Visualizing state-sponsored homophobia

LGBTQ+ people around the world face state sponsored violence, ranging from laws against promotion of LGBTQ+ identities to laws prohibiting non-heterosexual relationships. To take stock of the specific laws people must face in different countries, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association publishes a world survey of sexual orientation laws, the State-Sponsored Homophobia report. Endangered by these types of laws (and other factors), many individuals and families request support to leave their countries from the Rainbow Railroad. What kinds of laws do people face in the countries where the Rainbow Railroad receives the most travel requests?

First, the Rainbow Railroad receives the most requests from the following 19 countries:

Subset of the number of requests to Rainbow Railroad from various countries (source: Rainbow Railroad).

These countries have varying kinds of laws:

Matrix visualizing LGBTQ laws (source: ILGA.org).

Finally, the percentage of the countries with each type of anti-LGBTQ+ laws:

Notably, most countries have barriers to LGBTQ+-related NGOs, which would provide vital support to LGBTQ+ citizens.  This data visualization was created for Data for a Cause, in partnership with the Rainbow Railroad.

About the Author

Cathryn Ploehn

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Cathryn Ploehn is a graduate student of design at Carnegie Mellon University. She's interested in data visualization as a praxis for exploring topics such as social justice, environmentalism, and LGBTQ+ rights.