According to the 2024 data from ILGA Europe’s Rainbow Map, which has been published annually since 2009, Turkey ranks 47th out of 49 European countries in terms of LGBTI+ rights. At the bottom of the list are Russia and Azerbaijan.
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association Europe (ILGA-Europe) has announced the results of its annual Rainbow Map for 2024.
The report reveals that authoritarian leaders across Europe have scapegoated LGBT+ individuals to maintain their voter bases. In at least 13 countries, the freedom of assembly and organization for LGBT+ people has been restricted.
According to the report, Russia, which ranked 46th out of 49 European countries last year, is now the country with the least legal and political protection for LGBT+ rights in Europe based on the 2024 data, placing it at the bottom. Malta, however, ranks first.
Turkey ranks third from last among the 49 European countries, with a score of 4.75. In 2023, Turkey was second from last with a score of 4, followed this year by Azerbaijan and Russia.
Turkey meets only 4 of the criteria set by ILGA-Europe. These criteria are: the absence of a legal framework that makes legal gender recognition impossible, the presence of legal measures, legal regulations allowing for name changes, and the absence of a law restricting foreign funding.
According to ILGA-Europe’s report, Turkey’s score on LGBT+ rights has dropped by 9.4% since 2013.
ILGA-Europe’s recommendations for Turkey include the following:
- Removing barriers that prevent LGBT+ organizations from effectively exercising their freedom of assembly and organization, and ensuring state protection and security for LGBT+ human rights defenders.
- Eliminating obstacles that hinder the effective exercise of freedom of expression at both national and local levels.
- Introducing hate crime laws that explicitly cover all bias-motivated crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics.
Strong political will in several countries
The Map illustrates a strong political will to advance the protection of LGBTI human rights in several countries.
Greece, Germany, Iceland, Estonia, and Liechtenstein all made some of the biggest jumps in the Rainbow Map ranking. Both Estonia and Greece amended their laws to allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, Greece also filled the gaps in its anti-discrimination legislation to fully protect LGBTI people, and Liechtenstein extended adoption rights to same-sex couples. With these changes, Greece has jumped to No’6 in the ranking.
Countries are also working hard to put crime measures in place that recognise anti-LGBTI hatred as an aggravating factor. Germany, which entered the top 10 this year, prohibited hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. Other countries legislating against hate crime include Bulgaria, Iceland (which has jumped to No’2 in the ranking) and Slovenia. Bans on conversion practices, which also perpetrate violence against LGBTI people, were introduced in Belgium, Cyprus, Iceland, Norway and Portugal.
Backlash in Georgia and other EU accession countries
Most EU accession countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine) are falling behind in their commitments, stalling the introduction of legislation and thus putting their citizens more and more at risk of real backlash and the undermining of fundamental rights. Turkey and Georgia, also accession candidates, are actively eroding human rights and fundamental freedoms, including efforts to pass new legislation particularly targeting LGBTI people. Georgia, one the most recent accession countries, has been cracking down on pro-EU protests against its proposed ‘foreign agents’ law, which comes directly from the Russian anti-LGBTI playbook.
ILGA-Europe Executive Director Chaber warned the European Union to pay attention to new tools of oppression against LGBT+ people. Chaber stated:
“The EU needs to pay close attention not only to the rise of political hate speech against LGBTI people, but also to new tools of oppression, like Russia’s criminalisation of a whole segment of the country’s population. The efforts at division and distraction from consolidated authoritarian regimes are further leaking into other European countries at a time where elections could push Europe into the hands of leaders who wish to shape a radical right, anti-democratic European Union. Europe needs stronger laws and policies to protect LGBTI people. Without these, we cannot talk about safety or about rule of law and democracy.”