Story perspectives

Spain Leads Europe’s Rainbow Map, Malta Drops to Second

5/14/2026

Summary

Spain Tops Rainbow Map

Spain topped the 2026 ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, ranking first among 49 European countries.
Spain earned an 88.7% score after adopting new equality laws, creating an independent authority and depathologising trans healthcare.
Malta fell to second place with an 88% score, ending its ten-year run at the top.
Spanish groups reported a 15% rise in assaults since 2024, while the map evaluated 76 criteria verified by over 250 experts.

Summary

Oisín O'Reilly Urges

Oisín O’Reilly, CEO of the LGBTQ+ Centre, said Ireland’s LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II is being implemented slower than desired.
He said LGBTQ+ people face barriers in housing and healthcare, and that Ireland scored 0% for Intersex Bodily Integrity and low on Equality and Non-Discrimination.
He urged political commitment and faster delivery of the strategy to turn legal gains into everyday equality, warning that global hostility toward LGBTQ+ communities is rising.

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Spain Tops Rainbow Map

Spain topped the 2026 ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, ranking first among 49 European countries.
Spain earned an 88.7% score after adopting new equality laws, creating an independent authority and depathologising trans healthcare.
Malta fell to second place with an 88% score, ending its ten-year run at the top.
Spanish groups reported a 15% rise in assaults since 2024, while the map evaluated 76 criteria verified by over 250 experts.

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