, but restrictions are possible if the ecclesiastical law contradicts Italian law. Therefore, there are conflicting opinions that homosexuality is not illegal or just not happily seen, but tolerated.

26 Shariah laws applies in Somalia since 2012. There is however contradictory information, since, on the one hand the maximum penalty is up to 3 years in prison, but 2013 a homosexual was stoned to death after a judgment.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lonely Planet (8 August 2012). "Top gay-friendly destinations". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "The five most improved places for gay tolerance". 17 September 2008.
  3. ↑ "2014's Gayest Cities in America". 6 January 2014.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Spartacus Ranks Gay-Friendly Destinations: Sweden’s On Top (USA Not So Much) - Queerty, 3 March 2013
  6. ↑ "egotour.eu - user reviews, gay travel portal". www.egotour.eu.
  7. ↑ "Wyborcza.pl". Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Gay Consumers See Themselves as Tastemakers, Prefer Gay-Friendly Companies, Says Study". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  9. ↑ https://spartacus.travel/
  10. ↑ "Local government responses to Obergefell v. Hodges". ballotpedia.org. July 1, 2015 – June 26, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Eight Alabama counties still refuse to issue marriage licenses despite gay marriage ruling". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  12. ↑ "2yrs later, 7co. still not issuing same-sex marriage licenses". Alabama Today. 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  13. ↑ "Alabama judges use segregation-era law to avoid gay marriage". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  14. ↑ https://spartacus.travel/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.