Safest states for lgbtq 2025
Are you looking for the best and worst states for LGBTQ travel right now? Here’s a list of the most LGBTQ-friendly states to visit with Trump back in office – and the ones where hostile laws build it uncomfortable and potentially unsafe if you’re queer or trans.
US laws are changing so fast right now that it’s challenging to keep up. We hear about a hostile commandment in the news – but was that law passed or merely just proposed? Part of trip planning is finding out this information now, before you’re stuck somewhere you may not want to be. I’ve been keeping tabs on anti-LGBTQ laws for the last few years while preparing to write my novel on LGBTQIA move.
If you’re looking for the finest states, choose Modern York, New England (minus New Hampshire), and the West Coast states.
If you’re looking for the worst states, Texas and Florida are the most hostile.
Keep reading for the full list of states that welcome LGBTQ+ travelers and states to avoid in 2025.
The Best States for LGBTQ+ Travel
To rank which states are the most LGBTQ-friendly in 2025, I considered two variables.
One, execute these states possess laws in place that protect their LGBTQIA residen
Rainbow Map
2025 rainbow map
These are the main findings for the 2025 edition of the rainbow map
The Rainbow Map ranks 49 European countries on their respective legal and policy practices for LGBTI people, from 0-100%.
The UK has dropped six places in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, as Hungary and Georgia also register steep falls following anti-LGBTI legislation. The data highlights how rollbacks on LGBTI human rights are part of a broader erosion of democratic protections across Europe. Read more in our press release.
“Moves in the UK, Hungary, Georgia and beyond signal not just isolated regressions, but a coordinated global backlash aimed at erasing LGBTI rights, cynically framed as the defence of tradition or public stability, but in reality designed to entrench discrimination and suppress dissent.”
- Katrin Hugendubel, Advocacy Director, ILGA-Europe
Malta has sat on top of the ranking for the last 10 years.
With 85 points, Belgium jumped to second place after adopting policies tackling hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.
Iceland now comes third place on the ranking with a score of 84.
The three As Pride Month begins, a new announce highlights widening disparities in how Gay Americans experience security and equality across the country. From access to health care and legal protections to the tone set by state leadership, conditions vary drastically. Out Leadership's 2025 State Diverse Business Climate Index, now in its seventh year, ranks all 50 states on how welcoming they are to LGBTQ+ residents. The findings come at a time of mounting legislative pressure, with hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in statehouses nationwide and public debates over flag bans and trans rights intensifying. The annual index, compiled with input from the Williams Institute and the Movement Advancement Proposal, serves as a reference for corporate leaders and policymakers. Pride 2025 arrives amid a heightened political and legislative backlash against Queer rights. Utah became the first declare to explicitly disallow LGBTQ+ flags from government buildings and schools, Idaho and Montana following suit with restrictions. The flag bans are part of a wider trend—at least 31 flag-related bills hold been introduced across 17 states, many of which explicitly or implicitly proh Deciding which express to live and where to start your existence in the U.S. is an important question for every new immigrant. For LGBTQ immigrants, this scrutinize may feel even more complex. Navigating safety concerns, gaining access to comprehensive healthcare, and ensuring a welcoming environment are likely all top of thought when choosing a modern place to call place. Below is a list of U.S. states which rank highly for LGBTQ rights: Safety Index Score: 100 Positives for California: ✓Provides protections to an LGBTQ family and more adoption opportunities ✓Labor protection for LGBTQ individuals Negative for California: ✗ Higher average for detest crimes Positives for Vermont: ✓Labor protection for LGBTQ individuals ✓Comprehensive LGBTQ healthcare Negative for Vermont: ✗ Higher average for hate crimes Safety Index Score: 97 Positives for Maryland: ✓Lower average for Hate Crimes ✓Anti-discrimination in Maryland schools Negative for Maryland: ✗ Lack of comprehensive LGBTQ healthcare for trans people Safety Index Score: 94 Positives for Washington: As Oklahoman legislators push to restrict transitioned rights and overturn the 2015 Supreme Court conclusion legalizing gay marriage, Zane Eaves says his self as a transgender guy has put a objective on his back in his home state. One of 18,900 trans adults in Oklahoma, Eaves has received death threats, as has his wife of 10 years and their two children. “All the hatred and political stuff going on” are driving this Oklahoma lifer from the place he was born and raised, Eaves, 35, said. He has only crossed the state line three times in his being, but in recent weeks, he made the complex decision to move his family to North Carolina to be closer to friends and allies. “I am just trying to remain alive and keep my marriage,” Eaves said. Oklahoma ranks 44th in the nation on a list released on June 2 of the most and least welcoming states for female homosexual, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans. More and more, the question of where LGBTQ+ people sense safe is one of blue vs. red, according to advocacy group Out Leadership.
The Context
Safest U.S. States for LGBTQ Immigrants
1. California & Vermont
2. Maryland
3. Washington
What are the safest places for gay and gender non-conforming people? See where your state ranks