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1985 in LGBT Rights

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In 1985, there were 20 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 17 changes made and 11 in the following year. A total of 283 legal changes were made in the 1980s.

  • December 12
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    In 1985, the age of consent for homosexual relations was lowered to 16, equal to heterosexual relations, in the Australian Capital Territory.
  • July 11
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    In 1985, Manitoba required surgery for legal gender recognition.
  • April 30
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    The 1985 Civil Code of Puebla defined a marriage as between a man and a woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage.
  • April 24
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    In 1985, Dutch Civil Law provided that in order for a citizen to change their legal gender they must first undergo gender re-assignment surgery and irreversible sterilisation.
  • April 17
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Before the 2017 amendment, only sexual orientation was included as a protected class.
  • March 1
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    In Uruguay, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985.
  • January 16
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    In 1985, homosexuality was legalized in the US Virgin Islands with an equal age of consent to heterosexuality.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual activity has been legal since 1985.
  • January 1
    Hate crime protections becomes sexual orientation only.
    California adds civil hate-violence protections or remedies for sexual-orientation-based violence or threats.
  • Hate crime protections becomes varies by region.
    From April 23, 1990 onward, the Hate Crime Statistics Act required the United States Attorney General, carried out through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, to collect and publish annual national data on crimes showing prejudice based on sexual orientation. SOGIE = Sexual orientation, gender identity or expression H = Hate crime statutes D = Data collection statutes L = Law enforcement training statutes * July 26, 2009 — Washington (WA) — GIE H + D + L * June 30, 2008 — New Jersey (NJ) — GIE H + D + L * June 25, 2008 — District of Columbia (DC) — GIE H + D * January 1, 2008 — Oregon (OR) — GI H + D * November 15, 2007 — Pennsylvania (PA) — SOGI H expansion struck down in Marcavage v. Rendell * October 1, 2005 — Maryland — SOGI H + D + L * July 1, 2005 — Colorado — SOGI H + D * October 1, 2004 — Connecticut (CT) — GI H + D + L * July 1, 2003 — Indiana — SO D * July 1, 2003 — New Mexico — SOGI H + D + L * April 22, 2003 — Hawaii (HI) — GIE H + D * December 31, 2002 — Massachusetts (MA) — SO H + D + L * December 3, 2002 — PA — SOGI H * October 31, 2002 — New York (NY) — SO H + D + L * September 1, 2002 — Texas (TX) — SO H + D + L * August 30, 2002 — NJ — SO H + D + L * July 1, 2002 — Iowa (IA); Louisiana (LA); Arizona (AZ) — SO H + D + L * July 1, 2002 — Nebraska (NE) — SO H + D * January 1, 2002 — Illinois (IL) — SO H + D + L * January 1, 2002 — New Hampshire (NH); Kansas — SO H * September 1, 2001 — TX — SO D + L * July 1, 2001 — HI — SO H + D * September 1, 2000 — NY — SO H + D + L * July 1, 2000 — Tennessee — SO H * August 28, 1999 — Missouri — SOGI H * July 1, 1999 — Vermont — SOGI H * January 1, 1999 — California (CA) — GIE H + D + L * July 20, 1998 — Rhode Island (RI) — SO H + D + L * July 15, 1998 — Kentucky — SO H * September 13, 1997 — NE — SO H + D * August 15, 1997 — LA; AZ — SO H + D + L * July 18, 1997 — Delaware — SO H * October 1, 1995 — Nevada — SO H + D * By January 1, 1994 — RI — SO D + L * October 1, 1993 — Maine — SO H + D + L * July 25, 1993 — WA — SO H + D + L * August 1, 1993 — Minnesota (MN) — GI H + D + L * March 30, 1992 — Michigan — SO D * July 1, 1992 — IA — SO H + D + L * September 21, 1991 — AZ — SO D + L * October 1, 1991 — Florida — SO H + D * March 28, 1991 — MA — SO D + L * January 1, 1991 — NH — SO H * January 1, 1991 — IL — SO H + L * December 19, 1990 — Chicago, IL — SO H * October 1, 1990 — CT — SO H + D + L * May 8, 1990 — DC — SO H + D * April 23, 1990 — Federal — SO D * January 1, 1990 — CA — SO D + L * September 29, 1989 — OR — SO H + D * August 1, 1989 — MN — SO H * August 1, 1988 — MN — SO D + L * May 3, 1988 — Wisconsin — SO H * January 1, 1988 — CA — SO H + L * January 1, 1985 — CA — SO civil hate-violence protection only
  • (date unknown)
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    In 1985, Kelantan passed its Sharia Criminal Code, which extended criminalisation of homosexuality to include lesbianism. This would be the first criminalisation of lesbianism in Malaysia.
  • Homosexual activity becomes varies by region.
    In 1985, Kelantan’s Sharia Criminal Code criminalised female homosexuality. Kedah would do the same in 1988. Until 1989, female homosexuality was not criminalised in the other states and territories of Malaysia.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes varies by region.
    In 1985, Kelantan became the first state to explicitly criminalise transgender expression its Sharia Criminal Code. All other states would follow suit until Pahang became the last in 2013.
  • January 1
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
    The UK banned gay men from donating blood in 1985 due to fear over the aids epidemic. This ban applied to Jersey law.
  • (date unknown)
    Gender-affirming care becomes restricted.
    In 1985, Botswana legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
  • Gender-affirming care becomes restricted.
    In 1985, Saud Arabia legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes imprisonment as punishment.
    In 1985, Kelantan criminalised “men posing as women” with 1 year in prison in its Sharia Criminal Code. This would be the first criminalisation of gender expression in Malaysia.
  • January 1
    (deleted region)
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Decriminalised by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands in 1985.
  • (date unknown)
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexuality was decriminalised in French Polynesia in 1985.
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 1985

  • GLAAD FaviconGLAAD
    United States
    GLAAD builds support for equality by amplifying the voice of the #LGBT community and holding the media accountable for the words and images they present.
  • Arcigay FaviconArcigay
    Italy
    Arcigay is a non-profit organization which operates throughout Italy through local committees, clubs and associations promoting and protecting the right to equality.
  • SAN FaviconSAN
    Washington, United States
    SAN, formerly known as The Spokane AIDS Network, was established in 1985 as an informal network of friends, medical caregivers, and concerned citizens to coordinate services for…