Dublin has ranked among the top 30 LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the world, according to research conducted by Big 7 Travel. Earning the 26th spot on the list ahead of cities like Oslo, Salzburg, Auckland, and Zurich, the Irish capital was one of 17 European entrants. 

Although it was acknowledged that there “might be a few bad apples”, Dublin was praised for being “open-minded and welcoming” towards the queer community. The legalisation of same-sex marriage by popular vote in 2015 was also noted, as well as the “massive” annual Pride event, The George, and the Gay Theatre Festival. “Dulin might be a small city, but it packs a punch,” Big 7 Travel wrote.

The organisation used five different ranking criteria to evaluate locations. It looked at the Gay Index Rating to measure safety for LGBTQ+ people, and the Equality Index Rating to determine the status of queer rights, laws and freedoms as well as public attitudes. Whether or not the city’s country is a member of the United Nations LGBTI Core Group was also a factor, as well as the scale of its Pride celebrations and if there is a gay village or prominent queer community within the area.

Taking the number one spot on the list is Toronto, Canada, with Berlin, San Francisco, Melbourne and Brighton rounding off the top five.

Although the inclusion of Dublin on the list of most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the world is welcome, it remains clear that there is still a long way to go before the Irish capital is truly welcoming and accepting of all queer identities. Just yesterday, November 9, a drag artist, Alexis McQueen, was attacked after performing in The George. This is just one of a number of similar assaults that have been reported throughout 2022, many of which have occurred in an area that is considered to be LGBTQ+-friendly.

In addition, Ireland as a whole has ranked lowest in the EU for its Trans healthcare. In order to be accredited as truly LGBTQ+ friendly, the well-being of the Trans and non-binary population must be a priority.