Timeline of LGBT Rights

Number of LGBT-related laws changed over time

This year, there were 12 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 118 changes made. A total of 413 legal changes have been made so far in the 2020s.

  • July 1
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (3-month deferral).
    Starting July 1 2023, MSM who would like to donate blood face a 4-month deferral period.
  • June 15
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    Law was changed under the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021 which comes into effect on 15 June 2023. This will allow gender self-identification and mean that you will not need to go through the Family Court to change your nominated sex/gender, and you will not require evidence of medical treatment to do so either.
  • April 3
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    A new legislation lifted the former requirements for gender-affirming surgery and sterilization in order to legally change one’s gender. Recognition will be available for adults upon written application after a mandatory 30-day "period of reflection". Minors under the age of 18 are not allowed to change their gender status. The new law comes in effect on April 3rd 2023.
  • April 1
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    On April 1 2023, the Transfusion Act (Transfusionsgesetz, TFG) will be amended to fully remove restrictions on blood donations by MSMs. Accordingly, the amendment to the law will oblige the German Medical Association to subsequently adapt the blood donation guidelines within four months in agreement with the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Germany’s medical regulatory body.
  • March 16
    Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    The Supreme Court of Justice annulled section 565 of the Military Justice Code, which previously banned same-sex sexual activity in armed forces. The court found that the law was incompatible with the Constitution and international agreements on human rights. However, transgender people were not explicitly mentioned in the ruling.
  • February 21
    Right to change legal gender becomes illegal.
    Transgender people are now banned from legally changing their gender in Bulgaria, according to the country’s Supreme Court, which issued a ruling that is automatically binding on all other courts.
  • February 17
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    On July 21, 2022, the Andorran government voted a law stating that transgender people can change their gender without medical intervention. The law is expected to take effect in 2023, but no date has been announced yet.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    On July 21, 2022, the Andorran government passed a law granting marriage rights to same-sex couples in the country. The law is expected to take effect in 2023, but no date has been announced yet.
  • February 6
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    The Court of Final Appeal ruled in favour of the two men and found the surgical requirement unconstitutional.
  • February
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Sexual orientation was added as a protected category from discrimination in the constitution of the Netherlands after votes in Senate and House Of Representatives were successful. Previously the Equal Rights Act of 1993 protected sexual orientation and had been interpreted to protect gender identity, expression and sex characteristics as well.
  • February 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    The Constitutional Court of Suriname refused to recognize marriage of same-sex couple which was performed in Argentina. The court ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the constitution or Suriname's obligations under the Interamerican Convention on Human Rights.
  • January 31
    Right to change legal gender becomes illegal.
    On January 31, the Constitutional Court of Hungary issued a ruling that will continue to block new applications from transgender people for legal gender recognition.