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2002 in LGBT Rights

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In 2002, there were 16 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 54 changes made and 98 in the following year. A total of 584 legal changes were made in the 2000s.

  • November 7
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    As in the UK, IVF treatment is available for lesbian couples too.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    IVF treatment is available for lesbian couples too.
  • September 10
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Legal under the case of Du Toit v Minister of Welfare and Population Development, later made official through the Consolidated Children's Act of 2010
  • September 1
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    According to the laws of Mongolia
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    From 2001,Same sex acts and realtionships are legal in Mongolia
  • August 31
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Under the Romanian Criminal Code.
  • July 11
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The revised Criminal Code equalised the age of consent to 17, after pressure from the EU.
  • June 24
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The age of consent between people with maximum 5 years of difference is 14. Sexual contact between coetaneous is never punishable.
  • June 6
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
  • June
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    Since June 2002, transgender people in Estonia have been allowed to change their legal gender and name. Additionally, they are not required to undergo sex reassignment surgery, sterilisation or divorce their partner.
  • April 17
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
  • March 12
    Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    The adoption requirement does not allow for unmarried couples or single parents of any form to apply for adoption of children.
  • March 1
    Same-sex adoption becomes illegal.
    Same-sex couples or even homosexuals are not allowed to adopt in Kenya. Chapter 141, Section 158 of Kenya's The Children Act states: "An adoption order shall not be made if the applicant or, in the case of joint applicants, both or any of them [...] is a homosexual."
  • February 13
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Serving as openly homosexual was never illegal in the military penal code. This provision was strengthened with the anti-discrimination provision proposed in 2010
  • January 15
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Law 14170 of January 15, 2002. Determines the imposition of penalties for companies who practice discriminatory act against a person because of their sexual orientation.
  • January 6
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The age of consent of 14 years is equal for everyone.