Dublin has ranked 26 on a list of the 30 most LGBTQ+ friendly cities worldwide.
The research was compiled by Big 7 Travel who based scores on several factors, such as a city’s existing legislation on LGBT rights and the presence of a gay village or hub within the area. The research also took into account the Gay Index Rating, which measures how safe a city is for LGBT people to live in based on legislation and societal views.
The authors of the research admitted that although there were a few “bad apples” in Dublin, they agreed that the overall population was accepting and proud of its LGBT community. They also mentioned how the recognition of gay rights has transformed wider Irish society, citing the marriage equality referendum in 2015 and Leo Varadkar’s appointment as Taoiseach.
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Dublin was also commended for its lively gay scene, including cultural institutions such as The George and the annual Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. The writers also highlighted that Dublin’s annual Pride festival will celebrate its 40th anniversary in June 2023.
The highest ranking overall was given to Toronto. It was the only entry that received 100 out 100 on the Equality Index for progressive laws. The Canadian city was also praised for its thriving gay nightlife scene. Other high rankings include Brighton, Berlin and San Francisco.
Dublin narrowly beat cities such as Auckland, Salzburg and Zurich to achieve 26th place. The full list of cities can be viewed here.
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