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1988 in LGBT Rights

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In 1988, there were 15 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 15 changes made and 8 in the following year. A total of 176 legal changes were made in the 1980s.

  • December 31
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    Homosexuality is illegal and same sex marriage is not recognized.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    As homosexual conduct is illegal, discrimination is permitted for these people. The government has also explicitly stated their disapproval of homosexual conducts.
  • Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Article 325 of the Guinea Penal Code states that homosexuality is illegal with punishment being 6 months to three years in prison and a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 Guinean francs. If the act was committed with a minor (under 21 years), the individual will face the maximum penalty.
  • December 23
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexuality is legal
  • October 5
    Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    Nationwide.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Missing housing discrimination protections since 2011.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Although the Brazilian constitution of 1988 prohibits any form of discrimination, it was not until 2019 that homosexuals and trans people were definitively recognized as one of these groups.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Discrimination is illegal in some parts of Brazil.
  • August 4
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Legalization pending. Law makers say denying gay marriage is unconstitutional. Same sex weddings do happen in The Philippines and can be blessed, but just not registered. Civil unions pending.
  • May 24
    Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes ambiguous.
    Section 28 was put in place during Margaret Thatcher’s government and prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities. This harmed LGBT+ support groups and prevented schools from discussing LGBT+ matters, impacts which have been felt for years after the law was repealed.
  • May 4
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Never was banned, officially legalized in 1988. In Turkey, the minimum age required to get sex reassignment surgery is 18. In order for one to legally change their gender, the surgery must be conducted at a state hospital.
  • March 24
    Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes other punishment.
    Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 stated that local authorities could not "intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". The law did not create a criminal offence, leaving staff to fear losing their jobs if they breached the rules.
  • March 4
    Equal age of consent becomes unequal.
    Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957, as inserted by the Immorality Amendment Act 2 of 1988, set the age of consent for gay and lesbian sex at 19, as opposed to 16 for straight sex. Gay male sex was in any case illegal for all ages.