The fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) people in Europe are measured annually by the ILGA-Europe Annual Review and Rainbow Index. These, measure the progress – or regress – made across Europe, against a table of criteria in areas of equality, non-discrimination, family rights, hate crime, hate-speech, legal gender-recognition & bodily integrity, freedom of assembly, association and expression and the rights related to asylum.
The 2015 report shows that countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey are below the European average (42%) with a slight exception for Montenegro (45%).
The countries with the lowest ranking are Turkey (9%) and Macedonia (19%). Last year, Turkey saw Istanbul Pride being banned for the first time while the Macedonian government attempted to constitutionally define marriage as a union between men and women only. Both countries offer no protection from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and current governments have expressed neither will nor intent to support any changes in the opposite direction.
Other countries have shown minor progress in certain areas of legislation and policy but overall progress has been slow. LGBTI people – activists or else – have reported cases of violence, discrimination and exclusion. Public authorities have taken some steps in investigating these cases, which nevertheless remain en masse under-reported and un-collected. While the Albanian Parliament passed a resolution for the protection of LGBTI people from discrimination, its government has spent more than two years drafting an action-plan which has yet to be passed, let alone implemented. Bosnia & Herzegovina saw towards the end of the year the passing of pioneer action plans related to gender equality and the rights of LGBTI people. More progress was registered on this topic in the first months of 2016. Other countries have continued with some legal progress with regards to protection from discrimination and hate crimes.
However, no country in the WB&T region saw any significant legal changes such as those related to civil unions, marriage or gender recognition. In fact, the report highlights that trans and intersex people are not recognized by state authorities and that protection from violence as well as health and social services for this community are lacking.
The report also highlights the increased visibility of LGBTI organizations and activists across the region as well as their active participation in the political life as well as organizing Prides and other events. While Belgrade, Tirana  and Porgorica Prides were held with success Niksic Pride in Montenegro was banned amid security concerns while Istanbul Pride was banned as well as attacked by state security forces.
The report highlights the important findings of the regional feasibility study conducted by the National Democratic Institute across the Western Balkans, which provides important information on common perceptions and misconceptions of the general public towards LGBTI people.
In conclusion, LGBTI rights in the Western Balkans and Turkey remain far for protected or provided for and extensive work remains to be done in the areas of legislation, protection from hate crimes and hate speech, public policy, education, health, services and employment as well as other fundamental rights.
While the narrative report gives some background on the social and cultural situation of LGBTI people, the Rainbow index – on which rankings are also based – is a reflection of documented legal and policy standards.
For more information on the Rainbow Europe map, index and Annual Reviews for the entire continent and the region covered by ERA check the links below:

https://rainbow-europe.org/
https://rainbow-europe.org/#8618/0/0
http://ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2016/albania.pdf
http://ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2016/bosnia_and_herzegovina.pdf
http://ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2016/fyr_macedonia.pdf
http://ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2016/kosovo.pdf
http://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2016/montenegro.pdf
http://ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2016/serbia.pdf
http://ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2016/turkey.pdf