Rights do not stand still. In some countries, things are slowly getting better. In others, laws that existed for years are being rolled back. This list looks at seven countries where something significant is happening right now — in 2026 — when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. The selection is based on recent legislation, court decisions, and political shifts. Not every story here is a good one. But all of them matter.

Countries Moving Forward

1. Hungary

For years, Hungary was one of the most hostile countries in the European Union for LGBTQ+ people. Viktor Orbán's government banned same-sex adoption, blocked gender recognition, and used anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric as a political tool. Then, in May 2026, Péter Magyar's Tisza party won a historic election. Magyar became prime minister — the first major challenge to Orbán's grip on power in over a decade.

Magyar has not made sweeping promises on LGBTQ+ rights. But polls show his voters want change. A survey conducted after the election found that a majority of Tisza supporters back some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples. Whether the new government will act on this is still unclear. But the political climate has shifted. That alone is significant after fifteen years of regression.

2. Germany

Germany has long had legal protections for LGBTQ+ people, but recent developments show the country is also facing pressure from the right. The murder of a gay man by his roommate — driven by homophobic hatred — shocked the country in early 2026. At the same time, musician Bill Kaulitz won a lawsuit against a politician from the far-right AfD party who had insulted him with homophobic language. The court ruled clearly: such language is not protected speech.

These two events together paint a complicated picture. Legal protections are strong and courts are enforcing them. But hate crimes are rising. Germany is a country that is holding the line — but has to keep working to do so.

3. Lebanon

Lebanon is not a country where LGBTQ+ people have legal rights. Same-sex relations remain criminalised. But a shelter in Beirut has been providing safety for LGBTQ+ refugees during periods of conflict, including during recent Israeli military operations in the region. The shelter operates quietly, supported by international NGOs.

This does not make Lebanon a safe country. It is not. But it shows that even in difficult environments, community-level protection can exist. Civil society sometimes moves faster than governments. That is worth noting.

Countries Moving Backward

4. United States

The rollback of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States has accelerated sharply since early 2025. In 2026, several new measures have drawn legal challenges. A Republican governor signed a law creating a state database of transgender patients. Families went to federal court to block the Trump administration from accessing medical records of transgender children. The Department of Justice removed sexual abuse protections for transgender prisoners.

The White House has described pro-transgender groups as security risks in an internal memo. The language around transgender issues has shifted dramatically in official communications. Courts are blocking some of these measures, but the legal battles are ongoing and expensive. Civil rights organisations are stretched thin. The Trevor Project reported that trans youth denied hormone therapy are nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide — a statistic that gives the policy debate a human cost that is hard to ignore.

5. Russia

Russia continues to tighten restrictions on anything it classifies as outside traditional norms. In 2026, a man was deported after writing a positive online review that mentioned a mini skirt. While that case is not directly about LGBTQ+ rights, it illustrates the broader enforcement environment. The "gay propaganda" law, expanded in 2023, continues to be used against individuals and organisations.

LGBTQ+ Russians who have not already left the country face a shrinking space for any public expression. Human rights monitors report that even private communication is sometimes used as evidence in cases. The situation has not stabilised — it continues to worsen.

6. Ohio, United States (state-level spotlight)

Ohio deserves its own entry because of how fast state-level legislation is moving. A Republican lawmaker in Ohio introduced a bill in 2026 that would restrict health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender adults — not just minors. This is a significant shift. Most recent anti-trans legislation in the US has targeted young people. This bill would affect adults too.

Legal experts say the bill would face constitutional challenges. But the fact that it was introduced at all signals where part of the Republican party wants to go. Ohio is a bellwether. What passes there often influences other state legislatures.

A Country to Watch

7. Indonesia

Indonesia does not appear in the news cycle as often as the US or Russia, but it warrants attention. The country has no national law explicitly criminalising same-sex relations, but regional bylaws — particularly in Aceh province — do. Social pressure and police harassment remain serious issues across the country. In 2026, a proposed revision to the national criminal code has stalled in parliament, but it contains provisions that could be used against LGBTQ+ people.

Indonesia has a large, young population with access to global media. Younger Indonesians show somewhat more accepting attitudes in surveys than older generations. But the political direction remains conservative, and religious pressure on lawmakers is strong. The gap between public attitude and legislative reality is wide — and growing.

What These Seven Countries Have in Common

Seven countries. Very different contexts. But a few patterns emerge. First, court systems matter enormously. In Germany and the US, courts are doing significant work — sometimes protecting rights, sometimes not. Second, political transitions create windows. Hungary shows that elections can change things quickly, even if the outcome is not yet certain. Third, community-level action fills gaps when governments fail. Lebanon is the clearest example here.

The picture in 2026 is not simple. Progress and regression are happening at the same time, often in the same week. For a deeper look at how digital platforms affect LGBTQ+ visibility, see Meta Ordered to Restore Lesbian Content After Oversight Ruling. And for historical context on how far the fight for rights has come, the story of The Pink Triangle: From Nazi Persecution to Symbol of Pride offers a sobering reminder of what has already been survived.

Rights are not permanent. They are the result of ongoing decisions — by courts, by voters, by politicians, and by the people who refuse to be quiet. These seven countries are proof of that.