- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✔ Recognized
- Hate Crime Protections
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Recent studies in New Jersey indicate that there is significant support for LGBTQ+ rights.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Perception of LGBTQ+ People
Survey results from 10 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited New Jersey.
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
Homosexual activity in New Jersey is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 26, 2003
Legal
US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
Censorship of LGBT issues in New Jersey is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
There are no laws that censor the LGBTQ community in New Jersey.
New Jersey actually requires schools to teach students about the LGBTQ community.
New Jersey actually requires schools to teach students about the LGBTQ community.
Right to change legal gender in New Jersey is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Feb 1, 2019
Legal, no restrictions
On February 1st, 2019, New Jersey eliminated the requirement for surgery or medical documentation in legal gender recognition.
Legal, but requires surgery
In 1984, New Jersey provided for legal gender recognition but required proof of surgery.
Gender-affirming care in New Jersey is legal.
Current status
Legal
Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 326, which protects out of state transgender people to come to New Jersey without being prosecuted in their home state. This Executive Order also protects people living in the state.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in New Jersey is recognized.
Current status
Since Feb 1, 2019
Recognized
New Jersey-born residents can ask for an X as their gender marker on their birth certificate as well as IDs.
Hate crime protections in New Jersey is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
New Jersey law protects individuals from hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
LGBT discrimination in New Jersey is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT employment discrimination in New Jersey is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since 2007
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 New Jersey is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
This state explicitly bans housing discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identification.
Intersex infant surgery in New Jersey is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
In New Jersey, while laws have been introduced to ban intersex infant surgery, none have been enacted into law.
Serving openly in military in New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey is banned.
Current status
Since Aug 19, 2013
Banned
Conversion therapy was banned by the state legislature and signed into law by the governor in August of 2013. It was contested in court and the ban was upheld by the courts.
Until Aug 19, 2013
Not banned
Conversion Therapy is currently legal. No law currently bans it, despite organizations such as the American Psychological Association denouncing it.
Equal age of consent in New Jersey is equal.
Current status
Since Jun 26, 2003
Equal
The age of consent in New Jersey law is for all sexual activity.
Current status
Equal under federal United States law
Equal age of consent nationwide; however, the age of consent does vary in each state.
United States Equality Rank
#260
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