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2019 in LGBT Rights

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In 2019, there were 172 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 110 changes made and 135 in the following year. A total of 1368 legal changes were made in the 2010s.

  • December 30
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    The constitution of Belize grants fundamental rights to all Belizeans, forbidding discrimination based on race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex and emphasizing all Belizeans are entitled to these fundamental rights regardless of characteristics. With the Orozco v Attorney General (2016) court case that struck down sodomy laws in the nation, the court also emphasized and expanded the definition of sex in the constitution to provide the constitutional right to non-discrimination based on sexual orientation in 2019. However, there are no explicit protections provided on the basis of gender identity from housing discrimination.
  • December 27
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Since 2019, the Law that Recognises and Protects the Right to Gender Identity (Law No. 21,120) allows transgender people over the age of 14 to legally change their name and gender on all official documents. For persons over 18 years of age, the change is requested by submitting a request to the Civil Registry and Identification Service. Article 4(c) of the law stipulates that it will not be a requirement to have undergone any type of intervention or appearance-modifying treatment. In 1974, Marcia Alejandra Torres became the first person in Chile to legally change her name and gender on the birth certificate after undergo sex reassignment surgery.
  • December 5
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 allows for transgender individuals to change their gender marker to either "male" or "female" only after showing proof of their gender confirmation surgery issued by a medical officer to the District Magistrate. This provision contradicts the Supreme Court decision in 2014. This contradiction has been challenged as unconstitutional in the Indian Supreme Court. As of June 2020, a second petition alleging unconstitutionality has been entered, and will be heard along with the first. Overall, the petitions challenge Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Act, claiming that they also contradict the Constitution of India. This case is still pending a decision. Under section 6 of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, a trans person may apply to be issued a certificate of identity that certifies that they are transgender (denoted as "Transgender"). Upon receiving this certificate, the applicants have the right to be recorded as transgender in all official documents.
  • December
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (1-year deferral).
    In December 2019, a deferral period of one year was put in place. On May 20, 2022, Austria voted to lift the ban entirely and instead vet donors according to the risk of their sexual behavior. The new law is expected to take effect in the Fall.
  • November 26
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    The Transgender Persons Act, 2019 mandates that the government ensures medical facilities provide care to transgender persons (including for gender-affirmative procedures) and review medical curricula to address the health needs of transgender persons.
  • November 21
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Since 2019, Chihuahua has provided legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • November 13
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Massachusetts residents can self-identify as non-binary with an X gender marker on their driver's license, IDs and birth certificate.
  • November
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Prince Edward Island banned conversion therapy in November of 2019. Later on, Canada banned it federally in 2022.
  • October 29
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    New Mexico allows gender neutral gender options
  • October 22
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2019, Hidalgo provided legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • October 19
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2019, Tlaxcala provided legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • October 15
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    Equal except for the region of Aceh (Homosexuality is illegal there)
  • October 7
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    It is generally ambiguous whether protections from the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) amendment in 2019 also applies in a workplace context. In 2021, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam stated that “LGBTQ persons, non-LGBTQ persons, we are all equal. We are not any lesser by reason of our sexual preferences.” and added that action will be taken if anyone stirs hate speech either for or against any sexual or religious community.
  • Conversion therapy becomes varies by region.
    Several jurisdictions in Missouri have banned conversion therapy, with the first city being Columbia on October 7, 2019. Kansas City, St. Louis, North Kansas City, and Independence are cities that all followed suit before the end of 2021. Jackson County became the first county in Missouri to ban conversion therapy on April 19, 2023. State law supersedes local laws and the ban is at risk of being rendered defunct if state legislatures were to nullify the legitimacy of the scope of these laws. A bill to ban counselors from providing conversion therapy for minors was pending in January 2025.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) was amended in 2019 to include protections for individuals from the LGBTQ community. In 2021, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam stated that “LGBTQ persons, non-LGBTQ persons, we are all equal. We are not any lesser by reason of our sexual preferences.”
  • October 5
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In August 2019, the Congress of Oaxaca passed a law providing for same-sex marriage. It went into effect on October 5th.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2019, Oaxaca provided legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification. This was also provided for minors 12 years and older in 2021 but since 2023, it is provided without age restriction after a federal court ruling.
  • October 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
    Currently, same-sex couples can receive spousal coverage under the National Health Insurance Service. Diplomatic same-sex marriages are also recognized.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.
    South Korea also recognizes same-sex relationships in the lens of national health insurance.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Maryland residents can self-identify their gender (with an X gender marker as one of the options) on their driver's license or state IDs.
  • September 20
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (1-year deferral).
    MSMs can now donate blood, but with a 1-year deferral. Deferral may be trimmed down to 4 months.
  • September 6
    Right to change legal gender becomes illegal.
    There is no longer a right to change one’s legal gender.
  • September 3
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    In addition to some localities censoring some lgbt issues in school, the state's governor, in 2019 the governor ordered the removal of materials in 8th-grade classrooms (13/14 years old) containing information defining "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" as well as sexual health.
  • August 27
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    The governor has signed into law a bill banning conversion therapy, which took effect 90 days after it was signed on May 29, 2019
  • August 16
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Same-sex marriage in Aguascalientes turned legal in accordance with a ruling from the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation on 2 April 2019 that the state's ban on same-sex marriage violated Articles 1 and 4 of the Constitution of Mexico. The ruling came into effect upon publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation on 16 August 2019, legalizing same-sex marriage in Aguascalientes.
  • August 2
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Since 2019, legal gender change in Kosovo is possible but requires sterilisation and surgery. However, even then, the process is not standardised.
  • Conversion therapy becomes not banned.
    On August 2, 2019, North Carolina governor signed an executive order to prohibit the use of state funds for conversion therapy on minors with the aim of changing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • July 10
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    In 2019, New Hampshire began allowing gender markers on drivers licenses to be listed as X.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    In 2019, Bolivia lifted the ban on homosexual and bisexual men donating blood.
  • July 9
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Nova Scotia residents can ask for an X on their birth certificate or driver's license, or they can opt to remove the gender marker altogether, free of charge.
  • July 8
    Conversion therapy becomes varies by region.
    Some municipalities in Alberta, including Calgary, banned the practice, but not the province as a whole. St. Albert became the first municipality to ban it in 2019.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    In Equatorial Guinea, there are no explicit laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics in spite of the extremely oppressive environment. However, the government denies registration to LGBTIQ+ organisations and LGBTIQ+ people are frequently arrested under delinquency, social disruption and deviance laws. There are also restrictions on freedom of assembly. This began in 2019 when Decree No. 94 was sanctioned, defining homosexuality as a practice that "threatens the moral identity of the social majority".
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Civil marriage between same-sex couples is already a right acquired in Ecuador. On the night of July 8, 2019, sentences 10-18-CN / 19 and 11-18-CN / 19 of the Constitutional Court were published in the Official Gazette.
  • July 5
    Equal age of consent becomes n/a.
    Homosexual activity is illegal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Article 402 of the Penal Code outlines moral offences, including "sexual relations between persons of the same sex", punishable by imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to 5 million CFA francs.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    In 2019, the Uganda Communications Commission adopted the Standards for General Broadcast Programming in Uganda. Article 6(5) determines that “information, themes or subplots on lifestyles such as homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexualism, transsexualism, transvestism, paedophilia and incest” should not “promote, justify or glamorize” them. Further, explicit dialogue or information concerning the above topics should not be broadcasted. In addition, Article 8.6 states that sex education programmes should not encourage or promote “unnatural sex acts”.
  • July
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In July 2019 after 39 hours of debate, the region passed new regulations to protect LGBT people from discrimination in several areas including housing.
  • June 29
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    On the 27th of June 2019, the state congress approved a same-sex marriage law in a 14-5 law with one absentation. The law was able to be passed after the National Regeneration Movement and corresponding coaliation was able to gain a majority in the state congress. The governor signed the law the same day and it was published in the official gazette the next week. The law took effect on the 29th of June 2019.
  • June 26
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    The Penal Code of Cote d'Ivoire of 2019 removed explicit mentions of same-sex activity in Article 360, but there are still excerpts of the code that could be used to censor LGBTIQ+ topics in practice. There is limited information on the enforcement of these statutes, but there have been reports of government inaction and refusal to allow LGBT organisations to register as charities.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    The 2019 Law on Marriage defines a marriage as a union between a man and a woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage in Côte d’Ivoire.
  • June 24
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    After a court order, Kansas now legally allows its transgender residents to update their gender marker on their birth certificates if they were born in the state. No surgery is required but certification from a healthcare professional is.
  • June 21
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    In 2019, a bill was passed to equalise the age of consent to age 16 no matter the sexuality.
  • June 18
    Intersex infant surgery becomes full ban.
    The Act on Gender Autonomy No. 80/2019 strictly prohibits surgery on intersex infants, and requires public bodies to allow a neutral gender to be registered. The act further states that any such surgery can only be performed with the individual's consent.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    The new law also allows people to register a third gender option 'X' as their legal gender.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    A new law has been passed that allows Icelandic people to change their registered gender without medical interventions.
  • June 15
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    New Mexican born residents can request to change their legal gender marker. Surgery is not required.
  • June 13
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Under federal regulation.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Under federal regulation.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Under federal regulation.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Under federal regulation.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    When renting a property, the owner cannot refuse a tenant on the basis of ethnicity, religion, social status or sexual orientation or any social group someone belongs to. It is written in the Federal Constitution, discrimination is a crime.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    The Supreme Federal Court criminalised LGBT discrimination nationwide, and now, according to the new law, it is considered a "crime of racism".
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Under federal regulation.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    After the Supreme Federal Court's ruling, LGBT discrimination in employment is also a crime. Employees who are victims of discrimination usually receive compensation for moral damages caused by the aggressors.
  • June 11
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Since 2019, same-sex couples can adopt in Hidalgo.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    In 2019, Botswana's High Court struck down the country's laws that had made homosexual sex a crime. The decision was appealed by Botswana's Government, but it was unanimously rejected by Botswana's Court of Appeal.
  • June 10
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In 2019, Hidalgo amended its family law to allow for same-sex marriage.
  • June 4
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    The Canadian federal government now allows individuals to put "X" on their passport to indicate an unspecified gender. Other IDs are under provincial/territorial jurisdiction. Only Nunavut currently has no legal recognition for non-binary identities.
  • June 3
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following the Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following the Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following the Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following the Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following the Canadian Blood Services guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following the Canadian Blood Services Guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Following Canadian Blood Services guidelines, change pending.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Blood donations in Ontario are managed by Canadian Blood Services and thus follow its guidelines.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    Health Canada mandates a 3-month deferral across the nation.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    In 2019, Health Canada lessened their deferral period to 3 months for men who have sex with men.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    MSMs were previously put on indefinite deferral until the 2013 announcement by Canadian Blood Services, then further reduced to 3 months in 2019.
  • June
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Article 4 of the Declaration of Citizen Rights of 1974 (one of the documents that are part of the Constitution of San Marino) was amended to explicitly include “sexual orientation” as a prohibited ground of discrimination, after a national referendum in June 2019. No law explicity mention sexual orientation protection from discrimination in employment.
  • May 31
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Conversion Therapy is banned for people under the age of 18. It is also considered a "deceptive trade practice" to advertise such services.
  • May 24
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    On 24 May 2017, the Constitutional Court ruled that the constitutional right to equality and freedom of marriage guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry under the Constitution of the Republic of China. The ruling (Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748) gave the Legislative Yuan two years to bring the marriage laws into compliance, after which registration of such marriages would come into force automatically. On 20 February 2019, a draft bill entitled the Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748 was released. The draft bill would grant same-sex married couples almost all the rights available to heterosexual married couples under the Civil Code, with the exception that it only allows adoption of a child genetically related to one of them. The Executive Yuan passed it the following day, sending it to the Legislative Yuan for fast-tracked review. The bill was passed on 17 May, signed by the President on 22 May and took effect on 24 May 2019 (the last day possible under the Court's ruling). Taiwan was the first Asian country to approve gay marriage legislation.
  • Same-sex adoption becomes second parent adoption only.
    The same-sex marriage law (that passed the Legislative Yuan in May 2019) grants married same-sex couples the right to adopt children genetically related to one of the partners.
  • May 22
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The 2019 Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Employment, among other areas.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The 2019 Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Housing, among other areas.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    On May 16, 2019, the Parliament of North Macedonia adopted a new (short-lived) Law on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in all areas.
  • May 21
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In May 2019, San Luis Potosí recognised same-sex marriage.
  • May 17
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2019, San Luis Potosí provided legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • May 9
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In May 2019, Tasmania became the first state to allow its citizens (especially transgender/agender people) to obtain a birth certificate that accurately reflects their gender identity. Given the novelty of the law, the state’s peak law reform body was directed to consider the impact of the reforms on Tasmania’s system of law and justice. Today, the Tasmania Law Reform Institute reported its findings that the changes in the law have no significant unintended consequences for the law and justice system.
  • April 22
    Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Ladakh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Pondicherry has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Lakshadweep has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Delhi has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Jharkhand has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Chandigarh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Telangana has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Uttaranchal has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Uttar Pradesh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Rajasthan has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Punjab has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Maharashtra has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Madhya Pradesh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Orissa has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Kerala has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Karnataka has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Jharkhand has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Jammu & Kashmir has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Himachal Pradesh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Haryana has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Gujarat has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Goa has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Chhattisgarh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Andhra Pradesh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Bihar has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Sikkim has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been rising in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    West Bengal has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Meghalaya has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has risen in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Arunachal Pradesh has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been rising in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Nagaland has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Assam has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been rising in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Tripura has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been rising in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Mizoram has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been rising in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Manipur has yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has been mounting in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Andaman and the Nicobar Islands are yet to ban intersex infant surgery however throughout India pressure to ban these surgeries has mounted in recent years.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes full ban.
    Tamil Nadu banned, following a court ruling, through executive order surgery on intersex infants unless necessary to save the life of the child. However, the enforcement of this ban is reportedly lacklustre. At least 500 of these surgeries occurred between 2020 and 2024 in just one Maduras hospital.
  • Intersex infant surgery becomes varies by region.
    Surgery on intersex infants is only banned (excluding life-saving situations) in the state of Tamil-Nadu. "Tamil Nadu became the first and only Indian state to prohibit sex assignment surgeries on infants in 2019, following a directive from the Madras High Court. The state banned these surgeries unless they were deemed necessary to save the baby's life."
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Nevada-born residents can request an X gender marker on their birth certificates. Residents can ask for an X on IDs and driver's licenses.
  • April 11
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    In April 2019, Arizona repealed a law that forbade the instruction on HIV and AIDS as it "promoted a homosexual lifestyle". Since then, no law currently censors LGBT topics in Arizona.
  • Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    The Trump administration enacted a new policy barring individuals with a "condition" known as "gender dysphoria." from serving in the military.
  • April 10
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba (2019) prohibits discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Article 388.1 of the Penal Code (2022) prohibits all discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba (2019) prohibits discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Article 388.1 of the Penal Code (2022) prohibits all discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Decree 96/2023 on the Protocol for Action in Situations of Discrimination, Violence, and Harassment in the Workplace explicitly protects sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • April 8
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed HR 140, a bill that bans gay conversion therapy on minors, into law on April 8, 2019.
  • April 3
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    On April 3rd, 2019, Brunei integrated more strict laws based off of Islam into its common law. The country immediately received heavy criticism, and some of Brunei’s buildings in other countries such as the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, and The Dorchester in London were boycotted. Due to international pressure, the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, placed a moratorium on the new law regarding homosexual acts, which allowed a maximum punishment of death by stoning. The moratorium is able to be dismantled at any moment by the Sultan due to his high level of power, but he has not done so yet.
  • March 30
    Serving openly in military becomes don't ask, don't tell.
    In 2019 a military tribunal acquited four personnel who accused of sodomy. The judge ruled that the law does not specify what acts are "contrary to nature". They were however dismissed from their posts.
  • March 29
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    The Gender Equality Act introduced in 2019 prohibits direct or indirect discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • March 27
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    The Polish government has made frequent attempts to censor LGBT issues on TV or in person by attempting to establish "LGBT free zones" with the first being in Swidnicki County on March 27th, 2019 with hundreds more doing the same. Promises and attempts are being made to move away from this and most "LGBT free zones" have now been abolished. Lancut became the last to abolish it on April 24th, 2025.
  • Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    It was banned since 2019 by executive order due to the mental issues people suffered from these conversion therapies .
  • March 25
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes ambiguous.
    Not currently available for birth certificates, but initially available for driver's licenses and state IDs.
  • March 12
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2019, the Netherlands added gender identity as a protected characteristic from employment discrimination.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2019, the Netherlands added gender identity as a protected characteristic from housing discrimination.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    X gender markers available on driver's licenses, before policy suspended in January 2020.
  • February 27
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Since 2019, Colima has provided for legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • February 19
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    In 2019, same-sex marriage was legalised in Nuevo León, after the Supreme Court found its ban unconstitutional. It would later be codified in 2023.
  • February 15
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Law 13/2019, of 15 February, for equal treatment and non-discrimination, protects LGBT people, among others, in numerous areas, including housing. Article 4(2) states: "No one may be discriminated against on the basis of birth, nationality or lack of nationality, racial origin or ethnicity, sex or female gender, religion, philosophical, political or trade union opinion, language, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other personal or social condition or circumstance." The law is reportedly actively enforced.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Law 13/2019, of 15 February, for equal treatment and non-discrimination, protects LGBT people, among others, in numerous areas, including employment, education, health care, social services, housing, public establishments, etc. Article 4(2) states:
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Law 13/2019, of 15 February, for equal treatment and non-discrimination, protects LGBT people, among others, in numerous areas, including employment. Article 4(2) states: "No one may be discriminated against on the basis of birth, nationality or lack of nationality, racial origin or ethnicity, sex or female gender, religion, philosophical, political or trade union opinion, language, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other personal or social condition or circumstance." The law is reportedly actively enforced.
  • February 14
    Same-sex marriage becomes varies by region.
    Legalized in Zacatecas (14 February 2019), Cuauhtémoc (1 March 2019), Villanueva (1 May 2019), Miguel Auza (5 July 2019), Freshnillo (3 July 2020) cities.
  • February 12
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In February 2019, Portugal passed a law prohibiting discrimination in housing against LGBTIQ+ people. The law lists sexual orientation as a protected characteristic and while gender identity isn’t explicitly listed, it is a protected characteristic constitutionally meaning that it could still be protected from such discrimination.
  • February
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.
    Puberty blockers can be started in transgender youths, followed by gender-affirming hormones (GAH) by the age of 16 years, surgery requires the recipient to be 18 years old and receive the approval of a court.
  • February 1
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    New Jersey-born residents can ask for an X as their gender marker on their birth certificate as well as IDs.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    On February 1st, 2019, New Jersey eliminated the requirement for surgery or medical documentation in legal gender recognition.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    In February 2019, the Sanquin blood bank, which is responsible for the collection, processing, and distribution of blood and blood products, shortened the deferral period down to 4 months.
  • January 25
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    New York has passed a law regarding conversion therapy for minors under the age of 18. Over the age of 18, people can be subjected to conversion therapy.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The NY State Senate passed a bill called The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, it was signed in Jan 2019 but did not take effect until February 2019. This law prohibits any and ALL work-place discrimination.
  • January 24
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    Article 20 of the Family Code establishes that marriage is the voluntary union between a man and a woman.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    In early 2019, in addition to introducing discrimination protections, the Angolan parliament abolished the colonial-era criminalisation of same-sex sexual activity.
  • January 12
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2019, Coahuila provided for legal gender recognition on the basis of self-identification.
  • January 11
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    In 2019, after an open letter by 250 psychologists to the regulatory Ordem dos Psicólogos, the body affirmed that conversion therapy is malpractice and has no basis in science and is not justifiable. All psychologists wishing to practice in Portugal must be licensed with the Ordem dos Psicólogos. Additionally, a bill that bans conversion therapy was passed by the parliament on December 21st, 2023. It was signed by the President a few weeks later and took effect on March 1st, 2024.
  • January 4
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Banned after 2018, court ruling, however, as of 2022 there is a pending bill to overturn that law.
  • (date unknown)
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    New Hampshire residence are able to get gender marker X on both their drivers licenses and their birth certificates. Minors are able to get gender X on their drivers licenses as well with parental consent.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Minors 16 and over, and Adults are able to get an drivers license as of 2019. Birth Certificates and other governmental documents are be abled to be changed as well.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    illegal since 2019
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    illegal since 2019
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Non-binary gender is legally recognized in Tasmania.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    New Brunswick residents can ask to change their gender marker to an X on their birth certificate or driver's license free of charge.
  • January 1
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The Equality Act 2017, which became law in 2019, provided comprehensive protection from discrimination.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    The Equality Act 2017, which became law in 2019, provided comprehensive protection from discrimination.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Requires at least 1 year of hormone therapy. A person must have medical documentation that includes a psychiatrist's report after one year of monitoring, as well as endocrinologist's report after hormonal therapy.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Gay and lesbian couples in Austria have been able to legally wed since 2019.
  • (date unknown)
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Sexual orientation and gender identity are protected since the The Gender Equality Act (2019).
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Section 8 of the National Housing Policy (2019) states it was developed under the premise that everyone has a right to housing, regardless of their sexual orientation.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    The Labour Code passed in 2019 in Sao Tome and Principe confers the right to equality in employment to persons regardless of sexual orientation.
  • 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."
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Trans people can change their legal gender if they have a psychiatrist's certificate confirming gender dysphoria and a support letter from a civil society organization.
  • January 1
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Article 4 of the Declaration of Citizen Rights of 1974 (one of the documents that are part of the Constitution of San Marino) was amended to explicitly include “sexual orientation” as a prohibited ground of discrimination, after a national referendum in June 2019. No law explicity mention sexual orientation protection from discrimination in employment.
  • (date unknown)
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Section 106(1) of the Gender Equality Act (2019) prohibits gender discrimination in the employment sphere. Section 106(2) states that this also includes “multiple discrimination” and “intersectional discrimination”, both of which are defined at Section 102 to include sexual orientation as a protected ground.
  • January
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    In January 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that North Macedonia's requirement that transgender people undergo sex reassignment surgery before their gender marker on ID documents can be changed is a violation of human rights. The judgment held that deficiencies in North Macedonia's laws concerning modifying gender on official identification documents infringed the private life of transgender Macedonians. This means that at the moment, there is no way to change one's legal gender in North Macedonia, even after surgery.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Article 4 of the Declaration of Citizen Rights of 1974 (one of the documents that are part of the Constitution of San Marino) was amended to explicitly include “sexual orientation” as a prohibited ground of discrimination, after a national referendum in June 2019.
  • (date unknown)
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Constitutional protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity have been instituted.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 2019

  • Queer Youth Group FaviconQueer Youth Group
    Global
    Queer Youth Group is a loose affiliation of young activists (16-30) who identify in identities of Queer, MOGAI or any cultural terms that is non-cis-hetero. Queer Youth Group…
  • Stop Bullshit FaviconStop Bullshit
    Poland
    Stop Bullshit (Polish: Stop Bzdurom) was a queer anarchist collective in Warsaw with the goal of fighting homophobia and transphobia, founded in May 2019 by Małgorzata "Margot"…
  • 17 Mayıs Derneği (May 17 Association) Favicon17 Mayıs Derneği (May 17 Association)
    Turkey
    Who We Are? Founded on September 2, 2019 in Ankara, May 17 aims to strengthen the LGBTI+ community and its activism. Be it on a societal or an individual level, we fight…
  • GLOW OUT FaviconGLOW OUT
    New York, United States
    Glow out is dedicated to ensure families and youth and adults of LGBTQ to have fun and enjoy pride as it should be.
  • Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities FaviconEswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities
    Eswatini
    A human rights community based advocacy organization with the goal to advance the protection of human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and intersex persons in the…
  • Rainbow Rose Center FaviconRainbow Rose Center
    Pennsylvania, United States
    Rainbow Rose Center serves the LGBTQIA+ Community of York and Adams Counties in Pennsylvania. Rainbow Rose Center fosters an environment of inclusion, equity, and health where…