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2011 in LGBT Rights

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In 2011, there were 81 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 102 changes made and 109 in the following year. A total of 1197 legal changes were made in the 2010s.

  • December 30
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Article 280 of the 2011 Family Code states marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
  • December 26
    Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    Article 11 of the law of family and marriage explicitly prohibits same sex couples from marrying each other.
  • November 30
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Gender identity is not explicitly mentioned in the legislation.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Sexual orientation is explicitly mentioned. Although gender identity is implied, it is not explicitly mentioned.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Sexual orientation is explicitly covered in the law. Gender Identity on the other hand, is not mentioned explicitly but is implied.
  • November 7
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (1-year deferral).
    Although you can't have sex for a year.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
    The Irish Blood Transfusion Service bans blood from men who have sex with men. Their policy states: "In order to assure the continued safety of the blood supply, we currently ask those people who may have a particularly high risk of carrying blood-borne viruses not to give blood. This includes men who have ever had sex with another man / men."
  • November 5
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
  • September 26
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    According to the American Red Cross.
  • September 20
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve. "Transvestites" barred from service.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Legalized with national passing of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't ask don't tell was officially repealed.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
  • Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals are permitted to serve openly in the military, however, transgender individuals are still banned.
  • September 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
    Legalization pending. Required under 2018 EU ruling.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
  • July 24
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In 2011, New York legalized same-sex marriage with the Marriage Equality Act.
  • July 22
    Same-sex marriage becomes ambiguous.
    There has been an officially recognised female-female marriage
  • July 9
    LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    As homosexuality is currently illegal.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
    LGBT community is taboo.
  • Serving openly in military becomes illegal.
    No protection granted as homosexuality is illegal
  • LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    No protection is granted as homosexuality is illegal
  • Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Up to 10 years in prison and a fine
  • July 8
    Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    As homosexuality is a punishable offense, same sex marriage is also not legal
  • June 16
    Same-sex adoption becomes step-child adoption only.
    On June 16, 2011, the Slovenia National Assembly voted 43 to 38 in favor of repealing the previous law making adoption illegal for same-sex couples.
  • May 25
    Same-sex marriage becomes n/a.
    In May 2011, a question to amend the Minnesota Constitutional is placed on the November 2012 ballot by the state legislature. The amendment failed to pass in 2012, but marriage remained illegal in MN due to a state law.
  • May 5
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
    Although the first formal legal recognition of a civil union took place in 2004 (See first source), the Supreme Court did not rule in favor of civil unions throughout the country until May 5, 2011.
  • April 18
    Same-sex adoption becomes ambiguous.
    While same-sex adoption is legal in Arizona, 2011 Ariz Legis Serv. 147 (S.B. 1188) gives preference to "a married man and woman" over an individual. Thus, the preference for married individuals not only discriminates against unwed individuals of all orientations, but the wording also carries allows for discrimination against LGBT couples. Second parent adoption is not permitted for same-sex couples.
  • April 7
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Originally banned in a measure on a ballot, but Arkansas Supreme Court Overruled. Any unmarried individual may petition for adoption, and any married individuals must petition jointly before the court. While the Supreme Court of Arkansas has struck down bans to limit same-sex adoption on privacy grounds, all adoption cases are handled on a case by case basis before a lower court judge. Lower courts have a history of hostile rulings for same-sex adoptive parents as displayed in Larson v. Larson, 902 S.W.2d 254 (App. 1995).
  • April 6
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions.
    Civil Partnerships were introduced by the Civil Partnership Act 2011.
  • April 1
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (6-month deferral).
    Red Cross Japan reduces deferral for high HIV risk individual from 12 months to 6 months.
  • March 29
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Includes both sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • March 15
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Individuals in Portugal can legally change their gender and name on their birth certificate.
  • February 4
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    No requirements for surgery or sterilization. Missing non binary options.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
  • January 28
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    The German Constitutional Court found the provision that required surgery to change one's legal gender unconstitutional.
  • January 4
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 2011

  • Equality Louisiana FaviconEquality Louisiana
    Louisiana, United States
    Equality Louisiana is a coalition of LGBT and allied organizations from all over Louisiana committed to full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
  • Akahatá - Equipo de Trabajo en Sexualidades y Géneros FaviconAkahatá - Equipo de Trabajo en Sexualidades y Géneros
    Argentina
    AKAHATÁ es un equipo de personas comprometidas con los derechos humanos que nos unimos para trabajar en temas relacionados con los géneros, las sexualidades y los derechos…
  • Community Business FaviconCommunity Business
    Global
    Creator of Hong Kong and Asia's first Diversity and Inclusion Index, which is now done annually for corporates that are LGBTQ inclusive.
  • Pride Legal FaviconPride Legal
    Global
    The most trusted network of independent attorneys for the LGBTQ community in California.