• December 24
  Croatia

  Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).

  One of the many countries that doesn't allow lgbt people to donate. Changes pending.
• Croatia

  Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
• December 23
  Chile

  Homosexual activity becomes legal.

  Homosexual activity is legal in Chile.
• November 24
  Slovenia

  LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Slovenia

  LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
• November 23
  Georgia, United States

  Homosexual activity becomes legal.

  Powell v. The State, Supreme Court of Georgia (1998).
• October 9
  South Africa

  Homosexual activity becomes legal.

  While it remained illegal until the court gave its ruling on 9 October 1998, the 1998 ruling was ordered to be retroactively applied to 27 April 1994.
• September 26
  Canada

  Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
• September 1
  Tajikistan

  Equal age of consent becomes equal.
• Tajikistan

  Homosexual activity becomes legal.
• August 20
  Malta

  Equal age of consent becomes equal.

  In 1998, Malta's age of consent became equalized at 18.
• July 1
  Tanzania

  Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).

  Mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment for any attempt to commit acts "against the order of nature."
• June 5
  Ecuador

  LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.

  Under article 11.2
• Ecuador

  LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.

  In the 1998 constitution, article 23.3 extended discrimination protection to sexual orientations. In its 2008 constitution included gender identity in its protection in article 11.2
• May 21
  Cyprus

  Equal age of consent becomes unequal.

  Age of consent for homosexual couples set at 18 versus 16 for heterosexual couples.
• Cyprus

  Homosexual activity becomes legal.

  Homosexuality legalised following the European Court of Human Rights case of Modinos v. Cyprus.
• May 20
  Costa Rica

  LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.

  General law on HIV/AIDS protects LGBT people from discrimination in some contexts.
• May 8
  Bahamas

  Serving openly in military becomes legal.

  President of Bahamas made an announcement in 1998, explicitly supporting LGBTQ+ individuals to serve in the military
• April 22
  Dominica

  Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).

  Imprisonment of up to 5 years for "gross indecency"
• April 2
  Alberta, Canada

  LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.

  Sexual orientation was not included in the Alberta Human Rights act until 2009 but was "read in" by the Alberta Human Rights Commission since 1998.
• Alberta, Canada

  LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.

  Sexual orientation had been read-in as a protected ground in spite of no explicit mention in the law during this span. Reading-in of transgender under "gender" is a more recent development.
• January 2
  Ireland

  LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 1998

• Equality California
  California, United States

  Equality California is the largest statewide LGBT advocacy organization in California working to secure full and lasting equality for and acceptance of LGBT people.
• Out & Equal
  United States

  Out & Equal Workplace Advocates educates and empowers organizations, human resources professionals, employee resource groups, and individual employees through programs and…
• The Trevor Project
  United States

  ~~ Mission ~~ The mission of The Trevor Project is to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people. The organization works to fulfill…
• JFLAG
  Jamaica

  J-FLAG is the first human rights organisation in the history of Jamaica to serve the needs of LGBT peoples and over time it became the first port of call for the media, resulting…