The Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2016 lists the homo-friendliest countries worldwide.
The Spartacus International Gay Guide published its updated Gay Travel Index for 2016 today. The Spartacus Travel Guide for the gay community, published annually for over 40 years, informs in the updated Index about the legal situation of gays and lesbians in more than 190 countries. The editorial team is in regular contact with the German Foreign Office, the foreign embassies in Germany as well as LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) activists from around the world.
The winners in 2015 include Nepal (+50 positions), Puerto Rico (+41 positions), and Mozambique (+37 positions).
In the new constitution in Nepal is an explicit prohibition of discrimination against gays and lesbians. Puerto Rico as external territory of the United States implemented the so-called same-sex marriage law and far-reaching changes to adoption rights. Mozambique legalized homosexuality, contrary to the general trend on the African continent.
USA: Historical ruling made by the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a prohibition of homosexual marriage to be unconstitutional and legalized gay marriage in all federal states. The narrow majority decision of the judges is controversial and is also a subject of dispute in the current presidential election campaign with the Republican candidates.
The deceptive idyll: Maldives - partner country of the ITB 2016
The Maldives offers, with its impressive natural environment, a fantastic holiday destination. But for homosexuals the situation is very precarious. Here the Sharia law applies and theoretically gay men can be sentenced to death. The Maldives repeatedly presented active opposition, as one of the few countries, to public UN decisions on the recognition of LGBT rights. The last time this happened was during a LGBT resolution of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), where the resolution was adopted by a large majority.
Germany falls back in the ranking
The great political debate on the introduction of marriage between homosexuals in Germany after the referendum in conservative Ireland and the Supreme Court decision in the United States, ultimately led to no political progress. German Chancellor Angela Merkel remains firmly against the expansion of LGBT rights. The CDU is and remains the only party in the Bundestag (parliament), which is publicly against the introduction. In the foreseeable future all will remain as it stands today. It is very possible that other countries such as Switzerland or Portugal pass Germany in the Index ranking.
Top and tail positions remain unchanged
As in the previous year Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Russia are at the bottom of the Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2016. Also the top positions remain unchanged: Sweden on position 1, together with the United Kingdom, followed by Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
The detailed Spartacus Gay Travel Index can be found at:
www.spartacusworld.com/gaytravelindex.pdf
Spartacus International Gay Guide
For over 40 years the Spartacus International Gay Guide has been published by the Bruno Gmünder company. Whether addresses of hotels in Palm Springs, bars in Hong Kong or clubs in Buenos Aires - no other travel guide offers such extensive and current information on the places where gay men feel welcome and are able to be themselves.
Bruno Gmünder GmbH
The Bruno Gmünder GmbH was founded in Berlin in 1981. The company belongs today, with approximately 70 full-time and numerous part-time employees, to one of the global market leaders in the area of gay media. In the portfolio are numerous print and an increasing number of digital products like eBooks, apps and websites. The entire program includes travel guide, magazines, photo books, comics and non-fiction books.
