Sweden’s inclusive reputation as an LGBT-friendly country has found favour with the international LGBTQI community, making it an ideal destination for gay-friendly travel – a place where you can walk down the street with whomever you love and just be you.
Celebrated as one of the world’s most inclusive and progressive countries, it’s easy to see why Sweden is a particular draw for the LGBTQI community. According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), Sweden is one of Europe's most gay-friendly countries. As a testament to this, EuroPride has been held in Sweden three times over the past three decades – in both Stockholm and Gothenburg. And in 2021, Malmö played host to WorldPride together with Copenhagen.
Swedish society as a whole is open and welcoming and there’s extensive legislation in place protecting LGBTQ+ rights, including anti-discrimination and same-sex marriage rights, which was legalised in 2009.
In 2019, meanwhile, Sweden celebrated the 75th anniversary of another key LGBTQ right – namely the decriminalisation of homosexuality. On these grounds, Swedes like to say their home country has been “gay since 1944”.
Sweden certainly lives up to its reputation as a LGBTQ freezone, and this is true across this rainbow-flag waving country. At 30 and counting, there are more Pride festivals per capita in Sweden than anywhere else in the world – some of which we’ll introduce here.
