Against the odds: progress for LGBTI rights in Europe
While setbacks for LgbtI rights have dominated the headlines from this year’s Rainbow Map, a quieter story of resilience and progress is unfolding.
In the second part of our blog series on ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map 2025, we’re turning from backsliding to progress. While Part One focused on countries where LGBTI human rights are under serious threat, today we’re highlighting where positive change is happening against the odds. Legal wins, policy reforms and symbolic recognition are advancing in countries that are often overlooked. Together, these stories show that our LGBTI movement is resilient, strategic and still winning ground, despite great adversity.
Latvia: rainbow family recognition at last
In early July 2024, Latvia’s civil union law for same-sex couples came into force, marking a historic first for the country. The new legislation allows couples to register their partnerships and access limited rights, providing long-awaited legal recognition in a context that has often felt exclusionary.
Latvia’s progress may seem small, but it reflects a bigger shift happening across Central and Eastern Europe, where strategic advocacy is making a real difference for LGBTI rights. This step also sends a strong message, putting Latvia ahead in the Baltics when it comes to recognising LGBTI rights.
Czechia: multiple advancements
Czechia recorded multiple LGBTI rights advancements in 2024. Parliament passed a new partnership law granting same-sex couples almost all the rights of marriage, with the exception of joint adoptions. Adoption is now possible for a same-sex partner of a parent with an adopted child, bringing legal recognition for rainbow families within reach.
The Constitutional Court also ruled that from July 2025, sterilisation and surgery can no longer be required for legal gender recognition. At the same time, the blood donation ban for men who have sex with men was lifted. These combined wins reflect a country steadily moving toward inclusion, despite delaying tactics from some politicians.
Poland: resilience translates into progress
After years of international criticism and political scapegoating, Poland has made a meaningful turn for LGBTI rights. Following the resilience and hard work of activists throughout the years when the anti-LGBTI PiS party were in power, in April 2025, the last of the “LGBT-free zones” was formally repealed. There has also now been a three-year period during which public LGBTI events proceeded without state obstruction, albeit with inconsistent police protection.
Legislative efforts are also underway. A government bill to include sexual orientation in hate crime and hate speech protections is pending constitutional review, and a civil partnerships bill is being prepared. While these steps are not yet complete, the direction of travel is hopeful.
Austria: progress with a cautionary note
Austria rose four places on the Rainbow Map after amending its Federal Equal Treatment Act. The law now explicitly protects people based on gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. This brings Austria closer to full legal equality and strengthens mandates for equality bodies to act on these grounds.
Yet the gains for LGBTI rights are fragile. The conservative ÖVP party has publicly opposed the law and pledged to reverse it. There are also worrying signs of future restrictions on access to care for trans youth. The message from Austria is clear: progress must be defended as soon as it is won.
Photo by Tayla Kohler on Unsplash
