Illinois ranks among safest states for LGBTQ+ community, new report finds. Here’s why

Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is becoming all too common in 2025, with the ACLU tracking more than 500 bills filed this year alone across the U.S.

In response, many members of the LGBTQ+ community are feeling less and less safe by the day, reevaluating their living situations and futures.

Amid this political and cultural turmoil, advocacy group Out Leadership released a list yesterday of the most and least welcoming states for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans. Each state was given a score in the report based on factors like workplace inclusion, family support and healthcare access.

Fortunately, Illinois ranked among the safest states in the country, though it still has room for improvement.

Here’s what we know.

What did the report find?

Out Leadership said in the report that "for the third year in a row, LGBTQ+ equality (declined) across the country," with the national average score falling from 62.77 to 62.62. The report cites political polarization, more conservative leadership following the 2024 election and anti-LGBTQ+ laws as some of the reasons behind the fall.

Massachusetts and New York tied for the #1 safest state with Connecticut and New Jersey close behind, while Michigan and Kentucky improved the most from the previous year due to "pro-equality leadership from the governors."

In comparison, Ohio, Florida and Utah experienced the biggest drops in score, and Arkansas ranked 50th for the third year in a row.

Illinois ranked among the top of the list, landing at the #7 spot.

Illinois score

Illinois received a total score of 88.47 out of 100, with each factor rated on a scale of 1 to 5.

Here’s a breakdown of the state’s 2025 score:

• Legal and nondiscrimination protections:
  • Change Birth Certificate: 5.00
  • Change Driver’s License: 5.00
  • Employer Nondiscrimination: 5.00
  • Other Nondiscrimination: 5.00
• Youth and family support
  • Family Support: 3.67
  • Youth Support: 5.00
  • Conversion Therapy Ban: 5.00
  • “No promo homo" (bans on promotion of homosexuality in schools): 5.00
• Political and religious attitudes
  • Governor Rating: 5.00
  • Senator 1 Rating: 5.00
  • Senator 2 Rating: 5.00
  • Religious Exclusions: 3.80
• Health Access and Safety
  • Health Support: 5.00
  • State Employee Coverage: 3.00
  • Hate Crimes Protections: 5.00
  • HIV Criminalization: 5.00
• Work Environment and Employment
  • Safety at Work: 2.00
  • Unemployment Differential: 5.00
  • Food Insecurity Differential: 3.00
  • Income Over 24K: 3.00

Highest-scoring states

1. Massachusetts: 93.67
2. New York: 93.67
3. Connecticut: 92.27
4. New Jersey: 90.07
5. Vermont: 89.50
6. Maine: 88.67
7. Illinois: 88.47
8. Colorado: 87.67
9. Minnesota: 87.33
10. Oregon: 87.00

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Lowest-scoring states

1. Arkansas: 29.50
2. South Carolina: 32.15
3. Louisiana: 33.00
4. South Dakota: 34.80
5. Tennessee: 35.00
6. Mississippi: 37.27
7. Oklahoma: 37.62
8. Alabama: 39.40
9. Montana: 40.62
10. Idaho: 42.07

Jessica Guynn contributed to this report.