ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map Index: Poland No Longer Last in the EU – But Still at the Bottom

Today, ILGA-Europe published its Rainbow Map & Index, ranking 49 countries based on how well they protect the human rights of LGBT+ people. Poland ranked 39th – still one of the lowest in Europe, but no longer the very last country in the European Union. Malta again came first, followed by Belgium and Iceland. Countries like Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey scored the lowest overall.

For the first time in five years, Poland is no longer in the last place among EU countries. However, the country’s legal framework and law enforcement practices regarding the human rights of LGBT+ people remain among the worst in Europe. This year, Poland scored 21% – a slight improvement compared to last year – due to the repeal of the last remaining discriminatory local resolution targeting LGBT+ people. Despite this minor change, the ranking clearly shows: Polish law fails to adequately protect LGBT+ people and their families.

The Rainbow Map Has Been Monitoring LGBT+ Rights for 16 Years

The Rainbow Map and Index, launched by ILGA-Europe in 2009, evaluates legal and policy frameworks for LGBT+ equality in 49 European countries. ILGA-Europe is an umbrella organization representing civil society groups advocating for the rights of LGBT+ people across Europe.

The Rainbow Map relies on legal analysis and consultation with national experts and civil society. In Poland, the report is prepared in collaboration with Trans-Fuzja Foundation and Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH).

Importantly, the ranking does not measure social attitudes or levels of acceptance, but rather is based on objective legal criteria and policy implementation by national authorities. The index evaluates countries across the following categories:

• Equality and non-discrimination

• Family

• Hate crime and hate speech

• Legal gender recognition

• Intersex bodily integrity

• Civil society space

• Asylum.

An interactive version of the Rainbow Map visualizes the legal situation in each country. It is published annually around 17 May – the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

View this year’s map here: https://rainbowmap.ilga-europe.org

Rainbow Map 2025: Malta Still at the Top, Poland No Longer Last in the EU

For the first time in five years, Poland is no longer at the bottom of the EU ranking, though the legal and policy situation for LGBT+ rights remains dire. In the 2025 edition of the Rainbow Map, Poland scored 21%. Only 10 countries ranked lower – including Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Turkey – while Malta, Belgium, and Iceland again led the ranking.

Poland’s slight improvement is primarily due to the repeal of the last discriminatory local declaration – the Local Government Charter of Family Rights in Łańcut County. This change marks a symbolic end to a dark chapter in recent Polish history when open discrimination against LGBT+ people was tolerated in public policy.

Still, this shift is no reason for celebration. Poland scored 0 points in three key categories: Family, Hate crime and hate speech, and Intersex bodily integrity.

There Is Still a Long Way to Go for LGBT+ Equality in Poland

To move higher in the ranking, comprehensive legal reforms are needed, including:

• Legal recognition of same-sex partnerships and marriage equality

• Legal protections for all families, including rainbow families

• Effective protection from discrimination, violence, and hate speech

• Respect for the self-determination of trans people

• Protection of intersex individuals from non-consensual medical interventions

• Equal access to rights in employment, education, and healthcare

As Julia Kata from Trans-Fuzja Foundation points out: The community needs change – not in a year, or five or ten, but now. Despite fulfilling their civic duties, many people are still deprived of basic rights. We’re not talking about privileges or special treatment – we’re talking about dignity, safety, and respect for themselves, their families, and loved ones.

The 2025 Rainbow Map comes at a symbolic moment – just weeks before the end of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and the final days of the presidential election campaign. With safety becoming a dominant theme in public discourse, the ranking is a stark reminder that LGBT+ people are still treated as second-class citizens in Poland. True safety must include protection for all families and legal safeguards against violence and discrimination.

Poland’s minimal rise from last place in the EU is a symbolic closure of a chapter, and hopefully, a sign of legal progress ahead. This year’s ranking is published just before the presidential election – let’s vote for safety for all. The fact that Poland scored zero points in three entire categories must change – and we are working for that change – says Annamaria Linczowska from Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH).

Positive Changes and Concerning Regressions in Europe

This year, countries such as Germany made notable progress thanks to the Self-Determination Act, which significantly simplifies the legal gender recognition process.

Latvia also rose in the ranking after introducing civil partnerships, accessible to same-sex couples, and Czechia advanced by extending adoption rights to registered partners.

However, some countries moved backwards. Hungary, the UK, and Georgia saw a significant decline. Legislative bans on Pride marches and LGBT-inclusive events, as well as direct attacks on trans rights, reflect broader worrying trends.

As ILGA-Europe’s Advocacy Director Katrin Hugendubel warns: In Europe, we’re seeing legal changes that mirror not only Russian policy but also the rhetoric used in the US under Trump’s second term. Measures to restrict healthcare access for trans people and roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are designed to weaken protections, under the guise of defending tradition or public order. But their real aim is to entrench discrimination and silence dissent.

Want to learn more about this year’s ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map and Index? Download KPH’s overview (PL)