2011 in LGBT rights
Encyclopedia
This is a list of events in 2011 that affected LGBT
rights.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights.
January
- 1 — The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 is an Act of the Oireachtas which allows civil partnerships. The act also provides rights for participants in long-term cohabiting relationships who have not entered into a civil partnership or marriage...
comes into effect in IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, allowing same-sex couples to enter civil partnershipsCivil unionA civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
. - 2 — A criminal court in Bursa, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
orders the LGBT rights organization Rainbow Association to shut down following allegations that members engaged in prostitution. - 3 — UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n High Court Justice V.F. Kibuuka Musoke rules that Rolling StoneRolling Stone (Uganda)Rolling Stone was a weekly tabloid newspaper published in Kampala, Uganda. The paper published its first issue on August 23, 2010, under the direction of 22-year-old Giles Muhame and two classmates from Kampala's Makerere University...
violated the civil rights of homosexuals when it printed their pictures on the front page with the headline "Hang Them." The court orders the newspaper to pay each of the three lead plaintiffs $1.5 million Ugandan shillingUgandan shillingThe Shilling is the currency of Uganda. Technically, the shilling is subdivided into 100 cents but no subdivisions have been issued since the revaluation of the shilling in 1987.-History:...
s. - 4
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
issues two rulings in the case of Perry v. SchwarzeneggerPerry v. SchwarzeneggerPerry v. Schwarzenegger is a federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California challenging the federal constitutionality of Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that amended the California Constitution to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples,...
, which seeks to overturn California's constitutional ban on same-sex marriageCalifornia Proposition 8 (2008)Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
. In the first, the court rules that Imperial CountyImperial County, CaliforniaImperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
does not have standingStanding (law)In law, standing or locus standi is the term for the ability of a party to demonstrate to the court sufficient connection to and harm from the law or action challenged to support that party's participation in the case...
to intervene in the suit. In the second, the court asks the California Supreme Court to rule on whether proponents of the amendment have standing to appeal. - New Mexico Attorney General Gary KingGary King (politician)Gary King is the Attorney General of New Mexico, first elected in 2006. His current term will end January 2011. His father, Bruce King, was a three-time Governor of New Mexico. His mother, Alice King, was a three-time First Lady of New Mexico.King attended New Mexico State University and obtained...
issues an opinion stating that legal same-sex marriages performed outside the state would likely be recognized within the state. - 7 — The 3rd Court of AppealsTexas Courts of AppealsThe Texas Courts of Appeals are part of the Texas judicial system. In Texas, all cases appealed from the district level, both criminal and civil, may be heard by one of the fourteen Texas Courts of Appeals. The exception is for cases where the death penalty is a factor; these cases go directly to...
in Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
rules that the Texas Attorney GeneralTexas Attorney GeneralThe Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
does not have standing to intervene in a same-sex divorce case. The ruling, which conflicts with a ruling issued in 2010 by the 5th Court of Appeals, means that a Texas divorce granted to two women who married in Massachusetts is legal. However, the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unaffected. - 10
- The Appeals Court of Saskatchewan in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rules that marriage commissioners in SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
cannot refuse to marry same-sex couples due to religious objections. The decision is in response to a proposed law which had two versions: One would allow any marriage commissioner to avoid performing a same-sex wedding because of his or her religion; the other version would allow commissioners to opt out of performing a same-sex ceremony only if they were commissioners before Canada enacted marriage equality in 2004. - Newly sworn-in Ohio Governor John KasichJohn KasichJohn Richard Kasich is the 69th and current Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1983 to 2001...
allows a previous executive order prohibiting discrimination in state employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity to expire. - 12 — The Canadian Broadcast Standards CouncilCanadian Broadcast Standards CouncilThe Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is an independent, non-governmental organization created by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to administer standards established by its members, Canada's private broadcasters....
bans the Dire StraitsDire StraitsDire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
song "Money for NothingMoney for Nothing (song)"Money for Nothing" is a single by British rock band Dire Straits, taken from their 1985 album Brothers in Arms. It was one of Dire Straits' most successful singles, peaking at number one for three weeks in the United States, and it also reached number one for three weeks on the U.S. Mainstream...
" from the Council's member stations after the board finds the word "faggot" in the lyrics offensive. - 14 — A VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
circuit court judge reverses his earlier ruling and allows one half of a lesbian couple to change her last name legally to that of her partner. The judge had initially denied the name change, stating that since same-sex marriage is illegal in Virginia and the couple "hold themselves out as a married couple" the name change was for "fraudulent purposes." - 18
- The Supreme Court of the United States without comment rejects an appeal in Jackson v. The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, which sought to overturn the law allowing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. The suit contended that the legalization of same-sex marriage should have been put to a vote in the district.
- A Bristol County Court judge rules that the owners of a bed and breakfastBed and breakfastA bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
in CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
violated the rights of a homosexual couple in a civil partnership when they refused to rent them a double room because of the owners' Christian beliefs. The decision is described as a landmark. - 20 — The United States Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentUnited States Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentThe United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
proposes new regulations designed to eliminate discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity. - 21 — Ohio governor John KasichJohn KasichJohn Richard Kasich is the 69th and current Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1983 to 2001...
signs an executive order that prohibits discrimination in state employment on the basis of sexual orientation; however, it does not include gender identity. - 24 — The Wyoming House of RepresentativesWyoming House of RepresentativesThe Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...
passes a bill that would bar the state from recognizing legal same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Current Wyoming law bars same-sex marriage within the state but also requires the state to recognize all legal marriages performed elsewhere. - 27
- The Iowa SenateIowa SenateThe Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
rejects a proposal for a voter intiative to amend the Iowa constitution to ban same-sex marriage. - The Wyoming SenateWyoming SenateThe Wyoming Senate is the upper house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 30 Senators in the Senate, representing an equal amount of constituencies across Wyoming, each with a population of at least 17,000. The Senate meets at the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne.Members of the Senate...
approves a resolution that, if approved by voters, would amend the state constitution to bar recognition of same-sex marriage in the state. - 28
- The Constitutional Council of FranceConstitutional Council of FranceThe Constitutional Council is the highest constitutional authority in France. It was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958, and its duty is to ensure that the principles and rules of the constitution are upheld.Its main activity is to rule on whether proposed...
rules that French laws which restrict marriage to unions between men and women do not violate the French ConstitutionConstitution of FranceThe current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth...
. - The PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
releases its outline for training military personnel on the policy and protocol regulations that will be implemented to repeal don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
. Officials estimate that training will take approximately three months. - A UK judge grants a temporary injunction to halt the deportation of Brenda Namiggade to Uganda. Namiggade has said she fled Uganda because she was beaten and harassed for being a lesbian. Her requests for asylum were denied when a court ruled that there was "no evidence" she is a lesbian.
- In IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, the Gary Community School CorporationGary Community School CorporationGary Community School Corporation serves most students who reside in Gary, Indiana, United States.-School Uniforms:All GCSC students from pre-Kindergarten through the 12 grade are required to wear school uniforms...
, as part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed in 2007 by a transgender former student, announces a new anti-discrimination policy that includes specific protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. - 31
- Following its passage in December 2010, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Governor Pat QuinnPat Quinn (politician)Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...
signs the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act. This act allows all couples, regardless of gender, to enter into civil unions which provide all of the state benefits of marriage. The law is scheduled to take effect June 1. - Because same-sex marriage is constitutionally prohibited in the state of NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, an Otoe CountyOtoe County, Nebraska-History:Otoe County was formed in 1854. It was named after the Otoe Indian tribe.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 15,396 people, 6,060 households, and 4,229 families residing in the county. The population density was 25 people per square mile . There were 6,567 housing units...
judge refuses to grant a divorce to two women legally married in Vermont eight years ago. The judge does, however, rule on child support and visitation issues. - Representatives at São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
's United Nations Universal Periodic Review announce that upcoming revisions to its Criminal Code will decriminalize homosexual sex in the country. The new code would come into effect four months later. Nauru announced a similar intention days earlier at its UPR session.
February
- 1
- The United States Department of StateUnited States Department of StateThe United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
begins issuing passport applications that ask applicants for "Mother or parent one" and "Father or parent two" instead of for "Father" and "Mother." The change, announced in December 2010, is "in recognition of different types of families." - The Iowa House of RepresentativesIowa House of RepresentativesThe Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...
passes House Joint Resolution 6, which would submit a ballot initiative to amend the Iowa constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The Iowa SenateIowa SenateThe Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
had already rejected a similar initiative in January. - 7 — New York City adopts a new policy regarding transgender marriage license applicants specifying that once an applicant displays a proper photo identification the city clerk may not request further proof of sex.
- 17 — The Arkansas Supreme CourtArkansas Supreme CourtThe Arkansas Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Since 1925, it has consisted of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices, and at times Special Justices are called upon in the absence of a regular justice...
upholds a lower court ruling giving a woman visitation rights with the child of her former partner. The court rules that even though same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Arkansas, the woman stood in loco parentisIn loco parentisThe term in loco parentis, Latin for "in the place of a parent"" refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent...
to the child. - 18
- Massachusetts governor Deval PatrickDeval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
signs an executive order banning discrimination against state employees based on gender identity or expression. - The Alaska Board of Regents votes to add sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination policy.
- 23
- In response to two lawsuits, Pedersen v. Office of Personnel ManagementPedersen v. Office of Personnel ManagementPedersen et al. v. Office of Personnel Management is a lawsuit filed on November 9, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut...
and Windsor v. United StatesWindsor v. United StatesWindsor v. United States is a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiff in the suit challenges the constitutionality of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act , which defines the terms "marriage" as "a legal union between one man and...
, the Justice Department announces that it will no longer defend the constitutionality of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage ActDefense of Marriage ActThe Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
although the department will "remain parties to the cases and continue to represent the interests of the United States throughout the litigation." That section had been ruled unconstitutional in two district court cases, Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services and Gill v. Office of Personnel ManagementGill v. Office of Personnel ManagementGill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management 699 F.Supp.2d 374 is a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts...
. - HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
governor Neil AbercrombieNeil AbercrombieNeil Abercrombie is the 7th and current Governor of Hawaii. He was the Democratic U.S. Representative of the First Congressional District of Hawaii which comprises urban Honolulu. He served in Congress from 1986 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2010 when he resigned to successfully run for governor...
signs the state's civil unions bill. The law will take effect on January 1, 2012. - 24
- The Justice Department notifies the United States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
that it will not defend the constitutionality of section 3 of DOMA in Massachusetts v. HHS and Gill v. OPM. - A New York state appellate court rules that recognizing a legal same-sex marriage performed in Canada for purposes of probate does not violate the public policy of the state of New York.
March
- 1 — The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
rules that Indian Prairie School District 204Indian Prairie School District 204Indian Prairie School District 204 serves students from the Illinois communities of Aurora, Bolingbrook, Plainfield and Naperville. Currently one preschool, twenty-one elementary schools, seven middle schools, three high schools, and one alternative high school are in the district...
may not bar students from wearing shirts with anti-gay slogans finding that a "school that permits advocacy of the rights of homosexual students cannot be allowed to stifle criticism of homosexuality." The district had argued that it barred a shirt reading "Be Happy, Not Gay" on the grounds that it violated the rights of students toward whom the derogatory comment was directed. - 2 — The Wyoming Senate defeats a bill that would have prevented the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions.
- 7 — Citing the 1971 Minnesota Supreme CourtMinnesota Supreme CourtThe Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
ruling in Baker v. NelsonBaker v. NelsonRichard John Baker v. Gerald R. Nelson was a case in which the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Minnesota law limited marriage to different-sex couples and that this limitation did not violate the United States Constitution...
and Minnesota's defense of marriage act, Hennepin CountyHennepin County, MinnesotaHennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
District Judge Mary Dufresne dismisses a lawsuit brought by marriage equality advocacy group Marry Me Minnesota which contended that the state ban on same-sex marriage violates the rights of same-sex couples to due process, equal protection, religious freedom and freedom of association. - 8 — The Mexican Senate unanimously adopts a constitutional reform that would forbid discrimination on the basis of "preferencias sexuales" (sexual preferences). The resolution now goes to the states for ratification.
- 9 — Along party lines, the United States House of Representatives Bipartisan Legal Advisory GroupBipartisan Legal Advisory GroupThe Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group is a standing body of the U.S. House of Representatives. Comprising 5 members of the House leadership , it directs the activities of the House Office of General Counsel...
votes to defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act after the Obama administration announced it would not support the bill. The Advisory Group vote sidesteps a full House vote on the question. - 11 — After three hours of debate the Maryland House of DelegatesMaryland House of DelegatesThe Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
refers the state's marriage equality bill back to the judiciary committee. The referral delays possible passage of the bill until at least 2012. - 16 — Upon its second reading, the Liechtenstein ParliamentLandtag of LiechtensteinThe Diet is the parliament or legislature of Liechtenstein. It has 25 members, elected for a four year term by proportional representation in two multi-seat constituencies....
passes a bill legalizing registered civil partnership. The law will take effect on September 1, 2011. - 21 — The Cook County JailCook County JailThe Cook County Jail, located on in Cook County, Illinois, is the largest jail in the United States of America housing approximately 9,800 men and women. The facility is located at 3015 S California Ave in the city of Chicago...
in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
implements a new policy for housing transgender prisoners, allowing for them to be housed based on their gender identity rather than birth sex. - 24
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
announces a pilot program to provide $100,000 in living assistance funds to refugees facing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. - Roman Catholic-operated Marquette UniversityMarquette UniversityMarquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
announces that it will offer domestic partnership benefits to employees beginning in 2012. - 28 — United States Citizenship and Immigration ServicesUnited States Citizenship and Immigration ServicesUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security . It performs many administrative functions formerly carried out by the legacy United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , which was part of the Department of Justice...
(USCIS) announces that it will no longer deny applications for green cards on the part of bi-national same-sex married couples but will put those cases on hold pending resolution of the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. - 30
- USCIS reverses its ruling and announces that it will continue to deny green cards to bi-national applicants in same-sex marriages.
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
dismisses the complaint of a Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
employee fired in 2005 for anti-gay harassment of another employee. The court rules that Wal-Mart did not violate the fired employee's religious freedom. Wal-Mart's anti-harassment policy includes "sexual orientation" as a category. - 31 — The Constitutional Court of KoreaConstitutional Court of KoreaThe Constitutional Court of Korea is an independent and specialised court in South Korea, whose primarily role is the reviewing constitutionality under the Constitution of the Republic of Korea...
rules in a 5-4 decision that the Korean military ban on homosexual conduct is constitutional and does not discriminate against homosexual military personnel.
April
- 5
- The United States Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentUnited States Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentThe United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
launches the "Live Free" campaign to educate the American public on housing discrimination, including discrimination faced by LGBT people. While neither sexual orientation nor gender identity are expressly covered under the Fair Housing Act, such discrimination may sometimes be illegal based on gender expression. - The Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
Metro Council passes a measure requiring businesses with contracts with the city to promise not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. - 7 — The Arkansas Supreme CourtArkansas Supreme CourtThe Arkansas Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Since 1925, it has consisted of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices, and at times Special Justices are called upon in the absence of a regular justice...
upholds a 2010 lower court ruling that a 2008 voter-approved ban on adoption by unmarried cohabiting couples is unconstitutional. - 11 — The Maine Human Rights Commission finds that a rental agency that repeatedly delayed an application from a transgender applicant illegally discriminated against her based on her gender identity.
- 12 — The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
rules that a LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
registrar's refusal to list the names of both same-sex adoptive parents on a birth certificate does not violate their child's right to equal protectionEqual Protection ClauseThe Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"...
nor does the Full Faith and Credit ClauseFull Faith and Credit ClauseThe Full Faith and Credit Clause is the familiar name used to refer to Article IV, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, which addresses the duties that states within the United States have to respect the "public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state." According to...
, which requires each state to recognize the legal proceedings of the other states, require Louisiana to "confer particular benefits on unmarried adoptive parents contrary to its law." - 13 — Rear Admiral Mark L. TiddMark L. TiddChaplain Mark L. Tidd, USN, is the 25th and current Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy. He was appointed to this assignment on August 27, 2010.-Background:...
, Chief of Chaplains of the United States NavyChief of Chaplains of the United States NavyThe Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy is the Senior Chaplain in the Navy, the Head of the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, and the Director of Religious Ministry Support for the Department of the Navy...
, issues a two-page "guidance" memo stating that following final repeal of the don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
policy, same-sex couples would be allowed to marry in Naval facilities with Naval chaplains officiating in those states in which same-sex marriage is legalSame-sex marriage in the United StatesThe federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...
. - 18
- The National Assembly of HungaryNational Assembly of HungaryThe National Assembly or Diet is the parliament of Hungary. The unicameral body consists of 386 members elected to 4-year terms. Election of members is based on a complex system involving both area and list election; parties must win at least 5% of the popular vote in order to enter list members...
adopts a new constitutionConstitution of HungaryThe Constitution of the Republic of Hungary , its fundamental law, was adopted on 20 August 1949, and heavily amended on 23 October 1989. It is Hungary's first and only permanent written constitution; the country is the only former Eastern Bloc nation that did not adopt an entirely new constitution...
that among other things explicitly restricts same-sex marriage. However, same-sex couples may obtain the same legal protections through registering as domestic partners. If signed as expected by President Pál SchmittPál SchmittPál Schmitt is the current President of Hungary. He was elected President of Hungary in a 263 to 59 vote in the Parliament of Hungary and was sworn in on 2010....
it will go into effect on January 1, 2012. - ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
Governor Jan BrewerJan BrewerJanice Kay "Jan" Brewer is the 22nd and current Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and a member of the Republican Party. She is the fourth woman, and third consecutive woman, to hold the office...
signs into law a bill that requires adoption agencies in the state to "give primary consideration to adoptive placement with a married man and woman". Agencies may place a child with a legally single person if it is in the child's best interest or if there is no married couple available. Same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Arizona. - 20 — The Virginia Board of Social Services votes to strike language from new proposed adoption regulations which would have barred discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Single people and married mixed-sex couples may adopt children.
- 21 — MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock rules against same-sex couples seeking to force the state to extend the benefits of marriage to them, finding that the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and the separation of powers between the courts and the legislature prevents it. - 23 — It is reported that pursuant to a 2008 order by then-Governor David PatersonDavid PatersonDavid Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
that New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state agencies recognize same-sex unions performed in other jurisdictions, the New York State Department of Correctional ServicesNew York State Department of Correctional ServicesThe New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision or NYSDOCCS is the agency of New York State responsible for the care, confinement, and rehabilitation of approximately 63,000 inmates at 71 correctional facilities funded by the State of New York. The department employs...
has updated its regulations to allow prisoners in same-sex marriages and civil unions to have conjugal visits and seek furloughs if a spouse or partner is terminally ill. - 26
- In the UK, the Charity TribunalFirst-tier TribunalThe First-tier Tribunal is part of the administrative justice system of the United Kingdom. It was created in 2008 as part of a programme, set out in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, to rationalise the tribunal system, and has since taken on the functions of twenty previously...
upholds an earlier ruling from the Charity Commission that denies an exemption from the 2007 Sexual Orientation RegulationsEquality Act (Sexual Orientation) RegulationsThe Equality Act Regulations are secondary legislation in the United Kingdom, outlawing discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities, services, education and public functions on the grounds of sexual orientation....
to the Leeds-based Catholic Care adoption agency. The charity must consider same-sex couples as prospective adoptive parents and may not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. - The Clovis, New MexicoClovis, New MexicoClovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 32,667 at the 2000 census; according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates, the population had risen to 37,775....
school board votes to ban all extra-curricular clubs from meeting during school hours within hours of a club application's being filed for a gay-straight allianceGay-straight allianceGay–straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in North American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies .-Goal:The goal of most, if not all,...
. The federal Equal Access ActEqual Access ActThe Equal Access Act is a United States federal law passed in 1984 to compel federally-funded secondary schools to provide equal access to extracurricular clubs...
requires schools receiving federal finds to allow equal access to all extra-curricular clubs. The board claims that the timing of the ban is coincidental. - 29 — The United States Department of LaborUnited States Department of LaborThe United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
updates its internal equal employment opportunity policy to bar discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
May
- NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
takes a national census and officially recognizes a third gender in addition to male and female. - 5
- The Supreme Federal Court of BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
rules in a unanimous 10-0 decision, with one abstention, to legalize same-sex civil unions. - The ACLU announces a settlement in the case of Witt v. Department of the Air ForceWitt v. Department of the Air ForceWitt v. Department of the Air Force, 527 F.3d 806 is a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of , the now repealed law which excluded openly homosexual people from serving in the United States military, commonly known as Don't ask, don't tell . The United States Court of Appeals for...
. The Air Force agrees to drop its appeal and remove Witt's discharge from her military record and she will retire with full benefits. - The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
approves a constitutional amendment allowing for the ordination of clergy in same-sex relationships. - In the face of political opposition from Republican members of CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
who claimed that allowing the use of federal facilities or personnel to perform same-sex marriages would violate the Defense of Marriage ActDefense of Marriage ActThe Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
, Rear Admiral Mark L. Tidd suspends his April 13 "guidance" memo pending further Naval review. - 11
- DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
Governor Jack Markell signs the state's civil unions billLGBT rights in DelawareLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in the U.S. state of Delaware have many legal protections, though transgender persons lack certain protections. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Delaware...
into law, granting same-sex couples in the state all of the rights of marriage. The law will take effect January 1, 2012. - The Minnesota SenateMinnesota SenateThe Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
approves a proposed constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriage in the state. - 13 — After delaying a vote originally scheduled two day ago, the Parliament of Uganda adjourns without taking action on the country's proposed anti-homosexuality billUganda Anti-Homosexuality BillUganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill is a legislative proposal that would broaden the criminalisation of same-sex relations by dividing homosexual behavior into two categories: "aggravated homosexuality", in which an offender would receive the death penalty, or "the offense of homosexuality" in which...
. - 17
- The Nevada LegislatureNevada LegislatureThe Nevada Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the lower house Nevada Assembly, with 42 members, and the upper house Nevada Senate, with 21 members. All 63 members of the Legislature are elected from an equal amount of...
passes a bill to bar employment discrimination in the state on the basis of gender identity or expression. - Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin bans a gay pride march scheduled for May 28, despite an October 2010 ruling by the European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human RightsThe European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
that similar bans in 2006, 2007 and 2008 violated the European Convention on Human RightsEuropean Convention on Human RightsThe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
. Activists plan to defy the ban as they had in past years. - The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is observed.
- 20
- The Tennessee Legislature gives final passage to the "Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act." The bill would repeal an ordinance passed earlier this year in Nashville that requires companies doing business with the city to adopt anti-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill would also prevent any unit of local government from requiring companies to bar discrimination on any basis that is not illegal under state law. The Tennessee SenateTennessee SenateThe Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
also passes Senate Bill 49, colloquially known as the "Don't Say Gay bill", which would bar schools from presenting any prepared material or lessons about homosexuality to students before high school. - United States District Judge Frank MontalvoFrank MontalvoFrank Montalvo is a United States federal judge.Born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Montalvo received a B.S. from the University of Puerto Rico in 1976, a M.S. from the University of Michigan in 1977, and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School in 1985...
rules that a voter initiative in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
that stripped health benefits from the unmarried partners of city employees is constitutional. Although supporters of the initiative stated that they only intended to remove benefits from the partners of gay employees, Montalvo finds that the language of the ordinance also strips benefits from city officials and others who are not technically employees of the city. - 21 — The Minnesota House of RepresentativesMinnesota House of RepresentativesThe Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
passes a proposed constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriage in the state. The amendment will go before the voters in November 2012. - 23
- TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
governor Bill HaslamBill HaslamWilliam Edward "Bill" Haslam is the 49th and current Governor of Tennessee. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam was elected to office in 2010...
signs the "Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act" into law, reversing Nashville's LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance and barring any local unit of government from requiring that companies bar discrimination on any basis not already covered by state law. - The Church of ScotlandChurch of ScotlandThe Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
votes to allow openly gay ministers, who can live in civil unions. - 25
- NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
Governor Brian SandovalBrian SandovalBrian Edward Sandoval is an American politician. He is the 29th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada since January 3, 2011. Sandoval is a former judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada...
signs Assembly Bill 211, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression. The law will take effect October 1. - A spokesperson for BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian President Dilma RousseffDilma RousseffDilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
announces that she has suspended an upcoming distribution of sex educationSex educationSex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
videos through the ministries of health and education, saying that the "anti-homophobia kits," as they are known, are inappropriate for children and do not offer an "objective" view of homosexuality. - 26 — The United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
passes a military spending bill with amendments designed to delay final repeal of don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
. The bill would also specify that the Defense of Marriage ActDefense of Marriage ActThe Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
applies to all Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
policies and prohibit the use of military facilities or personnel for performing same-sex marriages. - 28 — Moscow police arrest more than 30 people at a gay rights march in the city, despite an October 2010 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that denying permits to gay rights demonstrations is illegal.
June
- 1 — Illinois' civil unions law goes into effect.
- 2 — Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signs the Nevada Senate Bills 331 and 368, which outlawed discrimination in housing and public accommodation on the basis of gender identity.
- 4 — A lesbian couple marries in what is being called France's first legal same-sex marriage. The marriage is legal because one of the brides, a male-to-female transgender, never legally changed her sex.
- 6 — The Wyoming Supreme CourtWyoming Supreme CourtThe Wyoming Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices. Each Justice is appointed by the Governor of Wyoming for an eight-year term. The five Justices select the Chief Justice from amongst themselves. The person...
reverses a lower court ruling and allows a a LGBT couple married in Canada to divorce. The ruling recognised same-sex marriage in Wyoming only in the context of divorce. - 8
- The Virginia Board of Juvenile Justice, which oversees the state's juvenile correctional facilities, votes unanimously to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
- The Portland, Oregon City CouncilGovernment of Portland, OregonThe Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
votes unanimously to expand health coverage for city workers to cover the cost of sex re-assignment surgery up to $50,000. - In an apparent national first, Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
announces plans to reimburse city employees in legal same-sex marriages for the federal tax burden they incur for the value of health benefits received by their spouses. Under federal law, employers are required to include the value of such benefits as taxable income, while mixed-sex married couples are not taxed. Reimbursement in the form of quarterly stipends are expected to begin in July. - 10 — The Obama administration issues a "guidance" memo stating that under existing law, states may choose to offer the same level of asset protection to same-sex couples under MedicaidMedicaidMedicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
asset recovery plans as it offers to mixed-sex married couples. - 11 — The first ever gay pride march in Split, Croatia is attacked by extremists throwing rocks, bottles and firecrackers. Over 100 people are detained by authorities. Croatian President Ivo JosipovicIvo JosipovićIvo Josipović is a Croatian politician who has been President of Croatia since 2010. Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communists of Croatia , and played a key role in the democratic transformation of this party as the author of the first statute of the SDP that replaced the...
condemns the violence, saying that violent extremism is "something that cannot be tolerated in Croatia". - 14
- United States Department of EducationUnited States Department of EducationThe United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
Secretary Arne DuncanArne DuncanArne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early years and personal:...
affirms in a letter to educators that gay-straight allianceGay-straight allianceGay–straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in North American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies .-Goal:The goal of most, if not all,...
s should be afforded the same rights and protections as any other student-initiated organization under the Equal Access ActEqual Access ActThe Equal Access Act is a United States federal law passed in 1984 to compel federally-funded secondary schools to provide equal access to extracurricular clubs...
. - Chief U.S. District Judge James S. WareJames Ware (judge)James S. Ware is the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and his chambers are in San Francisco, California.- Early life and education :...
rejects a petition to vacate retired Judge Vaughn Walker'sVaughn R. WalkerVaughn R. Walker served as a district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California from 1989 to 2011.-Biography:Walker was born in Watseka, Illinois, in 1944...
ruling in Perry v. SchwarzeneggerPerry v. SchwarzeneggerPerry v. Schwarzenegger is a federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California challenging the federal constitutionality of Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that amended the California Constitution to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples,...
, which invalidated California's Proposition 8California Proposition 8 (2008)Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
. Proponents of the measure had claimed that Walker's involvement in a long-term relationship with another man required him either to disclose the relationship or to recuse himself. - The National Assembly of France rejects a bill presented by the opposition Socialist PartySocialist Party (France)The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
seeking to legalise same-sex marriage by 293 votes to 222. - The El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
city council votes to restore health benefits to the non-married partners of city employees. The benefits had been stripped by a voter initiative in November 2010. - 15 — The United States Department of Health and Human ServicesUnited States Department of Health and Human ServicesThe United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
announces its first-ever grant in the amount of $250,000 to create a resource center for LGBT political refugees. - 16
- The United Nations Human Rights CouncilUnited Nations Human Rights CouncilThe United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
passes a declaration which for the first time condemns discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The declaration also commissions a study of anti-gay discrimination around the world. - The National AssemblyNational Assembly (Slovenia)The National Assembly is the general representative body of the Slovenian nation. According to the Constitution of Slovenia and the Constitutional Court of Slovenia, it is the major part of the distinctively incompletely bicameral legislative branch of the Republic of Slovenia. It is unicameral...
of SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
passes, on the third reading, a bill expanding the rights of registered partnerships. - 19 — Voters in Liechtenstein approve a binding resolutionLiechtenstein registered partnership referendum, 2011A referendum on approving the registered partnership law was held in Liechtenstein from 17 June to 19 June 2011. The registered partnership law was approved by 68.8 percent of voters and went into effect on 1 September 2011.-Background:...
by a margin of 68%–32% that recognises registered partnerships. Same-sex couples will have the same tax, inheritance and welfare rights as married couples but will remain barred from adopting children. - 20 — Dane County Judge Dan Moeser rules that Wisconsin's domestic partnership registry, which offers limited benefits to registered partners, does not violate the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. He finds that the state "does not recognize domestic partnership in a way that even remotely resembles how the state recognizes marriage."
- 21 — The World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
releases a report stating that legal sanctions against homosexuality have worsened the worldwide AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
pandemic and calls upon world governments to enact anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. - 23 — A Washington County, MarylandWashington County, MarylandWashington County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering southern Pennsylvania to the north, northern Virginia to the south, and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to the south and west. As of the 2010 Census, its population is 147,430...
judge rules that one member of a same-sex couple legally married in Washington, D. C. may invoke spousal privilege and refuse to testify against her spouse in a criminal case. - 24
- Following a 36-26 vote passing exemptions for religious organizations, the New York Senate approves the same-sex marriage law; the New York State AssemblyNew York State AssemblyThe New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
had approved the amended bill earlier in the day. Governor Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoAndrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
signs the bill into law shortly before midnight. The law will take effect in 30 days and will make New York the sixth state in the United States to recognize same-sex marriage. - Police in St. Petersburg, Russia, detain 14 gay rights activists holding an unsanctioned gay pride event.
- 27 — Sao PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil state Judge Fernando Henrique Pinto rules that two men in a civil union may convert their union into a full legal marriage, believed to be the first legal same-sex marriage in the country. - 29 — An organization supporting same-sex marriage and seven same-sex couples in New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
file a lawsuit, Garden State Equality v. Dow, seeking full marriage rights. A 2006 decision of the New Jersey Supreme CourtNew Jersey Supreme CourtThe New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
, Lewis v. HarrisLewis v. HarrisLewis v. Harris, 188 N.J. 415; 908 A.2d 196 , is a New Jersey Supreme Court case that held that same-sex couples are entitled to the same equal protection as heterosexual couples under the state constitution....
, led to the establishment of civil unions in the state but plaintiffs argue that civil unions do not offer the full equality required by the original Court decision.
July
- 1
- Following a federal investigation into the September 2010 suicide of gay student Seth Walsh, the United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and the United States Department of EducationUnited States Department of EducationThe United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
announce a "resolution agreement" with California's Tehachapi Unified School DistrictTehachapi Unified School DistrictThe Tehachapi Unified School District is a school district in the Tehachapi, California area with approximately 4,900 students. Richard L. Swanson Ph.D. is the district's Superintendent...
addressing bullying based on sexual orientation and gender expression. - The United States Department of Justice files a brief in Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management, supporting a plaintiff who is asking for DOMADoma- Places :* Domah, a mandal in Ranga Reddy district, Andhra Pradesh, India* Doma, Nigeria, a local government are in Nasarawa State, Nigeria* Duma , a Palestinian town in the West Bank- Other uses :...
Section 3 to be ruled unconstitutional. It provides its first account of "a significant history of purposeful discrimination against gay and lesbian people, by governmental as well as private entities". - 2 — Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
Governor Lincoln ChafeeLincoln ChafeeLincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
signs the state's civil unions bill into law. The law, which is effective immediately, is designed to grant same-sex couples the same rights as married couples but withholds the word "marriage." However, some rights, such as tax exemptions based on marital status, remain unavailable because the state uses federal tax law to determine them, which does not recognize any form of same-sex union. Some LGBT rights activists had urged Chafee to veto the bill, saying that exemptions for religious organizations were overly broad and might allow such groups to discriminate against civil unions. - 5 — Governor Dan MalloyDan MalloyDannel Patrick "Dan" Malloy is the 88th and current Governor of Connecticut. He was the Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut from December 1995 until December 2009. Malloy had been endorsed by the Connecticut Democratic Party on May 22, 2010 over 2006 Democratic U.S...
of Connecticut signs bill HB-6599, which bars discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and other laws based on gender identity or expression. The law, which will take effect October 1, makes Connecticut the 15th state (along with Washington, D.C.) to outlaw some form of gender identity discrimination. - 6 — In Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
lifts its stay of a lower court's order and orders an immediate halt to the enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell." The court cites progress implementing the 2010 repeal of the policy and the Obama administration's 1 July brief in a DOMA case that cites the history of government and private discrimination based on sexual orientation. - 7 — The United States Department of Justice seeks to withdraw its appeal of a California same-sex couple's joint bankruptcy petition and announces that it will no longer raise objections to "bankruptcy petitions filed jointly by same-sex couples who are married under state law".
- 12 — It is reported that railway police in Hyderabad, India arrested 212 hijrasHijra (South Asia)In the culture of South Asia, hijras or chakka in Kannada, khusra in Punjabi and kojja in Telugu are physiological males who have feminine gender identity, women's clothing and other feminine gender roles. Hijras have a long recorded history in the Indian subcontinent, from the antiquity, as...
in June "to eradicate the menace of eunuch." - 14
- California governor Jerry BrownJerry BrownEdmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
signs the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful Education Act. The new law mandates that educational material in California schools includes information on the contributions of LGBT people to California and United States history, prohibits discriminatory material and lessons and adds "sexual orientation" to existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education. - After a July 11 order from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals requiring that it reveal whether it intends to continue defending "don't ask, don't tell", the Obama administration requests an emergency reconsideration of the court's order suspending the enforcement of the policy.
- 15 — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals grants the government's emergency request to reinstate "don't ask, don't tell" but bars the government from investigating, penalizing or discharging anyone under the policy.
- 19 — With over 1,700 same-sex New York City couples having applied for marriage licenses online to be married on July 24, the first day such marriages will be legally performed in the state, Mayor Michael BloombergMichael BloombergMichael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announce that a lottery will be held to assign spots to 764 same-sex and mixed-sex couples to be married in the city that day. - 20 — The United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
confirms that it, along with the Department of Education'sUnited States Department of EducationThe United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
Office of Civil Rights, is investigating Anoka-Hennepin School District 11Anoka-Hennepin School District 11The Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 is a school district in Minnesota, northwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The district serves 13 communities: All of Anoka, Champlin and Coon Rapids, and parts of Andover, Blaine, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Dayton, Fridley, Ham Lake, Nowthen, Oak Grove...
in Minnesota for "allegations of harassment and discrimination in the [district] based on sex, including peer-on-peer harassment based on not conforming to gender stereotypes." Several students, including four who, according to friends and family, were homosexual or perceived as such and committed suicide within the last two years. The school district has a policy barring any discussion of homosexuality and requires staff to remain neutral on matters of sexual orientation. - 22
- President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
announces that certification required for ending the U.S. military's ban on openly gay servicemembers has been completed and that the "don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" policy is scheduled to end on September 20. - The Michigan Supreme CourtMichigan Supreme CourtThe Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
rejects an appeal from a lesbian seeking shared custody of the children of her former partner. - 24 — The first legal same-sex marriages are performed in the state of New York. New York City records 659 marriages, a one-day record for the city.
- 26
- The Constitutional Court of ColombiaConstitutional Court of ColombiaThe Constitutional Court of Colombia is the highest entity in the judicial branch of government in the Republic of Colombia in charge of safeguarding the integrity and supremacy of the Colombian Constitution of 1991 within the Constitutional laws.However it is not the highest court of criminal...
rules that same-sex couples in de facto unions constitute a family. The Court further rules that the Congress of ColombiaCongress of ColombiaThe Congress of the Republic of Colombia is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.The Congress of Colombia consists of the 102-seat Senate , and the 166-seat Chamber of Representatives ...
has two years to address marriage equality through the legislative process. If the deadline passes without legislation, same-sex couples will be able to formalize their unions through notary publicNotary publicA notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
s. - The United Nations Economic and Social Council reports that the International Gay and Lesbian Association has been granted consultative status. This gives ILGA the right to attend U.N. meetings, speak, and provide information to U.N. bodies on treatment of gays.
- The Italian Chamber of DeputiesItalian Chamber of DeputiesThe Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
rejects a bill that would have outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. - The United States Department of LaborUnited States Department of LaborThe United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
releases a report on employee benefits in the United States which for the first time includes information on the availability of same-sex domestic partnership benefits.
August
- 1 — Members of the Suquamish tribe in the U.S. state of Washington vote unanimously to legalize same-sex marriage. The tribal court may issue a marriage license to two unmarried adults regardless of sex as long as at least one of them is a registered tribal member.
- 4 — President Barack Obama signs a proclamation ordering the State Department to bar from entry into the United States anyone who has engaged in oppression against various groups, including those defined by "sexual orientation or gender identity."
- 5
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Arkansas* Western District of Arkansas...
upholds a lower court ruling in Fields v. Smith, striking down Wisconsin's "Inmate Sex Change Prevention Act." The law barred doctors in Wisconsin prisons from prescribing hormone treatment or sex reassignment surgery to transgender inmates. The court finds that denial of treatment without a medically necessary reason constitutes cruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
. - Thirteen embassies seated in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
issue a joint statement in support of the Prague Pride gay carnival scheduled for August 13. The event had been denounced by CzechCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
President Vaclav KlausVáclav KlausVáclav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
. The statement was signed by the ambassadors from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain (which initiated the action), Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. - 13 — Several thousand people march in the first-ever gay pride march in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Dozens of counter-demonstrators protest the event but a police presence of 300 keeps marchers and protesters separate. - 15 — The American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties UnionThe American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
files suit against the Camdenton R-III School District in Osage Beach, MissouriOsage Beach, MissouriOsage Beach is a city in Camden and Miller counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,662 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Osage Beach is located at ....
because of its alleged practice of blocking access to LGBT-oriented educational sites with content-control softwareContent-control softwareContent-control software, also known as censorware or web filtering software, is a term for software designed and optimized for controlling what content is permitted to a reader, especially when it is used to restrict material delivered over the Web...
. The ACLU contends that such blocking places an "undue burden" on students. - 17 — Maine Secretary of StateSecretary of State of MaineThe Secretary of State of Maine is elected by the Legislature in that U.S. state. The Maine Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, the Maine State Archives, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and for chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to no more than two...
Charles E. Summers, Jr.Charles E. Summers, Jr.Charles E. "Charlie" Summers, Jr. is a Maine politician and the Secretary of State of Maine. He is also a small businessperson and veteran of Iraq War. He was the Republican candidate for United States Congress in Maine's 1st congressional district several times, including a 2008 defeat to Chellie...
approves language for a ballot initiative seeking to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Proponents will need to gather just over 57,000 signatures by January 2012 to place the initiative on the November 2012 ballot. Maine legislators had approved marriage equality in 2009 but the law was overturned by referendum later that year. - 26 — The Nebraska Supreme CourtNebraska Supreme CourtThe Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. Each Justice is initially appointed by the Governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each Justice is then subject to a retention vote for additional...
issues a ruling clarifying same-sex parenting rights in the state. The court rules that a woman who served as a parent to her former partner's child during their relationship can pursue custody and visitation. - 31 — The Canadian Broadcast Standards CouncilCanadian Broadcast Standards CouncilThe Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is an independent, non-governmental organization created by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to administer standards established by its members, Canada's private broadcasters....
modifies its January ruling on the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing", saying that while the word "faggot" is "inappropriate", the song itself was satirical and taken in context the slur was not used in a hateful manner.
September
- 2 — The California State SenateCalifornia State SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
passes AB 9, known as "Seth's Law" after 13-year-old Seth Walsh, who committed suicide in 2010 after constant anti-gay harassment at his school. The bill would require every school in California to implement anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies and programs that include actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The state assembly had passed the bill in June. - 4 — Iran Human Rights, an organization that monitors IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian state news, reports that three men were hanged on this day for engaging in sodomy. - 6
- California governor Jerry BrownJerry BrownEdmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
signs SB 117, also known as the Equal Benefits Act, into law. The Act bars the state from entering into contracts worth more than $100,000 with vendors that do not offer equal benefits to the spouses of same-sex employees. - The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
upholds a lower court order requiring the state of ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
to continue providing health care benefits to the same-sex partners of state workers while a lawsuit challenging the removal of benefits continues. The plaintiffs contend that the law stripping the benefits, which was signed in 2009, violates their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. - 7 — The United States Department of Health and Human ServicesUnited States Department of Health and Human ServicesThe United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
issues a finalized guidance memorandum that creates an enforcement mechanism for the policy announced last year by the Obama administration mandating hospitals that receive MedicareMedicareMedicare may refer to any of several publicly funded health insurance programs:*Medicare *Medicare *Medicare - See also :*Medicaid*Medicare Australia*Medicare Resources - China*Medicare Rights Center - United States...
and MedicaidMedicaidMedicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
funding allow patients to designate their choice of visitors during inpatient stays, including same-sex partners. - 12 — A transgender woman in IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
is awarded over $100,000 for discrimination by a former employer based on her gender identity. The award is believed to be the first on the basis of gender identity made in the state since the Illinois Human Rights Act was amended in 2006 to cover it. - 13 — Following passage Monday in the State Assembly, the North Carolina Senate passes a proposed state constitutional amendment limiting the state's definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. North Carolina voters will see the amendment on the ballot in May 2012.
- 15
- The government of AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
announces new passport guidelines that will allow intersexIntersexIntersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
people to select "X" as their gender identifier. Only intersex people may select X; transgender people must still select either "male" or "female". - The United States Social Security AdministrationSocial Security AdministrationThe United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
confirms that it has discontinued the practice of notifying employers when an employee's gender marker on a W-2 tax form does not match the worker's gender in Social Security records. Transgender activists feared that such "gender no-match" letters could have the effect of outingOutingOuting is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
transgender people in possibly hostile work environments. - The San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
City Council approves a budget that includes domestic partnership benefits for city employees. - 17 — AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Superior Court Judge Frank Pfiffner rules that denying same-sex couples the senior citizen and property tax exemptions given to mixed-sex married couples violates the state's constitutional guarantee of equal protection. - 20 — Don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
, the law which since 1993 has excluded LGB people from serving openly in the United States military, expires nine months after it was legislatively repealed. The United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
is the first branch of the military to announce formally that the exclusionary policy is over. - 26 — New York governor Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoAndrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
signs into law a bill requiring the New York State Office of the Aging to assess the needs of traditionally underserved populations among the elderly, including LGBT senior citizens. - 28 — The European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in StraßburgStrasburg-Places:*Strasbourg, a city in Alsace *Straßburg, Austria, in Carinthia*Strasburg, Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania*the former name of Brodnica, became Polish after World War I*Strassburg, the German name for Aiud, Alba...
passes a resolution against discrimination by sexual orientationSexual orientationSexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. - 29
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
vacates the district court's ruling in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, ruling that the legislative repeal of don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
renders the case mootMootnessIn American law, a matter is moot if further legal proceedings with regard to it can have no effect, or events have placed it beyond the reach of the law...
. The dismissal leaves the earlier court rulings without value as precedentPrecedentIn common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
. - Citing the 1982 case Adams v. HowertonAdams v. HowertonRichard Frank Adams, et. al., v. Joseph D. Howerton, 673 F.2d 1036. , cert. denied, 458 U.S. 1111 is a decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that held that the term "spouse" refers to an opposite sex partner for the purposes of immigration law and that this...
, United States District Judge Stephen Victor WilsonStephen Victor WilsonStephen Victor Wilson is a judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of California.Born in New York, New York, Wilson received a B.A. from Lehigh University in 1963, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1967, and an LL.M. from George Washington University Law School in 1973....
dismisses the lawsuit of a binational same-sex couple who legally married in Massachusetts and who sought to have the Defense of Marriage ActDefense of Marriage ActThe Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
declared unconstitutional. Marriage advocates had argued that Adams should not be considered precedent because of the changed legal landscape for married same-sex couples since it was decided. - 30
- The United States Federal Bureau of PrisonsFederal Bureau of PrisonsThe Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
announces the settlement of a lawsuit brought by a transgender prisoner that will change how transgender people are treated in the federal prison system. Formerly such prisoners were subjected to a "freeze frame" policy under which transgender prisoners were "frozen" at the level of treatment they were at upon entering the prison system. Now prisoners "will receive a current individualized assessment and evaluation. Treatment options will not be precluded solely due to level of services received, or lack of services, prior to incarceration…current, accepted standards of care will be used as a reference for developing the treatment plan." - Following the end of "don't ask, don't tell" the United States Department of Defense issues a memo clarifying that military facilities may be used for, and that any military chaplain may preside over, any private ceremony that does not violate the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is performed. The memo clears the way for same-sex marriages to be performed in military facilities in those jurisdictions where same-sex marriages are legally recognized.
- Officials in SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
ban a gay pride parade scheduled for October 2 in BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, citing the possibility of "major chaos" and "enormous damage to public order and peace". A parade last year was disrupted by far right counter-demonstrators and counter-demonstrations planned for this year are also banned.
October
- 3
- The UK's Identity and Passport Service announces plans to change passport application forms to include options for same-sex parents to identify as "parent one" and "parent two" rather than as "mother" and "father" and to allow transgender applicants to opt out of selecting a gender for passport purposes.
- Park Ridge, IllinoisPark Ridge, Illinois-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...
repeals a 1928 ordinance against cross-dressing. Such bans were historically used to harass and arrest gay people. - 5 — California Governor Jerry Brown signs Seth's law, requiring school districts across the state have a uniform process for dealing with complaints about bullying and mandating that school personnel intervene, when safe to do so, to stop bullying.
- 8 — Andrew MitchellAndrew MitchellThe Right Honourable Andrew John Bower Mitchell MP is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sutton Coldfield...
, the UK's Secretary of State for International DevelopmentSecretary of State for International DevelopmentIn the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for International Development is a Cabinet minister responsible for the Department for International Development and for promoting development overseas, particularly in the third world...
, announces that African countries which persecute homosexuals will face cuts in financial aid from the British government. The Government has already cut £19 million in aid to MalawiMalawiThe Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
after two men were sentenced in 2010 to 14 years' hard labor for attempting to marry (the men were later released after intercession by the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
). - 9 — California Governor Jerry Brown announces the signing of the Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 443) and the Vital Statistics Modernization Act (AB 887). AB 443 makes it illegal to discriminate in employment, education, housing, and other public settings based on gender identity or expression and AB 887 allows transgender people to obtain a court order to protect their gender.
- 25
- The Supreme Federal Court of BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
rules in favor of two women seeking to be legally civilly married, finding that "sexual orientation should not serve as a pretext for excluding families from the legal protection that marriage represents". - The United States Department of Homeland SecurityUnited States Department of Homeland SecurityThe United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
grants political asylumRight of asylumRight of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
to a gay man from MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, one of five countries which imposes the death penalty for homosexuality. - 28 — As part of an ongoing review of benefits available to the partners of LGB military personnel, the United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
releases a list of 14 such rights and benefits.
November
- 2
- The UK Equalities Commission announces that same-sex couples may use houses of worship in England and Wales for civil partnership ceremonies although no religious organization can be forced to perform them.
- The United States Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue ServiceThe Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
announces that it intends to issue a formal agreement, known as a "notice of acquiescence", with the 2010 United States Tax CourtUnited States Tax CourtThe United States Tax Court is a federal trial court of record established by Congress under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, section 8 of which provides that the Congress has the power to "constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court"...
decision in O'Donnabhain v. CommissionerO'Donnabhain v. CommissionerO'Donnabhain v. Commissioner 134 T.C. No. 4 was a case recently before the United States Tax Court. The issue for the court is whether a taxpayer who has been diagnosed with gender identity disorder can deduct sex reassignment surgery costs as necessary medical expenses under . The IRS argued...
, allowing people to deduct the costs for treating gender identity disorderGender identity disorderGender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
from their federal income taxes. - 3 — The United Nations Human Rights Committee issues a groundbreaking report on Iran'sIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsInternational Covenant on Civil and Political RightsThe International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
, including the country's treatment of its LGBT citizens. The report, which has legal weight in the international community, could become a tool for improving the lives of LGBT people in Iran and elsewhere. - 4
- An advance copy of a UN Human Rights Committee report on LGBT rights in JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
shows the body is calling upon the Jamaican government to protect the rights of its LGBT citizens, including repealing the nation's "buggery" law. - Mercer UniversityMercer UniversityMercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
in GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
announces that it has extended domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples. - 8 — Voters in Traverse City, MichiganTraverse City, MichiganTraverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
defeat by a two-to-one margin a ballot initiative to repeal the town's anti-discrimination ordinance that was enacted in 2010. - 9 — The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
denies a motion by Log Cabin RepublicansLog Cabin RepublicansThe Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
for an en bancEn bancEn banc, in banc, in banco or in bank is a French term used to refer to the hearing of a legal case where all judges of a court will hear the case , rather than a panel of them. It is often used for unusually complex cases or cases considered to be of greater importance...
hearing in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, which sought to have "don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" declared unconstitutional. LCR announces that it will not appeal to the United States Supreme Court. - 14 — The government of BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, based on an October ruling by the country's Supreme Federal Court, grants permanent resident status to a foreign national based on his same-sex relationship with a Brazilian citizen. - 15 — The Oklahoma CityOklahoma cityOklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
Council votes to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in city employment. - 22 — An independent arbiter rules that Baltimore County, MarylandBaltimore County, MarylandBaltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
must extend spousal benefits to the same-sex spouses of two police officers who legally married in other states. - 24 — A judge in CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
sentences three men to five years each in prison for committing homosexual acts.
Deaths
- January 7 — Carlos CastroCarlos Castro (journalist)Carlos Castro was a Portuguese television personality and journalist, who had worked in the media for over 35 years, mainly covering gossip items about musicians, actors and celebrities. He became well known after he had come out on television and participated in the Big Show SIC, presented by...
, Portuguese journalist and LGBT rights activist, bludgeoned. - January 15 — Lance Lundsten, American student, suicide following alleged school bullying.
- January 19 — Kameron Jacobsen, American student, suicide following alleged FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
bullying. - January 26 — David KatoDavid KatoDavid Kato Kisule was a Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement. He served as advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda...
, Ugandan, LGBT rights activist, bludgeoned. - February 27 — James GruberJames GruberJames "John" Finley Gruber was an American teacher and early LGBT rights activist.-Biography:James Gruber was born August 21, 1928 in Des Moines, Iowa. Growing up he considered himself bisexual and was involved with both men and women. His father, a former vaudevillian turned music teacher,...
, American LGBT activist, last surviving original member of the Mattachine SocietyMattachine SocietyThe Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, was one of the earliest homophile organizations in the United States, probably second only to Chicago’s Society for Human Rights . Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles male friends formed the group to protect and improve the rights of homosexuals...
, following an illness. - February 28 — Peter J. GomesPeter J. GomesPeter John Gomes was an American preacher and theologian,the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School and Pusey Minister at Harvard's Memorial Church—in the words of Harvard's president "one of the great preachers of our generation, and a living symbol of courage and...
, American theologian and same-sex marriage advocate, complications following a stroke. - April 17 — Alfred FreedmanAlfred FreedmanAlfred Mordecai Freedman was an American psychiatrist. A long-time educator and advocate of social justice, Freedman is known for leading the effort to have the American Psychiatric Association de-classify homosexuality as a mental illness.-Early life and education:Alfred Freedman was born January...
, American psychiatrist who led the campaign to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973, complications following surgery. - April 23 — Noxolo NogwazaNoxolo NogwazaNoxolo Nogwaza was a South African lesbian LGBT rights activist and organizer of the Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee. She was raped and murdered by assailants in KwaThema, Gauteng in an incident which was branded a hate crime....
, South African LGBT activist, possible victim of corrective rapeCorrective rapeCorrective rape is a criminal practice first seen in South Africa, whereby lesbian women are raped by men, sometimes under supervision by members of their families or local communities, purportedly as a means of "curing" them of their homosexuality....
, murdered. - May 7 — Doric WilsonDoric WilsonDoric Wilson was an American playwright, director, producer, critic and gay rights activist.He was born Alan Doric Wilson in Los Angeles, California, where his family was temporarily located. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, he was raised on his grandfather's ranch at Plymouth, Washington on...
, American playwright and LGBT activist. - June 19 — Taylor Siluwé, American writer, lung cancer.
- June 25 — Jean HarrisJean Harris (activist)Jean Harris , born Kathie Jean Harris, was an American Democratic and LGBT rights activist. A longtime force in San Francisco politics, Harris served as chief of staff to former San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, who was appointed to the board in 1978 following the assassination of Supervisor...
, American LGBT rights activist. - July 22 — Ifti NasimIfti NasimIfti Nasim was a gay Pakistani American poet. Having moved to the US to escape persecution for his sexual orientation, he became known locally for establishing Sangat, an organization to support LGBT south-Asian youths, and internationally for publishing Narman, a poetry collection that was the...
, Pakistani-born poet and LGBT rights activist, heart attack. - August 3 — Rudolf BrazdaRudolf BrazdaRudolf Brazda was the last known concentration camp survivor deported by Nazi Germany on charges of homosexuality. Brazda spent nearly three years at the Buchenwald concentration camp, where his prisoner uniform was branded with the distinctive pink triangle that the Nazis used to mark men...
, German survivor of Buchenwald concentration campBuchenwald concentration campBuchenwald concentration camp was a German Nazi concentration camp established on the Ettersberg near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937, one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps on German soil.Camp prisoners from all over Europe and Russia—Jews, non-Jewish Poles and Slovenes,...
and the last known homosexual internee. - August 22 — Jack LaytonJack LaytonJohn Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, Canadian politician, LGBT rights advocate, cancer. - September 11 — Walter Righter, American Episcopalian bishop charged with and absolved of heresy for ordaining a non-celibate gay man, illness.
- September 11 — Arthur EvansArthur Evans (author)Arthur Scott Evans was an early gay rights advocate and author, most well known for his 1978 book Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture.-Early life:...
, author and LGBT rights activist, co-founder of Gay Activists Alliance, heart attack. - September 18 — Jamey RodemeyerJamey RodemeyerJamey Rodemeyer was an openly gay teenager, known for his activism against homophobia and his videos on YouTube to help victims of bullying. He took his own life as a result of the constant bullying he faced. Rodemeyer has since become a symbol of bullied adolescents and teenagers who identify as...
, American student, suicide following online bullying. - October 7 — Paula Ettelbrick, American lawyer and LGBT rights activist, cancer.
- October 11 — Frank Kameny, American LGBT rights activist, heart disease.
- October 14 — Jamie Hubley, Canadian student, suicide following bullying and depression.
- October 26 — Axel Axgil, Danish LGBT rights activist, complications from a fall.
- October 26 — Aristide LaurentAristide LaurentAristide "A.J." Laurent was an American publisher and LGBT civil rights advocate...
, American LGBT rights activist and co-founder of The AdvocateThe AdvocateThe Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
magazine, cancer. - October 29 (reported) — Rose Robertson, British LGBT rights activist, natural causes.
- November 7 — Peter Burton, British journalist and LGBT rights advocate, heart attack,
- November 10 — Barbara GrierBarbara GrierBarbara Grier was an American writer and publisher most widely known for co-founding Naiad Press and writing and editing The Ladder under the pseudonym Gene Damon.-Early life:...
, American lesbian rights activist and co-founder of Naiad PressNaiad pressNaiad Press was one of the first publishing companies dedicated to lesbian literature. At its closing it was the oldest and largest lesbian/feminist publisher in the world.-History:...
, cancer. - November 11 — Ashlynn Conner, American student, suicide following alleged gender-based bullying.
See also
- Timeline of LGBT historyTimeline of LGBT historyThe following is a timeline of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender related history.-9660 to 5000 BC:* Mesolithic rock art in Sicily depicts phallic male figures in pairs that have been interpreted variously, including as depictions of homosexual intercourse.-7000 to 1700 BC:*Among the sexual...
– timeline of events from 12,000 BCE to present - LGBT rights by country or territory – current legal status around the world
- LGBT social movementsLGBT social movementsLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...