- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✖ State-enforced
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Legal, but banned for minors
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Public opinion surveys in Indiana have pointed to a varied attitude towards LGBTQ+ individuals.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Perception of LGBTQ+ People
Survey results from 10 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Indiana.
Overall
Perceived Safety**Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal Treatment
Visibility & Representation
Culture
Services
History
Same-sex marriage in Indiana is legal.
Current status
Since Oct 9, 2014
Legal
After the Supreme Court's decision to not consider the appeal, same sex marriage ban was lifted on October 9th.
Right to change legal gender in Indiana is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
Gender-affirming care in Indiana is legal, but banned for minors.
Current status
Since Feb 27, 2024
Legal, but banned for minors
SB 480 effectively banning gender affirming care for minors, adults still can get gender affirming care. Minors are not able to get gender affirming care under this bill even with parental consent. Doctors who preform gender affirming care will be subject to fines or more under Indiana law. The law was set to go into effect on July 1st, 2023, however on June 16, 2023, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law from taking effect. Several months later on February 27, 2024, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this decision, allowing the ban to be enforced.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Indiana is not legally recognized.
Current status
Since Jan 2020
Not legally recognized
Indiana no longer allows X gender markers on official IDs.
LGBT discrimination in Indiana is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There are no legal protections for people who are LGBT in regards to employment. However, public employees of the state are protected based on both sexual orientation as well as gender identities.
LGBT employment discrimination in Indiana is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jun 15, 2020
Sexual orientation only
President Trump's Department of Justice and the EEOC revoked protections for gender identity in employment discrimination. No state protections exist.
Sexual orientation and gender identity
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ruled that “[A]llegations of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation necessarily state a claim of discrimination on the basis of sex”, and are barred by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This ruling applies at both the state and federal levels. No state protections exist in private employment.
Gender identity only
In a landmark decision, Democratic President Obama's EEOC ruled that gender identity was included under Title VII protections from the Civil Rights Act (originally written to protect people based on sex discrimination). No statewide protections exist for private employment.
LGBT housing discrimination in Indiana is no protections.
Current status
No protections
This state does not provide any legal protections from discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identification.
However, 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)."
However, 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 Indiana is legal.
Current status
Legal
Any individual or couple may petition for adoption per §31-19-2.
Second-parent adoption has been legalized via case law in two separate cases. Adoption of K.S.P., 804 N.E.2d 1253 (Ind.Ct. Appl. 2004) approved second-parent adoption by partners of biological parents. Adoption of M.M.G.C., 785 N.E.2d 267 (Ind. Ct. Appl. 2003) approved second-parent adoption by partners of adoptive parents.
Second-parent adoption has been legalized via case law in two separate cases. Adoption of K.S.P., 804 N.E.2d 1253 (Ind.Ct. Appl. 2004) approved second-parent adoption by partners of biological parents. Adoption of M.M.G.C., 785 N.E.2d 267 (Ind. Ct. Appl. 2003) approved second-parent adoption by partners of adoptive parents.
Intersex infant surgery in Indiana is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care for minors provides exceptions for intersex infant surgery.
Serving openly in military in Indiana is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
Current status
Since May 6, 2025
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
Midday on May 6th, 2025, the Supreme Court issued an order allowing the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender service members while the court reviews their case.
Legal under federal United States law
On the evening of March 18th, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the implementation of Trump's executive order banning transgender people from the military. The judge said that not only was the order unconstitutional but “a solution in search of a problem.”.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
On January 27th, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that bans transgender people from serving in the military.
On February 10th, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth filed in court a memo relating to President Trump’s executive order from the previous month.
From then until March 18th, 2025, The U.S. military prohibited transgender individuals from enlisting and ceased providing or supporting gender transition procedures for service members.
On February 10th, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth filed in court a memo relating to President Trump’s executive order from the previous month.
From then until March 18th, 2025, The U.S. military prohibited transgender individuals from enlisting and ceased providing or supporting gender transition procedures for service members.
Legal under federal United States law
In 2021, former President Joe Biden removed then-former President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
The Trump administration enacted a new policy barring individuals with a "condition" known as "gender dysphoria." from serving in the military.
Legal under federal United States law
In 2011, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed by the Obama Administration. Former President Obama allowed members who were dishonorably discharged under DADT, to receive an honorable discharge.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell under federal United States law
Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation.
Blood donations by MSMs in Indiana is legal.
Current status
Since May 11, 2023
Legal under federal United States law
The new FDA policy on blood donation eliminates deferrals and screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM). Prospective donors will be asked the same set of questions regardless of their sex or sexual orientation.
Banned (less than 6-month deferral) under federal United States law
The FDA announced changes to the blood donor eligibility policy in April 2020, reducing the MSM deferral period from 12 months to 3 months. The change came amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, where blood was needed urgently.
Banned (1-year deferral) under federal United States law
After a series of recommendations, the FDA has moved to a 12 months deferral.
Banned (indefinite deferral) under federal United States law
Starting in 1983, the United States implemented a full ban on blood donations from gay men. The primary justification for the ban was the perceived high risk of HIV transmission, with health regulators identifying men who have sex with men (MSM) as a significant risk to the safety of the blood supply.
Conversion therapy in Indiana is not banned.
Current status
Since May 3, 2023
Not banned
The Governor of Indiana signed a bill into law in May 2023 that prohibited local jurisdictions of enacting their own ordinances against the practice of conversion therapy effectively keeping the practice legal across the state until a state measure comes into effect.
Equal age of consent in Indiana is equal.
Current status
Since Jul 1, 1977
Equal
In Indiana Code 35-42-4-9, anyone under 16 years of age that is with a 18+ year old unless married is subjected to Felonies and jail time. Law does not specify if this includes LGBTQ people, generally it is the same for all people.
United States Equality Rank
#144
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