- 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
Recent surveys in Maryland indicate a moderate level of acceptance for LGBTQ+ rights in specific areas.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
History
Homosexual activity in Maryland is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 19, 1999
Since Jan 19, 1999
Legal
Settlement of Williams v. Glendening, Baltimore Circuit Court.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Maryland is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
There are no laws censoring LGBT topics in Maryland.
Right to change legal gender in Maryland is legal, surgery not required.
Current status
Legal, surgery not required
according to Movement Advancement Project.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Maryland is recognized.
Current status
Since Oct 1, 2019
Since Oct 1, 2019
Recognized
Maryland residents can self-identify their gender (with an X gender marker as one of the options) on their driver's license or state IDs.
LGBT discrimination in Maryland is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT employment discrimination in Maryland is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since 2014
Since 2014
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 Maryland is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Maryland 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 Maryland is legal.
Current status
Legal
State statute permits any adult to petition for adoption per MD Code Ann. Fam. Law, §5-331. Second-parent adoption has been allowed in lower courts.
Serving openly in military in Maryland 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 Maryland is legal.
Current status
Since May 11, 2023
Since May 11, 2023
Legal
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 (3-month deferral)
Blood donation centers follow the new FDA 3-month deferral guidance.
Banned (1-year deferral)
Blood donation centers followed the non-binding FDA one year deferral guidance.
Conversion therapy in Maryland is banned.
Current status
Banned
The Governor hss signed SB 1028 in to law which bans conversion therapy.