How did Finland and Greece end up in the same place on the Rainbow Map?

In 2024, Greece and Finland have found themselves sharing the same spot—sixth place—on ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, and that tells us a lot about the diverse ways in which LGBTI rights are changing across Europe.

In an unusual turn of events, Greece and Finland have both secured sixth place on the 2024 ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map. While their scores are identical, the details behind their rankings reveal key differences in their legislative approaches.

What changed from last year?

Finland has retained its sixth-place position from last year, reflecting steady progress in certain areas. A significant development was the lifting of blood donation restrictions for men who have sex with men (MSM) in December 2023. Over 1,700 people have applied for LGR based on self-determination under the new legislation that entered into force in April 2023. However, Finland still lacks a comprehensive LGBTI action plan following the expiration of the Government Action Plan for Gender Equality 2020–2023.

Greece has seen a significant rise from 13th to sixth place, driven by substantial legislative reforms. The introduction of marriage equality, joint adoption, and second parent adoption for same-sex couples marked a major advance. This law also extended non-discrimination principles across various sectors, providing a more comprehensive legal protection for LGBTI people. Despite these gains, Greece faces ongoing issues. Public events in 2023 were reportedly not adequately protected by public authorities, and there has been concern over rising hate speech and hate crimes.

Similarities and differences

Despite their shared score of 70.78% on the Rainbow Map, the legislative landscapes of Greece and Finland are marked by both convergence and divergence. Both countries excel in areas such as employment, education, and health protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. They also have comprehensive hate crime and hate speech laws, and have ensured the protection of LGBTI civil society.

However, differences in their legal frameworks reveal contrasting approaches to LGBTI rights.

• Finland’s constitution explicitly includes protections for sexual orientation and sex characteristics, a provision that’s absent in Greece.
• Conversely, Greece has enacted bans on conversion practices for both sexual orientation and gender identity, which Finland has yet to adopt.
• Greece also bans unnecessary medical interventions on intersex children.
• Greece has also developed equality action plans covering sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, which Finland now lacks.
• Finland allows trans people to access legal gender recognition based on self-determination, while in Greece trans activists are still fighting for a fair, transparent legal framework for legal gender recognition based on a process of self-determination and free from abusive requirements.
• Finally, Finland allows medically assisted insemination for couples and recognises trans parenthood, while Greece does not.

Although they are joint sixth place on the Rainbow Map, both countries have long way to go to achieve full equality and human rights for LGBTI people. This is why, with the consultation of LGBTI organisations, we prepared a list of recommendations to improve the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in both countries.

For Finland, we recommend removing the age restriction in the existing legal gender recognition framework, banning conversion practices, and prohibiting medical intervention on intersex minors. For Greece, our recommendations include introducing a legal framework for legal gender recognition based on a process of self-determination, recognising trans parenthood, and strengthening police protection for LGBTI public events.

The shared ranking of Greece and Finland on the 2024 Rainbow Map is a fascinating case study in the diverse approaches to LGBTI rights within Europe. The Rainbow Map not only tracks these advancements but also serves as a vital tool for identifying areas in need of improvement. For those interested in delving deeper, there is a feature to compare countries, explore individual categories, download datasets and graphics, and gain insights into the current state of LGBTI rights across Europe.