In 2018, there were 120 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 200 changes made and 120 in the following year. A total of 1293 legal changes were made in the 2010s.
- December 14Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes intersex only.nique at the international level": the Austrian LGBTQ+ umbrella HOSI yesterday welcomed the decree of the federal government that establishes six options for its citizens in the official definition of their sex. In addition to the masculine, feminine and «various» (the «X» instituted last year in passports), the categories «inter» and «offen» (open) are available, as well as the possibility of choosing none. The latter option may be required when children with sexual variation are born. They – or their legal representative – may decide later. However, says Queer.de, the transition from conventional categories to other options will only be possible with the favourable opinion of an expert. This condition is challenged by LGBTI activists, who regret the «pathologization» of intersex people. 'The stage of self-determination is still far away,' said Luan Pertl of Plattform Intersex Österreich. The organizations also call for a ban on surgical interventions on intersex children and adolescents, which was part of the programme of the ruling coalition in Vienna.
- November 29Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.People can register their gender on their birth certificate as non-binary, intersex, indeterminate or other.
- Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.Transgender individuals can change their gender marker on documents without surgery.
- November 16Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).San Marino passed a law recognizing same sex civil unions.
- Same-sex adoption becomes second parent adoption only.Stepchild adoption for same sex couples.
- November 1Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.British Columbia residents can ask for an X gender marker on their driver’s license, identity card, birth certificate and BC Services Card.
- NovemberLGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.Section 107 of Chapter 1 of the Code of the Federated States of Micronesia reads: No law shall be enacted which discriminates against any person on account of race, sex, sexual orientation, language, or religion, nor shall the equal protection of the laws be denied.
- October 29Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.Person applying for gender change must submit all documents and medical analyzes confirming their request, then their documents are submitted to the Ministry of the Interior, obtain the consent of the minister's office.
- October 18Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.Changing your gender legally no longer requires surgery in Uruguay.
- October 1Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.Residents of Minnesota can change their gender marker to an X on their driver's license.
- September 25Conversion therapy becomes banned.
- September 24LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.As a matter of fact , in the decision of the 22nd Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation dated 24.09.2018 and numbered 2015/35120 Main, 2018/19675 , it is emphasized that discrimination due to the sexual orientation of the worker is within the scope of the prohibition (although the concept of "sexual preference" is used with an incorrect terminology) : The prohibition of discrimination can be added to this, due to the employee's sexual preference that does not cause any adverse effects in the workplace. Again, discrimination based on factors such as political reasons and worldview should be protected.”
- September 16Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.all acts of surgery abolished since 2018. Missing non binary options on documents.
- September 10Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).Liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years and may be liable to imprisonment for 14-15 years to life. Decriminalization pending.
- September 8
- Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).Homosexuality is illegal under Section 377, although it is unclear whether this law applies only to males or to females as well.
- September 6Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).In all of France.
- Same-sex adoption becomes single only.Single nationwide. but laws might be pending for same sex couples in some areas.
- Homosexual activity becomes legal.In the Supreme Court case of Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, a five-judge Constitutional Bench overturned the Supreme Court's decision in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation and decriminalized homosexuality by striking down the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that deemed sexual acts between consenting adults as criminal.
- Equal age of consent becomes equal.The age of consent is equal since decriminalization. In the Supreme Court case of Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, a five-judge Constitutional Bench overturned the Supreme Court's decision in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation and decriminalized homosexuality by striking down the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that deemed sexual acts between consenting adults as criminal.
- September 1
- Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.Legal for LGB but not for transgender
- Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.Individuals can legally change their gender in France. Sex reassignment surgery is state-funded. Requires court approval to change gender marker and first-name. According to media reports, in 2010, France became the first country to remove "transsexualism" from their official list of mental illnesses.
- August 20Same-sex adoption becomes legal.Single adoption by unmarried individuals, joint adoption by married couples and second parent adoption by married couples are all legal.
- August 8Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.The law allows adults to change their legal gender based on self-detirmination without any requirements. Minors aged 16 and 17 must have parental consent and a professional psychological opinion.
- August 7
- August 1
- July 24Conversion therapy becomes banned.Delaware is the 15th state to ban conversion therapy.
- July 9Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.Tunisian court granted legal gender recognition to a transgender man who received gender-affirming care in Germany, overruling a lower court’s verdict.
- July 8LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.Under a new bill that updated the housing, employment and public accommodation law to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
- LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
- July 1
- Same-sex adoption becomes legal.Single adoption, joint adoption by married couples and second parent adoption by married couples are legal. However, Kansas allows discrimination against LGBT people on the basis of religion, which means LGBT couples can be refused by some adoption agencies.
- June 29
- June 21LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.City housing discrimination protections in Lamorie, Jackson.
- June 11LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.No discrimination protections currently.
- June 8
- June 7Conversion therapy becomes banned.SB 5722 - 2017-18 amended RCW 18.130.020 to define conversion therapy and RCW 18.130.180 to discipline licensed health care providers that perform conversion therapy on any patient under the age of eighteen. The ban does not apply to religious practices unless they are performed by licensed health care providers. The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the bill's constitutionality in TINGLEY V. ROBERT FERGUSON, ET AL, No. 21-35815
- June 1Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.In 2018, the Costa Rican government introduced a third gender option, X, for passports, allowing individuals who do not identify as exclusively male or female to have legal documentation that reflects their gender identity. This makes Costa Rica one of the most progressive countries in Latin America when it comes to recognizing non-binary and X gender marker identities.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.In 1998, Ecuador became the first country in the Americas (and only the third worldwide after South Africa and Fiji) to include sexual orientation as a protected category in its Constitution. An unofficial English language translation of Article 11(2) states: All persons are equal and shall enjoy the same rights, duties and opportunities. No one shall be discriminated against for reasons of ethnic belonging, place of birth, age, sex, gender identity, cultural identity, civil status, language, religion, ideology, political affiliation, legal record, socio-economic condition, migratory status, sexual orientation, health status, HIV carrier, disability, physical difference or any other distinguishing feature, whether personal or collective, temporary or permanent, which might be aimed at or result in the diminishment or annulment of recognition, enjoyment or exercise of rights. All forms of discrimination are punishable by law. The State shall adopt affirmative action measures that promote real equality for the benefit of the rights-bearers who are in a situation of inequality. In 2015, a labor law reform made it illegal for employers to discriminate against people due to their sexual orientation. In June 2018, the Justice Ministry approved a new policy concerning the rights of LGBT people. The policy aims to guarantee and strengthen their rights in relation to health, education, work, security, social protection and justice.
- May 26Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.Saskatchewan residents can request an X gender marker on their IDs or birth certificates or opt to remove the marker altogether.
- May 15Conversion therapy becomes banned.On May 15th, 2018, Maryland’s governor Lawrence J. Hogan (R) signed SB 1028 (also known as the Youth Mental Health Protection Act) into law.
- May 11
- Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.Transgender people in Pakistan are allowed to identify as male, female, a blend of both, or neither.
- Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.Countrywide recognized, Transgender people are allowed to identify as male, female, a blend of both, or neither.
- May 9
- May 7LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.Article 134A of the Criminal Code (2000), as amended by Law No. 1,482 (2011), criminalises discrimination based on "sexual orientation", while Article 136C (3) and (4) aggravate the penalty if such discrimination is committed by public servants or while providing public services. These provisions ban "sexual orientation" discrimination in broad terms and therefore apply to employment. Article 136C (6) also includes the motive of denying or restricting labour rights as an aggravating factor. Added to the previous factor we have ruling SU440-21 from the Constitutional Court of Colombia. The Colombian Supreme Court "Corte Constitucional de Colombia" decided on December 9, 2021 based on ruling SU440-21 that transgender people in Colombia cannot be discriminated against due to their gender identity when receiving state financial pensions, despite the decision to have as its object the receipt of state financial pensions, the sentence in its paragraph 55, section III makes it clear that the principle by which this decision was taken is that gender identity is protected by the general constitutional clause of article 13 of the Constitution of Colombia making it clear that discrimination based on gender identity is prohibited in other areas, which includes housing and employment discrimination.
- MayBlood donations by MSMs becomes banned (5-year deferral).In March 2018, the Government gazetted, for a two-month public consultation, amendments to the Standards on Assessing Donor Suitability for Blood Donation that included allowing gay and bisexual men who have not had sex with another man for five years to donate blood. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the abstinence period would be further reduced to one year in the future, so as to bring the Taiwanese standard in line with Western countries.
- April 17
- April 12Homosexual activity becomes legal.Became legal on April 12, 2018. The news is from HRC and Pink news.
- Equal age of consent becomes equal.Since decriminalization of homosexuality in 2018, the age of consent has been equal.
- April 10LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
- AprilBlood donations by MSMs becomes legal with restrictions.A more complex testing process is in place for MSM donations but you cannot skip this test.
- April 1LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.No protections involving sexual orientation or gender identity.
- March 13
- Same-sex adoption becomes legal.On March 13, 2018, the Northern Territory passed a new law allowing same-sex couples to adopt children.
- March 7LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.Full discrimination protections in city of Jackson, Mongolia, Clarksville.
- March 1Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.In March 2018, the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that transgender people have the right to change name and sex on their birth certificate without the need of sexual reassignment surgery or doctor letters. The change can be made at a notary's office now.
- February 15
- February 14
- February 13Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.Gender-neutral names can be used on IDs and birth certificates, following the case of Jason-Antigone Dane, but one can only legally identify as male or female
- February 12Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.requires public announcement of name change. Changes pending. Missing non binary options on drivers licenses.
- Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.Requires surgery to change birth Certificate. Changes pending. Non binary options pending.
- February 2
- LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.Full City protections in Jackson, Mongolia, Clarksville. Starkville just had its first pride parade. Currently being faught by Mississippi Gov.
- February 1Same-sex marriage becomes banned.There is no legal recognition of same-sex couples in Nauru. Section 49 of The Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (2017) states that "Marriage in the Republic shall be the voluntary union of one man and one woman." Section 70 states that "A marriage solemnized in a foreign country shall not be recognized as a marriage in the Republic if the marriage is (a) between a male and another male; (b) between a female and another female."
- January 27Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.WAC 246-490-075 includes the legal gender marking "X" as a gender that is not exclusively male or female, including, but not limited to, intersex, agender, amalgagender, androgynous, bigender, demigender, female-to-male, genderfluid, genderqueer, male-to-female, neutrois, nonbinary, pangender, third sex, transgender, transsexual, Two Spirit, and unspecified.
- January 22Conversion therapy becomes not banned.Not criminalized or regulated, Due to Christian attitudes, this isn’t likely to change
- January 19
- January 15LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- January 9
- January 1Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.As of 2018, Illinois has made a update to a Vital records act stating that people are able to get their birth certificates updated. Drivers Licenses are also able to be updated to the correct gender.
- Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.In October 2018, as a response to Control Yuan's report on intersex rights, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued the “Recommended common principles regarding corrective surgery on non-adult intersex persons”. The guideline prohibits “non-essential and irreversible” intersex medical interventions considered to be "sex assignment surgery" on anyone under the age of 12, except in grave medical conditions. For adolescents aged between 12 and 18, "sex assignment surgery" is permitted for those "suffering difficulty in adapting to their condition", requiring approval by a medical team consisting of psychiatrist, pediatrician, pediatric surgeon and child psychologist. Assessment by a medical team as such is also needed before an intersex adult undergoes sex assignment surgery. While Hiker Chiu, the spokesperson for Oii-Chinese, conceded that the guideline was not on the statute book, she expressed optimism that medical practitioners would abide by this official guideline.
- (date unknown)Gender-affirming care becomes legal.All Minors and Adults are able to get gender affirming care if they are out of state. There are no laws explicitly saying that they are protected for those living in the state. However, Gender affirming care clinics are always welcoming of new transgender people. Minors under the age of 18 living in a illegal state to get gender affirming care, may move to California to get gender affirming care. Under SB107 that protects Families of the minor as well from illegal states.
- Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
- January 1Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (1-year deferral).The indefinite deferral was changed to 12 months.
- (date unknown)Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.It has been possible to have an X on passports since 2018, but doing so required hiring an attorney and going through a costly process. However, judges in Arnhem have ruled that a non-binary person does not have to involve an outside expert to assess whether they should be allowed to have X in their passport, rather than M or V.
- LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.Housing discrimination is illegal in Japan. Japan does not have national employment anti-discrimination laws, although Tokyo, Ibaraki and Akita offer local protections.
- January
- (date unknown)
- January 1Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes intersex only.The Civil Status Act (PStG) was amended to include Parapraph 45b to allow intersex people to identify themselves as "diverse" ("divers") or remove the gender entry.
- (date unknown)Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
- January 1Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
- Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).fines, 3 years in prison and Caning.
- Same-sex adoption becomes legal.Under Gay adoption legalization under the supreme court. Single adoption, joint adoption by married couples and second parent adoption by married couples all allowed. However, Michigan allows adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBT individuals on the basis of faith.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.Full state employment discrimination protections. Full discrimination protection in 2 counties and 9 cities. Full discrimination protection for gender identity for all discrimination protection.
- LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.Full discrimination protection in state employment. As well under Section VII under sex discrimination. Section VII ruled to include gender identity. As well as city discrimination protection in 22 cities and one county for sexual orientation protection. in 21 cities full discrimination protection.
- LGBT housing discrimination becomes ambiguous.In six city discrimination protections. One county.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.City protections in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, San Antonio. In one county. As well as sexual oreination hate crime law.
- LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.No Full state discrimination protections. Certain cities may have laws of their own. Full housing pending statewide. full public accommodation pending state wide. As well as no laws in place to prevent bullying.
- Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.Gay Marriage and Gay Union legalization pending.
- Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
- Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.Under EU law.
- Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
- Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
- LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.Only for gender identity and expression.
- Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.Surgery no longer necessary to change legal gender.
- Same-sex adoption becomes second parent adoption only.The registered partnership act was amended to allow second parent adoption by same sex couples.
- (date unknown)LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.According to ILGA data base: In 2018, the Micronesian Congress passed Bill No. 20-258 (2018), which updated the country's anti-discrimination law to include "sexual orientation" in Article 107 of Chapter 1 of the Code of the Federated States of Micronesia (2014). This prohibition is expressed in broad terms and, therefore, applies to housing.
- January 1Conversion therapy becomes banned.Banned under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act
- (date unknown)
- January 1
- Conversion therapy becomes banned.Conversion Therapy aimed to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity done by medical practitioners is illegal. The law however has a religious exemption. The bill however has a religious exemption.
- Right to change legal gender becomes ambiguous.Both the repealed Civil Status Law (1964) and its replacement, the Law Relating to Civil Status (Law No. 2018-862) (2018) indicate in Chapter 7 that the President of the Abidjan Court of First Instance has the authority to order the "rectification of civil status records" when petitioned by an applicant or by a public prosecutor. The legislation does not specify what data may be changed and under what circumstances, so it is unclear whether trans and gender-diverse persons would be permitted to make amendments thereunder. Any amendments made must be noted in the records of the Civil Registry.
- (date unknown)Same-sex marriage becomes unregistered cohabitation.Since 2018, Slovakia recognizes a close person, defined as a sibling or a spouse. A family member or a person in a relationship shall be considered under law a close person if an injury suffered by one of them is "reasonably felt by the other person as an injury suffered by him or her." Limited rights are granted, namely in the area of inheritance.
LGBT Organizations Founded in 2018
- International Family Equality DayGlobalIFED goals & mission: - Raise awareness, provide advocacy, empower, demand social and legal acceptance for our families, and celebrate family diversity worldwide. - Ensure…
- Unite UK
Unite UK is an LGBTQ+ blog run by two queer women, Charlotte & Aislinn. We strive ourselves on being a source of information, guidance and support for all members of the lgbtq+…- Goa Rainbow Trust
Goa Rainbow Trust was legally established on October 31, 2018. However, Chris Fernandes, who is the CEO and Founder, began having meetings back in 2013 under the name Goa Rainbow…- Trans Dynamics
Trans Dynamics (TD) is an unregistered organization by and for Trans people. TD is the only trans-specific organization based in Morocco. TD fight all forms of discrimination…- Marriage for All Japan
GlobalA Japanese organisation campaigning for marriage equality.- Lambda Szczecin
- Pride in Gloucestershire
A Pride organisation running 6 pride events across the county, an employers group and trans social group. Seeking to celebrate, campaign for and connect the LGBTQ+ community - Unite UK