The Law Reform (Decriminalisation of Sodomy) Act 1989 decriminalised homosexuality and was passed by the Western Australian parliament in December of 1989 and then came into effect the following March.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Australia since 9 December 2017. The legislation to allow same-sex marriage, the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, passed the Australian Parliament on 7 December 2017 and received royal assent from the Governor-General the following day.

Since the Lesbian and Gay Law Reform Act of 2002 repealed the Decriminalisation of Sodomy Act of 1989 which contained a section banning the promotion of homosexual activity, Western Australia has no laws censoring LGBTIQ+ topics.

Western Australia's Gender Reassignment Act (2000) requires applicants to have:
1. Undergone gender-affirming surgery (Article 15.b.i),
2. Adopted "the lifestyle" and have "the gender characteristics of a person of the gender to which the person has been reassigned" (Article 15.b.ii),
3. That they have received "proper counselling" in relation to their gender identity (Article 15.b.iii).

However, in 2011, the High Court of Australia held in AB and AH v. Western Australia (2011) that the surgical procedure was no longer a requirement, but some sort of physical alteration must have taken place. In this instance, HRT can be seen to fulfil this requirement. If the Board is satisfied, they will issue a "recognition certificate" that enables the applicant to request a gender marker change on the birth certificate.

Australian youth outside of Queensland can begin accessing puberty blockers at the age of 10, full HRT is not typically prescribed until 16 and GCS is often not done until 18. However, nobody can access irreversible treatment until 15.

For Oestrogen or Testosterone two independent child and adolescent psychiatrists must do a standardised assessment of psychological development as well as a formal assessment of the child’s gender identification and capacity to understand the proposed treatment. A paediatric endocrinologist establishes the child’s pubertal stage, excludes disorders and discusses with the child and parents the effects and risks of puberty suppression.

For Puberty blockers a young person requires a multidisciplinary team consisting of a paediatrician, two mental health professionals (one must be a psychiatrist), and a fertility expert, to agree treatment is in the child’s best interests. It is then necessary to make an application to the Family Court for authorisation of treatment.

In 2011, intersex people achieved legal recognition in Western Australia under federal law.

While the idea of legally recognising non-binary identities has been brought up in 2018, it has yet to be implemented in practice.

Gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in Western Australia in 2013 under federal Australian law. To date, there is no state-level protection provided against discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

Sexual orientation was protected by state laws since 2002.

Gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in employment in Western Australia in 2013 under a federal Australian law. To date, there is no state-level protection provided against discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

Sexual orientation was protected by state laws since 2002.

Gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in housing in Western Australia in 2013 under federal Australian law. To date, there is no state-level protection provided against discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

In 2002, Western Australia became the first state in Australia to allow same-sex adoption when it passed the Lesbian and Gay Law Reform Act, which amended the Adoption Act of 1994 to allow same-sex couples to adopt.

Surgery on intersex infants is legal in Western Australia.

In 2010, Australia lifted its ban on transgender people serving in the military.

In Australia sexually active LGBT people are unable to donate blood unless they abstain from sex for three months. Since 2021, the deferral period within Australia was reduced from 1 year to 3 months without PrEP.

In June 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved a submission from Australian Red Cross Lifeblood calling to remove most sexual activity ineligibility criteria for plasma donors.

The Western Australian government previously promised to ban conversion therapy but has not done so.

The Acts Amendment (lesbian and gay law reform) Act 2002 repealed legislation which unfairly penalised LGBT people, including laws setting an unequal age of consent.