Is 2025 going to be a Turning Point for LGBTQIA+ Equality?

Throughout June 2025, in celebration of Pride month, Gayther is running its Straight Talk campaign. Weekly media releases designed to highlight key aspects taking place around the world today. This release focuses on the rate of growth within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Over the past 5 years, the rate of progress for the LGBTQIA+ community has been slowing and beginning to reverse in some countries and regions. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, leading up to, during, and after Pride Month, you would see a flow of positive news stories about developments relating to the community taking place around the world, from countries decriminalising same-sex relationships to the introduction of same-sex marriage.

"With 67 countries or 29% of all countries around the world having laws in place that criminalise same-sex relationships and 10 countries still enforcing a death sentence, the LGBTQIA+ community has a long way to go to achieve equality around the world", says Peter Williams, co-founder of Gayther.

Progress has significantly slowed over the past ten years, and we are now seeing all-time lows. From 2015 to date, tracking both positive and negative changes at a nationwide level, laws and events that directly affect the LGBTQIA+ community, the rate of positive changes has fallen 97.7% (24 to 2), and negative changes have increased from 0 to 8. In summary, the analysis indicates that there are more negatives than positives concerning governments and policies affecting the LGBTQIA+ community today.

"Watching or reading the news, it has become commonplace to find stories that highlight all of the bad things happening to the community around the world".

The average annual growth rate has been 5.7%, with a decline of 8.9% on average over the past five years. The rate of negative or reversal has increased by an average of 72.1% per year and 62% over the past five years. A worrying trend that is reversing many progressive laws, as well as the safety and freedom of individuals around the world

Only if it is safe to do so and you are not putting your life or freedom at risk, during Pride Month, create petitions, contact your representatives within your country and make it clear the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQIA+ community should not be disregarded based on political whims.

SOURCE
• 2025 Worldwide LGBTQIA+ Equality Index (https://gayther.lgbt/community/equality-index/)
• Data compiled on LGBTQ Rights by year series within Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_in_LGBTQ_rights). The positive and negative developments were based on nationwide changes, with local state, province or city developments being ignored.

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Gayther LGBT is one of the largest online resources of LGBTQIA+ information. Tools and guides designed to be fun and easy to use, all within a platform offering positive content intended to inform, showcase and connect the global community and its allies. Home to a wide range of free services, including hundreds of detailed LGBTQIA+ travel guides, fun and games, articles and a dedicated social network known as Gayther Affinity.

This release was published on openPR.