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2018 in LGBT Rights

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In 2018, there were 117 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 270 changes made and 242 in the following year. A total of 1750 legal changes were made in the 2010s.

  • December 18
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Passed in 2016 and effective from 2018 the Piedmonte regional legislature passed a new law extending discrimination protections in housing to lgbt people.
  • December 11
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Protections for employment are only for sexual orientation. "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."
  • December 6
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    People can register their gender on their birth certificate as non-binary, intersex, indeterminate or other in the Northern Territory since 2018.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    In 2018. the Northern Territory removed the requirement for surgery for legal gender recognition in its Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulations Act but retained that proof of “appropriate clinical treatment” be provided.
  • November 30
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In November 2018, the Colorado Department of Revenue’s revised policy on gender markers for driver’s licenses took effect, allowing individuals to choose an “X” marker for their driver’s license. In 2020, “Jude’s Law” took effect, allowing individuals to change their birth certificate’s gender marker to “X”.
  • November 29
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Under the Labour (Relations) Act, 2018.
  • November 16
    Same-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 14
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Medical treatment was required before the new family code went into force in 2023.
  • November 13
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    In 2018, the Caribbean Court of Justice struck down Guyana’s law criminalising the gender expression of trans women. Since then, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics in Guyana.
  • November 2
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes varies by region.
    In 2018, Mendoza became the first province in Argentina to provide legal recognition to nonbinary and intersex people. Argentina would provide federal recognition in 2021.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2018, Mendoza became the first province in Argentina to provide legal recognition to nonbinary people.
  • November 1
    Legal 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.
  • November
    LGBT 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 31
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    The Broadcasting Code for Broadcasting Licensees issued in 2018 bans hate speech and violence of any person or group of persons because of their sexual orientation. In March 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the 2021 decision banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
  • October 29
    Right 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 22
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.
    In 2018, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that requiring those who receive gender-affirming surgeries to provide proof of sterilisation was illegal as it violated the right to a private life. Turkey still requires applicants to be over 18, however. There are documented cases of puberty blockers being prescribed to minors, and no regulations prohibiting the provision of HRT to them. Availability of all gender-affirming care is quite scarce, but has been covered under Turkey's social security since 2014.
  • October 18
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    In 2018, Hungary banned the teaching of gender studies in universities. The reason provided was that they did not want to consider it acceptable "to talk about socially constructed genders, rather than biological sexes".
  • October 1
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2018, Minnesota began allowing individuals to select "X" as their gender marker on driver’s licenses.
  • September 25
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Nova Scotia banned conversion therapy on September 25th 2018, making it the third province in Canada to ban it. Canada banned it federally in 2022.
  • September 24
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
    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.” However, despite this, discrimination still exists.
  • September 21
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes varies by region.
    In 2018, Água Boa became the first locality of Mato Grosso to begin censoring LGBT issues in school, since then, at least one more locality has but no statewide policy exists.
  • September 18
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
    There is currently is no legal prohibition of sexual orientation-based employment discrimination in the private sector.
  • September 16
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    all acts of surgery abolished since 2018. Missing non binary options on documents.
  • September 14
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    The Constitution of Malawi purports to protect all citizens from all forms of discrimination, however it does not refer to gender identity or sexual orientation as protect categories, and the LGBT community in Malawai continues to face discrimination. However, since 2019, there is limited protection based on gender identity and sexual preference. The Communications (Broadcasting) Regulations 2019, defines "hate messages" as a speech intended to degrade, intimidate or incite violence or prejudicial action against a person or group of people base on their gender identity, among other categories. Section 11(1-e) states that "a broadcasting licence shall not broadcast programmes which contain, promote or perpetuate hate messages or any prejudices against any person or groups of people." Section 30(2-d) states a licensee, or its employee, shall not broadcast live any matter which "is likely to incite or perpetuate hatred or vilify any person or section of the society on account of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual preference, age, disability, religion, culture or any other status of that person or section of the society."
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Articles 11-3 and 18-3a of the Labour Code (1997), as amended in 2003, prohibit direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of "sexual orientation" in employment. Article 94(2b) establishes the employer’s duty to act against such discrimination. Under Article 8(1), the prohibition on discrimination based on "sexual orientation" is contained in the Law on Equal Treatment (2010) applies to employment and access to labour market instruments and services. There is no legal protection in all other areas.
  • September 9
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    At the same time as Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the clause in the penal code known as Section 377a would be repealed, he reiterated that the institution of marriage would remain "between a man and a woman". Further restrictions were imposed on gay marriage in Singapore on November 29th, the same year.
  • September 6
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    In all of France.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    In the Supreme Court case of Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, a five-judge Constitutional Bench overturned the Court’s earlier decision in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation, thereby decriminalizing homosexuality by striking down the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual activity.
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    The age of consent has been 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
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    French laws are applied to French Polynesia.
  • 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 31
    Gender-affirming care becomes banned.
    The 2018 Medical Liability Law explicitly prohibits "gender change surgeries", which criminalise gender affirming care for trans people in Jordan with a penalty of 10 years' imprisonment with hard labour for surgeons who provide it. The law points out a difference between gender change and gender reassignment, which is used for intersex people based on endosexnormative norms of correction and is legal.
  • August 20
    Same-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 8
    Right 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
    Intersex infant surgery becomes full ban.
    Genital 'normalisation' surgery on intersex infants was banned by Portugal in 2018 under Article 5 of the new gender identity law.
  • August 2
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In August of 2018, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission ruled that sexual orientation and gender identity were both protected under state law from employment discrimination. On June 15th, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, classified as sex discrimination.
  • August 1
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Ireland's Employment Equality Act, 1998, and the Equal Status Act, 2000 outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
  • July 29
    Same-sex adoption becomes illegal.
    Ethiopian law prohibits same-sex couples from adopting a child.
  • July 24
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Delaware is the 15th state to ban conversion therapy.
  • July 9
    Right 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 8
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    On June 8, 2018 Governor Chris Sununu signed into law House Bill 1319, AN ACT prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity, which banned discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing based on gender identity. The law went into effect on July 8, 2018.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    On June 8, 2018 Governor Chris Sununu signed into law House Bill 1319, AN ACT prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity, which banned discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing based on gender identity. The law went into effect on July 8, 2018.
  • July 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    The States Assembly passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry on 1 February 2018. Royal assent was granted on 23 May 2018, and the law took effect on 1 July.
  • July
    Same-sex adoption becomes ambiguous.
    Since 2018, by decision of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, the Civil Registry regulates the registration of births of children in the case of same-sex parents who have undergone an assisted reproduction method. However, same-sex parents are still denied adoption rights in practice.
  • 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
    Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    An Austrian court ruled on June 29, 2018, that genital surgery on intersex infants is unconstitutional and must be avoided in every case, with the exception of life-threatening cases. However, this did not ban such surgeries in practice and wasn’t legally binding.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes intersex only.
    In 2018, the Constitutional Court of Austria ruled in favour of legal recognition being provided to intersex people. However, nonbinary people still remain without recognition.
  • June 28
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2018, Costa Rica allowed for legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • June 11
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2018, the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) began allowing individuals to change their gender marker to "X" on driver’s licenses and identification cards.
  • June 8
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Residents of Alberta can ask for an X gender marker on their IDs and birth certificates.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Governor Sununu signed a bill (HB 1319) in June of 2018 to ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment.
  • June 7
    Conversion 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 4
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    Article 545 of The Penal Code (2018) establishes greater penalties for anyone who has committed an indecent or unnatural act with a minor of the same sex. However, the age of sexual consent is equal regardless of gender. Previously, article 331 established the age of consent for same-sex relations at 21.
  • June 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).
    Domestic Partnership Act 2018, effectively repealed same sex marriage.
  • May 26
    Legal 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 18
    Homosexual activity becomes male illegal, female legal.
    5 to 10 years in prison. Not enforced. Decriminalization pending.
  • May 17
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2018, Durango added gender identity as a protected characteristic from discrimination in housing.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2018, Durango added gender identity as a protected characteristic from discrimination in employment.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    In 2018, Durango amended its constitution to add gender identity as a protected characteristic from all forms of discrimination.
  • May 15
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    On May 15th, 2018, the Republican governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, signed SB 1028 (also known as the Youth Mental Health Protection Act) into law, banning conversion therapy for young people.
  • May 11
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    The country adopted a third option under gender on civil registration acts in 2018. A local television station has even made a transgender person its anchor/presenter.
  • 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 10
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    While it has been called un-Islamic by an official governmental advisory group and has faced several attempts at banning it, gender-affirming care is legal and state-funded in Pakistan.
  • May 9
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Pakistani law only prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
  • May 8
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In May 2018, the National Assembly of Pakistan had passed the Transgender Persons Act 2018 providing trans Pakistanis legal recognition on the basis of self-identity and prohibits discrimination and harassment.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes gender identity only.
    Pakistani law only prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes gender identity only.
    Pakistani law only prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
  • May 7
    LGBT 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.
  • May
    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, in 2021, judges in Arnhem ruled that a non-binary person does not have to involve an outside expert to assess whether they should be allowed to use non-binary genders in legal documents.
  • Blood 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 20
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Residents of Puerto Rico can change their gender thanks to a lawsuit from 2018. In 2017, a bill was enacted that sought to restrict gender changes; however, the lawsuit was initiated shortly after the bill's passage. By 2018, the lawsuit was resolved, granting LGBTQ individuals the right to change their gender. However, the law requires medical documentation for changes to one’s birth certificate but not surgery.
  • April 17
    Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    Law 4538/2018 grants the right for couples to foster children. Individuals can adopt normally.
  • April 13
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2018, gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in housing in Oaxaca.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2018, gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in employment in Oaxaca.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    In 2018, gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in Oaxaca.
  • April 12
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    On April 12th, the High Court of Justice ruled the ban on same-sex sexual activity unconstitutional and it was therefore overturned.
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    Since decriminalization of homosexuality in 2018, the age of consent has been equal.
  • April 6
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In March 2018, the US District Court in Idaho ruled that the state must allow trans people to change their legal gender effective April 6th. The recognition did not require surgery or medical diagnosis.
  • April
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal with restrictions.
    A more complex testing process is in place for MSM donations but you cannot skip this test.
  • March 29
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    In early 2018, Juan Manuel Ponce Sánchez, the president of the Supreme Court of Aguascalientes, affirmed that there is no law in Aguascalientes prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting.
  • March 16
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    There is limited protection against hate speech based on sexual preference. Section 11(2)(d) of The Electronic and Postal Communications (Radio and Television Broadcasting Content) Regulations 2018 reads: "A licensee shall not broadcast any matter which incites or perpetuates hatred or vilify any person or section of the community on account of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual preference, age, disability, religion or culture of that person or section of the community."
  • March 13
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Adoption is not a federal law and is state-based. Since March 2018, same-sex couples can adopt children in all jurisdictions within Australia.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    On March 13, 2018, the Northern Territory passed a new law allowing same-sex couples to adopt children.
  • March 1
    Right 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 14
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    In 2018, Afghanistan adopted a new penal code. Articles 645, 646, 649, and 650 criminalize: same-sex intimacy between women (punishable by up to one year in prison); sodomy (punishable by up to two years in prison); same-sex intimacy between men, even without penetration (punishable by three months to one year in prison); and facilitating sodomy by introducing individuals to each other and providing a place for it to occur (punishable by imprisonment as well).
  • February
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    In 2017, Wales announced it would adopt new regulations in early 2018 allowing men to only need to wait 3 months after sex with another man to give blood.
  • February 1
    Same-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 27
    Legal 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.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Since 2018, Washington provides for legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification. However, parents or guardians must apply on behalf of minors.
  • January 9
    Intersex infant surgery becomes full ban.
    Unnecessary medical procedures for intersex children and adolescents have been prohibited since January 2018 by Article 22 of Law No. 19,580.
  • January 2
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes varies by region.
    In 2018, Criciúma began to prohibit "indoctrination and dogmatism with respect to gender", however, no state laws prohibited the free discussion of LGBT topics until 2021.
  • (date unknown)
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    The 2017 Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act (effective from 2018) explicitly refers to a husband and wife as parties to marriage.
  • Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Since 2018 LGBT, people have been able to serve in the Kosovan military.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2018, Iceland passed the Act on Equal Treatment in the Labour Market, which protects people from discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.
  • January 1
    Right 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.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Adults and Minors are able to change genders as well as gender marker X is available to adults and minors.
  • 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.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (1-year deferral).
    The indefinite deferral was changed to 12 months.
  • (date unknown)
    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
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    In January 2018, the Federal Psychology Council established norms of performance for psychologists in relation to transsexual and transvestite people, also banning any conversion therapy.
  • (date unknown)
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Ontario allows residents to use an X gender marker on birth certificates, health cards and driving licenses as well as to remove the marker altogether.
  • January 1
    Legal 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.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In January 2018, the birth certificate provision of California’s Gender Recognition Act of 2017 took effect, allowing individuals to request their gender marker to be “male,” “female,” or “nonbinary” on their birth certificate. A year later, in January 2019, the driver’s license provision took effect.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Same sex marriage couples and singles can adopt in Puerto Rico since 2018 with the new modification to the 2009 adoption law.
  • 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.
  • 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 1
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Banned under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Act No. 365/2004 on Equal treatment gives protections for LGB People, Trans people would be covered later on when the act was amended in 2018
  • (date unknown)
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    The Information, Communications and Media Act of Bhutan (2018) protects sexual orientation as “Sensitive Personal Data or Information”. Section 8.2(i) of the Bhutan Filming Regulation 2025, reads: "The tone and content of programming shall not in any way incite discrimination, hatred or violence against any individual or identifiable group based on race, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital or family status, or political affiliation."
  • 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 Day FaviconInternational Family Equality Day
    Global
    IFED goals & mission: - Raise awareness, provide advocacy, empower, demand social and legal acceptance for our families, and celebrate family diversity worldwide. - Ensure…
  • Unite UK FaviconUnite UK
    United Kingdom
    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+…
  • Trans Dynamics FaviconTrans Dynamics
    Morocco
    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 FaviconMarriage for All Japan
    Global
    A Japanese organisation campaigning for marriage equality.
  • Lambda Szczecin FaviconLambda Szczecin
  • Pride in Gloucestershire FaviconPride in Gloucestershire
    England, United Kingdom
    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
  • DiversAnd FaviconDiversAnd
    Andorra
    Established after Som com Som ceased operations, DiversAnd is the sole Andorran LGBTQIA+ organisation dedicated to supporting local queer communities. Their most notable…
  • Queer Voices of Bhutan FaviconQueer Voices of Bhutan
    Bhutan
    Queer Voices of Bhutan’s mission is to empower individuals and the status of the Queer and LGBTQIA+ community through community-led and community-driven initiatives, inclusive…
  • VARIAÇÕES ASSOCIAÇÃO DE COMÉRCIO E TURISMO LGBTI DE PORTUGAL FaviconVARIAÇÕES ASSOCIAÇÃO DE COMÉRCIO E TURISMO LGBTI DE PORTUGAL
    Portugal
    VARIAÇÕES is non-profit business association that brings together companies and entrepreneurs that support the economic emancipation of the LGBTI community in Portugal and…