Just came across a Guardian piece published a few weeks ago with some interesting findings from something called the LGBTQ+ Danger Index, which ranks the world's 150 most-visited countries using eight factors, including legalized same-sex marriage, worker protection and whether, based on Gallup poll findings, it is a good place to live. Sweden comes in first, followed by Canada, Norway, Portugal and Belgium. My adopted country Spain comes in at number 10, but my native country the USA is just 27th (graded B- because protections are so uneven across its 50 states). And Russia, unsurprisingly, is the worst in Europe, with an F grade and ranking 42 from the bottom out of 150. 

But is it safe for gays to visit? From what I've read as well as heard from friends and colleagues, more or less, as long as you don't "flaunt it." There are even pretty good gay scenes in Moscow and St. Petersburg, But honestly, given how much of a force for evil the Russian government has been in the past decade - and especially the past five years or so - I really have no appetite to go back. For one thing, I've already been twice, and also it's a big world out there, and frankly I just prefer to spend my money elsewhere.