Albania
Article
Impressions
As an LGBT tourist, you are going to love it here and I’m going to tell you why you should definitely go at the end, so stay with me. Beautiful beaches and bars and clubs that accept you with smiles and warmth. Wait, it says this is an 'Alternative Bar'. Really? But it’s a gay bar. I think everyone here is gay. It’s a gay bar, right?
Of course it is!
You’re out for a walk and you sense the odd stare or maybe, I mean, were they staring at us when I gave you a hug? I'm sure they smiled when I looked back. It’s fine. You're totally safe. It's nice here and everyone's having a great time. A really great time.
Everyone's having a great time.
You sense something. Okay, let’s look at the figures for hate crimes committed against the LGBT community in Albania. The recent data tells us that this is a super-safe environment: reported hate crimes against the LGBT community, 7 to 9 cases per year. Wow! With a population of over 2 million, that’s amazingly low. Unbelievable. To put that into context, Birmingham in the UK, which is a little over half the population of Albania, had over 1,200 reported hate crimes against our community in 2025.
Facts Vs Fiction
According to Aleanca LGBTI and ILGA-Europe, 61% of LGBT people ‘experienced/witnessed’ violence in 2025. 88% of the community didn’t trust the police. Only 11.6% of ‘serious’ incidents ever get reported. Only 1 report resulted in conviction over the last two years. 90% never report any incidents to the police because of fear.
For your entertainment, and because I’m better at make-up than maths, I asked Gemini to take that contested figure of 10% of the human race being LGBT in some way, apply it to these statistics and find out how many crimes would be reported if people didn't live in fear.
| Category | Population / Count | Source / Assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 2,000,000 | Baseline |
| Estimated LGBT Population | 200,000 | 10% Assumption |
| Victims of Violence | 122,000 | 61% (Aleanca/ILGA Data) |
| Expected Reports (Low-End) | 12,200 | Based on 10% non-fear reporting |
| Expected Reports (High-End) | 14,152 | Based on 11.6% "Serious" incidents |
| Actual Police Reports | 7 to 9 | Official Government Data |
Why would our community be afraid to report crimes?
In the rural north, the 15th-Century social code takes precedence and within that is the Concept of Nderi, a traditional and cultural idea of a family’s honor being the only currency. In this system, your sexuality or trans status will be a direct threat to the family’s honor within the clan. This is an existential issue for the family, their lifestyle and income. Repercussions against the family are expected if the family takes no action.
Once you are outed, even with the slim chance that your family might accept you, you will feel safer leaving for your own protection. The clans' laws rule and, as the local police are often part of the clan, they will in all likelihood defer to clan law and ignore national equality laws. You won’t know if you are reporting to a good cop or a bad one. Our sources state that most police in rural communities believe an LGBT incident is a family matter and none of their business.
"The state gives me a lawyer in Tirana, but the village gives me a 'Besa' (honor-vow) that I won't survive the night if I stay."
— UNHCR Evidence SOGI 2025
Why should you go?
Your very existence and visibility gives hope to the local community. You are going to have a great time and have no need to feel any guilt because when you visit you are supporting the LGBT community whose only place of sanctuary may be in the tourist areas and the city which rely on your presence. As a tourist you'll be totally safe and welcomed wherever you go. Just do be aware that in rural areas it is best not to show any PDA, but that's the same just about everywhere.
Map by
ERCC
/ Wikimedia Commons.
Public
Domain Asset.
To see where to go, check out our travel section for the best LGBT travel links and a map if we can find one.