A newly released map has ranked Texas and Tennessee as the least safe US states for LGBTQ+ people, highlighting a worrying trend of increasing hostility in the Midwest and South.
Published on 31 July, the map is part of the Equaldex Equality Index, a community-driven tool that ranks each US state based on its legal protections and rights for LGBTQ+ people. Each state receives a score from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating full legal equality and 0 representing no legal protections.
The results reveal a stark divide in LGBTQ+ safety across the country.
Texas and Tennessee Score Lowest
Texas and Tennessee shared the bottom ranking, each with a score of 58 out of 100 — the lowest among all US states. They were closely followed by Florida and Idaho, both scoring 60.
By contrast, states in the Western and Northeastern regions — such as Washington DC (96), Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California, and Vermont — consistently ranked among the most LGBTQ+ inclusive. A group of 18 states, including Maryland, New York, and Illinois, shared a score of 94.
LGBTQ+ Rights Vary Greatly by Region
The Equaldex findings confirm what many LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have long reported: Middle American and Southern states are significantly less safe for LGBTQ+ residents, particularly transgender youth and those seeking gender-affirming healthcare.
To provide broader context, the map also compares global scores.
- Canada: 95
- Australia: 94
- United Kingdom: 82
This places the top-ranking US states roughly in line with Australia and Canada in terms of legal protections, while lower-ranking states lag far behind.
Wave of Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation Fuels Inequality
The map’s release comes amid a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the US. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 598 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed just since January 2025.
Since 2023, at least 1,641 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across US state legislatures. These include:
- Bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth
- Laws censoring LGBTQ+ content in schools and libraries
- Restrictions on trans participation in sport
- Bathroom bills
- Book bans targeting queer and trans literature
Most of these proposals come from Republican lawmakers, who often frame such laws as efforts to “protect” minors — despite substantial research showing that access to timely, affirming care significantly improves the mental health and wellbeing of trans youth.
According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), 40.1% of trans teens aged 13–17 in the US now live in one of 27 states that have passed laws banning access to gender-affirming care.
