Timeline of LGBT Rights

Number of LGBT-related laws changed over time

This year, there were 70 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 126 changes made. A total of 970 legal changes have been made so far in the 2020s.

  • July 14
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    In July 2025, Australia will lift the deferral period on blood donations from men who have sex with men.
  • July 11
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but banned for minors.
    In July 2025, West Virginia's Senate Bill 299 will take effect, more explicitly prohibiting gender affirming care to minors by stating "a physician assistant may not assist in providing gender reassignment surgery or provide gender altering medication to a person who is under 18 years of age".
  • July 1
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2025, New South Wales became the last state to provide legal recognition to nonbinary people, granting recognition across all of Australia.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In October 2024, the Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2024 was passed, recognising non-binary gender in New South Wales law for the first time and allowing individuals to update their documents. This also applies to Norfolk Island.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In October 2024, the lower house (the Legislative Assembly) of the New South Wales state parliament passed the Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Act 2024, which removed surgical requirements for a legal change of gender, by a margin of 50 votes to 30. It was later passed through the upper house (the Legislative Council) and given royal assent by NSW Governor Margaret Beazley. This also applies in Norfolk Island. The law came into effect on 1 July 2025.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    In 2025, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law legislation that removes gender identity from the list of classes protected from housing discrimination. Sexual orientation was not removed from the list of protected classes. The law goes into effect on July 1st, 2025.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    In 2025, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law legislation that removes gender identity from the list of classes protected from discrimination. Sexual orientation was not removed from the list of protected classes. The law goes into effect on July 1st, 2025.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes illegal.
    Since July 1, 2025, transgender people have not been able to change their legal gender. Senate File 418, which was overwhelmingly passed by the Iowa House and Senate, was signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds on February 28, 2025. The bill removes language from previous law that had established the legal framework needed for transgender people to change their legal gender.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In October 2024, the Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2024 was passed, recognising non-binary gender in New South Wales law for the first time and allowing individuals to update their documents.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In October 2024, the lower house (the Legislative Assembly) of the New South Wales state parliament passed the Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Act 2024, which removed surgical requirements for a legal change of gender, by a margin of 50 votes to 30. It was later passed through the upper house (the Legislative Council) and given royal assent by NSW Governor Margaret Beazley. The law came into effect on 1 July 2025, making New South Wales the last state in Australia to remove surgical requirements for a legal change of gender.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    The Czech Republic’s Constitutional Court ruled to dismiss part of a law requiring people to undergo gender-affirmation surgery, including sterilization, in order to officially change their gender. Court said the requirements are “unconstitutional” and “in conflict with the fundamental right of trans people to have protected their physical integrity and personal autonomy in connection with their human dignity.”
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Since July 1, 2025, updating legal gender on official records has been much easier. Individuals 16 and up are able to change their legal gender; however, anyone under the age of 18 still needs permission from their parents, a doctor, and the National Board of Health and Welfare. Under the new law, transgender people no longer need a diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” in order to legally change their gender.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    In October 2024, Iceland announced that it would be revising its blood donation laws to allow queer men to donate blood under the same restrictions as straight men. Iceland has wanted to make this change since 2018, but due to a lack of funding for NAT blood screenings, it took until now. The new law came into effect on July 1, 2025.
  • June 27
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    On June 27, 2025, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench issued an injunction preventing the ban from going into effect and restoring care for now.
  • Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    On June 27, 2025, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench issued an injunction preventing the ban from going into effect.
  • June 25
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but banned for minors.
    In June of 2025, the Turkish government banned hormone therapy for under-21-year-olds. The government cited its campaign to make 2025 the "year of the family" as well as a constitutional duty to protect the traditional family as its reasoning for the ban.
  • June 24
    Conversion therapy becomes not banned.
    In June 2025, the Columbia City Council, following threats that the city would not receive state funding if its ban remained in place, voted 4-3 to repeal the ordinance. However, the repeal required a second reading, which took place on June 24th. The council once again voted 4-3, fully repealing the city’s ban on conversion therapy.
  • June 17
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In June 2025, U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick blocked President Trump’s January executive order, Executive Order 14168, thereby allowing individuals to select a gender marker of ‘X’ at the federal level on passports.
  • June 2
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2025, the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico issued a ruling allowing individuals to select 'X' as their gender marker on birth certificates.
  • May 31
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2025, gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in housing in Tamaulipas.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2025, gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in employment in Tamaulipas.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    In 2025, gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in Tamaulipas.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes full ban.
    On May 31st, 2025, Tamaulipas became the first Mexican state to ban surgery on intersex infants.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes varies by region.
    On May 31st 2025, Tamaulipas became the first state in Mexico to ban surgery on intersex infants.
  • May 30
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2025, nonbinary people achieved legal recognition in the Cocos Islands under Western Australian law.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2025, nonbinary people achieved legal recognition in Christmas Island under Western Australian law.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2025, reforms to the Gender Recognition Act took effect in Western Australia providing legal recognition for nonbinary people.
  • May 15
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    In 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously struck down Santa Catarina’s law banning gender-neutral language in schools.
  • May 14
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2025, Guerrero began providing legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identity.
  • May 7
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes varies by region.
    In 2025, Utah became the first state to ban the display of pride flags on government buildings and in schools. The day before the state-level ban took effect, the Salt Lake City Council adopted three new official flags, two of which were pride flags. The bill allowed exceptions for official flags, so as a result, the ban effectively does not apply to Salt Lake City.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    In 2025, Chișinău’s mayor Ion Ceban signed an order banning “LGBT propaganda” from being taught in schools and being promoted in public events. In May 2025, Chișinău would also ban community demonstrations for LGBTIQ+ people. However, the constitutionality of the law is disputed and the Pride March is going as planned.
  • May 6
    Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    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.
  • April 29
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but banned for minors.
    On April 29, 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the ban can take effect while an appeal proceeds.
  • April 24
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    In 2025, the Federal Supreme Court invalidated Porto Alegre's law banning gender-neutral language in schools. Since then, there have been no laws censoring LGBTIQ+ topics in Rio Grande do Sul.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    Since the abolition of the last “LGBT-free zone” in 2025, there are no known laws censoring LGBTIQ+ topics in Poland.
  • April 17
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (limited rights).
    In April 17 of 2025 the Constitutional Court of Lithuania ruled that the existing partnership law, which does not allow same sex couples to register, violated the constitution. After this ruling, same sex couples can register a partnership in a court.
  • April 16
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    In April 2025, The Federal Court of Paraná No. 2 declared DNU 62/2025 to be unconstitutional. This ruling restores the Gender Identity Law to how it was before Decree 62/2025 was signed by President Javier Milei.
  • Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but banned for minors.
    In 2025, Brazil’s Federal Council for Medicine issued a new resolution raising the minimum age for hormone therapy to 18 and the minimum age for surgeries to 21, banning its care to youth. This does not effect those already undergoing such care.
  • April 14
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes imprisonment as punishment.
    In April of 2025, the Hungarian government passed a constitutional amendment giving the government the power to ban LGBT events and discussion of LGBT topics. The punishments may incur a fine for up 200,000 Forints (€500) or the loss of citizenship for participants and even 1 year imprisonment for organizers. Additionally, the government is reportedly now using facial recognition technology to enforce its censorship laws.
  • April 9
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    On April 9, 2025, Ohio’s House Bill 8 was be implemented after it was signed by the Governor in January. It restricts the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in grades kindergarten to 3.
  • April 8
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
    In 2025, Greece overturned the 2022 decision and reinstated its ban on MSMs donating blood.
  • April 3
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    On March 22nd, 2024, New South Wales’ Parliament passed a bill that bans conversion therapy for sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill was assented to on April 3rd, 2024, and became law twelve months later, on April 3rd, 2025. This law also applies in Norfolk Island.
  • Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    On March 22nd, 2024, New South Wales’ Parliament passed a bill that bans conversion therapy for sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill was assented to on April 3rd, 2024, and became law twelve months later, on April 3rd, 2025.
  • April 1
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2025, Veracruz provided for legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    On April 1, 2025, a law passed in South Australia banning the practice and promotion of conversion therapy took effect.
  • March 26
    Gender-affirming care becomes restricted.
    In March 2025, the Republican-controlled House and Senate of Kentucky passed legislation banning Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care as well as banning its access for trans prisoners. Gender-affirming care is also still banned for minors.
  • Conversion therapy becomes not banned.
    In March 2025, the Republican-controlled state Senate and House overrode Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of a bill allowing conversion therapy, unbanning it.
  • March 25
    Equal age of consent becomes female equal, male n/a.
    Homosexuality is illegal in Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Homosexual activity becomes male illegal, female legal.
    In 2025, the Trinidad and Tobago Court of Appeal reinstated the laws that criminalize homosexuality between men. The penalty is 5 years imprisonment, not 25 years as it had been before the laws were struck down.
  • March 18
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    The Tenth District Court of Appeals overturned House Bill 68, which banned gender affirming care for youth, in March 18, 2025, legalising care for minors.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    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.”.
  • March 4
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    In connection with the Supreme Court resolution III CZP 6/24, gender change takes place at the request of the person affected by the change, it is no longer necessary to sue the parents, but a divorce is still required. The rest of the procedure is the same and still depends largely on the judge.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Since 2025, Mexico City provides legal gender recognition for nonbinary and intersex people.
  • February 20
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but banned for minors.
    In February 2025, republican lawmakers in Kansas overturned democratic governor Kelly's veto on the ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
  • February 13
    Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
    On February 13, 2025, the District Court ordered the Central Civil Affairs Bureau (CBB) to register the marriage of two same-sex couples who married abroad. The ruling, regardless of whether the State appeals or not, must be implemented immediately. The case was filed with the court in October 2023.
  • February 7
    Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    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.
  • Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but banned for minors.
    Decree 62/2025 signed by President Javier Milei, in force since February 7, 2025, replaced article 11 of Law No. 26,743 on Gender Identity, with the following: ARTICLE 11.- Right to free personal development. All persons over EIGHTEEN (18) years of age may, in accordance with article 1 of this law and in order to guarantee the enjoyment of their comprehensive health, access total and partial surgical interventions and/or comprehensive hormonal treatments to adapt their body, including their genitalia, to their self-perceived gender identity, without the need to request judicial or administrative authorization. To access comprehensive hormonal treatments, it will not be necessary to prove the will in the surgical intervention of total or partial genital reassignment. In both cases, only the informed consent of the person will be required. The public health system's effectors, whether state, private or part of the social security subsystem, must permanently guarantee the rights recognized by this law. All health benefits contemplated in this article are included in the Mandatory Medical Plan, or the one that replaces it, as regulated by the implementing authority. Persons under EIGHTEEN (18) years of age will not be able to access the interventions and treatments referred to in this article.
  • January 28
    Gender-affirming care becomes varies by region.
    Until 2025, gender-affirming care was subject to no legal restrictions throughout Australia until Queensland placed a pause on puberty blockers for patients in the public health system.
  • Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.
    Health minister issued a pause on gender affirming care for minors requesting another “review” into the Queensland Gender Services banning it for users of the public system. Private care can still be accessed.
  • January 23
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes varies by region.
    In his first hours in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to only recognize two sexes: “Male” and “Female”. The order also directed federal agencies to eliminate the use of "gender" in federal documents and guidelines, including an instruction to the Secretary of State to discontinue the use and option of X gender markers in passports moving forward, but not retroactively invalidating passports. On January 23rd, 2025, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, ordered the U.S. state department to freeze all applications for passports that had requested an ‘X’ on their gender marker. Other IDs are still state dependent, and there are many states in the U.S. that recognize third gender identities.
  • January 22
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2025, the Public Defender’s Office of Espirito Santo began providing legal recognition to nonbinary people.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    On September 24th, 2024, Thailand’s king signed a bill that legalized adoption for same-sex couples, and the bill was posted in the royal gazette. The bill became law 120 days after receiving royal assent, which was January 22nd, 2025.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Same-sex marriage has been legal in Thailand since 2025. On September 24th, 2024, Thailand’s king signed a bill that legalized same-sex marriage, and it was posted in the royal gazette. A bill in Thailand becomes law 120 days after receiving royal assent, which in this case was January 22nd, 2025. The bill also granted same-sex couples the same rights in areas like child adoption, healthcare consent, and inheritance.
  • January 21
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    With the new law, every type of discrimination against LGBT people is illegal.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    The regional assembly approved a new law banning all type of discrimination against LGBT people
  • January 20
    Right to change legal gender becomes varies by region.
    On his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order to "defend women", the order creates only male and female terms. Also stated in the terms, federal funding will not go towards (i) changes to agency documents, including regulations, guidance, forms, and communications, made to comply with this order; and (ii) agency-imposed requirements on federally funded entities, including contractors, to achieve the policy of this order. This order includes any federally funded agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, which would be under the Department of Transportation.
  • January 1
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.
    HB619 restricts gender affirming surgeries for minors under 18, parents or doctors may be subjected to fines or jail time, the bill is not clear on either. Surgeries are banned for minors, but HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) is not.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes second parent adoption only.
    The new law on registered partnerships also allows gay couples to adopt their partner’s child.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).
    A law that changed the name of gay partnerships from 'registered partnership' to just 'partnership' and gave partnerships the same rights as marriage (without adoption) came into effect in January 2025.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    On March 8th, 2024, the Liechtenstein government unanimously approved the legislation of gay marriage. The bill was passed in May 2024, and went into effect on January 1st, 2025.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 2025

  • Associazione 121 FaviconAssociazione 121
    San Marino
    Associazione 121 Is the First LGBT+ organization in San Marino. The association was made to promote and implement the promote and implement the full recognition of the rights of…