- He Rainbow Map 2026 report places Spain at the head of 49 countries thanks to the solidity of the Trans Law and equality policies.
- ILGA-Europe highlights the depathologization of trans identities and the creation of an independent non-discrimination authority.
- The organization warns: despite legal success, attacks in Spain have gone from 7% to 22% in just two years.
The ten-year reign of Malta is over. ILGA-Europe has published its 18th annual report today and the result is a resounding victory for our country: Spain is the country in Europe with the best laws and policies for LGTBIQ+ people. With a score that places us at number 1 in the ranking, the “Spanish model” becomes the benchmark to follow in a continent where democracy and human rights are under unprecedented external and internal pressure.
The keys to promotion: Political courage
Spain’s rise to first place is no coincidence. ILGA-Europe points out as determining factors the full implementation of the trans depathologization in the health system, the new national strategies and, most especially, the firm resistance of the Government against the attempts of the extreme right to dismantle the protections achieved.
“Spain’s ranking is an example of what is possible when a government chooses to advance in equality instead of going backwards”, said Katrin Hugendubel, deputy director of ILGA-Europe. Spain now leads a prestigious “top 5” along with Malta, Iceland, Belgium and Denmark.
The “gap” between the law and the street
However, the report comes with a serious warning. The Rainbow Map 2026 measures laws and policies, but not lived reality. While the Spanish legal framework is excellent, the physical safety of the group is going through a critical moment. Citing data from the LGTBI+ State Federation, the report recalls that attacks have grown from 7% to 22% in just two years, driven by a climate of hate speech that ends up crystallizing into real violence.
A Europe at two speeds
This year’s report paints a fractured continent. While countries like Albania, Latvia or Czechia They take steps towards depathologization, others sink into repression:
- Slovakia: It has defined by constitution that sex is immutable from birth, eliminating the possibility of legal gender change.
- Hungary: European justice has just struck down its “anti-LGTBI propaganda” law for violating the fundamental values of the Union.
- Belarus and Russia: They remain in the rear car (positions 46 and 49 respectively) with criminal laws that pursue any type of visibility.
- Romania: With 42nd place, it becomes the country in the European Union with the lowest score.
Today Spain has reasons to celebrate, but also an immense responsibility. Being number 1 in Europe is not a goal, but rather a shield to continue defending a model of society that today, more than ever, is in the crosshairs of those who want to return to the past.
