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2018 in LGBT Rights

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In 2018, there were 125 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 202 changes made and 104 in the following year. A total of 1434 legal changes were made in the 2010s.

  • December 14
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes intersex only.
    nique at the international level": the Austrian LGBTQ+ umbrella HOSI yesterday welcomed the decree of the federal government that establishes six options for its citizens in the official definition of their sex. In addition to the masculine, feminine and «various» (the «X» instituted last year in passports), the categories «inter» and «offen» (open) are available, as well as the possibility of choosing none. The latter option may be required when children with sexual variation are born. They – or their legal representative – may decide later. However, says Queer.de, the transition from conventional categories to other options will only be possible with the favourable opinion of an expert. This condition is challenged by LGBTI activists, who regret the «pathologization» of intersex people. 'The stage of self-determination is still far away,' said Luan Pertl of Plattform Intersex Österreich. The organizations also call for a ban on surgical interventions on intersex children and adolescents, which was part of the programme of the ruling coalition in Vienna.
  • December 2
    LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    The UAE constitution, which came into effect on December 2, 1971, does not reference any protections against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality.
  • November 29
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    People can register their gender on their birth certificate as non-binary, intersex, indeterminate or other.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Transgender individuals can change their gender marker on documents without surgery.
  • November 16
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).
    San Marino passed a law recognizing same sex civil unions.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes step-child adoption only.
    Stepchild adoption for same sex couples.
  • November 1
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    British Columbia residents can ask for an X gender marker on their driver’s license, identity card, birth certificate and BC Services Card.
  • November
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Section 107 of Chapter 1 of the Code of the Federated States of Micronesia reads: No law shall be enacted which discriminates against any person on account of race, sex, sexual orientation, language, or religion, nor shall the equal protection of the laws be denied.
  • October 18
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Changing your gender legally no longer requires surgery in Uruguay.
  • October 1
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Residents of Minnesota can change their gender marker to an X on their driver's license.
  • September 24
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    As a matter of fact , in the decision of the 22nd Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation dated 24.09.2018 and numbered 2015/35120 Main, 2018/19675 , it is emphasized that discrimination due to the sexual orientation of the worker is within the scope of the prohibition (although the concept of "sexual preference" is used with an incorrect terminology) : The prohibition of discrimination can be added to this, due to the employee's sexual preference that does not cause any adverse effects in the workplace. Again, discrimination based on factors such as political reasons and worldview should be protected.”
  • September 18
    Homosexual activity becomes male illegal, female legal.
    Sodomy was a crime under the 1907 common law, punishable with either death or a lesser punishment at the discretion of the court. "Sodomy" has been defined by its courts as "unlawful and intentional sexual relations per anum between two human males. (Decriminalization pending)
  • September 16
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    all acts of surgery abolished since 2018. Missing non binary options on documents.
  • September 12
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Nationwide.
  • September 10
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years and may be liable to imprisonment for 14-15 years to life. Decriminalization pending.
  • September 8
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    Same-sex marriage is not legal in Singapore.
  • Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Homosexuality is illegal under Section 377, although it is unclear whether this law applies only to males or to females as well.
  • September 6
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    In all of France.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Under Indian Laws.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    Single nationwide. but laws might be pending for same sex couples in some areas.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Under 2018 Indian Supreme Court Ruling.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    In the Supreme Court case of Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, a five-judge Constitutional Bench overturned the Supreme Court's decision in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation and decriminalized homosexuality by striking down the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that deemed sexual acts between consenting adults as criminal.
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The age of consent is equal since decriminalization. In the Supreme Court case of Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, a five-judge Constitutional Bench overturned the Supreme Court's decision in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation and decriminalized homosexuality by striking down the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that deemed sexual acts between consenting adults as criminal.
  • September 1
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Under French regulation.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    "Sex change operation technical management standard" allows surgeries, and "Reply on household registration change gender related issues after the project's citizens Transsexual" by the Police Ministry allowed the legal gender to be changed.
  • Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    Legal for LGB but not for transgender
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Individuals can legally change their gender in France. Sex reassignment surgery is state-funded. Requires court approval and proof. According to media reports, in 2010, France became the first country to remove "transsexualism" from their official list of mental illnesses.
  • August 27
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Banned since 2018 under “New York local law-22” after conversion therapy ruled unconstitutional.
  • August 20
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Single adoption by unmarried individuals, joint adoption by married couples and second parent adoption by married couples are all legal.
  • August 8
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    The law allows adults to change their legal gender based on self-detirmination without any requirements. Minors aged 16 and 17 must have parental consent and a professional psychological opinion.
  • August 1
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Ireland's Employment Equality Act, 1998, and the Equal Status Act, 2000 outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
  • July 24
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Delaware is the 15th state to ban conversion therapy.
  • July 13
    LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    There are no protection from discrimination to LGBT people
  • July 9
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Tunisian court granted legal gender recognition to a transgender man who received gender-affirming care in Germany, overruling a lower court’s verdict.
  • July 8
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Under a new bill that updated the housing, employment and public accommodation law to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    On June 8, 2018 Governor Chris Sununu signed into law House Bill 1319, AN ACT prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity, which banned discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing based on gender identity. The law went into effect on July 8, 2018.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    On June 8, 2018 Governor Chris Sununu signed into law House Bill 1319, AN ACT prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity, which banned discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing based on gender identity. The law went into effect on July 8, 2018.
  • July 1
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Single adoption, joint adoption by married couples and second parent adoption by married couples are legal. However, Kansas allows discrimination against LGBT people on the basis of religion, which means LGBT couples can be refused by some adoption agencies.
  • June 21
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    City housing discrimination protections in Lamorie, Jackson.
  • June 17
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    In June of 2018, the Ukraine justice ministry said that there is no legal grounds in Ukraine currently for same-sex marriage. Deputy Justice Minister Natalia Bernatska has said, "To date, no draft laws or government decisions regarding the legalization of same-sex partnerships in civilian or other forms have been developed." In August 2022, the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s government may allow civil partnerships for same-sex couples in the future.
  • June 11
    LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    No discrimination protections currently.
  • June 8
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Residents of Alberta can ask for an X gender marker on their IDs and birth certificates.
  • June 7
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    SB 5722 - 2017-18 amended RCW 18.130.020 to define conversion therapy and RCW 18.130.180 to discipline licensed health care providers that perform conversion therapy on any patient under the age of eighteen. The ban does not apply to religious practices unless they are performed by licensed health care providers. The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the bill's constitutionality in TINGLEY V. ROBERT FERGUSON, ET AL, No. 21-35815
  • June 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).
    Domestic Partnership Act 2018, effectively repealed same sex marriage.
  • May 26
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Saskatchewan residents can request an X gender marker on their IDs or birth certificates or opt to remove the marker altogether.
  • May 11
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    he country adopted the "third kind" on civil registration acts in 2018. Discrimination at work, in schools and in public services is therefore prohibited. A local television station has even made a transgender person its anchor/presenter.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Transgender people in Pakistan are allowed to identify as male, female, a blend of both, or neither.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Countrywide recognized, Transgender people are allowed to identify as male, female, a blend of both, or neither.
  • May 9
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    For Gender identity only.
  • May 7
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Article 134A of the Criminal Code (2000), as amended by Law No. 1,482 (2011), criminalises discrimination based on "sexual orientation", while Article 136C (3) and (4) aggravate the penalty if such discrimination is committed by public servants or while providing public services. These provisions ban "sexual orientation" discrimination in broad terms and therefore apply to employment. Article 136C (6) also includes the motive of denying or restricting labour rights as an aggravating factor. Added to the previous factor we have ruling SU440-21 from the Constitutional Court of Colombia. The Colombian Supreme Court "Corte Constitucional de Colombia" decided on December 9, 2021 based on ruling SU440-21 that transgender people in Colombia cannot be discriminated against due to their gender identity when receiving state financial pensions, despite the decision to have as its object the receipt of state financial pensions, the sentence in its paragraph 55, section III makes it clear that the principle by which this decision was taken is that gender identity is protected by the general constitutional clause of article 13 of the Constitution of Colombia making it clear that discrimination based on gender identity is prohibited in other areas, which includes housing and employment discrimination.
  • May
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (5-year deferral).
    In March 2018, the Government gazetted, for a two-month public consultation, amendments to the Standards on Assessing Donor Suitability for Blood Donation that included allowing gay and bisexual men who have not had sex with another man for five years to donate blood. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the abstinence period would be further reduced to one year in the future, so as to bring the Taiwanese standard in line with Western countries.
  • April 20
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Adoption of Children Legislation Amendment (Equality) Bill 2017
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Adoption is not a federal law and is state-based. Since April 2018, same-sex couples can adopt children in all jurisdictions within Australia.
  • April 17
    Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    Law 4538/2018 grants the right for couples to foster children. Individuals can adopt normally.
  • April 12
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Became legal on April 12, 2018. The news is from HRC and Pink news.
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    Since decriminalization of homosexuality in 2018, the age of consent has been equal.
  • April 10
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
  • April
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal with restrictions.
    A more complex testing process is in place for MSM donations but you cannot skip this test.
  • April 1
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
    No protections involving sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • March 26
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
    No discrimination Protections Yet.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
    Gay people or transgender people are misunderstood.
  • March 13
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    On March 13, 2018, the Northern Territory passed a new law allowing same-sex couples to adopt children.
  • March 7
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Since 2015. no laws restricting adoption.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Full discrimination protections in city of Jackson, Mongolia, Clarksville.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Under federal law as well as Idaho state law
  • March 1
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In all of Brazil, transgender people can request their gender be legally changed without surgery or medical diagnosis.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Nationwide.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In March 2018, the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that transgender people have the right to change name and sex on their birth certificate without the need of sexual reassignment surgery or doctor letters. The change can be made at a notary's office now.
  • February 15
    Conversion therapy becomes not banned.
    Conversion therapy ban pending.
  • February 13
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.
    Gender-neutral names can be used on IDs and birth certificates, following the case of Jason-Antigone Dane, but one can only legally identify as male or female
  • February 12
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    requires public announcement of name change. Changes pending. Missing non binary options on drivers licenses.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Requires surgery to change birth Certificate. Changes pending. Non binary options pending.
  • February 2
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    In four cities.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Full City protections in Jackson, Mongolia, Clarksville. Starkville just had its first pride parade. Currently being faught by Mississippi Gov.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    No conditions required. Non binary options on drivers licenses pending.
  • January 27
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    WAC 246-490-075 includes the legal gender marking "X" as a gender that is not exclusively male or female, including, but not limited to, intersex, agender, amalgagender, androgynous, bigender, demigender, female-to-male, genderfluid, genderqueer, male-to-female, neutrois, nonbinary, pangender, third sex, transgender, transsexual, Two Spirit, and unspecified.
  • January 22
    Conversion therapy becomes not banned.
    Not criminalized or regulated, Due to Christian attitudes, this isn’t likely to change
  • January 19
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Under the 2018 revision by the Ministry of Health, a medical commision can issue a certificate of gender change without the need for surgery or hormone replacement therapy.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Under the 2018 revision by the Ministry of Health, a medical commision can issue a certificate of gender change without the need for surgery or hormone replacement therapy.
  • January 15
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Only for gender identity and expression.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Nationwide.
  • January 9
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Under Movement advancement project. Missing non binary options on documents.
  • (date unknown)
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    It has been possible to have an X on passports since 2018, but doing so required hiring an attorney and going through a costly process. However, judges in Arnhem have ruled that a non-binary person does not have to involve an outside expert to assess whether they should be allowed to have X in their passport, rather than M or V.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Surgery not required since 2018
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Housing discrimination is illegal in Japan. Japan does not have national employment anti-discrimination laws, although Tokyo, Ibaraki and Akita offer local protections.
  • January
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    In January 2018, the Federal Psychology Council established norms of performance for psychologists in relation to transsexual and transvestite people, also banning any conversion therapy.
  • (date unknown)
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Ontario allows residents to use an X gender marker on birth certificates, health cards and driving licenses as well as to remove the marker altogether.
  • January 1
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes intersex only.
    The Civil Status Act (PStG) was amended to include Parapraph 45b to allow intersex people to identify themselves as "diverse" ("divers") or remove the gender entry.
  • (date unknown)
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    California introduced a non-binary option on driver's licenses in January of 2019 but introduced a non-binary option on birth certificates in 2018. Also, in 2021, California became the first state to allow gender-neutral markers on death certificates.
  • January 1
    Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    Transgender individual can serve, however, the policy "will require an individual to have completed any medical treatment that their doctor has determined is necessary in connection with their gender transition, and to have been stable in their preferred gender for 18 months, as certified by their doctor, before they can enter the military."
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Same sex marriage couples and singles can adopt in Puerto Rico since 2018 with the new modification to the 2009 adoption law.
  • Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    fines, 3 years in prison and Caning.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    In one region it is single only as part of Eritrea.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    under federal law since 2015. In Georgia their might be a lgbt friendly governor elected.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Only gender identity discrimination protection state wide. being implemented in various cities and counties.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Under Gay adoption legalization under the supreme court. Single adoption, joint adoption by married couples and second parent adoption by married couples all allowed. However, Michigan allows adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBT individuals on the basis of faith.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Full state employment discrimination protections. Full discrimination protection in 2 counties and 9 cities. Full discrimination protection for gender identity for all discrimination protection.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Full discrimination protection in state employment. As well under Section VII under sex discrimination. Section VII ruled to include gender identity. As well as city discrimination protection in 22 cities and one county for sexual orientation protection. in 21 cities full discrimination protection.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
    Legalization required under American Convention on Human Rights. Gay marriage pending. Under 2018 IACHR Ruling.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    In six city discrimination protections. One county.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    City protections in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, San Antonio. In one county. As well as sexual oreination hate crime law.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    No Full state discrimination protections. Certain cities may have laws of their own. Full housing pending statewide. full public accommodation pending state wide. As well as no laws in place to prevent bullying.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
    Gay Marriage and Gay Union legalization pending.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
    Under EU law.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Nationwide.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Nationwide since 2018.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Nationwide since 2018.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Only for gender identity and expression.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Surgery no longer necessary to change legal gender.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes step-child adoption only.
    Step child and single options since 2018. Full legalization pending. It will become legal when gay marriage becomes legal.
  • (date unknown)
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    According to ILGA data base: In 2018, the Micronesian Congress passed Bill No. 20-258 (2018), which updated the country's anti-discrimination law to include "sexual orientation" in Article 107 of Chapter 1 of the Code of the Federated States of Micronesia (2014). This prohibition is expressed in broad terms and, therefore, applies to housing.
  • January 1
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Banned under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act
  • (date unknown)
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Legal since 2018.
  • January 1
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
  • Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Conversion Therapy aimed to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity done by medical practitioners is illegal. The law however has a religious exemption. The bill however has a religious exemption.
  • (date unknown)
    Same-sex marriage becomes unregistered cohabitation.
    Since 2018, Slovakia recognizes a close person, defined as a sibling or a spouse. A family member or a person in a relationship shall be considered under law a close person if an injury suffered by one of them is "reasonably felt by the other person as an injury suffered by him or her." Limited rights are granted, namely in the area of inheritance.
  • January 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    The Constitution of Bulgaria defines marriage in heterosexual terms only. Additionally, Bulgaria does not record foreign same-sex marriages.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 2018

  • International Family Equality Day FaviconInternational Family Equality Day
    Global
    IFED goals & mission: - Raise awareness, provide advocacy, empower, demand social and legal acceptance for our families, and celebrate family diversity worldwide. - Ensure…
  • Unite UK FaviconUnite UK
    United Kingdom
    Unite UK is an LGBTQ+ blog run by two queer women, Charlotte & Aislinn. We strive ourselves on being a source of information, guidance and support for all members of the lgbtq+…
  • Goa Rainbow Trust FaviconGoa Rainbow Trust
    Goa, India
    Goa Rainbow Trust was legally established on October 31, 2018. However, Chris Fernandes, who is the CEO and Founder, began having meetings back in 2013 under the name Goa Rainbow…
  • Trans Dynamics FaviconTrans Dynamics
    Morocco
    Trans Dynamics (TD) is an unregistered organization by and for Trans people. TD is the only trans-specific organization based in Morocco. TD fight all forms of discrimination…
  • Marriage for All Japan FaviconMarriage for All Japan
    Global
    A Japanese organisation campaigning for marriage equality.