The Geography of Gender and Sexuality

The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001.

LGBTQ+ clustering refers to the tendency for LGBTQ+ people to live in close proximity to one another.

San Francisco has the largest LGBTQ+ population in the United States, with an estimated 150,000 LGBTQ+ residents.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) is the oldest international LGBTQ+ rights organization, founded in 1948.

Saudi Arabia has the most restrictive laws against homosexuality, with homosexuality being punishable by death.

Obergefell v. Hodges was the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.

Denmark was the first country to decriminalize homosexuality in 1933.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the United States, founded in 1978.

The United States has the highest rate of LGBTQ+ hate crimes among developed countries.

The Equality Act is a U.S. federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs.

Thailand has the most transgender people in the world, with an estimated 1.5 million transgender people.

ILGA-Europe is the European region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), founded in 1990.

The United States has the most LGBTQ+ elected officials in the world, with over 1,000 LGBTQ+ elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

United States v. Windsor was the U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 2013, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman.