Two Belgian cities have been named in the top 10 for being LGBT-friendly, according to a newly published study assessing the overall living condition in different cities across the world.
Brussels (9th) and Ghent (10th) were named as particularly LGBT-friendly in the Wellbeing Index, which examined 77 major cities all over the world. The study - produced by Fitbit - examined different parameters that contribute to the well-being of residents.
Amsterdam (2nd) and Rotterdam (3rd) both appear in the list as well, with Reykjavik in Iceland taking the number one spot for being LGBT-friendly. Jakarta in Indonesia was named as the least accepting of the gay and lesbian community.
In terms of overall wellness, however, Ghent came out on top, placing 37th compared to Brussels 48th.
"We have the ambition to climb even higher," said Astrid De Bruycker, the Alderman for Equal Opportunities and Wellbeing in Ghent, reports Het Nieuwsblad. "By cooperating with the police and the public prosecutor's office, we continue to take hate crimes seriously, so that everyone can feel at ease everywhere in the city," she added.
This overall score came from looking at a selection of 77 major cities across the globe, measuring against 15 different metrics to reveal the best-ranked city for wellbeing. The higher the score – 10 being the highest possible score – the better the standard of wellbeing is in that city.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
