Gay-friendly or LGBT-friendly are the places, policies, people or institutions that are open and welcoming to gay people (to include all members of the LGBTQ community) to create an environment that is supportive of gay people and their relationships, respectful of all people, treat all people equally, and are non-judgmental. This is typically a late 20th-century North American term that is the byproduct of both a gradual implementation of gay rights and acceptance of policies supportive of LGBTQ people in the workplace and in schools, as well as the recognition of gays and lesbians as a distinct consumer group for businesses.
Video Gay-friendly
Places
Cities that are known worldwide as being gay-friendly include San Francisco, Seattle, Tel Aviv, New York City, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne, Madrid, Paris, Puerto Vallarta, Chicago, Brighton, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Montería, London, Copenhagen and Berlin amongst others.
The Advocate publishes a list periodically of the gayest cities in America that include cities such as Minneapolis, Albuquerque, San Diego, Austin, and several others based on facts such as their same sex marriage laws, number of same sex couples, and other qualifiers.
The Spartacus International Gay Guide publishes the Gay Travel Index, a ranking of gay-friendly countries. Points are added to countries for anti-discrimination legislation, equal marriage, partnership and adoption laws, and LGBT marteking. Meanwhile, points are subtracted for anti-LGBT laws, HIV travel restrictions, religious influence, and prosecution, murders and death sentences to LGBT.
In 2013, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index features a majority of Western European countries in the top 11 (Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Spain), plus Canada, New Zealand and Uruguay. The bottom 5 countries are Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Jordan and Jamaica.
Spartacus also publishes a Gay Travel Index USA, listing the 50 states plus the District of Columbia with the same criteria as the countries ranking. In 2013, the top 5 regions are from the Northeast, whereas the top 10 also includes California, Illinois and Oregon. The bottom 10 states are mainly from the Southeast, except for a few Mountain states (Utah, Idaho and Montana).
Maps Gay-friendly
Businesses
Many businesses now identify as gay-friendly, allowing for a more diversified employee and customer base. The Human Rights Campaign works to achieve equality for gays, lesbians and other and publishes a list of companies in relation to issues concerning LGBT people. Companies that are noted for gay-friendly work environments include Dell Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. Companies such as R Family Vacations, Manspray, Volkswagen, Ginch Gonch and Egotour and numerous others offer niche products and services for gay customers. Others, such as LOT Polish Airlines sends the message of gay-friendliness by offering travel to major gay destinations with a rainbow flag Studies have shown that LGBT communities tend to favor gay-friendly businesses, even if the cost of a particular product or service is higher.
United States
Notes
1 In 2015 Florida explicitly lifted the adoption ban for homosexuals after the federal judges has classified it as unconstitutional in 2010.
2 In Texas as a result from supreme court ruling from 2003 in the case Lawrence v. Texas the sodomy law was deemed to contradict the constitution of the USA. The sodomy laws are however still found in the code of law in Texas, although no longer enforced.
3 Despite supreme court's decision on same-sex marriage, officials of one Texas county, Irion, issue marriage licenses but claim they will refuse same-sex couples. None have applied and no legal action has been taken.
4 Officials in eight Alabama counties no longer issue any marriage licenses. This is being done in accordance with a state law, which in 1961 was created to preserve racial segregation and made it optional for county clerks to issue marriage licenses. Several have chosen to exercise this option since the Obergefell ruling.
World
Notes:
1 In Northern Ireland the legal situation for same-sex adoption is unclear.
2 In Canada the adoption laws vary per province. Same-sex-adoption is however possible countrywide.
3 The Employment Equality Act allows religious-run workplaces exemption from its anti-discrimination provisions in order to protect their ethos.
4 In Germany, due to federal government system, there are varying regulations regarding arrival/residence HIV. For example, in Bavaria someone who is HIV-positive can be denied entry. The Federal Constitutional Court has stipulated in several renditions of judgment that the politicians implement the same rights for gay men and lesbians which apply to heterosexuals.
5 In Israel a civil marriage for both homosexual and heterosexual couples is not possible as marriage can only be performed by a Rabbi. This problem does not only apply to gays and lesbians but also heterosexuals belonging to different religious affiliations. There are limited anti-discrimination laws (exception: certain religious groups).
6 The Virgin Islands of the USA have the same legal status as Puerto Rico regarding the USA. Here there is also a ban on hate crimes. After the Supreme Court decision pro same sex marriage in the US, there are plans to implement SSM in Puerto Rico too.
7 Bosnia and Herzegovina passed an unclear anti-discrimination law in 2009 in which a ban on discrimination against "sexual expression" is mentioned. There is a reference that "sexual identity" is not meant in this case. It is obvious that an attempt to adhere to the minimum requirements from the EU has been made, in order to be accepted into the EU.
8 As an overseas territory of the Netherlands St. Maarten recognizes same-sex marriages which are performed in the Netherlands. In St. Maarten itself gay marriage is still not possible, but changes can soon follow. There are no adoption laws.
9 There are regional differences in the laws relating to homosexuals. In addition, the local religion is just as crucial, whether a law is implemented or not.
10 In May 2016 the Parliament of Seychelles decided to make homosexuality legal.
11 From Armenia we received many reports of illegal violence from police against homosexuals.
12 In Honduras an anti-discrimination law has recently been passed, but in practice it is ignored.
13 In Botswana is homosexuality practically illegally on the basis of the ban on "unnatural act", but in the labor law there is still an explicit prohibition of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.
14 In Mauritius, the sodomy law tends to find application with the heterosexual population. The Equal Opportunities Act protects homosexuals against discrimination at work. It is therefore questionable whether homosexuality is classified as illegal or not.
15 Consensual homosexual acts in Peru between adults are legal. An exception applies for members of the military and police, who can be prosecuted with a prison sentence ranging from 60 days to 20 years or suspension from duty.
16 There are reports of a different judicial interpretations of the law on "sex against nature'.
17 In December 2013, the Supreme Court set aside a 2009 verdict by the Delhi High Court that had decriminalized homosexuality. This has turned gay sex into a punishable offence once again and catapulted India back into the legal standpoint of colonial times under the British.
18 At the request of the UNHCR Sri Lanka has announced that discrimination of homosexuals is constitutionally forbidden. It was further stressed that the anti-sodomy law is not aimed against homosexuals, but applies for all to protect public morals.
19 In Bahrain although the paragraph referring to sodomy was abolished in 1976 from the local legal code, gay men can still be punished with imprisonment according to the laws regarding "unmoral" behavior.
20 Police stopped violently the Gay Pride on June 29 th, 2015. This can be considered a de facto ban on the Pride.
21 The Shariah-law in Djibouti is often superior to the constitutional laws, so that it could be expected that homosexuality is punishable.
22 In Ghana there is a ban on unnatural sex. The government recognizes in this a clear ban on homosexuality.
23 In Nigeria the death penalty only applies for homosexuals according to the Shariah laws and therefore relates only to Muslims in the north of Nigeria.
24 Homosexuality in Iraq is formally legal, but police and military track down homosexuals, and reports of murder and rape exist.
25 The Vatican City adheres to Italian law, but restrictions are possible if the ecclesiastical law contradicts Italian law. Therefore, there are conflicting opinions that homosexuality is not illegal or just not happily seen, but tolerated.
26 Shariah laws applies in Somalia since 2012. There is however contradictory information, since, on the one hand the maximum penalty is up to 3 years in prison, but 2013 a homosexual was stoned to death after a judgment.
See also
- Anti-gay
- Homosocialization
- LGBT marketing
- Pinkwashing (LGBT)
- Pink capitalism
References
External links
- Human Rights Campaign, lobby group for LGBT rights
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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