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2019 in LGBT Rights

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In 2019, there were 14 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 76 changes made and 2 in the following year. A total of 1263 legal changes were made in the 2010s.

  • July 8
    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.
  • June 21
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    Equal age of consent at 16. Previously, anal sex was set at 18.
  • June 13
    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".
  • June 11
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Botswana's High Court has ruled in favour of decriminalising homosexuality in a landmark decision for campaigners.
  • June 3
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (3-month deferral).
    Waiting period moved to 3 months for MSMs in May 2019
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (3-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
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    Age of consent equalized to age 16.
  • 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).
  • May 9
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (6-month deferral).
    Banned with 3 months deferral
  • May
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (3-month deferral).
    Deferral period changed from 6 months to 3 months for MSM donors.
  • March 28
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (death penalty as punishment).
    Starting April 3rd, 2019, new penal code instituted by the Sultan will include death by stoning to those caught and convicted of homosexual offenses
  • March 27
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    It was banned since 2019 by executive order due to the mental issues people suffered from these conversion therapies .
  • January 24
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Homosexuality was legalized on Jan 24th 2019, effectively changing the status of same sex unions
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Legalized after an act of parliament

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…