Norway takes step up on the Rainbow Map 2026, no longer least Rainbow friendly Nordic Country. Beating Sweden barely, lagging behind Denmark, Iceland, Finland.

Mostly for lacking legislation allowing transparenthood, and less legal protections than the other nordic countries, but sweden has fallen behind Norway in 2026, though barely.

Iceland retains the 3rd place in the ranking, but gains two points, resulting in a total score of 86%. The government renewed its equality action plan, reaffirming its commitment to legal progress. Some measures set in the action plan have started being implemented, such as a training framework for asylum caseworkers in cooperation with the LGBTI organisation.

• Trans parenthood is fully recognised in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Malta, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
• Only Germany, Greece, Iceland, Malta, Portugal and Spain prohibit unnecessary surgical or medical interventions on intersex children.
• Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom have explicit bans or other kinds of legal limitations which serve to make legal gender recognition practically impossible.
• “This year’s Rainbow Map tells two stories at once.

One of genuine courage, in Spain, in courtrooms, and in leaders who are choosing to stand with their communities rather than scapegoat them.

And one of real and growing danger that cannot be underestimated. The question every government in Europe must now answer is which story they want to be part of.”-Katrin Hugendubel, Deputy Director of ILGA-Europe

https://rainbowmap.ilga-europe.org