- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- Unknown
- 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
- ✖ Banned (3-month deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Suggest Public Opinion Data
Until Sep 29, 2012
History
Censorship of LGBT Issues in California is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
LGBT discrimination in California is illegal.
Current status
Since Aug 17, 2004
Since Aug 17, 2004
Illegal
Defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed because the victim's perceived: disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. Protections also include gender identification.
LGBT employment discrimination in California is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Sep 25, 2004
Since Sep 25, 2004
Sexual orientation and gender identity
State law provides for protections against employment discrimination in regards to both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT housing discrimination in California is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Sep 28, 2006
Since Sep 28, 2006
Sexual orientation and gender identity
This state explicitly bans housing discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identification.
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign states, "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires grantees and participants of HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity. HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted housing in every state (March 2012)."
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign states, "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires grantees and participants of HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity. HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted housing in every state (March 2012)."
Same-sex adoption in California is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2003
Since Jan 1, 2003
Legal
California law states that an adult related to the child, a person named in a deceased parent’s will, a legal guardian, or a person with whom the child has been placed for adoption is permitted to petition to adopt. California §8600, 8601 permit same-sex adoption, and second-parent adoption is legal per case law exhibited via Sharon v. Supreme Court, 31 Cal. 4th 417 (2003). This case also explicitly banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in all adoptions and foster care placements in California.
Serving openly in military in California is legal.
Current status
Since Sep 20, 2011
Since Sep 20, 2011
Legal
Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
Blood donations by MSMs in California is banned (3-month deferral).
Current status
Since Apr 2, 2020
Since Apr 2, 2020
Banned (3-month deferral)
3-month deferral in line with FDA guidance.
Conversion therapy in California is banned.
Current status
Since Sep 29, 2012
Since Sep 29, 2012
Banned
Note that this only applies to youth (under 18 years olds)
Until Sep 29, 2012
Ambiguous
Conversion Therapy is currently legal. No law currently bans it, despite organizations such as the American Psychological Association denouncing it. Though it's not actually ambiguous (It is in fact legal), this is the best indicator of the available options.
Equal age of consent in California is equal.
Current status
Equal
The age of consent is 18 for both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples.
Legal Rights
98 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in California to help improve its accuracy.
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Alternative names: Californie, Kalifornien