Canada named second safest country in the world for LGBTQ+ travellers

Absolutely - I was going to say, Spain is head and shoulders above the UK for LGBT safety (those are the only two countries I’ve spent a lot of time in recently).

Also worth noting, I’ve been in the non-touristy parts of north Vietnam for a month now (much more conservative than the south), and having talked to quite a few LGBT people here, it’s safe to live as an openly queer person, they just occasionally have to put up with assholes … just like everywhere else. And as a guiri, even the assholes don’t want to confront me, an obviously queer woman.

I’m surprised that the Netherlands don’t make it into the top 10 though. My German view is definitely biased, but when I travel there it just feels like (well, used to feel like) they got other stuff to think about than other people’s gender and sexuality. Be what you want to be, as long as you’re going to our coffee shops kind of. As basically all European countries are shifting to the right more and more, I imagine the relaxed climate has also changed. Also the Netherlands are more than just the big cities, God knows how LGBTQA+ friendly they are in Overjissel. I only played cow cricket there.

I’m not a woman, nor LGBTQ+, but to me at least, this graph looks a lot closer to reality.

I don’t think it’s surprising the lists differ a lot.

• Living there - will be more about the governments beliefs, and the law
• Travel - will be more about what everyday people think and treat others

These are often very different, on any issue.

UK here. Starmer went full TERF for some moronic reason (far from his first bad decision), but we still have only non-gender-specific toilets at my rather large workplace. So it’s bigoted and nasty, but it hasn’t been applied with the fascist zeal that it would be in the States.

Because it’s a list about safety, not about beliefs. Regardless of what “the country says”, you are not in any danger if you disagree. And outside of that issue, it’s a very welcoming country for LGBT folks (yes, including T, despite what the government may say).

Especially since it’s in the context of travel, so citizen rights are less relevant as they don’t apply to you anyway, and it’s much more relevant how you are going to be treated as a tourist, as you choose from the several LGBT friendly pubs down the road.

And that’s still hyper focusing on one issue, totally ignoring the list also concerns safety for women and people of color, which can bring you up on the list.

Hell yeah, men noorderburen! (Aka: de niet verlegen scheten die Nederlands praten) ❤️🫡

Thailand should definitely be in top 10!

I’m not entirely sure that all of the trans people are safe and well treated in Thailand.

Thailand should definitely be in top 10!

From what I have heard, that seems right.

I’ve also heard good things about Argentina

I realise this isn’t targeted at me.

but for anyone reading

There is desperate need accross the nation for professionals at all levels of care. The exception to my above comment is if you’re in an in-demand field. It will be much easier. The scope of that may have narrowed but nurses, care workers, etc. are in high demand everywhere here and will fast-track you for sure.

Edit: and our birthrate is dangerously low. We need immigrants to continue to exist as a nation.

I honestly can’t understand your comment in any other way than it resulting from you flatout not reading my comment.

If Canada is an example of one of the safest countries in the world for queer people, that is fucking terrifying. I have been to towns in Canada where you could be feasibly assaulted and even killed for being visibly trans around the wrong kind of men. State support extends to queer rights so far as it maintains its control over queer peoples’ labour and bodies as it defines their access to both. Do you people seriously only ever live in Toronto or Vancouver? Canada is a fucking white supremacist, racist, ableist, and wildly queerphobic place, legal rights are the bare minimum of protection in this society, and they are only just barely protected here.

I have never felt safe in Canada a single day in my conscious life, I refuse to give the state any credit whatsoever for the resources and wellbeing it threatens to revoke should too many people like me become visible and disruptive to business as usual.

Do not respond until you understand what the fuck you’re saying.

Despite being a proud Canadian this seems to be the only logical conclusion.

UAE is like Saudi Arabia (maybe not quite as extreme), where there’s a big LBGT scene on the down-low, but also draconian laws against it that are selectively enforced. Think Victorian England, but with more executions. And similar levels of hypocrisy. I worked over there, and queer colleagues were never short of companionship, but they had to be very deeply closeted. And every couple of years, the government would raid a club, arrest a few people, torture them and maybe decapitate a few. And, like everything over there, if you have money and/or connections, it’s easier for you.

Is it possible that it’s one of those places where being visibly a foreigner grants you lots of extra privileges that locals don’t get?

You might want to check with Berkshire Hathaway. Doubtless for a fee more current data can be made available.

Also from dear ones who are living there, there’s a good bit of homophobia, too. sigh.