- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✔ Recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Various reputable surveys conducted in Rhode Island show support for LGBTQ+ rights.
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Homosexual activity in Rhode Island 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 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, no restrictions.
Current status
Legal, no restrictions
Requires Announcement of name change. Changes pending.
Gender-affirming care in Rhode Island is legal.
Current status
Legal
While there are no law of yet currently passed in Rhode Island, Minors and Adults are able to get gender affirming care through health insurance or no insurance at all. Rhode Island has several bills going through their legislature, none have passed.
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
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.
Intersex infant surgery in Rhode Island is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Serving openly in military in Rhode Island is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 25, 2020
Legal
President Biden removed former President Trumps ban on transgender people serving in the military, transgender people are still allowed to serve as of 2024.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Former President Trump said in a slew of tweets in 2017, that he would ban transgender people from serving in the military. He then talked with the Chiefs of Staff, making it full ban for transgender people. Policy stated, if transgender people were in the military already, they could serve under a gender dysphoria diagnoses.
Legal
In 2011, Don't Ask Don't Tell was repelled under the Obama Administration 6 years later a new executive order was introduced. Former President Obama allowed members dishonorably discharged under DADT, to receive a honorable discharge.
Blood donations by MSMs in Rhode Island is legal.
Current status
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 (less than 6-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
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.
United States Equality Rank
- #1 Massachusetts89
- #2 New Hampshire88
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#3 Rhode Island86
- #4 Maine86
- #5 Colorado85
- #6 Connecticut85
#318
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Top Contributors
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Rhode Island LGBT Organizations
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Common queries:
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