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LGBT Rights in British Columbia Province

    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, surgery not required
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✔ Recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✔ Banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal

Public Opinion

Suggest Public Opinion Data

Public opinion polls in British Columbia have found that acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals is prevalent.

British Columbia Surveys

(Fondation Émergence, 2020)
of British Columbia residents would be okay with a family member marrying someone of the same-sex

(Fondation Émergence, 2014)
of British Columbia residents believe same-sex parents are as good as opposite-sex parents

(Fondation Émergence, 2011)
of British Columbia residents agree legalization of same-sex marriage is a good thing
of British Columbia residents would attend a same-sex marriage if invited

History

Homosexual activity in British Columbia

?

Homosexual activity in British Columbia is legal.

Current status
Since Jun 27, 1969
Legal
Criminal Law Amendment Act (Canada) 1968-1969.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_C-150
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20390992
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in British Columbia

?

Same-sex marriage in British Columbia is legal.

Current status
Since Jul 20, 2005
Legal
Civil Marriage Act 2005 (Canada)
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil…
laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in British Columbia

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in British Columbia is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In British Columbia, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Added by equaldex  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in British Columbia

?

Right to change legal gender in British Columbia is legal, surgery not required.

Current status
Since Apr 29, 2014
Legal, surgery not required
Now, surgery is not required to change an individual's stated gender on their birth certificate.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
leg.bc.ca/Pages/BCLASS-Lega…
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Apr 29, 2014
Legal, but requires surgery
Surgery was required
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
metamorpho-sis.com/blog/201…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in British Columbia

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in British Columbia is recognized.

Current status
Since Nov 1, 2018
Recognized
British Columbia residents can ask for an X gender marker on their driver’s license, identity card, birth certificate and BC Services Card.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/201…
Added by Notdog1996  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in British Columbia

?

LGBT discrimination in British Columbia is illegal.

Current status
Since 1996
Illegal
Outlined in BC Human Rights Code
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_…
bclaws.ca/Recon/document/ID…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in British Columbia

?

LGBT employment discrimination in British Columbia is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jul 25, 2016
Sexual orientation and gender identity
BC Legislature passed a bill adding gender identity to protected class in the BC Human Rights Code
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
vancouversun.com/news/polit…
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

1992–Jul 25, 2016
Sexual orientation only
Gender identity is not spelled out in the BC Human Rights Code
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6100
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in British Columbia

?

LGBT housing discrimination in British Columbia is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jul 25, 2016
Sexual orientation and gender identity
BC Legislature passed a bill to include gender identity in the protected class for BC Human Rights Code
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
vancouversun.com/news/polit…
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

1977–Jul 25, 2016
Sexual orientation only
Canadian Human Rights Act (1977, cited 1985) Gender identity is not spelled out in the BC Human Rights Code. However, there are a set of strict guidelines of exempt cases for housing protections on the basis of sexual orientation.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1977–Jul 15, 2016
Ambiguous
Protection under the BC Human Rights Code.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaw…
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in British Columbia

?

Same-sex adoption in British Columbia is legal.

Current status
Since May 19, 1999
Legal
M v. H (Canada) rules that Constitution protects same-sex couples.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6100
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in British Columbia

?

Serving openly in military in British Columbia is legal.

Current status
Since Dec 1, 1992
Legal
Douglas v. Canada (1992) lifts national ban on LGBT involvement in military.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6100
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in British Columbia

?

Blood donations by MSMs in British Columbia is legal.

Current status
Since Sep 30, 2022
Legal
Following the Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
blood.ca/en/blood/am-i-elig…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jun 3, 2019–Sep 30, 2022
Banned (3-month deferral)
MSMs were previously put on indefinite deferral until the 2013 announcement by Canadian Blood Services, then further reduced to 3 months in 2019.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
blood.ca/en/about-us/media/…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jul 22, 2013–Sep 25, 2017
Banned (1-year deferral)
According to Canadian Blood Bank.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in British Columbia

?

Conversion therapy in British Columbia is banned.

Current status
Banned
Banned in all of Canada
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
npr.org/2021/12/09/10627202…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in British Columbia

?

Equal age of consent in British Columbia is equal.

Current status
Since Jun 21, 2019
Equal
Equal age of consent at 16. Previously, anal sex was set at 18.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
parl.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetai…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

1892–May 1, 2008
Ambiguous
Under the Criminal Law Code at the time, age of consent to vaginal sex was raised from 12 to 14. Anal sex was not mentioned.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
bccla.org/wp-content/upload…
Added by aidanwelsford  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log
Equality Index ?
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Legal Rights
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Public Opinion
72 / 100
#190
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Common queries:
  • Is it illegal to be gay in British Columbia?
  • Is homosexuality legal in British Columbia?
  • Is gay marriage legal in British Columbia?

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