South Africa is One of The Best Countries for LGBTQ+ Travellers!

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A recent study shared the best countries for LGBTQ+ members to visit in 2023, and South Africa made the list!

Global (24 May, 2023) — While most travellers have a platter of considerations to make before embarking on a new adventure, LGBTQ+ people have an entirely different list that society doesn’t require others to think twice about. What does society acceptance look like in another country? Are there marriage rights? What about any anti-discrimination laws? Will I be safe? That’s why lists like the Best Countries for LGBTQ+ travellers matter as much as they do; making travel safer.

Holding true to the Rainbow Nation’s promise to accept all, South Africa has been named one of the Best Countries for LGBTQ+ travellers, as part of a 2023 study.

To determine welcoming countries, researchers looked into important factors, including:

Society Acceptance
Sexual Activity Rights
Civil Union Rights
Marriage Rights
Adoption Rights
Military Service Rights
Anti-Discrimination Laws
and Gender Identity Laws

South Africa ranked 11th on the list out of 20, with Sweden taking first place followed by the Netherlands in second and Spain in third. Indexes were created as an overall scorecard, with SA earning a figure of 86.2.

Here’s the Breakdown of LGBTQ+ Progress in South Africa:

South Africa has a majority acceptance rate (54%), same-sex marriage rights for both male and females, civil union rights, adoption rights, military service rights, anti-discrimination laws (our constitution forbids anti-gay discrimination) plus gender identity laws (laws which allow legal genders to be changed).

Why does this all matter? Especially for Africa, where parts of our continent have recently seen LGBTQ+ people face crackdowns and anti-homosexuality laws, studies like this remind the world that South Africa remains a beacon of pride in every sense, and hope.

And, in another dose of good news for LGBTQ+ communities abroad, Namibia’s Supreme Court recently ruled that the government must recognize same-sex marriages between Namibian expats and their foreign spouses.