Are LGBT people more discriminated against when it comes to travel ?

It would appear that the world of travel is becoming increasingly hostile to sexual and gender minorities, as revealed by the 2026 edition of the LGBTQ risk map published by the firm Riskline, which highlights a global regression of rights and a parallel disengagement by companies in protecting their employees while traveling.

To create this global overview of safety, the study relies on a methodology that combines local social acceptance, the legality of same-sex unions, and the recognition of trans rights, using reference data provided by Equaldex and the international association ILGA World.

While the overall map distribution remains sadly similar to that of 2025—with 80 territories in the « normal » green zone, 62 in the « high » yellow zone, and 91 nations in the « very high » orange zone where harassment and legal sanctions threaten travelers—the analysis of recent legislative developments is particularly alarming.

The geographical divides are becoming increasingly pronounced, with Western Europe becoming a sanctuary entirely tinged with green, while the Middle East, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa account for an overwhelming majority of destinations classified as orange.

This structural imbalance is fueled by a disastrous annual legislative record where, out of ten major reforms identified internationally, only two humanitarian advances stand out: the decriminalization of homosexual relations in Saint Lucia and Botswana.

Elsewhere, the signs are flashing red, as seen in Burkina Faso, which has chosen to criminalize homosexuality; Senegal, which has toughened its penal code; and Belarus and Kazakhstan, which have based their policies on the prohibition of so-called « LGBT propaganda. »

This conservative wave is not sparing the rights of families and transgender people, as evidenced by Slovakia, which has blocked access to adoption for same-sex couples, and India, which has revoked the fundamental right to gender self-determination.

Even Western superpowers are wavering in this assessment, since the United States, although generally maintained in the category of safe countries in green, is singled out by Riskline following the Supreme Court ruling validating the Trump administration’s decision to remove the neutral « X » designation from American passports, symbolizing the global reach of this great retreat of freedoms.
Envo