This briefing covers LGBT+ rights and issues in countries that have joined the EU since 2004, countries seeking to join the EU, Russia and other former Soviet Union states, as well as Turkey. It also includes Europe-wide comparative data.

Country rankings

ILGA-Europe, an umbrella body of LGBT+ advocacy organisations in Europe and part of the wider International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association ILGA-World network, produces an annual review of LGBT+ rights across Europe. This includes a ranking of 49 European countries based on their respective legal and policy practices for LGBT+ people.

With the exception of Bosnia and Herzegovina (22^nd) and Estonia (23^rd) the countries covered in this briefing feature in the bottom half of the ILGA-Europe rankings.

The bottom four countries: Russia, Armenia, Turkey, and (bottom-placed) Azerbaijan, are covered in this briefing. These all score under 10% in ILGA Europe’s ranking calculations, based on assessing a range of laws and policies relating to LGBT+ people. According to ILGA Europe, in countries scoring under 10% there are gross violations of human rights for LGBT+ people.

Also included in this briefing are the lowest ranking EU country, Poland (ranked 43^rd in Europe), as well as Latvia (41^st and second lowest in the EU), Ukraine (39^th), Lithuania (34^th), Georgia (32^nd), Hungary (28^th) and Albania (27^th).

Protections against discrimination and hate crime

In all European countries, same-sex relations are legal....

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