1969 in LGBT Rights

In 1969, there were 10 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 7 changes made and 2 in the following year. A total of 108 legal changes were made in the 1960s.

  • October
    Serving openly in military becomes ambiguous.
    There has never been any specific law banning homosexuals from serving in the army. However, Article 235 of 1969 of the Military Penal Code, which prohibits the "practice of a libidinous act, homosexual or not", was often used to persecute gays in the military and try to expel them.
  • September 1
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Section 175 of the Criminal Code was relaxed for persons over 21 years in East Germany in 1968, with West Germany following suit in 1969. However, although this meant that homosexual activity between men was decriminalized, it was not made legal.
  • July 19
    Homosexual activity becomes ambiguous.
    Even though Iraq's Criminal Code doesn't mention homosexuality in its penal code, Articles such as 401 in the penal code can be used against LGBT community. Efforts have been made to officially recriminalize homosexuality in Iraq, however.
  • June 27
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Legalized when Canada legalized it.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual activity was legalized in Manitoba when Canada legalized it.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Criminal Law Amendment Act (Canada) 1968-1969.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Introduced by Pierre Trudeau in the omnibus bill The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexuality is legal under Canadian Law.
  • May 21
    Equal age of consent becomes unequal.
    Even though gay male sex was illegal for all ages, section 14 of the Immorality Act 23 of 1957, as inserted by the Immorality Amendment Act 57 of 1969, set the age of consent for gay male sex at 19, as opposed to 16 for straight sex. There was no age of consent for lesbian sex.
  • May 14
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Bill C-150 decriminalized consensual anal intercourse done in private between two adults over 21 everywhere in Canada