Is switzerland gay friendly

is switzerland gay friendly

LGBT Equality Index

Equality Index Methodology

Equaldex's Equality Index is a rating from 0 to 100 (with 100 existence the most equal) to help visualize the legal rights and public attitudes towards LGBTQ+ (lesbian, queer , bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex...) people in each region. The Equality Index is an average of two indexes: the legal index and the widespread opinion Index.

Equality Index

Average of Legal Index and Public Opinion Index

Legal Index

The LGBT legal index measures the current legal status of 13 different issues ranging from the legal status of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, LGBT discrimination protections, LGBT censorship laws, and more. Each topic is weighted differently (for example, if same-sex marriage is illegal in a region, it would own a much bigger impact on the score than not allowing LGBT people to serve in the military). Each topic is assigned a "total doable score" and a "score" is assigned based the status of the regulation using a rating scale that ranges from 0% to 100% (for example, if homosexuality is legal, it would would obtain a score of 100, but if it's illegal, it would receve a score of 0.)



Switzerland Gay Guide

The Foremost Hotels in Switzerland for Gay Travellers

There are not any gay-only hotels or guesthouses in Switzerland, however, there are various gay events taking place in the state, like the renowned Arosa Ski Weekend, which transform the cities into big homosexual hotspots. In Zurich, you will find several gay-owned apartments whose hosts will guide you through the city's gay scene.


Here you will find many gay-friendly boutique hotels located close to gay hotspots, as skillfully as mountain resorts and hotels located close to popular ski areas!

The Diverse Same-sex attracted Scene of Switzerland!

Switzerland has a diverse gay scene, with the most of the gay clubs and bars of the country located in ZurichGeneva and Bern also feature an organized gay scene with various homosexual venues, while in miniature towns like Lucerne, Laussane, Kriens, and Basel you will discover various gay hotspots like gay saunas and gay bars.

Arosa Gay Ski Week is the most popular gay event taking place in Switzerland, attracting&nbs

Public opinion surveys in Switzerland have pointed to a varied attitude towards Queer individuals.

Survey results from 12 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Switzerland.

Perceived Safety*
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of shelter and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment
Treatment by general public
Treatment by commandment enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation
Representation in entertainment

Culture
Interest groups and clubs

Services
Support and social services

History

Homosexual exercise in Switzerland

?

Homosexual action in Switzerland is legal.

Current status
Homosexual acts were not mentioned anymore in the revision of the Penal Code of 1991. Therefore the age of permission was lowered to 16 years aged for all consenting sexual intercourse.
The Swiss Penal Code introduced in 1942 allowed same sex acts between adults (above 20 years old), but punished queer intercourse with people between 16 and 20 years mature (while allowing heterosexual acts)

Censorship of LGBT issues in Switzerl

Rainbow Map

2025 rainbow map

These are the main findings for the 2025 edition of the rainbow map

The Rainbow Map ranks 49 European countries on their respective legal and policy practices for LGBTI people, from 0-100%.

The UK has dropped six places in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, as Hungary and Georgia also register steep falls following anti-LGBTI legislation. The data highlights how rollbacks on LGBTI human rights are part of a broader erosion of democratic protections across Europe. Read more in our press release.

“Moves in the UK, Hungary, Georgia and beyond signal not just isolated regressions, but a coordinated global backlash aimed at erasing LGBTI rights, cynically framed as the defence of tradition or public stability, but in reality designed to entrench discrimination and suppress dissent.”

  • Katrin Hugendubel, Advocacy Director, ILGA-Europe


Malta has sat on top of the ranking for the last 10 years. 

With 85 points, Belgium jumped to second place after adopting policies tackling hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. 

Iceland now comes third place on the ranking with a score of 84.

The three

Switzerland’s best LGBT clubs

© thierry@mensgo.com

Find the foremost gay and homosexual woman nights out – with the ultimate guide to Switzerland’s LGBT nightlife scene

The LGBT party scene in Switzerland proposals something for everyone, from relaxed, mixed-queer shindigs to sweaty danceathons. For all their alpenhorn-apotheosizing and minaret-marginalising traditionalism, the Swiss have for many decades taken a world-leading stance on gay and lesbian rights. Lgbtq+ relations were decriminalised here in 1942, and on Recent Year’s Day 2007 a referendum made Switzerland the first country on Ground where gay civil unions were voted in by the public, not just parliament – and by a substantial majority.

Today Zurich, which happens to hold a chic womxn loving womxn mayor in Corine Mauch, is very much Switzerland’s LGBT capital, as adequately as one of the world’s most gay-friendly cities, with bars, cafes, saunas and clubs adding up to dozens of gay venues. The old town’s Barfüsser is considered Europe’s oldest queer hostelry and the annual Zurich Celebration event now draws around 45,000 pink party people.

Bern, Geneva and Basel all have bijou scenes, in particular the restaura