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1980 in LGBT Rights

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In 1980, there were 18 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 19 changes made and 14 in the following year. A total of 256 legal changes were made in the 1980s.

  • December 18
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    A court in the case of New York v Onofre found New York's sodomy ban to be unconstitutional. Two decades later, the state legislature formally repealed the ban.
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The age of consent in New York is 17 for heterosexual and homosexual sex.
  • September 10
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Section 8 § 1 of the German Transsexuellengesetz (Transsexuals Act of September 10, 1980) states that transgender people can change their first names and gender entry under the condition of gender-affirming surgery, sterilization, and divorce.
  • August 13
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    Same sex marriage is not legal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Homosexuality in Togo is punishable by 1-3 years in prison and a 100,000-500,000 CFA fine.
  • July 1
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    South Dakota requires surgery for legal gender recognition.
  • May 30
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The Age of consent in Pennsylvania is 16, and the laws applies equally regardless of gender or orientation.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual sex has been legal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1980. In the case of Commonwealth v. Bonadio, the judges declared in a 4-3 decision that the statute that criminalized homosexuality was unconstitutional because it violated the Equal Protection Clause and exceeded the grounds of police power. The decision was made on May 30th, 1980.
  • April 17
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes imprisonment as punishment.
    In 1980, Cordoba's Code of Misdemeanours added Article 23 which criminalised homosexuals frequenting minors under 18 with 90 days imprisonment, grouping them with "sexually vicious persons". Additionally, Article 19 prohibited people from "exhibiting themselves in public with clothing contrary to public decency", which was viewed as criminalising transgender people and their expression. Both articles would be repealed in 1994.
  • January 23
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Sentence T-099 of the Colombian Supreme Court exempted trans women from mandatory military conscription, but did not deprive them of serving in the military if they wish, this option is also valid for trans men. It is also worth highlighting that there has never been any impediment to the military service of homosexual and bisexual men and women.
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The age of consent in Colombia is 14 for people of all sexual orientations.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    In 1980, homosexuality was removed as a crime from the Penal Code of Colombia.
  • (date unknown)
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    There are no known laws restricting gender affirming care.
  • Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    In 2023, the Gender Identity Support Program "Crece con Orgullo" began operating, which is aimed at children and adolescents from 3 to 17 years old, and includes gender-affirmative care. The state program was born under Decree 3 (2019) created by the Regulation of Article 23 of Law No. 21,120, which recognizes and protects the Right to Gender Identity. However, in May 2025, the Chamber of Deputies approved a report that called for the suspension of hormone therapy and surgeries for minors.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual Activity is Legal in Trentino Alto Adige
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual acts were legalized prior to the federal ruling which legalized homosexuality for all federal jurisdictions in 2003.
  • January 1
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Legislative repeal, effective 1980.
  • (date unknown)
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
    Before 2017, blood donations by MSMs were illegal. They remained illegal until the health minister removed such bans.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 1980