LGBTQ rights journalist Rob Salerno, an editor for Erasing 76 Crimes, surveys the status of LGBTQ rights and marriage equality in this series. (Click here to subscribe to his LGBTQ Global newsletter.)
European Union: One of the biggest developments in Europe was the Court of Justice of the EU ruling in November that all EU member states must recognize the same-sex marriages that are formed by EU citizens who are legally resident in other EU member states. The ruling specifically says member states are not obligated to legalize same-sex marriage in domestic law, and it appears that transcribing the marriage as a civil union will satisfy the ruling, if domestic law allows that, but only if the couple maintains all the rights of marriage. The case stemmed from Poland, where the Polish constitutional court asked for the CJEU’s advice. So far, it’s not clear how Poland is going to implement the ruling, nor the other EU states that don’t recognize same-sex unions: Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Romania.
The case will also hold repercussions for all the prospective members hoping to join the EU: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Turkiye. Of these, only Montenegro recognizes same-sex unions.
Activists also collected more than 1,000,000 signatures to force debate on an initiative to ban conversion therapy EU-wide. The EU Commission is now working on promoting bans at the national level, but I don’t think it’s likely we’ll see EU legislation on it.
On the EU integration front, Bulgaria was set to join the eurozone on Jan 1, 2026, while negotiations for Montenegro and Albania’s accession are proceeding apace, with a target 2028 accession date.
Austria and Switzerland: Both countries’ parliaments failed to make any progress on passing a conversion therapy ban, which has long been promised and debated in both.
Switzerland: The government announced plans to bring forward legislation to open assisted reproduction to unmarried people.
Liechtenstein: The same-sex marriage law passed in 2024 came into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Czechia: The enhanced same-sex partnership bill that passed in 2024 came into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Partnerships are now equal to marriage in all fields, except joint adoption is not allowed. (Step-child adoption was legalized, though).
Complying with a 2024 court order, the ministry of health ended the requirement for trans people to be sterilized/undergo surgery before changing their legal gender.
Parliamentary elections in October netted a government with a mixed record on LGBTQ rights – and a creepy affinity for Russia. It doesn’t appear likely that a redo of the 2024 marriage equality vote in this parliament will yield victory.
Slovakia: The government amended the constitution to recognize only two genders and bar legal gender change, and to bar unmarried couples from adopting – effectively barring same-sex couples and singles from adoption.
Hungary: The government continued its campaign against LGBTQ people, but it appears to be reaching diminishing returns, or even backfiring.
A constitutional amendment was passed banning public demonstrations for LGBTQ rights, in an attempt to ban the annual Budapest Pride parade. Instead the event turned into one of the largest anti-government protests yet – and brought denunciations and funding freezes from across Europe.
Hungary’s staunchly anti-LGBTQ government is facing elections in May, and for the first time is trailing behind the opposition in the polls. While I wouldn’t expect a new government to do a complete 180 on LGBTQ rights, we have to assume that a new PM would be better.
Poland: The country has been stuck in a holding pattern on LGBTQ rights since the 2023 election of PM Donald Tusk and his centrist coalition, which only got worse in May when a far-right, anti-LGBTQ candidate won the presidency.
A long-promised bill to enact civil unions has been continuously watered down under threats of blockage by the junior coalition partner or the president. It’s now being called “closest person status,” which is some word salad, and the president is still threatening a veto.
The ECJ handed down a pair of judgements against Poland – the abovementioned requirement to recognize foreign EU marriages, and a second one rapping Poland’s knuckles for refusing to grant certificates of no impediment to Polish citizens who wish to enter same-sex marriages abroad.
In March, the supreme court issued a ruling simplifying the process for legal gender change – it no longer is considered a court trial, and now the only person who may intervene is the person’s spouse (previously, a trans person would have to sue their parents for the right to transition).
And the last municipality to still have an “LGBT-free zone” ordinance passed under the previous administration finally repealed it.
Armenia: As Armenia continues its d
European Union: One of the biggest developments in Europe was the Court of Justice of the EU ruling in November that all EU member states must recognize the same-sex marriages that are formed by EU citizens who are legally resident in other EU member states. The ruling specifically says member states are not obligated to legalize same-sex marriage in domestic law, and it appears that transcribing the marriage as a civil union will satisfy the ruling, if domestic law allows that, but only if the couple maintains all the rights of marriage. The case stemmed from Poland, where the Polish constitutional court asked for the CJEU’s advice. So far, it’s not clear how Poland is going to implement the ruling, nor the other EU states that don’t recognize same-sex unions: Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Romania.
The case will also hold repercussions for all the prospective members hoping to join the EU: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Turkiye. Of these, only Montenegro recognizes same-sex unions.
Activists also collected more than 1,000,000 signatures to force debate on an initiative to ban conversion therapy EU-wide. The EU Commission is now working on promoting bans at the national level, but I don’t think it’s likely we’ll see EU legislation on it.
On the EU integration front, Bulgaria was set to join the eurozone on Jan 1, 2026, while negotiations for Montenegro and Albania’s accession are proceeding apace, with a target 2028 accession date.
Austria and Switzerland: Both countries’ parliaments failed to make any progress on passing a conversion therapy ban, which has long been promised and debated in both.
Switzerland: The government announced plans to bring forward legislation to open assisted reproduction to unmarried people.
Liechtenstein: The same-sex marriage law passed in 2024 came into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Czechia: The enhanced same-sex partnership bill that passed in 2024 came into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Partnerships are now equal to marriage in all fields, except joint adoption is not allowed. (Step-child adoption was legalized, though).
Complying with a 2024 court order, the ministry of health ended the requirement for trans people to be sterilized/undergo surgery before changing their legal gender.
Parliamentary elections in October netted a government with a mixed record on LGBTQ rights – and a creepy affinity for Russia. It doesn’t appear likely that a redo of the 2024 marriage equality vote in this parliament will yield victory.
Slovakia: The government amended the constitution to recognize only two genders and bar legal gender change, and to bar unmarried couples from adopting – effectively barring same-sex couples and singles from adoption.
Hungary: The government continued its campaign against LGBTQ people, but it appears to be reaching diminishing returns, or even backfiring.
A constitutional amendment was passed banning public demonstrations for LGBTQ rights, in an attempt to ban the annual Budapest Pride parade. Instead the event turned into one of the largest anti-government protests yet – and brought denunciations and funding freezes from across Europe.
Hungary’s staunchly anti-LGBTQ government is facing elections in May, and for the first time is trailing behind the opposition in the polls. While I wouldn’t expect a new government to do a complete 180 on LGBTQ rights, we have to assume that a new PM would be better.
Poland: The country has been stuck in a holding pattern on LGBTQ rights since the 2023 election of PM Donald Tusk and his centrist coalition, which only got worse in May when a far-right, anti-LGBTQ candidate won the presidency.
A long-promised bill to enact civil unions has been continuously watered down under threats of blockage by the junior coalition partner or the president. It’s now being called “closest person status,” which is some word salad, and the president is still threatening a veto.
The ECJ handed down a pair of judgements against Poland – the abovementioned requirement to recognize foreign EU marriages, and a second one rapping Poland’s knuckles for refusing to grant certificates of no impediment to Polish citizens who wish to enter same-sex marriages abroad.
In March, the supreme court issued a ruling simplifying the process for legal gender change – it no longer is considered a court trial, and now the only person who may intervene is the person’s spouse (previously, a trans person would have to sue their parents for the right to transition).
And the last municipality to still have an “LGBT-free zone” ordinance passed under the previous administration finally repealed it.
Armenia: As Armenia continues its d