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2005 in LGBT Rights

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In 2005, there were 45 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 71 changes made and 54 in the following year. A total of 634 legal changes were made in the 2000s.

  • December 30
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Adoption discrimination is illegal in England, this extends to Manchester.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Adoption discrimination is illegal in England. IVF treatment is available for lesbian couples too.
  • December 27
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    State Law 3157 of December 27, 2005
  • December 18
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    .
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    .
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    .
  • December 15
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Section 110 explicitly states marriage as being a union between a man and a woman.
  • December 5
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
    Activists are trying to get this legalized. Legalized required under EU Ruling. Gay marriage legalization pending. Foreign Same Sex Marriage recognized from other countries.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
    The law still allows both same sex couples and straight couples to form civil unions as of December 2, 2019.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
    Civil partnership
  • September 28
    Equal age of consent becomes n/a.
    16 for heterosexual males/females. No established age of consent for homosexual males/females, but they can be charged with engaging in consensual activity starting at age 12.
  • August
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Nationwide.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Nationwide.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Nationwide.
  • July 21
    Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    Homosexuality is not legal in Gambia.
  • July 20
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Under bill C-38.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    The Civil Marriage Act was passed at a federal level, overriding provincial marriage law.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Civil Marriage Act 2005 (Canada)
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Same-sex marriage in Canada became legal with The Civil Marriage Act.
  • July 14
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    The Community/Union legislation (directive 2000/78) prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workspace. Later on it was transferred to the Greek legal order, with law 3304/2005, almost verbatim. The greek translation of the directive and the greek law referred to sexual orientation as “genetic orientation”.
  • July 12
    Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    Marriage in Uganda is defined as a union between a man and a woman constitutionally.
  • July 4
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Under the Civil Marriage Act.
  • July 3
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Included in equal marriage legislation
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In July of 2005, Spain became the third country in the world to legalize gay marriage, following the Netherlands and Belgium. The law, which was passed by the Spanish parliament and signed into law by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, also allows same-sex couples to adopt children.
  • May 25
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    If medical opinion states that the individual is their desired gender, courts should comply and legally recognise the desired gender. (High Court in Re JG)
  • May 4
    Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    The 2005 constitution explicitly prohibits the marriage or union between two people of the same sex
  • April 13
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
    The Civil Union Act 2004 received Royal assent on 13 December 2004, allowing for same-sex couples to enter civil unions when it commenced on 13 April 2005.
  • April 8
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Kansas voters adopted a constitutional amendment in April 2005 that said "Marriage shall be constituted by one man and one woman only" and banned granting the "rights or incidents" of marriage to other relationships.
  • April 4
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Requires diagnosis of gender dysphoria
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    Changing gender is legal.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Changing gender is legal.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Changing your gender is legal within Manchester.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    As in the United Kingdom, the law is the same Surgery is not required
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    UK changes of gender are recognised. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Ordinance 2014 states "the gender of an individual is his or her gender as registered at birth, unless the person possesses a gender recognition certificate issued under section 9 of the UK Gender Recognition Act 2004, in which case the person's gender is the acquired gender."
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    Not required.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    Missing non binary options on documents.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    As in United Kingdom
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    The Act gives transsexual people legal recognition as members of the sex appropriate to their gender (male or female) allowing them to acquire a new birth certificate, affording them full recognition of their acquired sex in law for all purposes, including marriage.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Gender Recognition Act 2004
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    As in United Kingdom
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Legal gender recognition is possible in all four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) as per the Gender Recognition Act (2004, in effect 2005). Section 1 of the law states that "any person of either gender" who is aged at least 18 can make an application for "a gender recognition certificate" on the basis of— (a) living in the other gender, or (b) having changed gender under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom. These certificates are issued by a Gender Recognition Panel. The law includes the following requirements for obtaining such certificate: (1) a "gender dysphoria" diagnosis, proved through two reports (one by a registered medical practitioner or psychologist specialised in gender dysphoria, and another one made by a registered medical practitioner); (2) having lived in the “acquired gender” for two years before filing the application, proved through different means (such as a statutory declaration or documents where their gender identity is stated -i.e. pay slips, benefit documentation, bank statements, utility bills); (3) a statutory declaration showing intention "to continue to live in the acquired gender until death"; (4) spousal consent, if the applicant is married or in a civil partnership (partner must consent to the marriage or partnership continuing after the issue of the full gender recognition certificate).
  • March 18
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Homosexuality is currently illegal.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    Burundian constitution prohibits same-sex marriage.
  • January 11
    Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    it is the more open-minded places besides Nepal and tiwan. No laws in place for same sex couples.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 2005