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1998 in LGBT Rights

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In 1998, there were 21 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 20 changes made and 27 in the following year. A total of 316 legal changes were made in the 1990s.

  • December 24
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
    One of the many countries that doesn't allow lgbt people to donate. Changes pending.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
  • December 23
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual activity is legal in Chile.
  • November 24
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Sexual orientation only
  • November 23
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Powell v. The State, Supreme Court of Georgia (1998).
  • October 9
    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
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
  • September 1
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
  • August 20
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    In 1998, Malta's age of consent became equalized at 18.
  • July 1
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (up to life in prison as punishment).
    Mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment for any attempt to commit acts "against the order of nature."
  • June 5
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Under article 11.2
  • 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
    Equal age of consent becomes unequal.
    Age of consent for homosexual couples set at 18 versus 16 for heterosexual couples.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexuality legalised following the European Court of Human Rights case of Modinos v. Cyprus.
  • May 20
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    General law on HIV/AIDS protects LGBT people from discrimination in some contexts.
  • May 8
    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
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Imprisonment of up to 5 years for "gross indecency" (Decriminalization pending)
  • April 2
    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.
  • 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
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.