- 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
- ✖ Banned (3-month deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Suggest Public Opinion Data
Until Aug 10, 2017
Public Opinion
Support for LGBT protections by US state ?
Ranked #1 out of 50 regions surveyed. (Source: PRRI, 2018)
Favor (73%)
Opposition of religiously based refusals to serve gay and lesbian people ?
Ranked #1 out of 50 regions surveyed. (Source: PRRI, 2018)
Oppose (70%)
Support of same-sex marriage by US state ?
Ranked #5 out of 51 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research, 2014)
(27%) Oppose
Favor (65%)
Support of homosexuality by US state ?
Ranked #4 out of 51 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research, 2014)
(18%) Oppose
Support (72%)
History
Homosexual activity in Rhode Island is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 26, 2003
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 Rhode Island is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
There are no laws censoring LGBT topics in Rhode Island.
Right to change legal gender in Rhode Island is legal, surgery not required.
Current status
Legal, surgery not required
Requires Announcement of name change. Changes pending.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Rhode Island is recognized.
Current status
Recognized
Recognized
LGBT discrimination in Rhode Island is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT employment discrimination in Rhode Island is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since 2001
Since 2001
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 Rhode Island 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.
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 Rhode Island is legal.
Current status
Legal
Single-parent and joint adoption permitted per statutes. Second-parent adoption permitted per case law.
Serving openly in military in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island is banned (3-month deferral).
Current status
Since Apr 2, 2020
Since Apr 2, 2020
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 Rhode Island is banned.
Current status
Since Aug 8, 2017
Since Aug 8, 2017
Banned
as of August 10, 2017. It is one of the 10 states and dc that have outlawed this.
Until Aug 10, 2017
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 Rhode Island is equal.
Current status
Equal
Age of consent laws are equitable regardless of sexual orientation or gender.