Transgender people might be more visible than ever, but across much of Europe having their gender identity recognised by law remains either impossible, or beset by obstacles.

The map above, produced by the human rights organisation Transgender Europe, shows which countries offer a basic right to trans people: to have their gender identity legally recognised.

The countries in blue – which include the UK – are those where the state will recognise the sex you have transitioned to. The countries in brown offer no such recognition at all. And those in red demand that in order to get such official recognition, you have to be sterilised first – and then provide evidence of the procedure. Without that, you may have (for example) been living as a woman for years, but as far as the state is concerned, you are a man.

In total, of Europe's 51 independent states, 37 legally recognise the gender identity of trans people, but 23 of those demand proof of sterilisation first. A further 12 will only recognise the sex assigned at birth, forever disregarding the gender of a trans person.