GLD INDEXGLD COUNTRY SCORE
The national picture for LGBTQ+ travel.
YOUR DESTINATION IN THE INDEX
Among destinations covered by this index with current publishable scores. Based on unrounded scores; equal values share a rank. As of 2026-09-27. How rankings work →
YOUR DESTINATION, IN CONTEXT
United States has a published GLD Country Score of 77/100, in the High range.
The United States cannot be read as one uniform LGBTQ+ travel environment. Federal protections, state laws, municipal policy and local community visibility interact differently across a vast country, making city and state research essential even for familiar tourism destinations.
PLACES TO STAY
Independent selections with sourced hotel information and LGBTQ+ travel context.
BEYOND THE NATIONAL SCORE
Source-based overview · external sources consulted 2026-09-29. GLD score dates are shown separately.
Domestic flights often connect distant regions, while rail is strongest in limited corridors and road travel remains central elsewhere. Weather, geography and state-level rules can change substantially within a single multi-city itinerary.
Sources: Visit The USA — official tourism websiteGaylidays currently connects 25 scored cities to the national picture. Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco are the three highest-scoring cities currently covered. Recorded city scores range from 76/100 in Phoenix to 80/100 in Los Angeles, a 4-point spread that shows why local context still matters.
Source: GLD country and city scoring records. Interpretation of the recorded assessment, not a new score calculation.Cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and several resort destinations support extensive queer communities. Other locally welcoming cities operate within states where policy and services may be more restrictive, so both levels should be reviewed.
Sources: Visit The USA — official tourism websiteState law, municipal protections, healthcare access and community visibility can differ sharply between destinations.
Sources: Visit The USA — official tourism websiteNo. Strong local communities matter, but state rules may still affect services, documentation, families or trans travellers.
Sources: Visit The USA — official tourism websiteHOW TO READ THIS SCORE
The country score combines legal rights, social acceptance, rule of law and travel comfort. City guides add the local perspective to this national foundation.
BEHIND THIS SCORE
The source-based overview above adds national and city-level context. These are the recorded score components; the editorial research has not recalculated them.
Components have different weights and may be subject to methodology caps; this is not a simple average.
ILGA World legal evidence; Equaldex Public Opinion Index; World Bank WGI Rule of Law; U.S. Department of State passport policy; ACLU/MAP state-level risk evidence; GLD Editorial Review for travel comfort.
Synced from GLD Index on 27 Sept 2026. The sync date is not an evidence verification date.
No. Use the GLD Index alongside current official travel advice and local information. Conditions and personal experiences vary.
This score is read from GLD Index’s data portal, using only current published or partner-ready records. Score last updated: 19 May 2026. Public display levels use the existing four-band scale; the underlying methodology category is tracked separately.