UK named best country for LGBT people in Europe

International human rights group ILGA-Europe has announced the 2015 results of their annual Rainbow Europe Index placing the UK first in how well LGBT and intersexed people are protected.

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association conducts the annual survey ranking European countries based on 48 criteria, with the UK reaching a score of 86%.

Scotland, while a part of the United Kingdom & Northern Ireland, was mis-reported as having a separate score of 92%. The country does have it’s own parliament and can set some laws for the nation particularly in education and healthcare, but no evidence was provided by ILGA-Europe to place Scotland ahead nor would it make sense to single out the region. However it’s worth noting that while Scotland’s parliament also approved same-sex marriage, Northern Ireland’s government has steadfastly refused to make marriage equal.

After UK (86%) the top five best countries in Europe are rounded out by Belgium (83%), Malta (77%), Sweden (72%) and Croatia (71%). At the other end of the rainbow map, the worst European countries finish off the list from the surprise Monaco (that tiny city-state surrounded by France), Ukraine (10%), Armenia (9%), Russia (8%) and at the bottom Azerbaijan (5%).

Those bottom countries all seem to be in Eastern Europe and very near or bordering Russia, and could barely be considered part of Europe (they’re not even in the European Union). Russia has made headlines recently for the the country’s poor treatment of gays. One country also bordering Russia but not included in this version of Europe is Kazakhstan, currently bidding for the 2022 winter olympics.