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2012 in LGBT Rights

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In 2012, there were 45 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 116 changes made and 141 in the following year. A total of 1396 legal changes were made in the 2010s.

  • December 25
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
  • December 6
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    SB 6239 - 2011-12 amended RCW 26.04.010 to legalize same-sex marriage by replacing gendered terms with gender-neutral language. The law, meant to take effect on June 7, 2012, was delayed by Referendum 74 which put the issue to voters who affirmed the legislation. The law went into effect on December 6, 2012. Same-sex marriage was further protected by the US Supreme Court in OBERGEFELL v. HODGES on June 26, 2015, under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The 117th US Congress legislated additional protections in H.R.8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, on December 13, 2022, mandating all states recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding pertaining to marriage in any other state; enforceable by the Attorney General and subject to injunctive and declaratory relief.
  • December 5
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Legal in all of Mexico.
  • November 8
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In 2012, Maryland legalized same-sex marriage.
  • November 6
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In 2012, Maine legalized same-sex marriage.
  • October 12
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    Ontario-born can now change their assigned gender on their birth certificate without proof of surgery. Other documents can be changed regardless of birthplace without proof of surgery.
  • September 29
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Note that this only applies to youth (under 18 years olds)
  • 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    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.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    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • July 31
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • July 12
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The anti-discrimnation law penalizes the arbitrary discrimination and includes protection for discrimination of sexual orientation and gender identity
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The anti-discrimination law penalizes the arbitrary discrimination and includes protection for discrimination of sexual orientation and gender identity
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    All types of discrimination is illegal
  • July 1
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
    Homosexual men who are sexually active with other men can not donate blood in China, however, in 2012, the Chinese Ministry of Health lifted the ban against lesbians donating blood.
  • June 21
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Malta's hate crime laws include both gender identity and sexual orientation.
  • June 15
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
  • May 24
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    As well people can change documents if they wish
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, surgery not required.
    People have a right to change their legal gender without approval from a doctor or a judge. Sex reassignment surgery and hormonal treatments are not required, but they are provided by the state for free to anyone who requests them. Several people had had their legal gender changed before the Gender Identity Law through court decisions, including popular actress, TV host and trans woman Flor de la V.
  • May 8
    Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    Constitutional ban under Amendment One ballot initiative in 2011 and 2012.
  • May 3
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Same-Sex Marriage became legal in Quintana Roo on May 12, 2012 after the Secretary of State announced to legalize Same-Sex Marriage
  • April 30
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    All discrimination is illegal.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Labour law protects sexual minority individuals from discrimination. Gender identity is not explicitly stated however.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Sexual orientation is protected from employment discrimination in the most recently passed law on labor in Venezuela. (Although it has been protected in some form or other since 1996)
  • April 23
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    only sexual orientation.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    only sexual orientation
  • April 20
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes n/a.
    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled on April 20, 2012 that an employer who discriminates against an employee or applicant on the basis of the person’s gender identity is violating the prohibition on sex discrimination contained in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
  • April 11
    Right to change legal gender becomes varies by region.
    Most provinces in canada require surgery to legally change gender, however, since 2012 Ontario has not required surgery to change gender.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    It is legal in Ontario to change one's birth certificate and driver's license without surgery, provided (among other items) a signed letter from a physician or psychologist.
  • April 9
    Same-sex adoption becomes ambiguous.
    There is no specific exclusion for same-sex couples. It is legal, however, to deny adoption based on religious grounds.
  • March 26
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
  • March 9
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Unknown.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
    high discrimination from the aids epidemic. Discrimination protections pending.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Date Lesotho decriminalized homosexuality. Protections not included in Penal Code Act of 2010. Some as part of South Africa.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    The Penal Code Act of 2010 decriminalized homosexuality.
  • March 1
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    There is no current state housing or federal housing discrimination protections in place. However there is city and county discrimination protection.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Only in one city.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Various by cities and counties.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Various by city. Pending state wide.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Only in three cities.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Only city discrimination protections. As well as state housing discrimination protection for sexual orientation only.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    In the city of New Orleans and Shreveport. As well as Full State discrimination protections under the current governor. Pending statewide.
  • February 12
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    According to the Grenadian Blood Bank.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    according to the blood bank there and on facebook.
  • January 6
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Contained in the state constitution and is regulated by Law number 7383

LGBT Organizations Founded in 2012