Ireland has been ranked the seventh most LGBTQI+ country in Europe in a new study from life insurance broker Reassured.
Ireland has ranked seventh on the top ten list, right between Belgium (sixth) and the Netherlands (eighth) in the ranking that saw the UK come out on top.
The top ten LGBTQI+ countries in Europe. (Reassured)
Reassured says it analyzed six key factors most LGBGTQI+ individuals consider when they’re choosing a place to relocate to reveal the safest cities in 2024 using weighted metrics for legal rights, adoption rights, medical rights (access to PrEp), safety levels, LGBTQI+ charities, number of LGBTQI+ and events.
Ireland has some of the best pro-LGBTQI+ laws in Europe
Looking at the Rainbow Map 2023, Ireland scores among the top 15 European countries for its number of legal and policy human rights for the LGBTQI+ community, scoring 53%, equal to the UK and Germany.
Those who identify as LGBTQI+ cannot legally be discriminated against in employment, health, and education, and this applies to gay, lesbian and bisexual, however, there is still work to be done to protect those who identify as a different gender to their birth gender.
When it comes to family, LGBTQI+ individuals can legally wed in Ireland, which has been the case since 2015. LGBTQI+ individuals are still not able to adopt in Ireland, however, second-parent adoption is legal for the queer community. They are also able to go through with assisted artificial insemination should they want children.
Ireland is also one of the few countries in Europe that recognizes gender non-binary, proving it is making progress in regard to inclusivity.
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Ireland offers state funded PrEp
Whilst HIV rates increased between 2021 and 2022, Reassured’s study shared that Ireland is one of the few European countries that offers state funded PrEp to those within the LGBTQI+ community.
PrEp is a HIV preventative drug, which can cost between 52 euros to 468 euros for a 30 day supply, and less than 20 European countries offer it for free, according to the study.
Dublin has some of the best queer culture in Europe
Whilst Dublin may be small, it has a bustling queer culture, home to various LGBTQI+ bars, such as The George and Street 66. Dublin even has its own ‘Gay Village’, at the intersection of Capel Street and Parliament Street.
The Irish city also holds its own Pride event each year in June, welcoming upwards of 60,000 people to celebrate the queer culture.
“It’s great to see Ireland is seen as inclusive and safe for all," Phil Jeynes, director of corporate strategy at Reassured, said.
"While many still face discrimination and difficulty, this report shows that progress has been made, which is gratifying.
"From a Life Insurance perspective, there will undoubtedly be challenges in the future as we seek to accommodate the growing number of people who identify as outside of 'traditional' male or female genders, since much of the health underwriting process relates to a person’s birth gender. There is a balance to be struck when being inclusive and welcoming by using people’s preferred titles and pronouns, for example, while also ensuring their cover is valid by asking the appropriate questions about their health and lifestyle.”
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