LGBTQ rights in the United States

LGBTQ rights in the
United States
LGBTQ rights in the; United States
	Location of the United States
Status	Homosexuality legal nationwide since 2003; (Lawrence v. Texas); Legal in various areas since 1962
Gender identity	Laws vary by jurisdiction
Military	Sexual orientation: Yes; Gender identity: Yes; Intersex status: No; "Don't ask, don't tell" policy repealed on September 20, 2011; Transgender ban repealed January 25, 2021; (DoDI) 6130.03, 2018, section 5, 13f and 14m;
Discrimination protections	Prohibited employment discrimination since 2020 (Bostock v. Clayton County); Sexual orientation and gender identity protected under federal hate crime laws since 2009;
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage legal nationwide since 2015 (Obergefell v. Hodges)
Adoption	Equal adoption rights for same-sex couples in all states since 2016

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the United States are among the most advanced in the world,^[1]^[2] with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.^[3]^[4]^[5]

In 1962, beginning with Illinois, states began to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity,^[6] and in 2003, through Lawrence v. Texas, all remaining laws against same-sex sexual activity were invalidated. In 2004, beginning with Massachusetts, states began to offer same-sex marriage, and in 2015, through Obergefell v. Hodges, all states were required to offer it. In many states and municipalities, LGBTQ Americans are explicitly protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and access to public accommodations. Many LGBTQ rights in the United States have been established by the United States Supreme Court, which invalidated state laws banning protected class recognition based upon homosexuality, struck down sodomy laws nationwide, struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, made same-sex marriage legal nationwide, and prohibited employment discrimination against gay and transgender employees. LGBT-related anti-discrimination laws regarding housing and private and public services vary by state. Twenty-three states plus Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and twenty-two states plus Washington, D.C., outlaw discrimination based on gender identity or expression.^[7] Family law also varies by state. Adoption of children by same-sex married couples is legal nationwide since Obergefell v. Hodges.^[8]^[9]

Hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity are punishable by federal law under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, but many states lack laws that cover sexual orientation and/or gender identity.^[10]

Public opinion is overwhelmingly supportive of same-sex marriage^[3] while mixed on transgender issues. A 2022 Grinnell College National Poll found that 74% of Americans agree that same-sex marriage should be a guaranteed right while 13% disagree.^[11]^[12] According to General Social Survey, support for same-sex marriage among 18-34 year olds is near-universal.^[13] By 2024, same-sex marriage has no longer become a topic of substantial public debate.^[3] Discussion and political disputes regarding gender identity however continue, particularly regarding bathroom access, athletics, and transgender-related healthcare for minors.^[14]^[15]^[16]

Public opinion

Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States has changed dramatically since the late 1980s;^[4] by the early 2020s, an overwhelming majority of Americans approved of the legality of these marriages.^[4] Younger people are more likely to express support.^[17]^[13]

From 1988 to 2009, support for recognized same-sex marriage increased between 1% and 1.5% per year,^[18] and accelerated thereafter, rising above 50% in Pew Research Center polling for the first time in 2011.^[19] Furthermore, a 2012 Gallup poll found 61% support for allowing gay and lesbian individuals to adopt children.^[20]

"The transformation of America's response to homosexuality", Jeremiah Garretson wrote in 2018, "has been — and continues to be — one of the most rapid and sustained shifts in mass attitudes since the start of public polling."^[4]

A 2021 Public Religion Research Institute poll about legal recognition of same-sex marriage found majority support (defined as at least 50% support) in 47 states, ranging from 50% in South Carolina to 85% in Massachusetts. A 48th state, Alabama, had plurality support (defined as more supporters than opponents, with neither side reaching 50%). Only Arkansas and Mississippi had majority opposition. When PRRI repeated the poll in 2022 and 2023, no state had majority opposition.^[21] A 2022 Quinnipiac University poll found 68 percent support nationwide.^[22] Gallup's 2022 and 2023 nationwide polls found 71% support; however, in 2024, this support decreased to 69%.^[23]

Legality of same-sex sexual activity

On June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that intimate consensual sexual conduct is part of the liberty protected by substantive due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. The majority opinion, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, explicitly overruled Bowers v. Hardwick, a 1986 decision that found sodomy laws to be constitutional.^[24] Despite this ruling, some states have not repealed their sodomy laws^[25] and local law enforcement officers have used these statutes to harass or arrest gay people.^[26]^[27]^[28] After the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" in 2011, the U.S. Congress repealed sodomy laws in the U.S. military in 2014.

Prior to the 2003 Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, same-sex sexual activity was illegal in fourteen U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. military. By that time, twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and five territories had repealed their state's sodomy laws by legislative action.^[29]^[30] Twelve states have had state Supreme Court or state Appeals courts rule that their state's sodomy laws were unconstitutional. Georgia, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, have all had their state sodomy laws struck down by the courts, but the legislatures have not repealed those laws.^[31] On April 18, 2013, the governor of Montana signed a bill repealing that state's sodomy law; it had previously been nullified by the Montana Supreme Court.^[32] On April 23, 2014, the governor of Virginia signed a bill repealing that state's sodomy law.^[33] Utah and Alabama repealed their sodomy laws in 2019 and Idaho did in 2022. On October 1, 2020, a bill repealing Maryland's sodomy law went into effect without the governor's signature,^[34] and a bill repealing its "unnatural sex practices" law went into effect without the governor's signature in May 2023.^[35] Minnesota also repealed its sodomy law in 2023.^[36]

12 states either have not yet formally repealed their laws against sexual activity among consenting adults or have not revised them to accurately reflect their true scope in the aftermath of Lawrence v. Texas. Often, the sodomy law was drafted to also encompass other forms of sexual conduct such as bestiality, and no attempt has subsequently succeeded in separating them. 9 states' statutes purport to ban all forms of sodomy, some including oral intercourse, regardless of the participants' genders: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Carolina. 3 states specifically target their statutes at same-sex relations only: Kansas, Kentucky, and Texas.

The age of consent in each jurisdiction varies but, in most jurisdictions, it is equal to the age of consent for heterosexual sex.^[37] The exception to this is Texas, whose statute books still hold an outdated Romeo and Juliet law that makes the age of consent for gay and lesbian teenagers unequal to that for heterosexual ones.^[38]^[39]^[40] Researchers have shown that sodomy law repeals led to a decline in the number of arrests for disorderly conduct, prostitution, and other sex offenses, as well as a reduction in arrests for drug and alcohol consumption, in line with the hypothesis that sodomy law repeals enhanced mental health and lessened minority stress.^[41]

Recognition of marriage and adoption for same-sex couples

Marriage

The movement to obtain civil marriage rights and benefits for same-sex couples in the United States began in the 1970s but remained unsuccessful for over 40 years. On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state and the sixth jurisdiction in the world to legalize same-sex marriage following the Supreme Judicial Court's decision six months earlier.^[42] Before nationwide legalization, same-sex marriage became legal in 36 states: 24 states by court order, nine by legislative action, and three by referendum. Some states had legalized same-sex marriage by more than one of the three actions.

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that states must license and recognize same-sex marriages. Consequently, same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands. Currently, same-sex marriages are recognized in American Samoa, due to the Respect for Marriage Act. The legal status of same-sex marriage also varies in Native American tribal nations, as their reservations are considered sovereign entities and were not affected by the Supreme Court's legalization in 2015.

Civil unions

Prior to nationwide same-sex marriage, fifteen U.S. states had civil unions or domestic partnerships. The first state to allow same-sex unions was Vermont in July 2000. Many of these states retain those laws as a continued choice for same-sex couples, and opposite-sex couples in certain states.

Adoption

Same-sex couples are allowed to adopt in states and territories following the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges legalizing same-sex marriage. Prior to Obergefell, various states by legislative and judicial action had allowed joint adoption by same-sex couples.

Citizenship

Naturalized U.S. citizens whose biological children are born abroad may be unable to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children even if their spouse is also a U.S. citizen. This may disproportionately affect same-sex couples, given that typically only one spouse is biologically related to the child.^[43]

In October 2020, with representation by Lambda Legal, Immigration Equality and law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius;^[44] the United States Department of State withdrew its appeal of the verdict in Kiviti v. Pompeo, and declined to appeal Mize-Gregg v. Pompeo.^[45]^[43] The State Department's refusal to recognize children born overseas to married same-sex, American citizen couples as U.S. citizens was ruled to be unlawful by Federal district court judges in both cases.^[44]^[46]

Former restrictions

Defense of Marriage Act

The United States Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, which forbade the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and relieved states of the requirement that they recognize same-sex unions performed in other jurisdictions.

On June 26, 2013, Section 3 of DOMA ("Definition of marriage") was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor. The law became effectively unenforceable after the U.S. Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) and was fully repealed by the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022.

Former state bans on same-sex marriage

After the passage of the DOMA in 1996, many state legislators enacted state statutes, nicknamed mini-DOMA's, that ban same-sex marriage.^[47]

After Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage in 2004, fourteen states amended their constitution to ban recognition of same-sex marriages and many banning civil unions as well.

Twenty-eight states passed state constitutional amendments that banned same-sex marriage: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Hawaii voters approved^[when?] a narrower constitutional amendment empowering the legislature to outlaw same-sex marriage, which they had already done in 1993.

On November 6, 2012, Minnesota became the first state to vote down a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The amendment failed with a 53% to 47% vote.^[48]

All state constitutional and statutory bans on same-sex marriage were declared unconstitutional in June 2015 in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Discrimination protections

The Equality Act, which is currently proposed in the United States Congress, would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity nationwide.^[49]

Anti-discrimination laws

U.S. federal law does not explicitly include protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sexual orientation and gender identity are included under "sex" as a prohibited ground of employment discrimination in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.^[50] The ruling may impact other federal civil rights barring sex discrimination in education, health care, housing, and financial credit.

Explicit and comprehensive anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity have been proposed by the United States Congress under the Equality Act, which was passed in the House by a vote of 236-173 on May 17, 2019,^[49]^[51] but has since stalled in the Senate.^[52] During the 2024 United States presidential election, the Heritage foundation with contributors from the cabinet of Donald Trump has outlined legislation on Project 2025 for a large rollback of LGBTQ rights in the United States and a rollback of same-sex marriage in the US. As well as a rollback on all legal protections on the basis of "gender identity."^[53]^[54]^[55]

Employment

Employment discrimination refers to discriminatory employment practices such as bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, and compensation, and various types of harassment.^[56]

There is no federal statute explicitly addressing employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. However, in June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sexual orientation and gender identity are included under "sex" as a prohibited ground of employment discrimination in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.^[50] This effectively means that in the U.S., no employer can fire an employee on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

24 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and over 140 cities and counties have enacted bans on discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or sexual identity. Additionally, some states have laws or regulations that ban discrimination based on gender identity and/or sexual orientation in public employment only.

Presidents have also established certain protections for some employees of the federal government by executive order. In 1995, President Bill Clinton's Executive Order 12968 establishing criteria for the issuance of security clearances included sexual orientation for the first time in its non-discrimination language: "The United States Government does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation in granting access to classified information." It also said that "no inference" about suitability for access to classified information "may be raised solely on the basis of the sexual orientation of the employee."^[57] Clinton's Executive Order 13087 in 1998 prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in the competitive service of the federal civilian workforce. It applied to the large majority of federal employees, but not to the excepted services such as the military.^[58]

At the start of 2010, the Obama administration included gender identity among the classes protected against discrimination under the authority of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In 2012, the EEOC ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not allow gender identity-based employment discrimination because it is a form of sexual discrimination.^[59]^[60]^[61]

On July 21, 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13672, adding "gender identity" to the categories protected against discrimination in hiring in the federal civilian workforce, and both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the categories protected against discrimination in hiring and employment on the part of federal government contractors and sub-contractors.^[62]^[63] Obama's related Executive Order 13673^[a] required federal contractors to prove their compliance with labor laws, but President Trump revoked this requirement on March 27, 2017.^[64]

As of June 15, 2020, all persons working for public employers that employ more than 15 people are protected from discrimination based solely on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity via the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.^[65] The plaintiffs of the case include Gerald Bostock, Aimee Stephens, and Donald Zarda, each fired based upon their sexuality or gender identity. Two-thirds of registered U.S. voters agree with the Supreme Court's decision that employment nondiscrimination laws should protect LGBTQ identity, according to a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted several days later.^[66]

Housing

The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is an agency within the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. FHEO is responsible for administering and enforcing federal fair housing laws and establishing policies that make sure all Americans have equal access to the housing of their choice. Housing discrimination refers to discrimination against potential or current tenants by landlords. In the United States, there is no federal law against such discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but at least twenty-two states and many major cities have enacted laws prohibiting it.^[67] See, for example, Washington House Bill 2661.

In 2012, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity issued a regulation called "Equal Access" to prohibit LGBTQ discrimination in federally-assisted housing programs.^[68] It ensures that the Department's core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2019, however, there was an attempt to weaken the regulation.^[69]

The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is responsible for enforcing a variety of fair housing laws, which prohibit discrimination in both privately owned and publicly assisted housing including:

The Fair Housing Act
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 109 of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
Age Discrimination Act of 1975
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

Among the landmark civil cases on gay rights in housing is Braschi v Stahl Associates Co. In 1989 New York Court of Appeals case that decided that plaintiff Miguel Braschi, the surviving partner of a same-sex relationship, counted as "family" under New York law and was thus able to continue living in a rent controlled apartment belonging to the deceased partner.^[70]^[71]

Medical facilities

On April 14, 2010, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order to the Department of Health and Human Services to draft new rules for all hospitals accepting Medicare or Medicaid funds. They would require facilities to grant visitation and medical decision-making rights to gay and lesbian partners, as well as designees of others such as widows and widowers.^[72] Such rights are not protected by law in many states. Obama said he was inspired by the case of a Florida family, where one of the mothers died while her partner and four children were denied visitation by the hospital.^[72] On June 12, 2020, the Trump administration issued a new rule stating that sexual orientation and gender identity were not covered under the anti-discrimination protections of the Affordable Care Act,^[73] but this was reversed by the Biden administration, restoring the Obama-era policy.^[74]

According to the American advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, more than 10000 local anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in 2023 by members of the conservative Republican Party, including more than 190 that are specifically anti-trans. While in past years conservatives have focused on bathroom bills and banning trans athletes from sports, most bills passed in 2023 have focused on banning gender-affirming health care. Critics noted that these events are a part of the wider culture war between liberals and conservatives in the U.S^[75]

Hate crime laws

Hate crime laws (also known as bias crimes laws) protect against crimes motivated by feelings of enmity against a protected class. Until 2009, a 1969 federal law defined hate crimes committed on the basis of a person's race, color, religion, or nation origin when engaging in a federally protected activity. In October 2009, Congress passed the Matthew Shepard Act, which expanded the definition of hate crimes to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.^[76] It removed the requirement that the victim of a hate crime be engaged in a federally protected activity.^[77] President Obama signed the legislation on October 28, 2009.^[78]

Two statutes, the Hate Crime Statistics Act (1990) and the Campus Hate Crimes Right to Know Act (1997), require the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as college/university campus security authorities, to collect and publish hate crime statistics.

As of December 2023^[update], 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have statutes criminalizing various types of bias-motivated violence or intimidation (the exceptions are Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Wyoming). Each of these statutes covers bias on the basis of race, religion, and ethnicity; 34 cover disability; 34 of them cover sexual orientation; 28 cover gender; 13 cover age; 23 cover gender identity; five cover political affiliation.^[79] 31 states and the District of Columbia have statutes creating a civil cause of action, in addition to the criminal penalty, for similar acts.^[79] Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have statutes requiring the state to collect hate crime statistics; 16 of these cover sexual orientation.^[79]

In Wisconsin v. Mitchell (1993) the Supreme Court unanimously held that state penalty-enhancement laws for hate crimes were constitutional and did not violate First Amendment rights to freedom of thought and expression.

Laws that prohibit hate speech, including those that relate to sexual orientation or gender identity, are considered unconstitutional, due to the First Amendment's broad protections for free speech.^[80]

Gay panic defense

Federal laws

In 2018, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Representative Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA) introduced S.3188 and H.R.6358, respectively, which would prohibit a federal criminal defendant from asserting, as a defense, that the nonviolent sexual advance or an individual or a perception or belief of the gender, gender identity, or expression, or sexual orientation of an individual excuses or justifies conduct or mitigates the severity of an offense. Both bills died in committee. In June 2019, the bill was reintroduced in both houses of Congress as the Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2019 (S.1721 and H.R.3133). it has been reintroduced in both the 2021 and 2023 sessions.

State laws

As of October 2023, 17 states and the District of Columbia have banned the so-called "gay panic defense": California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington.^[81]

Military service

Although the U.S. military discharged soldiers for homosexual acts throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century, U.S. military law did not expressly prohibit homosexuality or homosexual conduct until February 4, 1921. On May 5, 1950, the Uniform Code of Military Justice was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, and became effective on May 31, 1951. Article 125 forbade sodomy among all military personnel, defining it as "any person subject to this chapter who engages in unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex or with an animal is guilty of sodomy. Penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete the offence." Application of Article 125 was severely limited by the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, and it was amended only to apply to 'forcible sodomy' on December 26, 2013, when President Barack Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 finally repealed the article and its classification of sodomy, as a crime separate from rape, altogether.

Prior to 1993, lesbian and gay people were not permitted to serve in the U.S. military. Under the "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy enacted that year, they were permitted to do so only if they did not disclose their sexual orientation. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 permitted homosexual men and women to serve openly in the armed forces once designated government officials certified that the military was prepared for the repeal.^[82] Since September 20, 2011, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals have been able to serve openly.^[83]

Transgender women and other individuals that are assigned male at birth are still required to sign-up for the Selective Service.^[84]

On July 13, 2015, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said that the current regulations banning transgender individuals from serving were outdated, and announced a six-month study to determine if lifting the ban would have any impact on the military's effectiveness.^[85] On June 30, 2016, Carter announced that the ban on transgender troops from openly serving had been lifted.^[86] The policy went into effect on October 1, 2016, and training on transgender issues was scheduled to begin a month later.

On October 24, 2016, 10 soldiers in the U.S. Army became the first to openly petition for a sex change since the ban on service by transgender individuals was lifted.^[87] The military was originally scheduled to complete its adjustment to openly transgender troops by July 2017.^[87] That month, however, President Trump declared in a tweet that transgender people would be prohibited from serving in the military.^[88] The next day, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford said, "There will be no modifications to the current policy until the President's direction has been received by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary has issued implementation guidance. In the meantime, we will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect."^[89]

Trump later published a memo on August 25, 2017, directing that an implementation plan be submitted to him by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security by February 2018.^[90] In November 2018, the Trump administration formally asked the Supreme Court to issue a ruling on the matter, even though lower courts were still hearing appeals.^[91] Though the Supreme Court initially refused this request, on January 22, 2019, it granted temporary permission to the Trump administration to proceed with its ban,^[92]^[93] and on March 12 the Department of Defense released a memorandum describing the terms of the ban to take effect on April 12, 2019.^[94]

The memorandum offers some protection for existing military personnel who were already diagnosed with "gender dysphoria" or who were already serving in their self-designated gender before the memorandum was issued.^[95] However, new personnel must serve in their birth gender/sex and are disqualified from service if they have a recent history of gender dysphoria or if they have ever received hormones and surgery related to gender transition. Two bipartisan bills in Congress are pushing back against the ban.^[96]^[97]

On January 25, 2021, the new Biden administration revoked Trump's ban through an executive order, reverting the policy regarding transgender people and military service to what it was in 2016 under the Obama administration. Transgender personnel are now allowed to serve in the military under varying conditions and requirements. On April 30, 2021, the United States Department of Defense enacted a new policy calling for better medical access and gender marker assistance to transgender people serving in the United States Military.^[98]^[99]

Prison

Solitary confinement

More than 8,400 detained migrants—over a five-year period spanning both the Obama and Trump administrations—were placed in solitary confinement, which remains an ongoing practice as of May 2019. In half of the cases, detainees were being punished, but in the other half, the confinement was due to the person's mental illness, physical disability, or sexual orientation. Journalists identified six suicides among this population.^[100]

Conjugal visits

In the United States, four states permit conjugal visits to prisoners: California, Connecticut, New York, and Washington;^[101] all of these U.S. states have legalized same-sex marriage in June 2015.^[102] In June 2007, California, following the enactment in 2005 of a state law requiring state agencies to provide the same rights to domestic partners as to married couples, became the first U.S. state to allow same-sex conjugal visits. The new rules allowed for visits only by registered same-sex married couples or domestic partners, provided that the same-sex marriage or domestic partnership was established before the prisoner was incarcerated.^[103] In New York, prior to the vote on same-sex visits, this state allowed 27 out of its 60 facilities to allow same-sex conjugal visits, but this law was not enforced state wide until April 2011. In 2014, both New Mexico and Mississippi banned conjugal visits.^[104]^[105]

Transgender rights in the United States

Since April 11, 2022, US Passports give the sex/gender options of male, female and X by self determination.^[106] Discrimination rates are very high for the transgender community and especially for transgender people of color.^[107] Some frequent examples of discrimination and other forms of oppression faced by the transgender community are violence and hate crimes,^[108]^[109] homelessness,^[110] poverty,^[111] sexual assault,^[112]^[113]^[114] housing discrimination,^[115] employment discrimination,^[116] harassment,^[117] bullying,^[118] disproportionate rates of arrest and incarceration,^[119] prison and immigration violence and mistreatment,^[120] airport security humiliation,^[121]^[122] HIV/AIDS^[123] and health disparities,^[124]^[125] governmental/bureaucratic barriers to transitioning (documents and surgery requirements),^[126] economic and societal barriers to transitioning (the high costs of medical care and the frequent denial of care),^[127]^[128] to name only a few.

Some who experience exclusion from the workforce, turn to survival crimes, such as sex work, in order to have an income as a direct result of economic oppression and discrimination.^[119] With the passage of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) bills, those individuals who turn to sex work are put in more danger because they are forced to turn back to more dangerous methods of finding work, such as through pimps and working on the streets, than online forums where they were able to vet clients.^[129]^[130]^[131]^[132]^[133]

Frequently, the media, and politicians sensationalize transgender identities and oppression is reinforced. Aware of this trend, in 2016, a coalition of over 250 anti-sexual assault and domestic violence organizations have released a joint letter decrying the trend of portraying transgender people in restrooms as sexual predators as untrue and harmful. Likewise, GLAAD has released a media guide^[134] for reporters covering restroom usage in relation to the transgender community.

In 2022, over 230 anti-transgender bills were introduced in state legislatures in a coordinated national campaign to target transgender rights,^[135] and over 350 in 2023.^[136] Many of these bills became law.

Many transgender advocates also advocate for converting single-occupant, gender-segregated restrooms into single-occupant, all-gender restrooms by simply changing the signs due to the high rates of harassment and even violence faced by the transgender community when accessing gender-segregated restrooms according to their gender expression. All-gender/gender-neutral restrooms are also beneficial to nursing mothers, parents with different-sex children, and people with disabilities.^[137] Transgender advocates affirm all-gender restrooms as well as access to gendered restrooms as a matter of choice, safety, privacy, and dignity.^[138]

Identity documents

Different procedures and requirements for legal name changes and gender marker changes on birth certificates, drivers licenses, social security identification and passports exist and can be inconsistent. Many states require gender reassignment surgery to change their name and gender marker. Also, documents that do not match each other can present difficulties in conducting personal affairs - particularly those which require multiple, matching forms of identification. Furthermore, having documents that do not match a person's gender presentation has been reported to lead to harassment and discrimination.

Birth certificates

U.S. states make their own laws about birth certificates, and state courts have issued varied rulings about transgender people.^[139]^[140]

Most states permit the name and sex to be changed on a birth certificate, either by amending the existing birth certificate or by issuing a new one, although some require medical proof of sex reassignment surgery to do so.

Tennessee will not change the sex on a birth certificate at all, under any circumstances.^[141]^[142]^[143] In February 2020, the Idaho House of Representatives passed a similar bill.^[144] Oklahoma banned gender change in 2021.^[145] In 2022, Montana banned gender change.^[146]

Drivers' licenses

As of February 2024, all U.S. States except for Kansas and Florida allow the gender marker to be changed on a driver's license, although the requirements for doing so vary by state. Often, the requirements for changing one's driver's license are less stringent than those for changing the marker on the birth certificate. For example, until August 1, 2015, the state of Massachusetts required sex reassignment surgery for a birth certificate change,^[147]^[148] but only a form including a sworn statement from a physician that the applicant is in fact the new gender to correct the sex designation on a driver's license.^[149] As of November 2019, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts no longer requires any documentation or a sworn statement from a medical doctor in order to change one's gender marker on their drivers license/state ID. In order to change the gender marker, one only needs to fill out a new drivers license/ID card application reflecting the correct information.^[150] The state of Virginia had policies similar to those of Massachusetts, requiring Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) for a birth certificate change, but not for a driver's license change.^[151]^[152] Virginia removed the requirement for surgery to change the gender marker in September 2020.^[153]

Sometimes, the states' requirements and laws conflict with and are dependent on each other; for example, a transgender woman who was born in Tennessee but living in Kentucky will be unable to have the gender marker changed on her Kentucky driver's license. This is due to the fact that Kentucky requires an amended birth certificate reflecting the person's accurate gender, but the state of Tennessee does not change gender markers on birth certificates at all.^[154]

On July 1, 2023, Kansas Senate Bill 180 went into effect, mandating that gender markers on birth certificates and driver's licenses reflect a person's sex at birth – reversing a 2019 federal equal protection lawsuit settlement which allowed birth certificates to be changed to reflect a person's gender identity.^[155]

In January 2024, Florida banned changing the gender marker on driver's licenses. Additionally, any person "misrepresenting" their gender would be subject to criminal and civil penalties.^[156]^[157]

In addition, a number of states and city jurisdictions have passed legislation to allow a third gender marker on official identification documents (see below).

Cases

In May 2015, six Michigan transgender people filed Love v. Johnson in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, challenging the state's policy requiring the information on a person's driver's license match the information on their birth certificate.^[158]^[159] This policy requires transgender people to change the information on their birth certificates in order to change their driver's licenses, which at the time of filing was not possible in Tennessee, Nebraska and Ohio, where three of the plaintiffs were born, and requires a court order in South Carolina, where a fourth was born. The remaining two residents were born in Michigan, and would be required to undergo surgery to change their birth certificates.^[158] The plaintiffs in the case are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union.^[158]^[159]

In November 2015, Judge Nancy Edmunds denied the State of Michigan's motion to dismiss the case.^[158]

Passports

The U.S. State Department determines what identifying biographical information is placed on passports. On June 10, 2010, the policy on gender changes was amended to allow permanent gender marker changes to be made with the statement of a physician that "the applicant has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to the new gender."^[160] The previous policy required a statement from a surgeon that gender reassignment surgery was completed.^[161] Since April 11, 2022, American passports give the sex/gender options of male, female and X by self determination.^[106]^[162]

Third gender option

As of 2022, the U.S. federal government recognizes a third gender option on passports. Other countries including Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Germany, Malta, and Canada have begun recognizing this.^[163]^[164]^[165]^[166]^[167] Third genders have traditionally been acknowledged in a number of Native American cultures as "two spirit" people, in traditional Hawaiian culture as the māhū, and as the fa'afafine in American Samoa.^[168]^[169]^[170]^[171] Similarly, immigrants from traditional cultures that acknowledge a third gender would benefit from such a reform, including the muxe gender in southern Mexico and the hijra of south Asian cultures.^[172]^[173]^[174]

On June 10, 2016, an Oregon circuit court ruled that a resident, Elisa Rae Shupe, could obtain a non-binary gender designation. The Transgender Law Center believes this to be "the first ruling of its kind in the U.S."^[175]

Gender-affirming care bans

Gender-affirming care for minors has been available in the U.S. for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations, but it has increasingly come under attack in many conservative legislatures.^[176] According to the ACLU, in 2023 alone, over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills were submitted in the US, over 130 of which were about healthcare.^[177] Efforts to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors had begun several years earlier, but did not receive much attention from state legislatures until more recently.^[178] The conservative organization Do No Harm was influential in developing model legislation that appeared starting in 2022 in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, and West Virginia legislatures.^[179]^[180]

In February 2024, the American Psychological Association approved a policy statement supporting unobstructed access to health care and evidence-based clinical care for transgender, gender-diverse, and nonbinary children, adolescents, and adults, as well as opposing state bans and policies intended to limit access to such care.^[181]^[182]

As of July 2024, 26 states had enacted some form of ban on gender-affirming care for minors, 19 of which were enacted in 2023.^[183]^[184] However, 16 of these bans are being challenged in court as of January 2024.^[185] Furthermore, only 18 of the 26 states have complete bans which are fully in effect. Six states have only partial bans and two are currently blocked from taking effect. While some states have banned all forms of medical transition, others such as Arizona, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Georgia have banned only specific types such as hormone therapy or surgery. Six states have exceptions which allow minors who were already receiving gender affirming care prior to the ban to continue their treatments.^[185] Currently, all 26 states make exceptions for puberty blockers, hormones and surgery for cisgender and intersex children.^[185] Only one state, West Virginia, makes exceptions in cases of "severe dysphoria". There is also currently only one state, Missouri, that has a ban which is set to expire after a certain period of time. Nearly all states with restrictions include specific provisions with penalties for providers and 4 states include provisions directed at parents or guardians.^[185] An additional 4 states include laws/policies that impact school officials such as teachers and counselors, among others.^[185]

In May 2024, Tennessee became the first state to prohibit helping a child access gender-affirming care without the consent of their parent or guardian. The child's parents are allowed to sue the person who assisted the pursuit of gender-affirming care. There is no criminal penalty.^[186]

At the same time, many Democrat-controlled states have gone in the opposite direction and enacted laws protecting access to gender affirming care for minors and adults. These laws, often called "shield" laws, often explicitly combine protections for gender-affirming care and abortion and cover a variety of protections including protecting both providers and patients from being punished, mandating insurance providers to cover the procedures and acting as "sanctuary states" that protect patients traveling to the state from other states that have banned such treatments among other things.^[187]^[188] As of June 2024, 16 states and the District of Columbia have enacted "shield" laws.

Of the approximately 1.6 million Americans who are transgender, about 300,000 are under the age of 18.^[189] As of October 2023, approximately 105,200 transgender youth aged 13 to 17 lived in states where gender affirming care is banned for minors. However, around 26,000 of those youth are currently still able to access care in their state due to court orders that prohibit enforcement of the laws. Conversely, around 146,700 transgender youth live in states that have passed gender-affirming care "shield" laws that support access to care by protecting doctors and parents who prescribe or seek access to medical care for youth.^[183] An analysis from KFF in late January 2024 estimated that 38% of trans youth between the ages of 13–17 in the United States lived in states with laws limiting youth access to gender-affirming care.^[185]

Bans on gender-affirming care have been criticized as governments interfering with the patient-doctor relationship and taking away healthcare decisions from parents and families for their children.^[190]^[191] State level bans on gender-affirming care in the United States have led some families with transgender children to move out of their states.^[192]^[193]^[194]

On October 17, 2024, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton filed suit against a doctor who allegedly provided gender-affirming care to 21 minors after the treatments had been banned for minors in Texas, the first time that such a suit has been brought in the U.S.^[195]

Bans for minors

Laws which are currently unenforceable due to a court injunction

Laws which only partially ban gender affirming care for minors

Bans of gender-affirming healthcare for people under 18
State	Authority	Signed	Effective	Notes
Arkansas	State legislature	April 6, 2021	Permanently blocked	On April 6, 2021, the legislature—overriding Governor Asa Hutchinson's veto on a bill that banned puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery for minors and from referring them to other providers.^[178] However, courts temporarily^[196] and then permanently blocked the law.^[197]
Texas	Texas AG Ken Paxton Governor Greg Abbott	February 22, 2022 June 2, 2023	Blocked by injunction (order) September 1, 2023 (legislation)	In February 2022, the state Attorney General ordered a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth, with criminal penalties for failing to report suspected violations.^[198]^[199] However, the order is currently blocked by injunction.^[200] In June 2023, the governor signed a law to ban this care for minors.^[201] On August 25, 2023, a district court judge blocked the law from taking effect. In response, the Attorney General's office filed an appeal with the Texas Supreme Court, a move that automatically pauses the judge's injunction and allowed the law to go into effect on September 1, 2023, as originally planned.^[202] On June 28, 2024, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the law.^[203]
Alabama	Governor Kay Ivey	April 8, 2022^[204]	May 8, 2022^[205]	It is a felony for a medical provider to give gender-affirming healthcare to transgender people under 19 (the age of majority in Alabama). In May 2022, a federal judge ruled that the ban on surgery was enforceable. However, the ban on puberty blockers and hormones was not enforceable while the law is challenged in court.^[206] In August 2023, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision, allowing the ban on puberty blockers and hormones to take effect.^[207]
Utah	Governor Spencer Cox	January 27, 2023 ^[208]^[209]^[210]^[211]
South Dakota	Governor Kristi Noem	February 13, 2023^[212]^[213]^[214]
Mississippi	Governor Tate Reeves	February 28, 2023^[215]^[216]
Tennessee	Governor Bill Lee	March 2, 2023^[217]^[218]
Florida	Florida Board of Medicine Governor Ron DeSantis		August 26, 2024 (legislation) Blocked (state board of medicine rule)	The state board of medicine rule took effect on March 16, 2023.^[219]^[220] Additionally, on May 17, 2023, Governor DeSantis signed a ban into law, and it took effect immediately. It applies only to new patients, not those who were already receiving gender-affirming care.^[221] However, on June 6, 2023, a court temporarily blocked enforcement of both the board rule and the law.^[222] In June 2024, a judge permanently blocked the law from taking effect.^[223] In August 2024, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the permanent injunction while the matter is appealed.^[224]
Iowa	Governor Kim Reynolds	March 22, 2023^[225]
Georgia	Governor Brian Kemp	March 23, 2023^[226]	July 1, 2023	Bans hormones and surgery while continuing to allow puberty blockers. Minors who began hormones prior to July 1, 2023, are allowed to continue treatment.^[227]^[228]
West Virginia	Governor Jim Justice	March 29, 2023^[229]		The bill makes exceptions for minors who have received parental consent and are diagnosed with "severe gender dysphoria" by two doctors. Due to this exception, experts do not expect the ban to have much of an impact.^[230]
Kentucky	State legislature	March 29, 2023	July 14, 2023	The legislature overrode Governor Andy Beshear's veto, banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans minors.^[231] Federal appeals judges allowed the ban to remain in effect during legal challenges to overturn it.^[232]^[233]
Arizona	Governor Doug Ducey	March 30, 2022	March 31, 2023	Bans gender-affirming surgery for minors, but not hormones and puberty blockers. The bill also makes some exceptions, including in the case of someone born intersex.^[234]^[235] In mid 2023, a new Governor, Katie Hobbs reversed course by signing a series of executive orders which include shield-style protections for gender-affirming care, ensuring that it remains legal in Arizona. It also bans conversion therapy, requires insurance plans to cover gender-affirming care and bars state agencies from cooperating with civil and criminal cases in states where gender-affirming health care is illegal.^[236]
Idaho	Governor Brad Little^[237]^[238]	April 4, 2023	April 15, 2024	It would also make it a felony for any medical practitioner to help a minor seek gender-affirming treatment. On December 27, 2023, a federal judge blocked the law from taking effect.^[239] On April 15, 2024, the US Supreme Court responded to an emergency request filed in February by temporarily allowing the ban to go into effect while further legal challenges to it play out in the lower courts. The ruling did not resolve the underlying legal challenges raised by the case nor did the justices rule on the larger issue of bans on gender-affirming treatment for minors. The ruling also does not apply to the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit.^[240]^[241]
Indiana	Governor Eric Holcomb^[242]	April 5, 2023	February 27, 2024	On June 16, 2023, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law from taking effect.^[243] On February 27, 2024, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision allowing the ban to take effect.^[244]
North Dakota	Governor Doug Burgum	April 20, 2023		On April 20, 2023, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum signed a law criminalizing trans health care for minors. However, the law notably makes exceptions for medication treatment for "rare circumstances with parental consent". The law also allows medication treatment for early onset puberty and minors who were already receiving gender-affirming care will still be able to receive treatment.^[245]
Montana	Governor Greg Gianforte	April 28, 2023^[246]	Blocked	Treatments such as puberty-blockers and breast-reduction surgery will still be legal for minors who are not suffering from gender dysphoria. On September 27, 2023, a Montana District Court judge prevented it from taking effect.^[247]
North Carolina	State legislature		August 17, 2023	Ban on gender-affirming care, such as hormones, puberty blockers, and surgery, for minors. The ban only applies to transgender children and still allows such treatments for intersex and cisgender children. The ban also only applies to new patients. Transgender children who started treatment prior to August 1, 2023, will be allowed to continue receiving treatment.^[248] Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the bill on July 5, 2023,^[249] but the state legislature overruled his veto on August 17, therefore making the bill law.^[250]
Missouri	Governor Mike Parson	June 7, 2023	August 28, 2023	People receiving puberty blockers or hormones before the ban went into effect may continue taking them. Otherwise, blockers and hormones are banned until 2027. Surgery is also banned.
Louisiana	State Legislature		January 1, 2024	On June 29, 2023, John Bel Edwards vetoed a ban on blockers, hormones, and surgery for minors. On July 18, the Louisiana State Legislature overrode his veto.
Oklahoma	Governor Kevin Stitt	May 1, 2023		On May 1, 2023, Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill that makes it a felony for doctors to provide gender-transition medical care for anyone under the age of 18.^[251] In October 2023, a judge declined to stop the law from taking effect.^[252]
Nebraska	Governor Jim Pillen	October 2, 2023	October 2, 2023	On October 2, 2023, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced that Republican Governor Jim Pillen had approved emergency regulations banning gender affirming surgeries for minors. Puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors still remain legal, however applicants must now wait seven days and undergo at least 40 hours of "clinically neutral" therapy before starting them. The new regulations went into effect immediately.^[253]
Ohio	State legislature		August 6, 2024	On January 5, 2024, Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors.^[254] Previously, on December 29, 2023, he had vetoed the Saving Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act (HB68) passed (mostly along party lines) by the Ohio Legislature on December 13 which banned gender-affirming surgeries as well as hormones and puberty blockers for minors. The bill includes exceptions for this kind of care for non-transgender youth, and it allows children who were already receiving gender-affirming care in Ohio to continue their treatment.^[255] On January 24, 2024, the legislature overrode DeWine's veto thereby making HB68 law.^[256] On April 16, 2024, a judge temporarily blocked the ban from taking effect.^[257] On August 6, 2024, a judge overturned the injunction and allowed the law to take effect immediately. The plaintiffs immediately announced an appeal.^[258]
Wyoming	Governor Mark Gordon	March 22, 2024	July 1, 2024	On March 22, 2024, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed a law criminalizing trans health care for minors.^[259]
South Carolina	Governor Henry McMaster	May 21, 2024	May 21, 2024	On May 21, 2024, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed a law banning trans health care for minors. The law, which went into effect immediately, also requires principals, teachers and other school staff members to tell parents when their children want to use a name other than their legal one, or pronouns that do not match their sex assigned at birth. It also bars adults under 26 from using Medicaid to cover the costs for trans health care.^[260] This part of the bill is in direct opposition to a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling from the month prior which ruled that state Medicaid bans on gender-affirming care in the 4th Circuit, which includes South Carolina, are unconstitutional.^[261]
New Hampshire	Governor Chris Sununu	July 19, 2024	January 1, 2025	On July 19, 2024, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a law banning gender-affirming genital surgeries for minors. However, puberty blockers, hormones and non-genital surgeries such as mastectomies remain legal for trans youth.^[262]^[263]

Protections for minors

"Shield" laws protecting access to gender-affirming healthcare for people under 18
State	Authority	Signed	Effective	Notes
Connecticut	Governor Ned Lamont	May 5, 2022	May 5, 2022	On May 5, 2022, Governor Ned Lamont signed House Bill 5414, a shield law that designates Connecticut as a "safe harbor" which protects people who provide abortions and gender affirming care in the state, as well as legal protections for people seeking abortions and gender-affirming health care from out-of-state.^[264]^[265]
Massachusetts	Governor Charlie Baker	July 29, 2022	July 29, 2022	On July 29, 2022, Governor Charlie Baker signed a shield law which protects access to abortion and gender-affirming health care in the state.^[266]
California	Governor Gavin Newsom	September 30, 2022	January 1, 2023	On September 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 107, a shield law which designates California as a "sanctuary state" for trans youth and their families who are fleeing from other states that have banned the practice.^[267]
District of Columbia	Mayor Muriel Bowser	November 21, 2022	November 21, 2022	On November 21, 2022, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed into law D.C. ACT 24-646, the Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022, which protects the right to bodily autonomy and of those seeking care for abortion, contraception, sexual conduct, intimate relationships, and gender affirmation.^[268]
Illinois	Governor JB Pritzker	January 13, 2023^[269]	January 13, 2023	On January 13, 2023, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law HB4664, a reproductive rights and gender affirming care omnibus bill that protects health care providers and their patients from legal attacks by neighboring states and expands reproductive and gender affirming health care access and options across the state. The bill takes historic action to protect Illinois providers and their patients, thousands of whom have traveled to Illinois to access essential care now banned in their home states.
New Mexico	Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham	March 16, 2023	March 16, 2023	On March 16, 2023, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law House Bill 7, the Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Act, which prohibits public bodies, including local municipalities, from denying, restricting, or discriminating against an individual's right to use or refuse reproductive health care or health care related to gender.^[270]
Vermont	Governor Phil Scott	March 29, 2023	September 2023	On March 29, 2023, Governor Phil Scott signed into law House Bill 89 and Senate Bill 37, which establish a slate of protections for both providers and seekers of gender affirming health care, as well as those seeking or administering abortions.^[271]
New Jersey	Governor Phil Murphy	April 4, 2023	April 4, 2023	On April 4, 2023, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 326 establishing New Jersey as a safe haven for gender-affirming health care by directing all state departments and agencies to protect all persons, including health care professionals and patients, against potential repercussions resulting from providing, receiving, assisting in providing or receiving, seeking, or traveling to New Jersey to obtain gender-affirming health care services.^[272]
Colorado	Governor Jared Polis	April 14, 2023	April 14, 2023	On April 14, 2023, Governor Jared Polis signed into law a trio of health care bills enshrining access to abortion and gender-affirming procedures and medications in Colorado. These bills ensure people in surrounding states and beyond can go to Colorado to have an abortion, begin puberty blockers or receive gender-affirming surgery without fear of prosecution.^[273]
Minnesota	Governor Tim Walz	April 27, 2023	April 27, 2023	On April 27, 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed a shield law which protects minors fleeing from other states to receive gender-affirming care.^[274]
Washington	Governor Jay Inslee	May 9, 2023	May 9, 2023	On May 9, 2023, Governor Jay Inslee signed a shield law designating Washington as a "sanctuary state" for trans youth.^[275]
Maryland	Governor Wes Moore	June 6, 2023	June 6, 2023	On June 6, 2023, Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order to protect gender affirming health care in Maryland. The order will protect those seeking, receiving, or providing gender affirming care in Maryland from attempts at legal punishment by other states.^[276]
New York	Governor Kathy Hochul	June 26, 2023	June 26, 2023	On June 26, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a shield law designating New York as a "sanctuary state" for trans youth. This law protects access to transition-related medical care for transgender minors and bars state courts from enforcing the laws of other states that might authorize a child to be taken away if the parents provide gender-affirming medical care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy. It also prohibits New York courts from considering transition-related care for minors as child abuse and bars state and local authorities from cooperating with out-of-state agencies regarding the provision of lawful gender-affirming care in New York.^[277]
Arizona	Governor Katie Hobbs	June 28, 2023	June 28, 2023	On March 30, 2022, Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill banning gender-affirming surgery for minors, but not hormones and puberty blockers. The bill also makes some exceptions, including in the case of someone born intersex.^[234] On June 28, 2023, a new Governor, Katie Hobbs reversed course by signing a series of executive orders which include shield-style protections for gender-affirming care, ensuring that it remains legal in Arizona. It also bans conversion therapy, requires insurance plans to cover gender-affirming care and bars state agencies from cooperating with civil and criminal cases in states where gender-affirming health care is illegal.^[236]
Oregon	Governor Tina Kotek	July 13, 2023	July 13, 2023	On May 9, 2023, Governor Tina Kotek signed a law protecting access to abortion and gender affirming care for trans youth. Minors between the ages of 15 and 17 can receive gender affirming care without parental permission, whereas youth ages 14 and under must have parental permission.^[278]
Maine	Governor Janet Mills	April 23, 2024	April 23, 2024	On April 23, 2024, Governor Janet Mills signed a shield law designating Maine as a "sanctuary state" for gender-affirming care and abortion providers and makes access to such treatments "legal rights" in Maine. It states that criminal and civil actions against providers and patients are not enforceable if the access to that care occurred in Maine. Additionally, the bill prevents cooperation with out-of-state arrest warrants for gender-affirming care and abortion that happen within the state. It also protects doctors who provide gender-affirming care and abortion from actions by medical boards, malpractice insurance, and other regulating entities that seek to economically harm them or dissuade them from providing care. The bill also explicitly enshrines WPATH's Standards of Care into state law for the coverage of transgender healthcare.^[279]^[280]
Rhode Island	Governor Daniel McKee	June 25, 2024	June 25, 2024	On June 25, 2024, Governor Daniel McKee signed a shield law designating Rhode Island as a "sanctuary state" for gender-affirming care and abortion providers and makes access to such treatments "legal rights" in Rhode Island. The bill also protects providers from being sued for providing care.^[281]

Bathroom bills

A bathroom bill is the common name for legislation or a statute that defines access to public toilets by gender (restrooms)—or transgender individual. Bathroom bills affect access to sex-segregated public facilities for an individual based on a determination of their sex as defined in some specific way—such as their sex as assigned at birth, their sex as listed on their birth certificate, or the sex that corresponds to their gender identity.^[282] A bathroom bill can either be inclusive or exclusive of transgender individuals, depending on the aforementioned definition of their sex. Unisex public toilets are one option to overcome this controversy.

Critics of bills which exclude transgender individuals from restrooms which conform to their gender identity argue that they do not make public restrooms any safer for cisgender (non-transgender) people, and that they make public restrooms less safe for both transgender people and gender non-conforming cisgender people.^[283]^[284]^[285] Additionally, critics claim there have been no cases of a transgender person attacking a cisgender person in a public restroom,^[283]^[286] although there has been at least one isolated incident of voyeurism in a fitting room.^[287] By comparison, a much larger percentage of transgender people have been verbally, physically, and sexually harassed or attacked by cisgender people in public facilities.^[288] For these reasons the controversy over transgender bathroom access has been labeled a moral panic.^[289]

Proponents say such legislation is necessary to maintain privacy, protect what they claim to be an innate sense of modesty held by most cisgender people, prevent voyeurism, assault, molestation, and rape,^[290] and retain psychological comfort.^[291]^[292]

One bathroom bill, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act in North Carolina, was approved as a law in 2016, although portions of the measure were later repealed in 2017 as part of a compromise between the Democratic governor and Republican-controlled Legislature.

Public opinion

Public opinion regarding "transgender bathroom rights" in the United States is mixed, see summary table below.

Date(s) conducted	Support laws that require transgender individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to their birth sex	Oppose laws that require transgender individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to their birth sex	Don't know / NA	Margin of error	Sample	Conducted by	Polling type
February 17, 2023 -March 3, 2023	45%	40%	16%	?	1,000 American adults	Ipsos	Online interviews
June 10, 2019	45%	47%		?	1,100 American adults	Pew Research	Cellphone and landline phones
May 29, 2019 - May 30, 2019	50%	50%		?	1,295 registered voters	Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll	Online interviews
May 3, 2017 – May 7, 2017	48%	45%	7%	4%	1,011 adults American adults	Gallup	Cellphone and landline phones
March 2017	40%	40%		?	?	YouGov	?
February 10, 2017 – February, 19, 2017	39%	53%		2.6%	2,031 adults	Public Religion Research Institute	Live interviews via RDD telephones and cell phones
August 16, 2016 – September 12, 2016, 2016	46%	51%	3%	2.4%	4,538 respondents	Pew Research	Web and mail
May 4, 2016 – May 8, 2016	50%	40%	10%	?	?	Gallup	?
June 3, 2015 – June 4, 2015	46%	41%	12%	4.1%	1,300 unweighted respondents	CBS / NYT	?
April 28, 2016 – May 1, 2016	38%	57%	5%	3%	1,001 adults	CNN / ORC International	Live interviews via landline telephones and cell phones
March 26, 2016 – March 28, 2016	37%	37%	26%	4%	1,000 adult American citizens	YouGov	Online interviews
June 3, 2015 – June 4, 2015	38%	37%	25%	4.1%	994 American adults	Huffington Post / YouGov	?
March 19, 2014 - March 23, 2014	59%	26%		?	1,016 American adults	CBS	land-line and cellphones

Trans athletes in sports

26 U.S. States have banned transgender people from sports under their gender identity in various capacities. These states include Texas,^[295] Arkansas,^[296] Florida,^[297] Alabama,^[298] Oklahoma,^[299] Kentucky,^[300] Mississippi,^[301] Tennessee,^[302] West Virginia,^[303] South Carolina,^[304] Utah,^[305] South Dakota,^[306] Montana,^[307] Iowa,^[308] Arizona,^[309] Idaho,^[310] Wyoming,^[311] Indiana,^[312] Louisiana,^[313] Kansas, Georgia,^[314] North Dakota,^[315] New Hampshire,^[316] North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio. The passage of legislation against transgender youth has seen increases in calls to Trans Lifeline, a suicide crisis hotline run by and for transgender people.^[317] Some of these bans only apply to school sports and some only apply to transgender women, but not transgender men.

The Human Rights Campaign has argued that these discriminatory laws are not about protecting women's sports, but rather attempt to “undermine the existence of transgender people."^[318] Transgender advocates have noted that hormone replacement therapy and testosterone suppression reduces muscle mass and physical strength in transgender women, reducing the possibility of a competitive advantage.^[319] Transgender inclusion in sports is supported by the Women's Sports Foundation, the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), the National Women's Law Center, and Athlete Ally, as well as United States Women's National Soccer Team Captain Megan Rapinoe, tennis legend Billie Jean King, WNBA Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, and WNBA star Candace Parker.^[320]^[321]^[322]^[323]

The US Department of Education has said transgender students are protected under Title IX.^[324]

Transgender people in prison

In September 2011, a California state court denied the request of a California inmate, Lyralisa Stevens, for sex reassignment surgery at the state's expense.^[325]

On January 17, 2014, in Kosilek v. Spencer a three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Massachusetts Department of Corrections to provide Michelle Kosilek, a Massachusetts inmate, with sex reassignment surgery. It said denying the surgery violated Kosilek's Eighth Amendment rights, which included "receiving medically necessary treatment ... even if that treatment strikes some as odd or unorthodox".^[326]

On April 3, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened in a federal lawsuit filed in Georgia to argue that denying hormone treatment for transgender inmates violates their rights. It contended that the state's policy that only allows for continuing treatments begun before incarceration was insufficient and that inmate treatment needs to be based on ongoing assessments.^[327] The case was brought by Ashley Diamond, an inmate who had used hormone treatment for seventeen years before entering the Georgia prison system.^[328]

On May 11, 2018, the US Bureau of Prisons announced that prison guidelines issued by the Obama administration in January 2017 to allow transgender prisoners to be transferred to prisons housing inmates of the gender which they identify with had been rescinded and that assigned sex at birth would once again determine where transgender prisoners are jailed.^[329]

As of January 2021, one state, California, allows transgender people to be housed in prison according to their gender identity, and another, New Mexico, has separate facilities entirely, which are segregated off from other inmates, and are reserved for transgender people only.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith and JMEL a transgender woman,^[330] to memorialize the murder of transgender woman Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts.^[331] It has slowly evolved from the web-based project started by Smith into an international day of action every November 20. Transgender Day of Remembrance is now a day to honor all transgender lives lost to murder caused by transphobia. Several communities and organizations all over the world have made vigils accessible to all for the lost lives through murder.^[332]

Intersex rights in the United States

Since April 11, 2022, US Passports have given the sex/gender options of male, female and X by self determination.^[106] Intersex people in the United States have some of the same rights as others but with significant gaps, particularly in protection from non-consensual cosmetic medical interventions, violence, and discrimination.^[333]^[334] Many non-consensual medical surgeries are being performed to align these individuals with a more typically male or female sex when they are babies or children. Some are also put on hormones to ensure that their bodies develop to the sex they were assigned. In August 2018, the California state legislature passed a resolution that condemns these types of surgeries.^[335]^[336]^[337]^[338] Actions by intersex civil society organizations aim to eliminate harmful practices and promote social acceptance and equality.^[339]^[340] In recent years, intersex activists have also secured some legal recognition.^[341]

Medical discrimination

HIV/AIDS

In 1981, the AIDS epidemic, caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, was reported in the United States. HIV is transferred through infected blood and sexual contact, and in the early 1980s, risk factors were reported to include homosexuality and drug use.^[342]^[343] One of the earliest medical clinics treating the disease was run in New York City by Dr. Joseph Sonnabend. By 1985, thousands of people in the United States had died. Many LGBTQ advocacy organizations began to speak up and raise funds.

Blood and tissue donation

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues non-binding guidance for deferral of blood donations, which are universally followed.^[344] In May 2023, the restrictions were updated to focus on behavior rather than sexual orientation or gender. People are ineligible to donate blood if they have:^[345]

Had anal sex within the past 3 months and have a new or multiple sexual partners
Ever tested positive for HIV or been treated for HIV with anti-retroviral therapy
Taken any HIV prevention medication (PEP or PrEP; these can affect test results) by mouth within the past 3 months or by injection within the past 2 years
Ever exchanged sex for payment or barter
Used non-prescription injection drugs within the past 3 months
Had sex within the past 3 months with someone who has ever tested positive for HIV
Received an allogeneic blood transfusion or been exposed to blood of another individual (e.g. through a wound) within the past 3 months
Gotten a tattoo or body piercing within the last 3 months, unless pierced with single-use equipment or tattooed in a state-approved shop with sterile needles and non-reused ink
Been infected with or treated for syphilis or gonorrhea within the past 3 months
Hemophilia or other clotting factor deficiency

Current regulations prohibit tissue and semen donation by any man who has had sex with another man in the preceding five years, even if all infectious testing is negative.^[346] This five-year MSM deferral policy prevents thousands of donations of eye tissue annually, despite a global shortage of donated eye tissue needed for vision-restoring corneal transplant surgeries.^[347]

Conversion therapy

Conversion therapy is the discredited practice of attempting to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.^[348] 21 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors.^[349]

History of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on LGBTQ rights

In March 1956, a Federal District Court ruled that ONE: The Homosexual Magazine, was obscene under the Federal Comstock laws and thus could not be sent through the United States Postal Service. This ruling was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, but in 1958, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in One, Inc. v. Olesen, 355 U.S. 371 (1958), which overturned the previous rulings under a new legal precedent that had been established by the landmark case, Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957). As a result, gay newspapers, magazines and other publications could be lawfully distributed through the public mail service. On May 22, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled in Boutilier v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 387 U.S. 118 (1967), to uphold the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which among other things banned homosexuals, as constitutional. This ban remained in effect until 1991.^[350]

In 1972, a Tacoma, Washington teacher of twelve years with a perfect record was terminated after a former student outed him to the vice-principal. The Washington Supreme Court found that homosexuality was immoral and impaired his efficiency as a teacher. The court supported its conclusion in various ways, including the definition of homosexuality in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, the criminal nature of homosexual conduct, and finding that an "immoral" person could not be trusted to instruct students as his presence would be inherently disruptive. On October 3, 1977, the Supreme Court denied certiorari, although Justices Brennan and Marshall would have granted cert. This was the first homosexual discrimination decision to be aired on national network news. In fact, it was simultaneously aired on all three national network evening news shows, reaching approximately 60 million viewers.^[351]^[352]^[353]^[354]^[355]

In 1985, the Supreme Court heard Board of Education v. National Gay Task Force, which concerned First and Fourteenth Amendment challenges against a law that allowed schools to fire teachers for public homosexual conduct.^[356] The Court affirmed the lower court by an equally divided vote 4–4 allowing the Tenth Circuit's ruling that partially struck down the law to stand without setting precedent.^[357]^[358]

Also in 1985, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of Gay Student Services v. Texas A&M University, letting stand an appellate ruling ordering the university to provide official recognition of a student organization for homosexual students.^[359]^[360]

On June 30, 1986, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Bowers v. Hardwick, that same-sex intimate conduct was not protected under the right to privacy established under the Fourteenth Amendment.

On May 20, 1996, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Romer v. Evans against an amendment to the Colorado state constitution that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect homosexual or bisexual citizens from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation.

On March 4, 1998, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also applied when both parties are the same sex. The lower courts, however, have reached differing conclusions about whether this ruling applies to harassment motivated by anti-gay animus.

On June 28, 2000, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale that the Boy Scouts of America had a First Amendment right to exclude people from its organization on the basis of sexual orientation, irrespective of any applicable civil rights laws.

On June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that intimate consensual sexual conduct is part of the liberty protected by substantive due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. The majority opinion, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, explicitly overruled Bowers v. Hardwick, a 1986 decision that found sodomy laws to be constitutional.^[24]

Ten years after the Lawrence decision, the Supreme Court ruled on June 26, 2013, by a 5–4 vote in United States v. Windsor that section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, that forbade the federal government from recognizing lawfully performed same-sex marriages, was found to violate the Fifth Amendment. The federal government then began to recognize lawfully performed same-sex marriages, and provide federal rights, privileges and benefits.^[361]^[362]

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage cannot be prohibited by a state. Consequently, same-sex marriages are licensed and recognized as valid and enforced in all states and areas subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Constitution.

On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the protections provided by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are also extended to LGBTQ individuals, thereby making it illegal for workplaces with 15 or more employees to discriminate on the basis of sexuality or gender identity.^[363] The three consolidated cases were Altitude Express, Inc. v. Zarda; Bostock v. Clayton County; and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. USA Today afterwards stated that in addition to LGBTQ employment discrimination, "The court's ruling is likely to have a sweeping impact on federal civil rights laws barring sex discrimination in education, health care, housing and financial credit."^[364]

On June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled by a 6-3 vote in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that businesses can refuse to create works that recognize same-sex marriage if it goes against their values, on the basis of the First Amendment's protection of free speech.^[365]

History of LGBTQ rights under U.S. presidents

George Washington

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

To train the new American Army in the latest military drills and tactics, General George Washington brought in Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (1730–94), who had been an officer on the German General staff. Von Steuben escaped Germany where he was threatened with prosecution for homosexuality. He joined Washington's army at Valley Forge in February 1778 accompanied by two young aides. Steuben became an American general, and a senior advisor to Washington. Despite rumors about sexual behavior at his parties, there never was an investigation of Steuben, and he received a congressional pension after the war.^[366]^[367]

The first evidence of discrimination to homosexuals serving in the United States military dates from March 11, 1778, when Lieutenant Frederick Gotthold Enslin was brought to trial before a court-martial. According to General Washington's report: "...Lieutt. Enslin of Colo. Malcolm's Regiment tried for attempting to commit sodomy ..." Washington's secretary described the results of the trial: "His Excellency the Commander in Chief approves the sentence and with Abhorrence & Detestation of such Infamous Crimes orders Lieut. Enslin to be drummed out of Camp tomorrow morning...."^[368]

John Adams

In 1801, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 that continued all criminal laws of Maryland and Virginia in the now formally structured District, with those of Maryland applying to that portion of the District ceded from Maryland, and those of Virginia applying to that portion ceded from Virginia. At the time, Maryland had a sodomy law applicable only to free males with a punishment of "labour for any time, in their discretion, not exceeding seven years for the same crime, on the public roads of the said county, or in making, repairing or cleaning the streets or bason [sic] of Baltimore-town;" it imposed the death penalty for slaves committing sodomy. Similarly, Virginia had a penalty of 1–10 years for free persons committing sodomy, but imposed the death penalty for slaves committing sodomy. The law went into effect on February 27, 1801.^[369]

Thomas Jefferson

Governor of Virginia

In 1779, Thomas Jefferson wrote a law in Virginia which contained a maximum punishment of castration for men who engaged in sodomy.^[370] However, what was intended by Jefferson as a liberalization of the sodomy laws in Virginia at that time was rejected by the Virginia Legislature, which continued to prescribe death as the maximum penalty for the crime of sodomy in that state.^[371]

Andrew Jackson

In 1831, Congress established penalties in the District of Columbia for a number of crimes, but not for sodomy. It specified that "every other felony, misdemeanor, or offence not provided for by this act, may and shall be punished as heretofore[.]" At the time, Maryland and Virginia had a penalty of 1–10 years for committing sodomy. It went into effect on March 2, 1831.^[369]

William Henry Harrison

Governor of the Indiana Territory

In 1807, William Henry Harrison signed into law a comprehensive criminal code that included the first sodomy law for the Indiana Territory that eliminated the gender-specifics, reduced the penalty for a maximum of 1 to 5 years in prison, a fine of $100 to $500, up to 500 lashes on the back, and a permanent loss of civil rights.^[372]

Benjamin Harrison

In 1892, Congress passed a law for the District of Columbia that states that "for the preservation of the public peace and the protection of property within the District of Columbia." Labeled in the law as vagrants were "all public prostitutes, and all such persons who lead a notoriously lewd or lascivious course of life[.]" All offenders had to post bond of up to $200 for good behavior for a period of six months. The law went into effect on July 29, 1892.^[369]

William McKinley

In 1898, Congress deleted the word "notoriously" from the provision concerning a lewd or lascivious course of life, thereby allowing prosecution of persons without the condition of notoriety. The bond for good behavior was raised to $500, and the law was made gender-neutral. The law went into effect on July 8, 1898.^[369]

In 1901, Congress adopted a new code for the District of Columbia that expressly recognized common-law crimes, with a penalty for them of up to five years and/or a $1,000 fine. The law went into effect on March 3, 1901.^[369]

Woodrow Wilson

On December 14, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the Immigration Act of 1917, which would have excluded individuals from entering the United States who were found "mentally defective" or who had a "constitutional psychopathic inferiority." A similar Public Health Service definition of homosexuals was used simultaneously by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to reinforce the language of the Immigration Act of 1917 and effectively ban all homosexual immigrants who disclosed their sexual minority status. On February 5, 1917, the Congress overrode Wilson's veto, implementing the Immigration Act of 1917 into law.^[373]

On March 1, 1917, the Articles of War of 1916 are implemented. This included a revision of the Articles of War of 1806, the new regulations detail statutes governing U.S. military discipline and justice. Under the category Miscellaneous Crimes and Offences, Article 93 states that any person subject to military law who commits "assault with intent to commit sodomy" shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.^[374]

On June 4, 1920, Congress modified Article 93 of the Articles of War of 1916. It was changed to make the act of sodomy itself a crime, separate from the offense of assault with intent to commit sodomy.^[374] It went into effect on February 4, 1921.^[375]

Franklin Roosevelt

Assistant Secretary of the Navy

In 1919, Democratic Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt requested an investigation into "vice and depravity" in the sea services after a sting operation in which undercover operatives attempt to seduce sailors suspected of being homosexual had already begun at the Naval base in Newport, Rhode Island. At least 17 sailors were jailed and court-martialed before public outcry prompted a Republican-led Senate committee to condemn the methods of the operation. Roosevelt denied he had any knowledge that entrapment had been used or that he would have approved of it.^[376]

Presidency

In 1935, Congress passed a law for the District of Columbia that made it a crime for "any person to invite, entice, persuade, or to address for the purpose of inviting, enticing, or persuading any person or persons...to accompany, to go with, to follow him or her to his or her residence, or to any other house or building, inclosure, or other place, for the purpose of prostitution, or any other immoral or lewd purpose." It imposed a fine of up to $100, up to 90 days in jail, and courts were permitted to "impose conditions" on anyone convicted under this law, including "medical and mental examination, diagnosis and treatment by proper public health and welfare authorities, and such other terms and conditions as the court may deem best for the protection of the community and the punishment, control, and rehabilitation of the defendant." The law went into effect on August 14, 1935.^[369]

In 1941, Congress enacted a new solicitation law for the District of Columbia that labeled a "vagrant" any person who "engages in or commits acts of fornication or perversion for hire." The law went into effect on December 17, 1941.^[369]

Harry Truman

In 1948, Congress enacted the first sodomy law in the District of Columbia, which established a penalty of up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $1,000 for sodomy. Also included with this sodomy law was a psychopathic offender law and a law "to provide for the treatment of sexual psychopaths in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes." The law went into effect on June 9, 1948.^[369]

On May 5, 1950, the Uniform Code of Military Justice was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, and became effective on May 31, 1951. Article 125 forbids sodomy among all military personnel, defining it as "any person subject to this chapter who engages in unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex or with an animal is guilty of sodomy. Penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete the offence."^[374]

On June 25, 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 was vetoed by President Truman because he regarded the bill as "un-American" and discriminatory. The bill prohibits "aliens afflicted with a psychopathic personality, epilepsy, or a mental defect" from entry into the United States.^[377]^[378]^[379] Congress would later override his veto and implemented the act into law.^[373]

Dwight D. Eisenhower

On April 27, 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450 which prohibits Federal employees from being members of a group or organization considered subversive. The order lists "sexual perversion" as a security risk constituting grounds for termination or denial of employment. The order went into effect on May 27, 1953.^[374]

Without explicitly referring to homosexuality, the executive order responded to several years of charges that the presence of homosexual employees in the State Department posed blackmail risks. Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr. explained that the new order was designed to encompass both loyalty and security risks and he differentiated between the two: "Employees could be a security risk and still not be disloyal or have any traitorous thoughts, but it may be that their personal habits are such that they might be subject to blackmail by people who seek to destroy the safety of our country."^[380]

The press recognized the revolutionary nature of the new executive order. The Washington Post said that it established not a loyalty test but a "suitability test." Some in government referred to their new "integrity-security" program. Some of those the press expected to be excluded from federal employment included "a person who drinks too much," "an incorrigible gossip," "homosexuals," and "neurotics."^[380]

In 1953, Congress changed the solicitation law in the District of Columbia so that the jail term of up to 90 days was retained, but the maximum fine was raised to $250, and the reference to the power of judges to "impose conditions" on the defendant was removed. The law went into effect on June 29, 1953.^[369]

Lyndon B. Johnson

Senator of Texas

On February 2, 1950, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson voted for Uniform Code of Military Justice.^[381]

Presidency

On October 19, 1964, Walter Jenkins, a longtime top aide to President Johnson, had been arrested by District of Columbia Police in a YMCA restroom. He and another man were booked on a disorderly conduct charge.^[382]

After becoming a controversy prior to the 1964 presidential election, the American Mental Health Foundation wrote a letter to President Johnson protesting the "hysteria" surrounding the case:^[383]

The private life and inclinations of a citizen, Government employee or not, does not necessarily have any bearing on his capacities, usefulness, and sense of responsibility in his occupation. The fact that an individual is homosexual, as has been strongly implied in the case of Mr. Jenkins, does not per se make him more unstable and more a security risk than any heterosexual person.

After reelection during his second term on October 3, 1965, Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which added "sexual deviation" as a medical ground for denying prospective immigrants entry into the United States. The bill went into effect on June 30, 1968.^[373]

Richard Nixon

Presidency

In August 1970, Richard Nixon, on the issue of same-sex marriage, said "I can't go that far; that's the year 2000! Negroes and whites, okay. But that's too far!"^[387]

In 1972, San Francisco's Gay Activists Alliance disbanded and formed the Gay Voters League, a group that campaigned for the reelection of President Richard Nixon.^[388] In October 1972, a representative of the Committee to Re-elect the President addressed gay voters on behalf of Nixon's campaign in San Francisco. The event was organized by the Gay Voters League of San Francisco.^[389]

Gerald Ford

House Minority Leader

On August 25, 1965, Rep. Gerald Ford voted for the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.^[390]

Presidency

On March 5, 1976, when asked about the issue of gay rights, with respect to hiring, employment, and housing, Gerald Ford said "I recognize that this is a very new and serious problem in our society. I have always tried to be an understanding person as far as people are concerned who are different than myself. That doesn't mean that I agree with or would concur in what is done by them or their position in society. I think this is a problem we have to face up to, and I can't give you a pat answer tonight. I just would be dishonest to say that there is a pat answer under these very difficult circumstances".^[391]

In 1976, during that year's presidential campaign, President Gerald Ford was "zapped" by activists in Ann Arbor, Michigan over federal immigration rules. The protests forced President Ford to admit that he was not aware that homosexuality was used as a basis for exclusion in immigration rulings.^[388]

Post presidency

Gerald Ford, as former president, formally opposed the Briggs Initiative in 1977, which sought to ban homosexuals from teaching in public school. In October 2001, he broke with conservative members of the Republican Party by stating that gay and lesbian couples "ought to be treated equally. Period." He became the highest ranking Republican to embrace full equality for gays and lesbians, stating his belief that there should be a federal amendment outlawing anti-gay job discrimination and expressing his hope that the Republican Party would reach out to gay and lesbian voters.^[392] He also was a member of the Republican Unity Coalition, which The New York Times described as "a group of prominent Republicans, including former President Gerald R. Ford, dedicated to making sexual orientation a non-issue in the Republican Party".^[393]

Jimmy Carter

Post governorship of Georgia

In February 1976, Carter said he opposed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but in June 1976 he withdrew his support of a gay rights plank in the Democratic Party platform.^[394]

Presidency

In 1977, under the guidance of Jimmy Carter, a policy was removed which barred employment of gays in the foreign service and Internal Revenue Service. That same year, fourteen gay and lesbian activists were invited to the White House for the first official visit ever. Jimmy Carter publicly opposed the Briggs Initiative. However, in March 1980, Carter issued a formal statement indicating he would not issue an executive order banning anti-gay discrimination in the U.S. federal government and that he would not support including a gay rights plank in the Democratic Party platform.^[394]^[395] In September 1980, the United States Department of Justice announced that immigration officials would no longer be allowed to ask whether an individual entering the United States was gay and therefore ineligible for admission.^[396] An individual would only be denied admission into the United States if the traveler self-identified as gay to the immigration official.^[396]

Post presidency

In 2004, Carter came out for civil unions and stated that he "opposes all forms of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and believes there should be equal protection under the law for people who differ in sexual orientation".^[397] In 2007, he called for ending the ban on gays in the military.^[398] In March 2012, Jimmy Carter came out in favor of same sex marriage.^[399]

Ronald Reagan

Post governorship of California

The first chapter of what would become the national Log Cabin Republicans (LCR) formed in 1978 to fight California's Briggs Initiative, a ballot initiative that would have banned homosexuals from teaching in public schools. The chapter worked diligently and successfully convinced Governor Reagan to publicly oppose the measure.^[388] Reagan penned an op-ed against the Briggs Initiative in which he wrote, "Whatever else it is, homosexuality is not a contagious disease like the measles. Prevailing scientific opinion is that an individual's sexuality is determined at a very early age and that a child's teachers do not really influence this."^[400]

Presidency

On the 1980 campaign trail, he spoke of the gay civil rights movement:

My criticism is that [the gay movement] isn't just asking for civil rights; it's asking for recognition and acceptance of an alternative lifestyle which I do not believe society can condone, nor can I.^[401]

No civil rights legislation for LGBTQ individuals passed during Reagan's tenure. Additionally, Reagan has been criticized for ignoring (by failing to adequately address or fund) the growing AIDS epidemic, even as it took thousands of lives in the 1980s. Reagan's Surgeon General from 1982 to 1989, Dr. C. Everett Koop, claims that his attempts to address the issue were shut out by the Reagan administration. According to Koop, the prevailing view of the Reagan administration was that "transmission of AIDS was understood to be primarily in the homosexual population and in those who abused intravenous drugs" and therefore that people dying from AIDS were "only getting what they justly deserve."^[402]

On August 18, 1984, President Reagan issued a statement on the issue of same-sex marriage that read:

Society has always regarded marital love as a sacred expression of the bond between a man and a woman. It is the means by which families are created and society itself is extended into the future. In the Judeo-Christian tradition it is the means by which husband and wife participate with God in the creation of a new human life. It is for these reasons, among others, that our society has always sought to protect this unique relationship. In part the erosion of these values has given way to a celebration of forms of expression most reject. We will resist the efforts of some to obtain government endorsement of homosexuality.

Reagan made the comment in response to a questionnaire from the conservative publishers of the Presidential Biblical Scoreboard, a magazine-type compilation of past statements and voting records of national candidates.^[403]

George H. W. Bush

Vice presidency

In 1988, the Republican Party's nominee, Vice President George H. W. Bush, endorsed a plan to protect persons with AIDS from discrimination.^[388]

Presidency

As President, George H. W. Bush signed legislation that extended gay rights. On April 23, 1990, George H. W. Bush signed the Hate Crime Statistics Act, which requires the Attorney General to collect data on crimes committed because of the victim's race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. It was the first federal statute to "recognize and name gay, lesbian and bisexual people."^[404] On July 26, 1990, George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. On November 29, 1990, Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990, which withdrew the phrase "sexual deviation" from the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) so that it could no longer be used as a basis for barring entry of immigration to the U.S. for homosexuals.^[388]

In a television interview, Bush said if he found out his grandchild was gay, he would "love his child", but tell him homosexuality was not normal and discourage him from working for gay rights. In February 1992, the chairman of the Bush-Quayle campaign met with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.^[394] In May 1992, he appointed Anne-Imelda Radice to serve as the Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.^[405] Losing ground in the 1992 Republican president primary to President Bush's far-right challenger, Pat Buchanan, the Bush campaign turned to the right, and President Bush publicly denounced same-sex marriage.^[406]

The 1992 Log Cabin Republican convention was held in Spring, Texas, a Houston exurb. The main issue discussed was whether or not LCR would endorse the re-election of President George H. W. Bush. The group voted to deny that endorsement because Bush did not denounce anti-gay rhetoric at the 1992 Republican National Convention.^[407] Many in the gay community believed President Bush had not done enough on the issue of AIDS. Urvashi Vaid argues that Bush's anti-gay rhetoric "motivated conservative gay Democrats and loyal gay Republicans, who had helped defeat Dukakis in 1988, to throw their support behind Clinton."^[394]

In 1992, the Council of the District of Columbia passed the "Health Benefits Expansion Act", which was signed into law by the Mayor of Washington, D.C. The bill, which established domestic partnerships in the District of Columbia, became law on June 11, 1992. Every year from 1992 to 2000, the Republican leadership of the U.S. Congress added a rider to the District of Columbia appropriations bill that prohibited the use of federal or local funds to implement the Health Care Benefits Expansion Act.^[408] On October 5, 1992, Bush signed the H.R. 6056 into law, which included the Republican rider to the appropriations bill.^[409]

Post presidency

In 2013, former President George H. W. Bush served as a witness at a same-sex wedding of Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen, who own a general store together in Maine.^[410] In 2015 The Boston Globe reported that Bush "offered to perform the ceremony but had a scheduling conflict."^[411]

Bill Clinton

Governorship of Arkansas

In 1992, Governor Bill Clinton, as a candidate for president, issued a public statement of support for repeal of Arkansas's sodomy law.^[412] Also in 1992, the Human Rights Campaign, America's largest LGBTQ rights organization, issued its first presidential endorsement in 1992 to Bill Clinton.^[413]

Presidency

Bill Clinton's legacy on gay rights is a matter of controversy. LGBTQ rights activist Richard Socarides credits Clinton as the first president to publicly champion gay rights,^[413] but Clinton's signing of DOMA and DADT have led critics like Andrew Sullivan to argue Clinton was a detriment to rather than an ally for the LGBTQ rights movement, though DOMA passed Congress with veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate.^[414]

In December 1993, Clinton implemented a Department of Defense directive known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", which allowed gay men and women to serve in the armed services provided they kept their sexuality a secret, and forbade the military from inquiring about an individual's sexual orientation.^[415] The policy was developed as a compromise after Clinton's proposal to allow gays to serve openly in the military met with staunch opposition from prominent congressional Republicans and Democrats, including Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Sam Nunn (D-GA). According to David Mixner, Clinton's support for the compromise led to a heated dispute with Vice President Al Gore, who felt that "the President should lift the ban ... even though [his executive order] was sure to be overridden by the Congress".^[416]

Some gay-rights advocates criticized Clinton for not going far enough and accused him of making his campaign promise to get votes and contributions.^[417] Their position was that Clinton should have integrated the military by executive order, noting that President Harry Truman used executive order to racially desegregate the armed forces. Clinton's defenders argue that an executive order might have prompted the Senate to write the exclusion of gays into law, potentially making it harder to integrate the military in the future.^[418] Later in his presidency, in 1999, Clinton criticized the way the policy was implemented, saying he did not think any serious person could say it was not "out of whack".^[419]

On September 21, 1996, Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as the legal union of one man and one woman, allowing individual states to refuse to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.^[420] Paul Yandura, speaking for the White House gay and lesbian liaison office, said that Clinton's signing of DOMA "was a political decision that they made at the time of a re-election." In defense of his actions, Clinton has said that DOMA was an attempt to "head off an attempt to send a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the states", a possibility he described as highly likely in the context of a "very reactionary Congress."^[421]

Administration spokesman Richard Socarides said, "... the alternatives we knew were going to be far worse, and it was time to move on and get the president re-elected."^[422] Others were more critical. The veteran gay rights and gay marriage activist Evan Wolfson has called these claims "historic revisionism".^[422] In a July 2, 2011, editorial The New York Times opined, "The Defense of Marriage Act was enacted in 1996 as an election-year wedge issue, signed by President Bill Clinton in one of his worst policy moments."^[423]

Despite DOMA, Clinton, who was the first president to select openly gay persons for administration positions,^[424] is generally credited as the first president to publicly champion gay rights.^[413] During his presidency, Clinton controversially issued two substantial executive orders on behalf of gay rights, the first was Executive Order 12968 in 1995 that lifted the ban on security clearances for LGBTQ federal employees^[425] and the second was Executive Order 13087 in 1998 that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce.^[426] In November 1997, Clinton gave an address to a Human Rights Campaign meeting, and thus becoming the first U.S. President to address a meeting for a gay and lesbian organization.^[427]

Under President Clinton's leadership, federal funding for HIV/AIDS research, prevention and treatment more than doubled.^[428] And Clinton also pushed for passing hate crimes laws for gays and for the private sector Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which, buoyed by his lobbying, failed to pass the Senate by a single vote in 1996.^[429] Advocacy for these issues, paired with the politically unpopular nature of the gay rights movement at the time, led to enthusiastic support for Clinton's reelection in 1996 by the Human Rights Campaign.^[413]

Clinton was the first president to select openly gay persons for administration positions, appointing over 150 LGBTQ appointees.^[430] The first openly gay U.S. ambassador, James Hormel, received a recess appointment from the President after the Senate failed to confirm the nomination.

On June 11, 1999, Clinton declared June to be Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, making him the first president to do so.^[431]

Post presidency

In 2008, Clinton publicly opposed the passage of California's Proposition 8 and recorded robocalls urging Californians to vote against it.^[432] In July 2009, he came out in favor of same-sex marriage.^[433] On March 7, 2013, Clinton called for the overturn of the Defense of Marriage Act by the U.S. Supreme Court.^[434]

George W. Bush

In his 1994 campaign to become the Governor of Texas, Bush pledged to veto any effort to repeal Texas's sodomy law, calling it "a symbolic gesture of traditional values."^[435]

Governor of Texas

In 1997, Governor Bush signed into law a bill adding "A license may not be issued for the marriage of persons of the same sex" into the Texas Family Code.^[436]

In a 1998 Texas Gubernatorial election political awareness test, he answered no to the questions of whether Texas government should include sexual orientation in Texas' anti-discrimination laws and whether he supports Texas recognizing same-sex marriage.^[437]

In 1999, the Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, which would have increased punishment for criminals motivated by hatred of a victim's gender, religion, ethnic background or sexual orientation, was killed in committee by Texas Senate Republicans. Governor Bush was criticized for letting the hate crimes bill die in a Texas Senate committee. Bush spokesman Sullivan said the governor never took a position on the bill. According to Louvon Harris, sister of James Byrd, said that Bush's opposition to the bill reportedly revolved around the fact that it would cover gays and lesbians.^[435]

The governor's office "contacted the family and asked if we would consider taking sexual orientation out of the bill, and our answer was no, because the bill is for everybody. Everybody should be protected by the law." said Harris. In a 2000 presidential debate, Al Gore would attack Bush for allowing the bill to die in committee, with Bush responding Texas already had a hate crimes statute, and nothing more was needed.^[435] George W. Bush also stated his opposition to a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that said the Boy Scouts of America must accept gays in their organization. "I believe the Boy Scouts is a private organization and they should be able to set the standards that they choose to set," Bush said.^[438] Bush also expressed his support for bans on gay foster parenting and adoption,^[439] urging agencies to place children in "traditional homes—man and wife."^[440]

During the 2000 campaign he did not endorse a single piece of gay rights legislation. In a 2000 Republican presidential debate, George W. Bush said he opposes same-sex marriage, but supports states' rights when it came to the issue of same-sex marriage. During the campaign he had refused to comment on Vermont's civil unions law.^[438] On April 13, 2000, Governor Bush became first presumptive GOP presidential nominee ever to meet publicly with gay Republicans in Austin, Texas.^[441]

On August 4, 2000, Bush received the endorsement of the Log Cabin Republicans, the GOP's largest gay group, for president.^[442] He also received the endorsement of the newly formed Republican Unity Coalition.^[442]^[443] In a 2000 presidential debate with Al Gore, Bush stated he supported the Defense of Marriage Act and the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. However, he stated that he opposed sodomy laws, a reversal of his position as governor of Texas.^[438]^[444]^[445]

Presidency

George W. Bush, despite being opposed to LGBTQ rights when Governor of Texas, was relatively moderate in regards to LGBTQ rights as president, though opposed gay marriage and would later voice his support for civil unions. In his eight years of office, Bush's views on gay rights were often difficult to ascertain, but many experts feel that the Bush White House wanted to avoid bad publicity without alienating evangelical conservative Christian voters. Thus, he did not repeal President Clinton's Executive Order banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the federal civilian government, but Bush's critics felt as if he failed to enforce the executive order.^[446]

He retained Clinton's Office of National AIDS Policy and was the first Republican president to appoint an openly gay man to serve in his administration, Scott Evertz as director of the Office of National AIDS Policy.^[447] Bush also became the second president, after President Clinton, to select openly gay appointees to his administration. Bush's nominee as ambassador to Romania, Michael E. Guest, became the second openly gay man U.S. Ambassador and the first to be confirmed by the Senate. He did not repeal any of the spousal benefits that Clinton had introduced for same-sex federal employees. He did not attempt to repeal don't ask, don't tell, nor make an effort to change it.^[438]

In April 2002, White House officials held an unannounced briefing in April for the Log Cabin Republicans. On June 27, 2002, President Bush signed a bill allowing death benefits to be paid to domestic partners of firefighters and police officers who die in the line of duty, permanently extending a federal death benefit to same-sex couples for the first time.^[448]

In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that sodomy laws against consenting adults was unconstitutional. President Bush's press secretary Ari Fleischer refused to comment on the decision, noting only that the administration had not filed a brief in the case.^[449] In 2004, Bush said "What they do in the privacy of their house, consenting adults should be able to do."^[450]

Previously, Bush said he supports states' rights when it came to marriage, however, after the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, Bush announced his support for a U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on February 24, 2004.^[451] Due to his support of the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), the Log Cabin Republicans declined to endorse the reelection of George W. Bush in 2004^[407] by a vote of 22–2.^[452] The Palm Beach County chapter in Florida did endorse him, resulting in the revocation of their charter.^[453] On September 22, 2004, the Abe Lincoln Black Republican Caucus (ALBRC), a group of young urban Black gay Republicans, voted in a special call meeting in Dallas, Texas, to endorse President Bush for re-election.^[454] In an October president debate, Bush said he did not know whether homosexuality is a choice or not.^[438] In October 2004, Bush said that he supported allowing the states to establish civil unions for same-sex couples.^[455]

In 2007, Bush threatened to veto the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, which would have included sexual orientation in hate crimes, and Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 2007.

In December 2008, the Bush administration refused to support the U.N. declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity at the United Nations that condemns the use of violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity.^[456]

Barack Obama

Illinois state senator

Obama supported legalizing same-sex marriage when he first ran for the Illinois State Senate in 1996.^[457] When he ran for re-election to the Illinois Senate in 1998, he was undecided about legalizing same-sex marriage and supported including sexual orientation to the state's non-discrimination laws.^[458]^[459] During his time as a state senator he cosponsored a bill amending the Illinois Human Rights Act to include protections for LGBTQ people which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace, housing, and all public places and supported Illinois gender violence act.

U.S. Senator from Illinois

Obama supported civil unions, but opposed same-sex marriage when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and for U.S. President in 2008.^[457] He supported civil unions that would carry equal legal standing to that of marriage for same-sex couples, but believed that decisions about the title of marriage should be left to the states.^[460]^[461]

During his time as senator, Obama co-sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Tax Equity for Domestic Partner and Health Plan Beneficiaries Act, and Early Treatment for HIV Act.^[462]^[463]

In the 109th United States Congress, Obama received a score of 89% by the Human Rights Campaign.^[463]

In 2006, Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have defined marriage as between one man and one woman in the U.S. Constitution.^[464]

In 2007, Senator Obama said he opposed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and the don't ask, don't tell policy when it passed and supported repealing it. He also said that homosexuality is not a choice, he supported adoption rights for same-sex couples, and he would work as president to extend the 1,000 federal rights granted to marriage couples to couples in civil unions. He also voted for the Kennedy Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that would expand federal jurisdiction to reach serious, violent hate crimes perpetrated because of the victim's sexual orientation and gender identity and the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act.^[459]^[462]

In the 2008 presidential election, he expressed his opposition to state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in California, and Florida on the November ballot,^[465]^[466]^[467] but stated in a 2008 interview that he personally believes that marriage is "between a man and a woman" and that he is "not in favor of gay marriage."^[468] In the 110th United States Congress, Obama received a score of 94% by the Human Rights Campaign.^[463] In the 2008 election, Obama received the endorsement of the following gay rights organizations: Houston GLBT Political Caucus,^[469] Human Rights Campaign,^[470] and the National Stonewall Democrats.^[471]^[472]^[473]

Presidency

First Term

Barack Obama took many definitively pro-LGBTQ stances. In March 2009, his administration reversed Bush administration policy and signed the U.N. declaration that calls for the decriminalization of homosexuality.^[474] In June 2009, Obama became the first president to declare the month of June to be LGBTQ pride month; President Clinton had declared June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Obama would do the same for every following June of his presidency.^[431]^[475]^[476]^[477]^[478]^[479]^[480]^[481]^[482]^[483]

On June 17, 2009, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum allowing same-sex partners of federal employees to receive certain benefits. The memorandum does not cover full health coverage.^[484] On October 28, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which added gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability to the federal hate crimes law.^[485]

In October 2009, he nominated Sharon Lubinski to become the first openly gay U.S. marshal to serve the Minnesota district.^[486]

On January 4, 2010, he appointed Amanda Simpson the Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce, making her the first openly transgender person appointed to a government post by a U.S. President.^[487]^[488]^[489] He has appointed the most U.S. gay and lesbian officials of any U.S. president.^[490]

At the start of 2010, the Obama administration included gender identity among the classes protected against discrimination under the authority of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On April 15, 2010, Obama issued an executive order to the Department of Health and Human Services that required medical facilities to grant visitation and medical decision-making rights to same-sex couples.^[491] In June 2010, he expanded the Family Medical Leave Act to cover employees taking unpaid leave to care for the children of same-sex partners.^[492] On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 into law.^[493]

On February 23, 2011, President Obama instructed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court.^[494]

In March 2011, the U.S. issued a nonbinding declaration in favor of gay rights that gained the support of more than 80 countries at the U.N.^[495] In June 2011, the U.N. endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian, and transgender people for the first time, by passing a resolution that was backed by the U.S., among other countries.^[495]

On August 18, 2011, the Obama administration announced that it would suspend deportation proceedings against many undocumented immigrants who pose no threat to national security or public safety, with the White House interpreting the term "family" to include partners of lesbian, gay and bisexual people.^[496]

On September 30, 2011, the Defense Department issued new guidelines that allow military chaplains to officiate at same-sex weddings, on or off military installations, in states where such weddings are allowed.^[497]

On December 5, 2011, the Obama administration announced the United States would use all the tools of American diplomacy, including the potent enticement of foreign aid, to promote LGBTQ rights around the world.^[498]

In March and April 2012, Obama expressed his opposition to state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in North Carolina, and Minnesota.^[499]

On May 3, 2012, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has agreed to add an LGBTQ representative to the diversity program at each of the 120 prisons it operates in the United States.^[500]

On May 9, 2012, Obama publicly supported same-sex marriage, the first sitting U.S. President to do so. Obama told an interviewer that:^[501]

over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or Marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.

In the 2012 election, Obama received the endorsement of the following gay rights organizations: Equal Rights Washington, Fair Wisconsin, Gay-Straight Alliance Network,^[502]^[503] Human Rights Campaign,^[504] and the National Stonewall Democrats. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) gave Obama a score of 100% on the issue of gays and lesbians in the U.S. military and a score of 75% on the issue of freedom to marry for gay people.^[505]

Second Term

On January 7, 2013, the Pentagon agreed to pay full separation pay to service members discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."^[506]

Obama also called for full equality during his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013: "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law—for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well." It was the first mention of rights for gays and lesbians or use of the word gay in an inaugural address.^[507]^[508]

On March 1, 2013, Obama, speaking about Hollingsworth v. Perry, the U.S. Supreme Court case about Proposition 8, said "When the Supreme Court asks do you think that the California law, which doesn't provide any rationale for discriminating against same-sex couples other than just the notion that, well, they're same-sex couples—if the Supreme Court asks me or my attorney general or solicitor general, 'Do we think that meets constitutional muster?' I felt it was important for us to answer that question honestly. And the answer is no." The administration took the position that the Supreme Court should apply "heightened scrutiny" to California's ban—a standard under which legal experts say no state ban could survive.^[509]

On August 7, 2013, Obama criticized the Russian gay propaganda law.^[510]

On December 26, 2013, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 into law, which repealed the ban on consensual sodomy in the UCMJ.^[511]

On February 16, 2014, Obama criticized the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014.^[512]

On February 28, 2014, Obama agreed with the Governor of Arizona Jan Brewer's veto of SB 1062.^[513]

Obama included openly gay athletes in the 2014 Olympic delegation, namely Brian Boitano and Billie Jean King (who was later replaced by Caitlin Cahow).^[514]^[515] This was done in criticism of Russia's anti-gay law.^[515]

On July 21, 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13672, adding "gender identity" to the categories protected against discrimination in hiring in the federal civilian workforce and both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the categories protected against discrimination in hiring and employment on the part of federal government contractors and sub-contractors.^[62]

Obama was criticized for meeting with anti-gay Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni at a dinner with African heads of state in August 2014.^[516]

Later in August 2014, Obama made a surprise video appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Gay Games.^[517]^[518]

On February 10, 2015, David Axelrod's Believer: My Forty Years in Politics was published. In the book, Axelrod revealed that President Barack Obama lied about his opposition to same-sex marriage for religious reasons in 2008 United States presidential election. "I'm just not very good at bullshitting," Obama told Axelrod, after an event where he stated his opposition to same-sex marriage, according to the book.^[519]

In 2015, the U.S. appointed Randy Berry as its first Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQ Persons.^[520]

In April 2015, the Obama administration announced it had opened a gender-neutral bathroom within the White House complex, located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the West Wing.^[521] President Obama also responded to a petition seeking to ban conversion therapy (inspired by the death of Leelah Alcorn) with his pledge to advocate for such a ban.^[522]

Also in 2015, when President Obama declared May to be National Foster Care Month, he included words never before included in a White House proclamation about adoption, stating in part, "With so many children waiting for loving homes, it is important to ensure all qualified caregivers have the opportunity to serve as foster or adoptive parents, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. That is why we are working to break down the barriers that exist and investing in efforts to recruit more qualified parents for children in foster care." He was the first president to explicitly say gender identity should not prevent anyone from adopting or becoming a foster parent.^[523]

On October 29, 2015, President Barack Obama endorsed Proposition 1 in Houston, Texas.^[524]

On November 10, 2015, Obama officially announced his support for the Equality Act of 2015.^[525]

In June 2016, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met with the victims and families of victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Obama and Biden laid 49 bouquets of white roses to memorialize the 49 people killed in the tragedy impacting the LGBTQ community.^[526]

On June 24, 2016, President Obama designated the Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan, as the first national monument in the United States to honor the LGBTQ rights movement.^[385]

On October 20, 2016, Obama endorsed Kate Brown as Governor of Oregon.^[527] On November 8, Brown became the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected governor in the United States. Brown is a bisexual woman who has also come out as a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence.^[528]^[529] Before being elected in her own right, Brown had assumed the governorship due to a resignation. During that time, she signed legislation to ban conversion therapy on minors.^[530]

Donald Trump

Donald Trump opposed expanding LGBTQ rights.^[531] As President, he rolled back LGBTQ rights and appointed anti-LGBTQ officials. He opposed the Equality Act,^[532] which has been one of the highest priorities of LGBTQ rights groups since same-sex marriage was enacted by the Supreme Court.^[533] Long before his 2016 campaign, Trump opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage;^[534] during his 2016 campaign, he pledged to appoint anti-LGBTQ Justices to the Supreme Court.^[535] His administration banned transgender people from serving in the military^[536] and attempted to legally redefine gender in order to undermine nondiscrimination protections for transgender, non-binary, and intersex people.^[537]

His administration argued before the Supreme Court that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not protect gay or transgender Americans from discrimination (though the Court ultimately decided in favor of LGBTQ rights in this matter).^[538]^[539] His Cabinet rolled back non-discrimination requirements for homeless shelters, allowing them to discriminate against homeless transgender youth.^[540] His Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, rolled back protections for LGBTQ students.^[541] The Trump administration sought to enable healthcare discrimination.^[542]

All LGBTQ references were removed from the websites of the White House, Department of State, and Department of Labor minutes after Trump took office.^[543] Trump did not allow refugees to enter the country on the basis of their fleeing from LGBTQ-related discrimination.^[544] Trump was the first president to speak at the Value Voters Summit hosted by the Family Research Council.^[545]

Presidency

HIV/AIDS policy

Cuts to HIV/AIDS policy and funding have a wide-ranging effect. In 2017, Trump dissolved the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP, founded in 1993) and the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA, founded in 1995). His 2019 budget proposal did not include any funding for two existing programs run under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Transgender rights

The Trump administration has attacked transgender rights on multiple fronts.

Students' bathroom access: On February 10, 2017, the Department of Justice dropped a defense of transgender students' access to bathrooms. Obama-era guidance had allowed students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. The right had been challenged by a Texas District Court, and the Department of Justice had previously asked the court to lift its stay, but the Department of Justice (under the new Attorney General Jeff Sessions) withdrew its request.^[546] On February 22, 2017, Trump reversed a directive from the Obama administration that allowed transgender students who attend public schools to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.^[547] Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, questioned before the House Education and Labor Committee on April 10, 2019, about the previous rollback, acknowledged that she had been aware of the effects of the stress of discrimination on transgender youth; these effects include depression, anxiety, lower attendance and grades, and attempted suicide.^[548] In May 2019, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Pennsylvania school regarding its bathroom policy, suggesting that schools may continue to set their own policies to accommodate transgender students.^[549]
Student athletics: On May 15, 2020, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights wrote a 45-page letter threatening to withhold federal funding from specific school districts in Connecticut and from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) if they continued to allow transgender girls to compete on girls' teams. The Department of Education claimed that including transgender athletes on girls' teams is a violation of Title IX.^[550] In September 2020, about $6 million, spread over two years and delivered by a Federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program Grant, was at stake for Connecticut.^[551]
Military ban: Trump succeeded in implementing restrictions on transgender military personnel, an idea he first announced via Twitter. On July 26, 2017, Trump tweeted that transgender individuals would not be accepted or allowed to serve "in any capacity" in the U.S. military, citing medical costs and disruption related to transgender service members.^[552]^[553] This announcement took Pentagon officials by surprise.^[554] There are about 6,000 transgender military personnel on active duty, according to a 2014 study,^[555] and the Trump administration provided no evidence that they pose a problem. Many key military leaders advocated for continuing to support transgender servicemembers. They include "the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force; the commandant of the Marine Corps; and the incoming commandant of the Coast Guard,"^[556] as well as retired leaders like Vice Admiral Donald C. Arthur, Major General Gale Pollock, and Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman (who served as the Surgeon General or equivalent of the Navy, Army, and Coast Guard respectively and who coauthored a Palm Center report in April 2018).^[557] On August 25, 2017, Trump directed the Pentagon to stop admitting any new transgender individuals into the military and to stop providing medical treatments for sex reassignment, intended to take effect on March 23, 2018.^[558] On August 29, 2017, Secretary of Defense James Mattis put a freeze on expelling transgender service members who are currently in the military, pending a study by experts within the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.^[559] Federal courts temporarily delayed the implementation of the Trump administration's proposed ban by issuing four injunctions. On November 23, 2018, the day after Thanksgiving, the Trump administration formally requested the U.S. Supreme Court to issue an emergency ruling on whether transgender personnel may continue to serve,^[560] and on January 22, 2019, without hearing arguments or explaining its own decision, the Court allowed the Trump administration to move ahead with the ban.^[561]^[562] On March 12, 2019, the Department of Defense released a memorandum with specifics of the ban, essentially allowing existing personnel to continue to serve if they had already come out as transgender prior to the memorandum, but disqualifying anyone who was newly discovered to have a transgender body, identity, or history.
Employment: On October 4, 2017, the Attorney General published a memo considering "discrimination against transgender individuals" in employment and concluding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 "does not prohibit discrimination based on gender identity per se. This is a conclusion of law, not policy."^[563] On August 16, 2019, the Justice Department filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that "Title VII does not prohibit discrimination against transgender persons based on their transgender status," "gender identity," or "disconnect" between biological sex and gender identity. The brief related to a pending case, Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC.^[564]
Prisoners' rights: In May 2018, the Trump administration ordered the Bureau of Prisons to house transgender prisoners according to their "biological sex." Treating prisoners as members of the gender with which they identify "would be appropriate only in rare cases." This reverses guidance created by the Obama administration in 2012, and it conflicts with the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.^[565] In 2018, the Cibola County Correctional Center in New Mexico operated a unit for transgender women; the women were housed together regardless of the reason for their detention. The building served as a federal prison, county jail, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, and housing for asylum-seekers.^[566] Reporters were granted access for the first time in June 2019; there were 27 inmates at that time.^[567]
Defining gender as sex: On October 21, 2018, The New York Times revealed a Department of Health and Human Services memo that planned to establish a definition of gender based on sex assignment at birth across federal agencies, notably the departments of Education, Justice, and Labor, which, along with Health and Human Services, are responsible for enforcing Title IX nondiscrimination statutes. The Justice Department would have to approve any new definition that Health and Human Services might suggest. The memo argued in favor of a definition of gender "on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable" and the government's prerogative to genetically test individuals to determine their sex.^[568] Over the following days, thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C.;^[569]^[570] San Diego;^[571] Portland, Maine;^[572] Minneapolis;^[573] Los Angeles;^[574] Milwaukee;^[575] Boston;^[576] and other cities across the country, and on November 2, nearly 100 lawmakers signed a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar asking him not to implement this change.^[577] On July 8, 2019, the State Department created the Commission on Unalienable Rights to initiate philosophical discussions of human rights that are grounded in the Catholic concept of "natural law" rather than modern identities based on gender and sexuality. Most of the twelve members of the commission have a history of anti-LGBTQ comments.^[578]
Healthcare: Since 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has explicitly interpreted the word "sex" in the nondiscrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557) to recognize and include transgender people, entitling them to the same services to which everyone else is entitled, although a federal court injunction on December 31, 2016, prevented HHS from enforcing its nondiscrimination rule. Under the Trump administration, HHS lawyers began working on permanently reversing the rule,^[579] and on May 24, 2019, the proposed reversal was formally announced.^[580]^[581] On October 15, 2019, federal judge Reed O'Connor vacated the nondiscrimination rule, saying that it violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. His ruling meant that federally-funded healthcare insurers and providers may deny treatment or coverage based on sex, gender identity or termination of pregnancy, even if the services are medically necessary.^[582] On November 1, 2019, HHS announced that, effective immediately, recipients of taxpayer-funded grants from HHS are permitted to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, as it will no longer enforce the 2016 rule known as 81 F.R. 89393.^[583]^[584] This change affects "HIV and STI prevention programs, opioid programs, youth homelessness services, health professional training, substance use recovery programs, and many other life-saving services," according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.^[585] In April 2020, HHS acknowledged that the pending rule to replace Section 1557 (which was then under review by the Justice Department) followed the federal court order that "vacated the gender identity provisions" of Section 1557.^[586] The replacement rule was revealed on June 12, 2020.^[587]^[588]
Homelessness: On May 22, 2019, HUD proposed a new rule^[69] to weaken the 2012 Equal Access Rule, an existing federal nondiscrimination protection that requires equal access to housing regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. (The previous day, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson had told Congress that he had no plans to change this protection.) Under the proposed change, shelters receiving federal funding would be given leeway in "determining sex for admission to any facility" based on factors including the transgender person's "official government documents," the shelter operators' "religious beliefs," and any invented "practical concerns" or concerns about "privacy" or "safety." This could allow shelters to place transgender women in men's housing or to deny transgender people admission altogether. Within the proposed rule, HUD said that the treatment of transgender people would be considered valid as long as the shelter applied its own rules consistently and that this would not conflict with HUD's existing nondiscrimination policy. HUD has been moving in the direction of weakening this rule since 2017 when it withdrew proposals to require emergency shelters to post information about LGBTQ rights and updated its website to remove guidance for serving transgender people.^[589] In July 2020, HUD proposed a rule to allow shelters to turn away any women they judged to look physically masculine, examining "factors such as height, the presence (but not the absence) of facial hair, the presence of an Adam's apple, and other physical characteristics which, when considered together, are indicative of a person's biological sex."^[590]^[591]^[592]

Census and other data collection

Early on, the Trump administration interrupted the government's efforts to begin counting LGBT-identified people. In March 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau released its proposed questions for the 2020 census (the census is conducted once every ten years) and the American Community Survey (conducted annually). For the first time ever, the proposed questions covered topics about sexual orientation and gender identity. However, the questions were immediately retracted. The Census Bureau claimed that the topic had been included "inadvertently" (in fact, it was included because nearly 80 members of Congress had asked for it the previous year). The Census Bureau added: "This topic is not being proposed to Congress for the 2020 Census or American Community Survey. The report has been corrected."^[593]^[863]

Ultimately, questions about same-sex relationships were added back into the census,^[595] but this limited approach doesn't offer a way to attribute lesbian, gay, or bisexual identity to those who are not currently in any relationship or who are in a different-sex relationship, nor can it attribute transgender identity to anyone.^[596] The same month, the Trump administration released a draft of the annual National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants (NSOAAP), administered by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity added in 2014 were removed from the 2017 draft.^[597] In April 2019, HHS indicated their intention to stop asking foster youth, parents and guardians to self-report sexual orientation to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.^[579]

Employment nondiscrimination

The Trump administration opposed efforts to protect LGBTQ people from employment discrimination.

In January 2017, minutes after Trump was inaugurated, LGBTQ-related content was removed from the White House, State Department and Labor Department websites.^[598]

On March 27, 2017, Trump reversed a directive from the Obama administration (Executive Order 13673, "Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces") that had required companies with large federal contracts to prove their compliance with LGBTQ protections and other labor laws.^[64] In November 2017, the General Services Administration removed "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" from its Obama-era nondiscrimination guidelines. In March 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services removed lesbian and bisexual resources from its website. In December 2019, the Interior Department removed "sexual orientation" from its nondiscrimination guidelines.^[598]

On July 26, 2017, the Trump administration intervened in a private employment lawsuit, Zarda v. Altitude Express, Inc. The Department of Justice, taking the opposite side of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, urged a federal appeals court to rule that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation.^[599]^[600] The court ruled, however, that it did.^[564] On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court agreed, ruling 6–3 that "an employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law."^[601]

On November 30, 2018, Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement which contained a footnote exempting the United States from complying with the agreement's call for an end to "sex-based discrimination".^[602]

Near the end of Trump's term, on December 7, 2020, the administration finalized a rule allowing faith-based employers to discriminate against LGBTQ employees in their contracts with the federal government.^[603]^[604]

Other

A major way the Trump administration enabled discrimination is by providing exemptions to antidiscrimination law on the basis of "conscience" or "religious freedom." On December 5, 2017, when asked by a White House reporter if President Trump agreed that it would be okay for bakers to put up signs in their business windows saying "We don't bake cakes for gay weddings," as his solicitor general had argued before the Supreme Court, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the president believes in religious liberty and "that would include that."^[605] On January 18, 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the creation of the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within its Office for Civil Rights (OCR).^[606]

Its purpose was to enforce federal laws that related to "conscience and religious freedom"; that is, to enable individuals and businesses to exempt themselves from obeying nondiscrimination laws. On January 23, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that Miracle Hill Ministries, a foster care agency in Greenville, S.C., could be exempted from an Obama-era nondiscrimination regulation. Miracle Hill would continue to receive federal funds and was allowed to refuse services to prospective foster parents who are non-Christian or LGBT, although it was required to refer the rejected applicants to another agency. HHS cited the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) as a basis for allowing federally funded Christian groups to discriminate against non-Christians.^[607]^[608]

In August 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor, also referencing the RFRA, proposed a new rule to exempt "religious organizations" from obeying nondiscrimination law in their employment practices if they invoke "sincerely held religious tenets and beliefs" as their reason to discriminate.^[609] In June 2020, the Justice Department filed a brief with the Supreme Court in support of Catholic Social Services (CSS) of Philadelphia, which sought the right to decline same-sex couples as prospective foster parents within the public foster care system and to refer them to another agency.^[610]

International relations

On October 3, 2017, the Trump administration voted against a UN resolution to condemn the death penalty (which condemned the use of that penalty for homosexuality in particular), thus making the United States one of only 13 countries to vote against the resolution (including Saudi Arabia where the death penalty for gay sex is practiced).^[611] However, this was in accordance with longstanding policy, as the Obama administration had also voted against it.^[612] Jessica Stern, executive director of the LGBTQ rights group OutRight, said the group criticized the Trump administration's "many rights violations, its many abuses of power from LGBTI violations to xenophobia, but this particular instance is not an example of a contraction of support on LGBTI rights... It would be a mistake to interpret its opposition to a death penalty resolution to a change in policy."^[612] In September 2020, the Trump administration (along with co-signatures it had gathered from 57 countries) proposed that the United Nations emphasize "religious freedom" in place of LGBTQ rights when discussing "international human rights."^[613]

Richard Grenell, the openly gay U.S. Ambassador to Germany, led a single meeting on February 19, 2019, with 11 activists from different European countries; it appeared that no U.S. individuals or groups were invited.^[614] The Trump administration claimed that this dinner party represented a new campaign to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide.^[615] However, the next day, the president seemed unaware of it. (In the official White House transcript of that interview, Trump asked the reporter to repeat the question, and finally responded, "I don't know, uh, which report you're talking about. We have many reports.")^[616] Grenell said the United States did not have a "new policy" but was rather simply making a "new push"; this push consisted of asking for support from European countries in treating U.S. economic aid to other countries as a bargaining chip.^[617]

On May 31, 2019, Trump tweeted that Americans should "stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute" people for their sexual orientation. He referenced his administration's "global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality." It was the only time during his presidency that he tweeted the word "LGBT" (excepting, one year later, a retweet of his press secretary's praise of his "LGBT community" record). It was also the only time he tweeted the word "Pride" in an LGBTQ context.^[618] Despite Trump's apparent call for international solidarity, that same week, his administration instructed U.S. embassies not to fly the Pride flag.^[619] Additionally, later in 2019, when Zambia sentenced two men to 15 years in prison for having sex, the U.S. ambassador to the country expressed his outrage. The United States did not support his position but instead recalled him from his role.^[620]

In early 2020, it was reported that Grenell's consulting firm had been paid over $100,000 in 2016 to provide public relations support to Viktor Orbán's government in Hungary (a government widely recognized for its anti-LGBTQ policies),^[621] which Grenell had not disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act before working for the Trump administration.^[622] When Grenell resigned his ambassadorship on June 1, 2020,^[623] he left no one obviously in charge of any pro-LGBTQ "push" or "campaign," and, three months later, a senior advisor at the Council for Global Equality dismissed Grenell's defunct campaign as "a series of self-promoting Twitter photos."^[624] In August 2020, Grenell began serving as an advisor for the American Center for Law & Justice,^[625] an organization that has long supported criminalizing homosexuality in African countries.^[626]^[627]

Vice President Mike Pence

Mike Pence opposed the expansion of LGBTQ rights throughout his political career. In May 2016, as Indiana governor, he said that states should dictate which bathroom transgender students may use.^[628] He said this in response to direction given by the Obama administration to allow students nationwide to use the bathroom corresponding to the gender with which they identify. A month later, on June 15, 2016, Trump announced Pence as his vice presidential running-mate.^[629]

The decision was criticized by LGBTQ advocates, as Pence was known for opposing same-sex marriage and supporting "religious freedom laws" that allow individuals and companies to claim religious exemptions from providing services to LGBTQ people, including an Indiana law that he signed while governor.^[630]^[631] During Trump's presidential campaign, while discussing gay rights with a legal scholar, Trump allegedly joked that Pence "wants to hang them all"; the comment was revealed in October 2017 after Trump and Pence were already in office.^[632]^[633]^[634]^[635] Secretary Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump in the 2016 presidential election, called Pence "the most extreme pick in a generation."^[631]

In 1993, Pence published numerous anti-LGBTQ letters in the Indiana Policy Review Foundation publication Indiana Policy Review, allegedly including one that urged employers to not hire members of the LGBTQ community, claiming they are "promiscuous," carry "extremely high rates of disease," and are "not able bodied."^[636]^[637]

In 2000, Pence's congressional campaign website stated that Congress should fund the Ryan White Care Act only after an audit confirmed that "organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus" would be ineligible for funding, and that "resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior."^[638]^[639] The latter comment has been interpreted by some as a statement of support for conversion therapy, an accusation that was not addressed until after Pence's election as vice president, when Pence's spokesperson called the accusation a "mischaracterization."^[640] However, conversion therapy was endorsed within the Republican Party platform adopted at the July 2016 convention.^[641]

In a 2006 speech, he said that "the deterioration of marriage and family" causes "societal collapse" and that "God's idea" is to prevent same-sex marriage.^[628] In 2007, he voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act which would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.^[628] In 2010, he opposed allowing soldiers to openly identify as gay.^[628]

Although gay and bisexual men in the United States remain disproportionately affected by HIV, accounting for two-thirds of all new HIV diagnoses in 2016,^[642] Pence gave a speech for World AIDS Day 2018 without mentioning LGBTQ people.^[643] (The previous year, Trump had given the World AIDS Day speech with the same omission.)

Joe Biden

On Joe Biden's first day in office, he signed an executive order banning employment and housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.^[644] This executive order interprets the United States Supreme Court decision Bostock v. Clayton County more broadly than the Trump administration had. The executive order also mandates that transgender children be allowed to use the locker rooms and bathrooms of their gender identity, and be allowed to participate in the sport of their gender identity too, and although it does not mandate all schools and states must follow the order, if they were to defy it, the Federal Government could deny funding to said states or schools. Currently, there are multiple states considering bills which would bar transgender athletes from competing in the sport of their gender identity,^[645] and even one state, Idaho, has enacted a bill which bans trans girls from playing in the sport of their gender identity, which is currently the subject of an ongoing court battle in the 9th Circuit (see Hecox v. Little). Despite this, the Biden administration has not made any statements on said bills, and whether or not it will deny funding to states that have enacted them, or are considering enacting them.

The court ruling expanded Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban employment discrimination against LGBTQ employees, but did not explicitly ban discrimination outside of employment. The executive order signed by President Biden ordered all federal agencies to review existing regulations and policies that prohibit sex discrimination, and to revise them as necessary to clarify that “sex” includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

Also on Biden's first day in office, his press secretary, Jen Psaki, announced in a press conference that the President would soon reverse the government's ban on transgender people from serving openly in the military.^[646] Biden had originally said that reversing the ban would be an action taken "on day one," but this was delayed, perhaps because his nominee for Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, had not been confirmed yet. This ban was reversed by executive order on January 25, 2021, allowing transgender people to serve in the military again.^[647]^[648]

On March 26, 2021, Rachel Levine became the U.S. assistant secretary for health and "the highest-ranking openly transgender official in U.S. history" (according to the Washington Post).^[649] On May 10, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services affirmed that gay and transgender people's access to healthcare was protected under the Affordable Care Act, reversing a Trump administration policy and restoring an Obama administration policy.^[74]

On June 15, 2022, Biden signed another executive order designed to blunt recent anti-LGBTQ state legislation. The order directed the Department of Health and Human Services to partner with state child welfare agencies to prevent anti-LGBTQ discrimination, identify and address barriers to LGBTQ people receiving federal anti-poverty benefits, and create a Bill of Rights for LGBTQI Older Adults; ordered the Department of Housing and Urban Development to identify and address barriers to housing for LGBTQ people; and expanded the federal government's commitment to data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity by creating a coordinating committee to guide such data collection across all federal agencies.^[650]^[651]^[652] In addition, it would order the federal government to curb federal funding for the practice of Conversion therapy, and ask the Federal Trade Commission to consider whether it constitutes an unfair or deceptive act. It would also set up programs to expand access to suicide prevention resources for LGBTQ youth.

Political support for LGBTQ rights

Support

The main supporters of LGBTQ rights in the U.S. have generally been political liberals and libertarians. Regionally, support for the LGBTQ rights movement has been strongest in the areas of the Northeast and the West Coast, and in other states with large urban populations. The national Democratic Party has held the official platform support most initiatives since 2012 for LGBTQ rights. However, there are some Republican groups advocating for LGBTQ issues inside the party include the Log Cabin Republicans, GOProud, Young Conservatives for the Freedom To Marry, and College Republicans of the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. A CNN News poll in 2021 found that 55% of Republicans support same-sex marriage,^[653] a percentage that rose to 55% in a Gallup poll conducted during May 2021.^[654]

In 2013, 52% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents between the age of 18 and 49 years old supported same-sex marriage in a joint Washington Post-ABC News poll.^[655] A 2014 Pew Forum Poll showed that American Muslims are more likely than Evangelicals to support same-sex marriage 42% to 28%,^[656] a percentage that according to the Public Religion Research Institute in 2018 rose to 51% and 34%.^[657] According to Pew Research Center in 2017, Millennials and Generation X, younger white evangelicals born after 1964, have grown more supportive in favor same-sex marriage, up to 47%.^[658] A 2017 Pew Research Center poll showed that 64% of White Americans, 60% of Hispanic and Latino Americans and 51% of African Americans support the right for same-sex couples to marry.^[659] Religious groups in support of their LGBTQ parishioners and same-sex marriage include the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Metropolitan Community Church, the Union for Reform Judaism, the Moravian Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Alliance of Baptists, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Methodist Church.^[660]^[661]

Opposition

The main opponents of LGBTQ rights in the U.S. have generally been religious fundamentalists. According to Pew Research Center, the majority, 59%, of evangelical Protestants oppose same-sex marriage. Between 2016 and 2017, views among Baby boomers and the Silent Generation, older evangelicals born before 1964, have shown practically no change from 25% then to 26% now.^[658] Conservatives cite various Bible passages from the Old and New Testaments as their justification for opposing LGBTQ rights. Regionally, LGBTQ rights opposition has been strongest in the South and in other states with a large rural and conservative population, particularly the Bible Belt.

Late in 1979, a new religious revival among conservative evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics ushered in the conservatism politically aligned with the Christian right that would reign in the United States during the 1980s,^[662]^[663]^[664] becoming another obstacle for the progress of the LGBTQ rights movement. During the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, LGBTQ communities were further stigmatized as they became the focus of mass hysteria, suffered isolation and marginalization, and were targeted with extreme acts of violence.^[665]

As the movement for same-sex marriage has developed, many national and/or international organizations have opposed that movement. Those organizations include the American Family Association, the Christian Coalition, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Save Our Children, NARTH, the Catholic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church),^[666] the Southern Baptist Convention,^[667] Alliance for Marriage, Alliance Defending Freedom, Liberty Counsel, and the National Organization for Marriage.

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party started to support some LGBTQ rights in the 1970s. Despite signing the Defense of Marriage Act, Bill Clinton was the first president who openly supported LGBTQ rights; he appointed several openly gay government officials during his administration. In the 2012 national platform, the Democratic Party supported the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and "equal responsibility, benefits, and protections" for same-sex couples;^[668] President Barack Obama came out in support of same-sex marriage in 2012. The Democratic Party explicitly supports same-sex marriage.^[669]

In the Democratic Party's 2016 national platform, the Democratic Party adopted its most progressive agenda in supporting LGBTQ rights. According to that agenda, "Democrats believe that LGBT rights are human rights and that American foreign policy should advance the ability of all persons to live with dignity, security, and respect, regardless of who they are or who they love."

The agenda is supportive of:

Obergefell v. Hodges
Passing the Equality Act, the comprehensive federal nondiscrimination legislation for LGBTQ Americans in housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, jury service, education, and federal funding
Including LGBTQ people under sex discrimination laws
Combating youth homelessness
Policies to improve school climates for LGBTQ students
LGBTQ elders
Access to Transgender health care
Ending violence against LGBTQ people including the crisis of anti-transgender violence
Mental health
"Insuring fair treatment for LGBTQ veterans, including by proactively reviewing and upgrading discharge records for veterans who were discharged because of their sexual orientation."

The agenda opposes:

Anti-LGBTQ state laws including anti-transgender legislation

In the section on HIV/AIDS:

Democrats believe an AIDS-free generation is within our grasp. But today far too many Americans living with HIV are without access to quality care and too many new infections occur each year. That is why we will implement the National HIV and AIDS Strategy; increase research funding for the National Institutes of Health; cap pharmaceutical expenses for people living with HIV and AIDS; reform HIV criminalization laws; and expand access for harm reduction programs and HIV prevention medications, particularly for the populations most at risk of infection. Abroad, we will continue our commitment to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and increase global funding for HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment. Democrats will always protect those living with HIV and AIDS from stigma and discrimination."^[670]

Pete Buttigieg's run for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President made him America's first openly gay Democratic presidential candidate.^[671]

Republican Party

While many in the Republican Party have become more supportive of same-sex marriage throughout recent years, many are still opposed to the recognition of transgender rights within the United States. More than half of those who identify as Republican believe that same-sex marriage should be legal (55% in a Pew Research survey conducted in May 2021).^[654]

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump used the acronym "LGBT" at the 2016 Republican National Convention while acknowledging the recent shooting at the Pulse nightclub. Trump, as president, signed a memo in August 2017 prohibiting transgender individuals from joining the armed services in most cases.^[672] Trump appointed the first openly gay member of Cabinet, Richard Grenell. The Republican Party's 2016 platform, which was also used in 2020, opposes:

Obergefell v. Hodges (the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage) and same-sex marriage generally.
Banning conversion therapy on minors.
Transgender children's right to use the facilities corresponding to their gender.
Covering LGBTQ people under anti-discrimination policies, including in cases of adoption.^[673]^[674]

Fred Karger's run for the 2012 Republican nomination for President made him America's first openly gay Republican presidential candidate.^[675]^[676]

In the 2020s, Republican-led states across the United States began rolling back some LGBTQ rights, particularly those involving children and transgender rights. These mainly include bans on gender transitions for minors, bans on public performances of drag shows, among others.

Third parties

The Libertarian Party has endorsed libertarian perspectives on LGBTQ rights by supporting the decriminalization of same-sex sodomy and promoting same-sex marriage since it was created in 1971, while also supporting religious freedom. The Libertarian Party wished to lift the bans on same-sex marriage, but with the ultimate goal of marriage privatization.^[677] Multiple sources, including the Libertarian Party, have referred to John Hospers, who was in 1972 the first presidential nominee of the newly formed Libertarian Party,^[678] as the first openly gay person to run for president of the United States.^[679]^[680]^[681] However, The Guardian's obituary stated that his family “strenuously denied” he was gay.^[682] Chase Oliver, who is openly gay,^[683] became the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee in 2024.^[684]

While many American socialist and communist political parties initially preferred to ignore the issue, most now support gay rights causes. Socialist groups generally integrate a stronger approach to gender identity issues than mainstream parties. The Socialist Party U.S.A nominated an openly gay man, David McReynolds, as its first openly gay presidential candidate in 1980; he is America's first gay presidential candidate if not counting John Hospers; see above for the controversy regarding Hospers' sexual orientation.^[685]

The Green Party has been in favor of sweeping LGBTQ rights and protections since the party's inaugural platform in 2000.^[686] The more informal coalition of State Green Parties that existed in America from 1983 to 2000 also backed LGBTQ rights.

The Constitution Party (United States) is strongly opposed to LGBTQ freedoms, and supports criminal laws against homosexuality and cross-dressing. The party is very conservative and has ties to Christian Reconstructionism, a far-right, political movement within conservative Christian churches.

Public opinion on different LGBTQ rights and issues in the United States

Public opinion regarding different individual LGBTQ rights and issues in the United States is very mixed, with some issues having strong majority public opinion on the Progressive side of the argument, where on others, the American population is more Conservative, see summary table below.

LGBTQ right or issue	Support	Oppose	Don't know / NA	Margin of error	Sample	Conducted by	Polling type	Date Conducted
Same-Sex Marriage	54%	31%	15%	?	1,000 American adults	Ipsos	Online interviews	February 17, 2023 - March 3, 2023
Same-Sex Couples’ Right to Adopt	64%	26%	10%	?	1,000 American adults	Ipsos	Online interviews	February 17, 2023 - March 3, 2023
Same-Sex Couples’ Parenting	66%	23%	11%	?	1,000 American adults	Ipsos	Online interviews	February 17, 2023 - March 3, 2023
Transgender children's access to transgender health care	45%	42%	14%	?	1,000 American adults	Ipsos	Online interviews	February 17, 2023 - March 3, 2023
Views on Other-Gender Option on Official Documents	41%	43%	16%	?	1,000 American adults	Ipsos	Online interviews	February 17, 2023 - March 3, 2023
Homosexual relations legal	79%	18%	3%	?	?	Gallup	Landline and Cellphone	May 3, 2021 - May 18, 2021
Morality of Changing ones Gender	46%	51%	2%	<0.5%	?	Gallup	Landline and Cellphone	May 3, 2021 - May 18, 2021
Anti-discrimination laws in employment	92%	6%	2%	?	About 1,000 registered voters	Quinnipiac	Landline and Cellphone	May 2, 2019
Allowing trans-women in homeless shelters for women	31%	53%	16%	3.1%	3,500 registered voters	Wick Surveys	Online interview	October 10, 2020 - October 23, 2020
Allowing trans-women to serve time in women's prisons	33%	48%	18%	3.1%	3,500 registered voters	Wick Surveys	Online interview	October 10, 2020 - October 23, 2020
Allowing trans-women in women's changing rooms	31%	58%	11%	3.1%	3,500 registered voters	Wick Surveys	Online interview	October 10, 2020 - October 23, 2020
Allowing transgender individuals to use the restroom of their gender identity	44%	51%	5%	?	?	Gallup	Landline and Cellphone	May 15, 2019 - May 30, 2019
Allowing transgender individuals to participate in the sport of their gender identity	19%	66%	11%	3.1%	3,500 registered voters	Wick Surveys	Online interview	October 10, 2020 - October 23, 2020
Teaching LGBT subjects in history and school	46%	33%	22%	?	3,721 American adults	YouGov	Online survey	May 28, 2019 - May 31, 2019
Teaching same-sex sexual health	65%	21%	14%	?	3,721 American adults	YouGov	Online survey	May 28, 2019 - May 31, 2019
Same-sex Marriage	70%	29%	1%	?	1,028 American adults	Gallup	Landline and Cellphone	May 3, 2021 - May 18, 2021
Same-sex couples adopting	55%	32%	13%	?	1,224 American adults	YouGov	Online Survey	June 15, 2018 - June 19, 2018
Allowing Gays and Lesbians to serve openly in the military	60%	30%	10%	?	3,003 American adults	Pew Research	Landline and Cellphone	July 21, 2010 - August 5, 2010
Allowing Transgender people to serve openly in the military	49%	34%	17%	?	?	YouGov	Online Survey	March 25, 2018 - March 27, 2018
Legal recognition of a non-binary gender	42%	56%	1%	1.5%	10,682 American adults	Pew Research	Online Interviews	September 24, 2018 - October 7, 2018
Allowing MSMs to donate blood without deferral	34%	51%	15%	?	5,369 American adults	YouGov	Online Survey	March 25, 2020

Summary table of LGBTQ rights in the United States

This is simplified for international comparison with other Wikipedia LGBT rights articles.

A Y denotes that the right exists, while a N denotes it does not; a Y and N in the same column means the right varies on a state-by-state basis, or that it varies on the Federal Level.

LGBTQ right	Federal protection	State-level protection
Same-sex sexual activity legal	(under Lawrence v. Texas, 2003)^[687]
Equal age of consent
Romeo and Juliet laws apply equally to same-sex couples as to opposite-sex couples		/
Anti-discrimination laws in employment	^[688]	/
Anti-discrimination laws in housing	/ (HUD, a federal agency, changed its interpretation of the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. However no law has been passed by congress (or reinterpreted by the supreme court) to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in housing.^[689])	/
Anti-discrimination laws in public accommodations		/
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services		/^[690]
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas		/
Anti-discrimination laws in health insurance		/
Anti-bullying legislation in schools and colleges		/
Anti-discrimination laws in schools and colleges		/
Anti-discrimination laws in hospitals
Anti-discrimination law in homeless shelters		/
Discrimination against Intersex or non-binary persons is interpreted to be a violation of anti-discrimination laws when gender identity and/or sex is enumerated as a protected class	for non-binary people for Intersex people	/
LGBTQ anti-discrimination law in prisons, juvenile halls, and immigration detention centers, including but not limited to transgender people required to be housed according to their gender identity and coverage of transition care		/
Transgender-disenfranchising voting laws repealed/absent^[691]		/
Transgender people allowed to use restrooms and other gender-segregated spaces that correspond to their gender identity		/
Transgender people allowed to participate in the sport of their gender identity		/
Single-person restrooms with gender-segregated signage (and a lock) are given new signs saying "All-Gender Restroom" (by policy/law)		/ (Five states and Four cities have enacted laws that mandate all single-user gender-segregated bathrooms be unisex)
Gender confirmation surgery, puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy and other transition-related healthcare for transgender people required to be covered under health insurance and state Medicaid policies		// (Some states ban coverage of such medical practices, while others require coverage of it, and others are ambiguous on the issue)
LGBTQ education		/ (Mixed policies: Multiple states have Anti-LGBTQ curriculum laws in place that limit instruction and discussion of LGBTQ issues in the classroom,^[692] while others, such as California, Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey mandate education on LGBTQ issues in school^[693])
Hate Crime laws inclusive of Sexual orientation	(Since 2009 under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act)^[694]	/ (35 states enhance sentences for crimes committed against someone on the basis of their sexual orientation, while one state, Michigan, accounts for Hate Crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation when collecting data on Hate Crimes)
Hate Crime laws inclusive of Gender identity		/ (24 states enhance sentences for crimes committed against some on the basis of them being Transgender or gender non-conforming)
Ban on police profiling on the basis of both perceived and/or actual gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation		/
Sexual orientation allowed as grounds for asylum	(Since 1994)^[695]^[696]
Gender identity allowed as grounds for asylum		/
Prohibition on the detention of immigrants on the basis of their LGBTQ identity.		/
Prohibition of deportations of LGBTQ immigrants back to countries with the death penalty for homosexuality	(Currently there is a 100-day suspension on all deportations via a Joe Biden executive order)^[697]
Endorsable visas for immigrants and travelers who are legally recognized as non-binary or Intersex in their country of origin^[b]	^[698]	/
Surrogacy legal for male same-sex couples		/
Same-sex marriage	Since 2015 nationwide^[699] American Samoa,^[700] Navajo Nation^[701] and several other reservations
Recognition of same-sex couples	^[699] Navajo Nation and several other reservations
Step-child adoption by same-sex couples	^[702] American Samoa, Navajo Nation and several other reservations
Joint adoption by same-sex couples	^[702] American Samoa, Navajo Nation and several other reservations
Paid family leave for same-sex parents and couples		/^[703]
LGBTQ anti-discrimination law in adoption, custody, and visitation rights		/
Conjugal visits for same-sex couples	N/A (conjugal visits banned in federal prisons regardless of sexual orientation)	/ (only in New York and California)
LGBTQ people allowed to serve openly in the military	(since 2011)^[704]
Transgender people allowed to serve openly in the military	(Most Transgender personnel allowed to serve openly since 2021)^[705]
Intersex people allowed to serve openly in the military	(current Department of Defense policy bans "hermaphrodites" from serving or enlisting in the military)^[706]
Right to change legal gender	(Does not require SRS for a gender change on passports^[707] or Social Security's records^[708])	/ (20 states allow a gender change on birth certificates after SRS, 27 states allow it without being required to undergo such treatments, one state bans all amendments to birth certificates, and two are ambiguous at the moment)
Legal recognition of non-binary gender		/
Legal recognition of non-binary gender on US passports	(since 2022)^[709]
Abolition of gender-based dress codes which may discriminate against transgender students at schools		// (Known cities with such a policy include New York City)^[710]
Airport security screening gender neutral (body scanning, etc.)	(since 2022) Cessation of "alarm" or "anomaly" security flags on bodily characteristics deemed not congruent, or not to "match" sex designations, as may occur for some transgender persons^[711]
United States census counts number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and recognizes a non-binary gender or Intersex option
Intersex minors protected from invasive surgical procedures
Conversion therapy banned on minors		/
Gay panic and trans panic defenses banned by law		/ (11 States currently ban it.)
Gay and Lesbian Criminal records expunged		/
Homosexuality declassified as a mental illness	(since 1973)
Transgender identity declassified as a mental illness	(since 1994) Not considered a mental illness.^[c]	N/A
Intersex sex characteristics declassified as a physical deformity		/
MSMs allowed to donate blood	/ (3-month deferral period)^[715]^[716]	N/A
Female sex partners of MSMs allowed to donate blood	/ (3-month deferral period)	N/A

Summary of state protections

Employment protections will not be included on the following table, unless the state adopted them before 2020, as they have already been implemented nationwide under Bostock v. Clayton County.

State Protections in Housing and Public Accommodations	Sexual orientation	Gender identity/Expression
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas	(LGBTQ Anti-Discrimination Ordinances covering public accommodations and housing are forbidden in Arkansas under the Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act signed in 2015)	(LGBTQ Anti-Discrimination Ordinances covering public accommodations and housing are forbidden in Arkansas under the Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act signed in 2015)
California	(Since 1992 in employment, since 2000 in housing, and since 2005 in public accommodations)	(Since 2003 in employment and housing, and since 2005 in public accommodations)
Colorado	(Since 2008 for sexual orientation and gender identity)	(Since 2008 for sexual orientation and gender identity)
Connecticut	(Since 1991)	(Since 2011)
Delaware	(Since 2009)	(Since 2013)
Florida	(States Civil Rights Commission Implicitly Includes sexuality, but not state law)	(States Civil Rights Commission Implicitly Includes gender identity, but not state law)
Georgia
Hawaii	(Since 1991 for employment, since 2005 in housing, and since 2006 in public accommodations)	(Since 2005 in housing, since 2006 in public accommodations, and since 2011 in employment)
Idaho
Illinois	(Since 2006 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2006 for both sexuality and gender identity)
Indiana
Iowa	(Since 2007 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2007 for both sexuality and gender identity)
Kansas	(States Civil Rights Commission implicitly includes sexuality, but not state law)	(States Civil Rights Commission implicitly includes gender identity, but not state law)
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine	(Since 2005 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2005 for both sexuality and gender identity)
Maryland	(Since 2001)	(Since 2014)
Massachusetts	(Since 1989)	(Since 2016)
Michigan	(Since 2019 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2019 for both sexuality and gender identity)
Minnesota	(Since 1993 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 1993 for both sexuality and gender identity)
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska	/ (States Civil Rights Commission implicitly includes sexuality in housing protections, but not state law, and there are no protections in public accommodations)	/ (States Civil Rights Commission implicitly includes gender identity in housing protections, but not state law, and there are no protections in public accommodations)
Nevada	(Since 1999 in employment, and since 2011 in all other areas)	(Since 2011 in all areas)
New Hampshire	(Since 1998)	(Since 2019)
New Jersey	(Since 1991)	(Since 2006)
New Mexico	(Since 2003 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2003 for both sexuality and gender identity)
New York	(Since 2003)	(Since 2019)
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon	(Since 2008 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2008 for both sexuality and gender identity)
Pennsylvania	(States Civil Rights Commission implicitly includes sexuality since 2019, but not state law)	(States Civil Rights Commission implicitly includes gender identity 2019, but not state law)
Rhode Island	(Since 1995)	(Since 2011)
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee	(LGBTQ Anti-discrimination ordinances covering public accommodations and housing are forbidden in Tennessee under the Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act signed in 2011)	(LGBTQ Anti-discrimination ordinances covering public accommodations and housing are forbidden in Tennessee under the Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act signed in 2011)
Texas
Utah	/ (Discrimination on the basis of sexuality prohibited in only housing, and not public accommodations)	/ (Discrimination on the basis of gender identity prohibited in only housing, and not public accommodations)
Vermont	(Since 1992)	(Since 2007)
Virginia	(Since 2020 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2020 for both sexuality and gender identity)
Washington	(Since 2006 for both sexuality and gender identity)	(Since 2006 for both sexuality and gender identity)
West Virginia
Wisconsin	(Since 1982)
Wyoming

Summary of protections in tribal nations

Notes

^ Executive Order 13673
^ or gender-diverse, X, third-gender, indeterminate, other, T, Hijra, and other legal genders not represented as "male" or "female" from other countries
^ Diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" in accordance with DSM-5 (2013), is made only if there is "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning", the American Psychiatric Association advises.^[712] The DSM-IV (1994) listed "gender identity disorder" with simlilar clinical criteria. Between 1980 and 1994, "transsexualism" was listed as a mental disorder by the DSM-III, without any criteria of "distress" or "impaired function" (in effect, classifying transgender identity itself as a mental disorder).^[713]^[714]

References

^ Derks, Marco; van den Berg, Mariecke (2020). Public Discourses About Homosexuality and Religion in Europe and Beyond. Springer International Publishing. p. 338. ISBN 9783030563264. ...(the United States and [Western] Europe) as "already in crisis" for their permissive attitudes toward nonnormative sexualities...
^ Leveille, Dan (December 4, 2009). "LGBT Equality Index: The most LGBT-friendly countries in the world". Equaldex. Retrieved January 26, 2023. 12.) United States
^ ^a ^b ^c Ball, Molly (May 13, 2024). "How 20 Years of Same-Sex Marriage Changed America". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 15, 2024. Two decades later, what was once the white-hot center of political debate has receded to the background... The widespread public approval suggests most people don't believe the horrors once forecast have resulted from same-sex marriage's legalization...
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Garretson, Jeremiah (2018). "A Transformed Society: LGBT Rights in the United States". The Path to Gay Rights: How Activism and Coming Out Changed Public Opinion. New York University Press. ISBN 9781479850075. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a dramatic wave began to form in the waters of public opinion: American attitudes involving homosexuality began to change... The transformation of America's response to homosexuality has been — and continues to be — one of the most rapid and sustained shifts in mass attitudes since the start of public polling.
^ McCarthy, Justin (June 1, 2022). "Same-Sex Marriage Support Inches Up to New High of 71%". Gallup, Inc. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
^ "The Gay Rights Movement In Illinois: A History". CBS. December 2, 2010. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "Employment Non-Discrimination Laws on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity". Human Rights Campaign. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ Reilly, Mollie (March 31, 2016). "Same-Sex Couples Can Now Adopt Children in All 50 States". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023.
^ {{cite news|date=March 31, 2016|title=Judge Invalidates Mississippi's Same-Sex Adoption Ban, the Last of Its Kind in America|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2016/04/01/mississippi_same_sex_adoption_ban_overturned_spelling_trouble_for_hb_1523.html|work=Slate|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318053938/https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/04/mississippi-same-sex-adoption-ban-overturned-spelling-trouble-for-hb-1523.html|archive-date=March 18, 2023}|author=Mark Joseph Stern}
^ Grant, Jaime M.; Mottet, Lisa A.; Tanis, Justin; Harrison, Jack; Herman, Jody L.; Keisling, Mara (2011). Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (PDF) (Report). National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 12, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
^ "Majority of Americans Believe Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage Should be Guaranteed Rights | Grinnell College". Grinnell College. September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022. Solid majorities across both parties agree that... marrying someone of the same sex...are rights that should be guaranteed to all citizens...
^ "September 20-25, 2022 Grinnell College National Poll" (PDF). FiveThirtyEight. September 28, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Staff. "GSS Data Explorer: "Homosexuals should have right to marry?" (18-34)". General Social Survey. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
^ "America's far right is increasingly protesting against LGBT people". The Economist.
^ Kane, Peter-Astrid (April 28, 2022). "After years of progress on gay rights, how did the US become so anti-LGBTQ ?". The Guardian. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
^ Trotta, Daniel (May 18, 2023). "US Republican transgender laws pile up, setting 2024 battle lines". The Guardian. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
^ Lopez, German (June 26, 2015). "Same-sex marriage in the US, explained". Vox. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
^ "Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage Appears to Shift at Accelerated Pace". FiveThirtyEight. May 19, 2016.
^ "Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. July 29, 2015. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
^ "Americans Favor Rights for Gays, Lesbians to Inherit, Adopt". Gallup. December 12, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
^ "PRRI – American Values Atlas". ava.prri.org. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
^ Staff (December 14, 2022). "Lowest Opinion Of Trump Among Voters In Seven Years, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Biden Approval Rating Climbs | Quinnipiac University Poll". Quinnipiac University. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
^ Brenan, Megan (June 24, 2024). "Same-Sex Relations, Marriage Still Supported by Most in U.S." Gallup.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Supreme Court of the United States (June 26, 2003). "Opinion of the Court". Cornell Law. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
^ "Sodomy Laws in the United States". Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. November 23, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
^ "Raleigh police press sodomy charges". The News & Observer. May 27, 2008. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ "Prosecutors Drop Sodomy Charges". The News & Observer. May 30, 2008. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
^ Murphy, Tim (April 12, 2011). "The Unconstitutional Anti-Gay Law That Just Won't Die". Mother Jones. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
^ Same-sex activity had become legal in Illinois in 1962, Connecticut in 1971, Colorado and Oregon in 1972, Delaware and Hawaii in 1973, Massachusetts and Ohio in 1974, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota in 1975, California, Maine, Washington, and West Virginia in 1976, Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming in 1977, Nebraska in 1978, New Jersey in 1979, Alaska, New York, and Pennsylvania in 1980, Wisconsin in 1983, Kentucky in 1992, Nevada and District of Columbia in 1993, Tennessee in 1996, Montana in 1997, Georgia and Rhode Island in 1998, Maryland and Missouri (Western District counties only) in 1999, Arizona and Minnesota in 2001, and Arkansas in 2002
^ State-sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults Archived October 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, authored by Lucas Paoli Itaborahy, May 2014
^ "State Sodomy Laws Continue To Target LGBT Americans". Equality Matters. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
^ Ring, Trudy (April 19, 2013). "WATCH: Montana Sodomy Repeal Signed Into Law". The Advocate.
^ Garret, Thomas (April 23, 2014). "SB 14 Sodomy; crimes against nature, clarifies provisions of clause, penalty". Virginia Government.
^ Kurtz, Josh (May 8, 2020). "Here Are Two Dozen Bills Becoming Law Without Hogan's Signature". Maryland Matters.
^ "Bill to repeal Md. sodomy law to take effect without governor's signature". Washington Blade. May 19, 2023. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ Blade, Special to the LA (May 19, 2023). "Minnesota repeals sodomy, fornication, & adultery laws". Los Angeles Blade: LGBTQ News, Rights, Politics, Entertainment. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
^ McBride, Alex. "Lawrence v Texas (2003)". PBS News. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
^ "What is the Romeo and Juliet Law in Texas? | Romeo & Juliet Law". Houston-criminalattorney.com. September 3, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "PENAL CODE CHAPTER 21. SEXUAL OFFENSES". Statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Barrett, Peter (January 8, 2019). "What is the Age of Consent in Texas?". Barrettcrimelaw.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Riccardo Ciacci; Dario Sansone (2023). "The impact of sodomy law repeals on crime". Journal of Population Economics. 36 (4): 2519–2548. arXiv:2008.10926. doi:10.1007/s00148-023-00953-1.
^ Belluck, Oam (May 17, 2004). "With Festive Mood, Gay Weddings Begin in Massachusetts". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Mervosh, Sarah (May 21, 2019). "Both Parents Are American. The U.S. Says Their Baby Isn't". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Greene, Jenna (May 27, 2021). "Pro Bono Hero: How Morgan Lewis partner Manning helped win citizenship for babies of same-sex couples". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
^ Ring, Trudy (October 27, 2020). "State Dept. Quits Fight Over Citizenship of Same-Sex Couples' Kids". advocate.com. The Advocate. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
^ "Victory! State Department Withdraws Appeal in Cases of Same-Sex Couples' Children Refused Passports". Lambda Legal. October 27, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "8 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 39 States with Same-Sex Marriage Bans - Gay Marriage - ProCon.org". Gaymarriage.procon.org. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
^ Davis, Don (November 7, 2012). "Minnesota voters reject marriage amendment". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
^ ^a ^b "The Equality Act". Human Rights Campaign. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Justices rule LGBT people protected from job discrimination". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Associated Press. June 15, 2020.
^ Killough, Ashley. "Houses passes Equality Act". CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Why the Equality Act Remains Important to LGBTQ Equality". The Regulatory Review. July 27, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Gentry, Dana (July 26, 2024). "Family values, LGBTQ rights would backslide with Project 2025 • Nevada Current".
^ Latham, Angele. "Inside Project 2025: How the expansive conservative playbook could impact religious liberty". The Tennessean.
^ "What is Project 2025 and what does it mean for LGBTQ Americans?". www.advocate.com.
^ Tilcsik, András (2011). "Pride and Prejudice: Employment Discrimination against Openly Gay Men in the United States". American Journal of Sociology. 117 (2): 586–626. doi:10.1086/661653. hdl:1807/34998. JSTOR 10.1086/661653. PMID 22268247. S2CID 23542996.
^ Purdum, Todd S. (August 4, 1995). "Clinton Ends Ban on Security Clearance for Gay Workers". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
^ "1998-05-28 Statement on Amendment to EEO Executive Order". nara.gov. May 5, 1998. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
^ "In Landmark Ruling, Feds Add Transgendered to Anti-Discrimination Law". Edgeboston.com. April 25, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
^ Carpenter, Dale (December 14, 2012). "Anti-gay discrimination is sex discrimination, says the EEOC". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
^ Tatectate, Curtis. "EEOC: Federal law bans workplace bias against gays, lesbians, bisexuals". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Executive Order – Further Amendments to Executive Order 11478, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government, and Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity". whitehouse.gov. Office of the Press Secretary. July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014 – via National Archives.
^ "Obama signs edict banning discrimination against federal LGBT employees". Al Jazeera. July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Kutner, Jenny (March 29, 2017). "Trump Rolls Back Protections for LGBTQ Workers, Despite Recent Promises". Vogue. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
^ Bostock v. Clayton Cnty., Ga., No. 17-1618, 590 U.S. ___ (2020)
^ Edwards-Levy, Ariel (June 25, 2020). "The Supreme Court Rulings On LGBTQ Rights And DACA Are Really Popular, Poll Finds". HuffPost. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
^ "Renter's Rights Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination". FindLaw. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ "Equal Access to Housing Final Rule - HUD Exchange". hudexchange.info. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "RIN: 2506-AC53". reginfo.gov. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
^ "Braschi v. Stahl Associates Co - Case Brief for Law Students". Casebriefs. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
^ Gutis, Philip S. (July 7, 1989). "New York Court Defines Family To Include Homosexual Couples". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Obama Widens Medical Rights for Gay Partners". The New York Times. April 16, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
^ Simmons-Duffin, Selena (June 12, 2020). "Transgender Health Protections Reversed By Trump Administration". NPR News. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo (May 10, 2021). "Reversing Trump, U.S. Restores Transgender Health Protections". HuffPost. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
^ Wan, William (March 29, 2023). "Kentucky lawmakers pass major anti-trans law, overriding governor's veto". Washington Post.
^ Meyer, Doug (2014). "Resisting Hate Crime Discourse: Queer and Intersectional Challenges to Neoliberal Hate Crime Laws". Critical Criminology. 22 (1): 113–125. doi:10.1007/s10612-013-9228-x. S2CID 143546829.
^ Pershing, Ben (October 22, 2009). "Hate crimes bill set to become law". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
^ "President Barack Obama signs hate crimes legislation into law". Baywindows.com. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c State Hate Crime Laws Archived June 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Anti-Defamation League, June 2006. Retrieved May 4, 2007.
^ Volokh, Eugene (June 19, 2017). "Supreme Court unanimously reaffirms: There is no 'hate speech' exception to the First Amendment". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
^ "Gay/Trans Panic Defense Laws" (PDF). Movement Advancement Project. June 7, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ Branigin, William; Wilgoren, Debbi; Bacon, Perry Jr. (December 22, 2010). "Obama signs DADT repeal before big, emotional crowd". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ "In 60 days, gays will be allowed to serve openly in the military". CNN. July 23, 2011.
^ "Who Must Register". Selective Service System. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
^ Baldor, Lolita (July 13, 2015). "Pentagon announces plan aimed at lifting transgender ban". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
^ "Military lifts transgender ban s". McClatchy. June 30, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Baldor, Lolita. "10 Transgender Soldiers Ask for Formal Recognition". Associated Press.
^ "Trump: Transgender people 'can't serve' US military". BBC News. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
^ "Joint Chiefs: 'No modifications' to transgender policy from Trump tweet". Politico. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
^ Trump, Donald J. (August 25, 2017). "Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2017 – via National Archives.
^ "Trump asks US court for review of transgender military ban". BBC. November 23, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
^ Welna, David; Chappell, Bill (January 22, 2019). "Supreme Court Revives Trump's Ban On Transgender Military Personnel, For Now". NPR News. NPR. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ "GLAD, NCLR Statements on House Armed Services Committee Hearing on Transgender Military Ban". No Trans Military Ban. February 27, 2019. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ Norquist, David (March 12, 2019). "MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF MANAGEMENT OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE" (PDF). Washington Blade. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
^ "Frequently Asked Questions on the Transgender Military Ban" (PDF). notransmilitaryban.org. February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ "Bipartisan bills introduced to thwart Trump's trans military ban". NBC News. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ "US appeals court rules in favor of Trump transgender ban, but policy still can't be enforced". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ Wamsley, Laurel (March 31, 2021). "Pentagon Releases New Policies Enabling Transgender People To Serve In The Military". NPR News. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
^ J.P. Lawrence, Stars and Stripes (April 30, 2021). "Free to Be a Better Soldier: Transgender Service Members Cheer Reversal of Ban". Military.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
^ Gutierrez, Gabe; Jansing, Chris (May 21, 2019). "Thousands of immigrants forced into solitary confinement by ICE". MSNBC. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
^ Speri, Alice. "Inmates Are Losing Their Privilege to Get Laid." Vice. April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
^ Rodgers, Patrick. "Conjugal Visits: Preserving family bonds behind bars". LegalZoom. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Conjugal visits allowed for inmates and partners in same-sex marriages, civil unions". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
^ Speri, Alice. "Inmates Are Losing Their Privilege to Get Laid Archived April 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine." Vice. April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
^ Sanburn, Josh. "Mississippi Ending Conjugal Visits for Prisoners." Time. January 13, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Which countries offer gender-neutral passports?". The Economist. April 11, 2022. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
^ "Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey" (PDF). Thetaskforce.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 6, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "These Are the Trans Women Killed So Far in the U.S. in 2015". The Advocate. July 27, 2015.
^ "These Are the Trans People Killed in 2016". The Advocate. October 14, 2016.
^ "A Blueprint for Equality: Housing and Homelessness". National Center for Transgender Equality. June 29, 2015. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
^ "REPORT: Trans Americans Four Times More Likely to Live in Poverty". The Advocate. February 18, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "Sexual Assault in the LGBT Community". NCLR. April 30, 2014.
^ "Op-ed: Trans Men Experience Far More Violence Than Most People Assume". The Advocate. July 23, 2015.
^ "Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault: The Numbers". Office for Victims of Crime. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "Gender Minority & Homelessness: Transgender Population" (PDF). In Focus: A Quarterly Research Review of the National HCH Council. 3 (1). September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "Your Rights Gender Identity Discrimination". Workplace Fairness. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "Transgender FAQ". GLAAD. November 8, 2013.
^ "It Takes A Village To Bully A Transgender Kindergartner". Thinkprogress.org. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "The Criminal Justice System Is Broken and Trans People Are Suffering". The Advocate. May 24, 2016.
^ "Transgender asylum seeker faces abuse in immigration detention – Transgender Law Center". Transgenderlawcenter.org. January 13, 2015. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "Transgender Woman Says She Was Delayed by TSA for Anatomical 'Anomaly'". NBC News.
^ "TSA changes word for trans bodies from 'anomaly' to 'alarm'". MSNBC. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "Why Transgender Women Have the Country's Highest HIV Rates". HIV Plus. April 2, 2015.
^ Dupere, Katie (August 5, 2015). "6 ways the health care system fails transgender patients". Mashable.
^ "Trans People Are Using #TransHealthFail And It's Making A Difference". Buzzfeed.
^ "State Bill Would Modernize Process To Change Gender on Illinois Birth Certificates". progressillinois.com. May 28, 2023.
^ Jackson, Alyssa. "The high cost of being transgender". CNN.
^ "Costs of Transgender Transition Can Have Dark Financial Legacy". NBC News.
^ "Trump signs controversial 'sex-trafficking' bill that could hurt the future of the internet". The Daily Dot. March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ "Sex workers explain why the House's online sex-trafficking bill is bulls**t". The Daily Dot. March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ Stahl, Aviva; Schrupp, Lindsay (August 2, 2018). "'We're Monumentally Fucked': Trans Sex Workers on Life Under FOSTA/SESTA". Broadly. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ "Position on FOSTA-SESTA and its Impact on Consensual Sex Work and the Chilling of Sexual Speech". AASECT: American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ Cole, Samantha; Maiberg, Emanuel (April 11, 2018). "Trump Just Signed SESTA/FOSTA, a Law Sex Workers Say Will Literally Kill Them". Motherboard. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
^ "Debunking the 'Bathroom Bill' Myth – Accurate Reporting on LGBT Nondiscrimination: A Guide for Journalists". GLAAD. February 24, 2016.
^ "Nearly 240 anti-LGBTQ bills filed in 2022 so far, most of them targeting trans people". NBC News. March 20, 2022.
^ Mayeda, Ali (April 3, 2023). "LGBTQ Communities Fight Back Against Coordinated Nationwide Assault". Equality Federation. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
^ "Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
^ "Bathroom Bills, Selfies, and the Erasure of Nonbinary Trans People". The Advocate. April 1, 2016.
^ "FindLaw's Writ - Grossman: When Parentage Turns on Anatomical Sex An Illinois Court Denies a Female-to-Male Transsexual's Claim of Fatherhood". findlaw.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011.
^ Grenberg, Julie (2006). "The Roads Less Travelled: The Problem with Binary Sex Categories". In Currah, Paisley; Juang, Richard; Minter, Minter (eds.). Transgender Rights. Minneapolis: Minnesota University Press. pp. 51–73. ISBN 0-8166-4312-1.
^ "Kansas to allow trans residents to change birth certificates". NBC News. June 25, 2019.
^ "Changing Birth Certificate Sex Designations: State-By-State Guidelines". Lambda Legal. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014.
^ Purifoy, Parker (December 26, 2020). "Federal judge rules Ohio birth certificate policy is unconstitutional". Los Angeles Blade. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Idaho House Passes Bill Banning Trans People from Correcting Gender on Birth Certificates". Lambda Legal. February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
^ Stitt, Kevin (November 8, 2021). "Executive Order 2021-24" (PDF). Oklahoma Secretary of State.
^ "Montana permanently blocks transgender people from changing their birth certificates". PBS NewsHour. September 9, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
^ "General Laws". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
^ "Transgender People and Amended Birth Certificates". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. August 26, 2015. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
^ "Change of Gender". Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
^ "Massachusetts Allows Nonbinary Marker on Licenses, IDs". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
^ "Sources of Authority to Amend Sex Designation on Birth Certificates". Lambda Legal. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
^ "Gender Change Request" (PDF). Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
^ "LIS > Bill Tracking > HB1041 > 2020 session". lis.virginia.gov. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
^ "Driver's License Policies by State". National Center for Transgender Equality. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ Ebrahimji, Alisha (July 11, 2023). "A state judge ordered Kansas to stop letting transgender people change their gender marker on their driver's licenses". CNN. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
^ Migdon, Brooke (January 30, 2024). "Florida bars transgender residents from changing gender on driver's licenses". The Hill.
^ Crowley, Kinsey; Soule, Douglas (January 30, 2024). "Florida barring gender changes on driver's license puts trans residents at risk, critics say". USA Today.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d AlHajal, Khalil (November 16, 2015). "Judge refuses to dismiss challenge to Michigan policy on transgender drivers". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "ACLU Lawsuit: Michigan ID Policy Exposes Transgender Men and Women to Risk of Harassment, Violence". American Civil Liberties Union. May 21, 2015. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
^ "8 FAM 403.3 Gender Change". United States Department of State. June 27, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
^ "8 FAM 1004.1 Passport Amendments". United States Department of State. June 27, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
^ "US citizens can now choose the gender 'X' on their passport applications". Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
^ "Nepal issues first third-gender passport, after Australia and N. Zealand". DailySabah. August 10, 2015. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015.
^ Nandi, Jacinta (November 10, 2013). "Germany got it right by offering a third gender option on birth certificates". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016.
^ Plucinska, Joanna (August 11, 2015). "Nepal Is The Latest Country to Acknowledge A Third Gender on Passports". Time. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015.
^ "Malta becomes first European country to recognize gender identity in Constitution". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.
^ Busby, Mattha (August 31, 2017). "Canada introduces gender-neutral 'X' option on passports". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
^ "The 'two-spirit' people of indigenous North Americans". The Guardian. October 11, 2010. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017.
^ "The Beautiful Way Hawaiian Culture Embraces A Particular Kind Of Transgender Identity". HuffPost. April 28, 2015. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017.
^ "Fa'afafines: The Third Gender". theculturetrip.com. September 15, 2011. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015.
^ "Society Of Fa'afafine In American Samoa - S.O.F.I.A.S." Archived from the original on January 4, 2018 – via Facebook.
^ "In Mexico, Mixed Genders And 'Muxes'". NPR. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015.
^ Khaleeli, Homa (April 16, 2014). "Hijra: India's third gender claims its place in law". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017.
^ "Third Gender". HuffPost. March 19, 2014. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
^ O'Hara, Mary Emily (June 10, 2016). "'Nonbinary' is now a legal gender, Oregon court rules". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
^ "North Dakota governor signs law criminalizing trans health care for minors". PBS. April 20, 2023. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
^ "Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures". American Civil Liberties Union. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023. The ACLU is tracking 501 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S.
^ ^a ^b "Arkansas Lawmakers Override Veto, Enact Transgender Youth Treatment Ban". Associated Press. April 6, 2021. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ McMillan, Jeff; Kruesi, Kimberlee (May 20, 2023). "Meet the influential new player on transgender health bills". AP News. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
^ Balevic, Katie (May 20, 2023). "Do No Harm, a group of 'medical professionals' fighting 'woke healthcare,' is behind many anti-trans laws". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
^ "APA Policy Statement on Affirming Evidence-Based Inclusive Care for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Nonbinary Individuals, Addressing Misinformation, and the Role of Psychological Practice and Science". American Psychological Association. February 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ Reed, Erin. "World's largest psych association supports trans youth care". www.advocate.com. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Nearly 100,000 transgender youth live in states that banned access to health care, sports, or school bathrooms in 2023". Williams Institute. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
^ "Efforts to restrict transgender health care endure in 2024, with more adults targeted". NBC News. January 11, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "The Proliferation of State Actions Limiting Youth Access to Gender Affirming Care". KFF. January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
^ Kalish, Lil (May 30, 2024). "Tennessee Enacts 'Concerning' First-In-The-Nation Law". HuffPost. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
^ Panetta, Grace (June 9, 2023). "Lawmakers in blue states are linking protections for abortion and gender-affirming care". The 19th. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Ferguson, Dana; Maucione, Scott; Birkeland, Bente; Pluta, Rick; Jackson, Colin; Squires, Acacia (April 21, 2023). "Minnesota to join at least 4 other states in protecting transgender care this year". NPR. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
^ Hassan, Adeel (June 27, 2023). "States Passed a Record Number of Transgender Laws. Here's What They Say". The New York Times. New York Times. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Block M. "Parents raise concerns as Florida bans gender-affirming care for trans kids". NPR. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
^ Schott B. "Why GOP lawmakers want to stop doctors from prescribing gender-affirming care for Utah's youth". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
^ Connell-Bryan A, Kenen J, Holzman J (November 27, 2022). "Conservative states are blocking trans medical care. Families are fleeing". Politico. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
^ Ramirez M. "As state laws target transgender children, families flee and become 'political refugees'". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
^ Yurcaba J (April 19, 2021). "'It's not safe': Parents of trans kids plan to flee their states as GOP bills loom". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
^ Lavietes, Matt; Yurcaba, Jo (October 17, 2024). "Texas AG sues doctor who allegedly provided transgender care to 21 minors". NBC News. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
^ Block, Melissa (July 21, 2021). "Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Ban On Gender Confirming Treatments For Trans Youth". NPR. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Branigin, Anne (June 21, 2023). "Arkansas federal judge blocks first ban on gender-affirming care". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
^ Powell, Tori B. (February 24, 2022). "Texas Governor Greg Abbott orders state agencies to investigate gender-transitioning procedures as child abuse". CBS News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
^ Yurcaba, Jo (February 23, 2022). "Texas governor calls on citizens to report parents of transgender kids for abuse". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ "Texas Court Expands Injunction Blocking State from Targeting Families of Trans Youth Who Are Members of PFLAG National". ACLU (Press release). Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ Nguyen, Alex; Melhado, William (June 2, 2023). "Gov. Greg Abbott signs legislation barring trans youth from accessing transition-related care". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ Melhado, William (August 25, 2023). "Texas ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans kids will go into effect despite legal fight". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^ Vertuno, Jim; Demillo, Andrew (June 28, 2024). "Texas Supreme Court upholds ban on youth gender transitions. It's the largest state with such a law". AP News. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
^ Chandler, Kim (April 8, 2022). "Alabama Governor Signs Law Banning Transgender Medication". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
^ Caspani, Maria (May 9, 2022). "Alabama ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth takes effect". Reuters. Reuters. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
^ Rojas, Rick (May 14, 2022). "Alabama's Transgender Youth Can Use Medicine to Transition, Judge Rules". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
^ Fortinsky, Sarah (August 21, 2023). "Court reverses injunction on Alabama transgender health care ban". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Schott, Brian. "Blocking gender-affirming health care in Utah could be found unconstitutional, a legal review found". Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ McKellar, Katie (January 26, 2023). "Utah House votes to ban transgender surgeries and puberty blockers for kids". Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ Transgender Medical Treatments and Procedures Amendments (Senate Bill 16). Utah State Legislature. January 11, 2023. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ Schott, Bryan (January 27, 2023). "Ban on health care for transgender youth passed by Utah Legislature". Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ "Human Rights Campaign: South Dakota Lawmakers Turn Their Backs on Trans Kids Once Again". Human Rights Campaign. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ Cameron, Kesia (February 9, 2023). "SD Senate passes bill prohibiting gender-affirming medical care for minors". Dakotanewsnow.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ Sforza, Lauren (February 14, 2023). "Noem signs gender-affirming care ban for South Dakota youth". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ Yurcaba, Jo (February 28, 2023). "Mississippi governor signs bill banning transgender health care for minors". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
^ Wagster Pettus, Emily (February 21, 2023). "Mississippi Senate passes limit on gender-affirming health care". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
^ Brown, Melissa (February 23, 2023). "Tennessee legislature passes ban on gender-transition health care for minors". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
^ "TN Governor signs drag show, gender-affirming care bills into law". WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. March 2, 2023. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
^ Walker, Finch (February 22, 2023). "Ban on health care for trans youth to go into effect in March. More is coming, Fine says". Florida Today. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
^ Riedel, Samantha (March 16, 2023). "Florida's Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Goes Into Effect Today". Them. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
^ Farrington, Brendan (May 17, 2023). "Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bills targeting drag shows, trans rights and care for transgender children". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
^ "Preliminary injunction, Case No. 4:23cv114-RH-MAF, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee" (PDF). storage.courtlistener.com. June 6, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "Judge Strikes Down Florida's Ban on Transgender Care for Minors". New York Times. June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
^ "US appeals court clears way for Florida ban on transgender care for minors". ABC News. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
^ Rose, Andy; Forrest, Jack (March 23, 2023). "Iowa's governor signs law banning gender-affirming care for minors". CNN Politics. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
^ "Georgia law will ban most transgender care for kids under 18". NBC News. Associated Press. March 23, 2023. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
^ Boboltz, Sara (March 21, 2023). "Georgia Legislature Sends Anti-Trans Health Care Bill To GOP Governor". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
^ Riedel, Samantha (September 6, 2023). "Georgia's Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Youth Is Back In Effect". Them. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
^ Chen, Shawna; Habeshian, Sareen (March 30, 2023). "Kentucky and West Virginia the latest states to step up anti-trans push". Axios. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
^ Siegler, Allen (March 29, 2023). "W.Va. transgender health bill may have little effect on access to care". The Register-Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
^ "GOP lawmakers override veto of transgender bill in Kentucky". Associated Press. March 29, 2023. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ Mattise, Jonathan (September 29, 2023). "Judges maintain bans on gender-affirming care for youth in Tennessee and Kentucky". AP News. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
^ Schreiner, Bruce; Lovan, Dylan (July 14, 2023). "Kentucky's ban on gender-affirming care takes effect as federal judge lifts injunction". AP News. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Cole, Devan (March 30, 2022). "Arizona governor signs bill outlawing gender-affirming care for transgender youth and approves anti-trans sports ban". CNN. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ "SB 1138" (PDF). AZLeg.gov. 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Arizona governor's executive orders ban conversion therapy, permit transgender health care". The Hill. June 28, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "House Bill 71 – Idaho State Legislature". Retrieved April 5, 2023.
^ Maldonado, Mia (March 27, 2023). "Idaho bill to ban gender care for trans youth clears Senate, heads back to House". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
^ "Federal judge blocks Idaho gender-affirming transgender care ban". ABC News. December 27, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Supreme Court temporarily revives Idaho law banning gender affirming care for minors". NPR. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
^ "Supreme Court permits Idaho to enforce ban on gender-affirming care for minors". CNN. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
^ "Indiana and Idaho enact bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth | CNN Politics". CNN. April 7, 2023. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ "Federal judge blocks most of Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care for minors". PBS NewsHour. June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
^ "Ban on gender-affirming care for minors allowed to take effect in Indiana". ABC. February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
^ Ahmed, Trisha (April 20, 2023). "North Dakota governor signs law criminalizing trans health care for minors". PBS. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Hanson, Amy Beth (April 28, 2023). "Montana latest to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
^ Montana Fourth Judicial District Court (September 27, 2023). "Order granting plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction" (PDF). ACLU. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
^ "House Bill 808 Archived January 11, 2024, at the Wayback Machine" ncleg.gov. 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023
^ Veto of House Bill 808 Archived October 23, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. webservices.ncleg.gov. 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023
^ "House Bill 808 Archived December 23, 2023, at the Wayback Machine" ncleg.gov. 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023
^ "Oklahoma governor signs ban on gender-affirming care for trans kids". PBS News. May 1, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
^ Murphy, Sean (October 7, 2023). "Federal Judge Allows Oklahoma Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors To Take Effect". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
^ "Nebraska imposes 40 hours of therapy and other restrictions on care for trans youths". NBC News. October 2, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Ohio Governor Bans All Gender-Affirming Surgeries For Minors". HuffPost. January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
^ Kaur, Anumita; Shin, Annys (December 14, 2023). "Ohio legislators pass ban on gender-affirming care for minors, sending bill to governor". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
^ "Ohio bans gender-affirming care for minors, restricts transgender athletes over Gov. Mike DeWine's veto". CBS News. January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^ "Ohio judge blocks ban on gender-affirming care for minors". The Hill. April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
^ "Judge upholds Ohio's gender-affirming care ban; civil rights group vows immediate appeal". ABC News. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
^ "Wyoming Bans Gender Transition Care for Minors". New York Times. March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
^ "South Carolina Bans Gender Transition Care for Minors". New York Times. May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
^ "4th Circuit rules gender identity is a protected characteristic". Washington Blade. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
^ "NH HB619 2024 Regular Session". LegiScan.
^ "Sununu signs bans on trans girls in girls' sports, gender affirming surgeries for minors". New Hampshire Bulletin. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
^ "A parent and child's perspectives on the need for trans and nonbinary allyship". ctpublic.org. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Stracqualursi, Veronica. "Connecticut governor signs law protecting abortion seekers and providers from out-of-state lawsuits". CNN. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Massachusetts governor signs bill safeguarding reproductive, gender-affirming health care into law". The Hill. July 29, 2022. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Senator Wiener's Historic Bill to Provide Refuge for Trans Kids and Their Families Signed into Law". sd11.senate.ca.gov. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Washington DC Mayor signs 'comprehensive' trans and abortion bill". November 29, 2022. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Gov. Pritzker Signs Sweeping Reproductive Rights Protections Into Law". illinois.gov. January 13, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Governor signs House Bill 7, Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Act". governor.state.nm.us. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Vermont governor signs bills protecting access to abortion, gender-affirming care". The Hill. May 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Protecting Gender-Affirming Health Care in New Jersey". nj.gov. April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Bedayn, Jesse; Slevin, Colleen (April 14, 2023). "Colorado offers safe haven for abortion, transgender care". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Minnesota Session Laws - 2023, Regular Session". revisor.mn.gov. April 27, 2023. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Komenda, Ed (May 9, 2023). "Transgender minors protected from estranged parents under Washington law". PBS. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Governor Moore Signs Executive Order to Protect Gender Affirming Health Care in Maryland". governor.maryland.gov. June 6, 2023. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Yurcaba, Jo (June 26, 2023). "New York governor signs 'safe haven' law for transgender youth". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ Wyatt, Sydney (August 15, 2023). "Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek celebrates law protecting gender-affirming care, abortion". Statesman Journal. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
^ "Gov. Mills signs controversial abortion and gender-affirming care bill into Maine law". April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
^ "Maine's Governor Mills signs trans & abortion sanctuary bill into law". April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
^ "Bill Texts: RI S2262 2024 Regular Session". LegiScan.
^ Lopez, German (April 7, 2016). "Tennessee's anti-transgender bathroom bill, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Bianco, Marcie (April 2, 2016). "Statistics Show Exactly How Many Times Trans People Have Attacked You in Bathrooms". Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
^ King-Miller, Lindsay (April 12, 2016). "Stop Using Women's Safety to Justify Transphobia". Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
^ Firma, Terry (April 11, 2016). "More Republican Politicians Than Trans People Have Been Arrested For Sex Acts in Bathrooms". Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
^ Broverman, Neal (May 17, 2018). "Trump Supporter Broadcasts Live as She Chases Trans Woman Out of Bathroom". The Advocate. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
^ Chokshi, Miraj (July 14, 2014). "Transgender Woman is Charged With Voyeurism at Target in Idaho". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
^ "2015 U.S. Transgender Survey : Executive Summary" (PDF). U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
^ Wheeling, Kate (August 4, 2017). "Stalled Out: How Social Bias is Segregating America's Bathrooms". Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
^ Kasperkevic, Jana (March 17, 2015). "Florida anti-transgender bathroom bill moves a step closer to passing". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
^ Steinmetz, Katy (March 14, 2017). "Texas Senate Approves Controversial Bathroom Bill After Five-Hour Debate". Time. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
^ Gelernter, Josh (December 17, 2016). "A Conservative Defense of Transgender Rights". National Review. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
^ "B.P.J. V. West Virginia State Board of Education - Order Granting Preliminary Injunction".
^ "Hecox v. Little". American Civil Liberties Union.
^ "Trans kids and supporters say new Texas law will keep them out of school sports". January 18, 2022.
^ "Arkansas governor signs transgender sports ban into law". NBC News. March 26, 2021.
^ "On the First Day of Pride Month, Florida Signed a Transgender Athlete Bill into Law". NPR. June 2, 2021.
^ "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Signs Anti-Trans Sports Bill into Law". Human Rights Campaign. April 23, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
^ "Oklahoma governor signs transgender sports ban". NBC News. March 30, 2022.
^ "Kentucky Legislature overrides governor's veto of transgender sports ban". NBC News. April 13, 2022.
^ "Mississippi governor signs bill banning trans athletes from school sports". NBC News. March 11, 2021.
^ "Tennessee Governor Signs Legislation Banning Collegiate Transgender Athletes". Sports Illustrated. May 6, 2022.
^ "West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Signs Anti-Trans Sports Bill into Law". Human Rights Campaign. April 28, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
^ "South Carolina becomes the latest state to enact a transgender sports ban". NPR. May 17, 2022.
^ "Utah bans transgender athletes in girls sports despite governor's veto". NPR. March 25, 2022.
^ "South Dakota governor signs 2022's first trans athlete ban into law". NBC News. February 4, 2022.
^ "Montana governor signs bill banning transgender students from sports teams". TheGuardian.com. May 8, 2021.
^ "Kim Reynolds bans transgender girls from female sports, signing Republican-backed law". The Des Moines Register.
^ "Arizona Governor Becomes Second Official to Sign Anti-Trans Sports Bill Wednesday". Sports Illustrated. March 30, 2022.
^ "Idaho's Transgender Sports Ban Faces a Major Legal Hurdle". NPR.
^ "Wyoming bans transgender youths from girls' sports teams". NBC News. March 21, 2023.
^ Smith, Mitch (May 24, 2022). "Indiana Lawmakers Override Transgender Sports Veto". The New York Times.
^ "Louisiana Becomes Latest State to Ban Transgender Athletes in Schools". June 8, 2022.
^ "Georgia High School Association Chooses to Discriminate Against Transgender Student Athletes, Issuing Ban Against Competing in High School Sports". May 4, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
^ Chen, David W. (April 12, 2023). "North Dakota Bars Trans Girls and Women From Female Sports Teams". The New York Times.
^ "Sununu signs bans on trans girls in girls' sports, gender affirming surgeries for minors". New Hampshire Bulletin. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
^ "Texas is pushing the most anti-trans bills in the country. Advocates fear deadly consequences". PBS. September 13, 2021.
^ "Conservatives want to ban transgender athletes from girls sports. Their evidence is shaky". November 15, 2021.
^ Witz, Billy (January 24, 2022). "As Lia Thomas Swims, Debate About Transgender Athletes Swirls". The New York Times.
^ "Soule v. CIAC - Athletes in Women's Sports Amicus Brief".
^ "Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, Layshia Clarendon, and Brianna Turner Join More Than 150 Athletes and WNBPA in Supporting Trans Youth Participation in Sports". October 14, 2021.
^ "Georgia High School Association Chooses to Discriminate Against Transgender Student Athletes, Issuing Ban Against Competing in High School Sports". Human Rights Campaign. May 4, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
^ "Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, and Candace Parker Join Nearly 200 Athletes Supporting Trans Youth Participation in Sports". December 21, 2020.
^ "Trans Students Protected Under Title IX, Biden Administration Says". June 17, 2021.
^ Dolan, Jack (September 22, 2011). "Inmate loses bid for taxpayer-paid sex-change operation". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
^ Finucane, Martin; Ellement, John R.; Valencia, Milton J. (January 17, 2014). "Mass. appeals court upholds inmate's right to taxpayer-funded sex change surgery". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 19, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
^ Apuzzo, Matt (April 3, 2015). "Transgender Inmate's Hormone Treatment Lawsuit Gets Justice Dept. Backing". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
^ Sontag, Deborah (April 5, 2015). "Transgender Woman Cites Attacks and Abuse in Men's Prison". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
^ "U.S. rolls back protections for transgender prison inmates". Reuters. May 12, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
^ Smith, G. "Biography". Gwensmith.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
^ Jacobs, Ethan (November 15, 2008). "Remembering Rita Hester". EDGE Boston. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
^ "The Transgender Day of Remembrance". apa.org. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
^ Elders, M Joycelyn; Satcher, David; Carmona, Richard (June 2017). "Re-Thinking Genital Surgeries on Intersex Infants" (PDF). Palm Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^ interACT (May 23, 2016). "Federal Government Bans Discrimination Against Intersex People in Health Care". interactadvocates. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
^ "Why Intersex Rights Are Human Rights". Open Society Foundations. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
^ "US: Harmful Surgery on Intersex Children". Human Rights Watch. July 25, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
^ "California: Resolution Affirms Intersex Rights". Human Rights Watch. August 28, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
^ "California becomes first state to condemn intersex surgeries on children". USA Today. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
^ interACT (June 2016). Recommendations from interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth regarding the List of Issues for the United States for the 59th Session of the Committee Against Torture (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^ "Order: Zzymm v Kerry and Portell". Lambda Legal. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
^ O'Hara, Mary Emily (December 29, 2016). "Nation's First Known Intersex Birth Certificate Issued in NYC". NBC News. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
^ "HIV/AIDS: Snapshots of an Epidemic". amfAR. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "History of Gay Rights Movement in U.S". Uky.edu. Archived from the original on November 18, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Sircar, Neiloy (2018). "Good Public Health Policy, Better Public Health Law: Blood Donation, Individual Risk Assessments, & Lifting the Deferral for Men Who Have Sex With Men" (PDF). Food and Drug Law Journal. 73 (1). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Recommendations for Evaluating Donor Eligibility Using Individual Risk-Based Questions to Reduce the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products". Food and Drug Administration. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
^ "US Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for industry: eligibility determination for donors of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps)". Food and Drug Administration.
^ Puente, Michael A.; Patnaik, Jennifer L.; Lynch, Anne M.; Snyder, Blake M.; Caplan, Chad M.; Pham, Binhan; Neves da Silva, Helio V.; Chen, Conan; Taravella, Michael J.; Palestine, Alan G. (November 1, 2020). "Association of Federal Regulations in the United States and Canada With Potential Corneal Donation by Men Who Have Sex With Men". JAMA Ophthalmology. 138 (11): 1143–1149. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.3630. PMC 7516798. PMID 32970105.
^ "Conversion Therapy". GLAAD. August 27, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
^ "Conversion "Therapy" Laws". Movement Advancement Project. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ Congress, Elaine P.; Chang-Muy, Fernando (2008). Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Legal Issues, Clinical Skills and Advocacy. Springer Publishing Company. p. 258. ISBN 9780826133366. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
^ "Network Audience". State of the Media. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Supreme Court / Homosexuality and Women's Pensions Cases / Bakke / Protests NBC News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive". Tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. October 3, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ "Supreme Court / Homosexuality Case / Nixon Tapes / Other Cases To Come CBS News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive". Tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. October 3, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ "Supreme Court / Washington Homosexual Firing / Bakke / Other Cases ABC News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive". Tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. October 3, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
^ "Overview of the Rights of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Teachers". Retrieved November 2, 2013.
^ Epstein, Aaron (January 15, 1985). "Supreme Court Hears Debate on Law Banning Gay Teachers". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved July 6, 2012 – via Google News.
^ Board of Education v. National Gay Task Force, 470 U.S. 159 (1985)
^ Hager, Phil (March 27, 1985). "Justices Affirm Ruling Upholding Gay Teachers' Rights". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
^ "Gay Student Services v. Texas A&M University. U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 737 F.2d 1317. August 3, 1984". DanPinello. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
^ "Free Speech and Expression Rights of Students". Law and Higher Education. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
^ Barnes, Robert (June 26, 2013). "Supreme Court strikes down key part of Defense of Marriage Act". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
^ Supreme Court of the United States (June 26, 2013). "United States v. Windsor" (PDF). supremecourt.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
^ Lawrence, Hurley (June 15, 2020). "U.S. Supreme Court endorses gay, transgender worker protections". Reuters.
^ Wolf, Richard. "Supreme Court grants federal job protections to gay, lesbian, transgender workers". USA Today.
^ Dwyer, Devin; Hutzler, Alexandra (June 30, 2023). "In sweeping decision, SCOTUS rules for Christian web designer's free speech rights over LGBTQ protections". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
^ Adam, Thomas (2005). Germany and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History; a Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 1007. ISBN 9781851096282.
^ Bielakowski, Alexander M. (2013). Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the U.S. Military: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 667–69. ISBN 9781598844276.
^ The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745–1799, Vol. 11, John C. Fitzpatrick, Ed., United States Government Printing Office, 1934.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "District of Columbia". Glapn.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Amendment VIII: Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Proportioning Crimes and Punishments". Press-pubs.uchicago.edu. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
^ Ticer, Patricia S. "Sodomy Laws Virginia". GLAPN. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
^ "The History of Sodomy Laws in the United States – Indiana". Glapn.org. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Opening the Doors of Immigration: Sexual Orientation and Asylum in the United States". Wcl.american.edu. Archived from the original on August 22, 2002. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Key Dates in US Policy on Gay Men and Women in the United States Military". usni.org. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
^ "The Articles of War". Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Lawrence R. Murphy, "Perverts by Official Order: The Campaign Against Homosexuals by the United States Navy," Lawrence R. Murphy, Haworth Press, 1988, ISBN 0866567089
^ Jacobson, David (September 5, 1997). Rights Across Borders: Immigration and the Decline of Citizenship. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-0801857706.
^ Tichenor, David J. (May 6, 2002). Dividing Lines: The Politics of Immigration Control in America. Princeton Studies in American Politics. Princeton University Press. p. 195. ISBN 978-0691088051. quotes part of this passage
^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Harry S. Truman: "Veto of Bill To Revise the Laws Relating to Immigration, Naturalization, and Nationality.," June 25, 1952". The American Presidency Project. University of California – Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
^ ^a ^b David K. Johnson, The Lavender Scare: the Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004), 123–4. Eisenhower in his memoirs written years later explicitly referenced "instability, alcoholism, homosexuality."
^ "HR 4080. Unite, Consolidate, Revise and Clarify the Articles of War, the Articles for the Gov't of the Navy, and the Disciplinary Laws of the Coast Guard, and Enact and Establish a Uniform Code of Military Justice. Mc Carran Motion to Refer to the Judiciary Committee". Govtrack.us. February 2, 1950. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "The Jenkins Report". Time. October 30, 1964. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
^ "Jenkins Defended by Mental Group". The New York Times. October 22, 1964. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
^ Goicichea, Julia (August 16, 2017). "Why New York City Is a Major Destination for LGBT Travelers". The Culture Trip. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Rosenberg, Eli (June 24, 2016). "Stonewall Inn Named National Monument, a First for the Gay Rights Movement". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
^ "Workforce Diversity The Stonewall Inn, National Historic Landmark National Register Number: 99500562". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
^ Ehrlichman, John (January 1, 1982). Witness to Power: The Nixon Years. p. 239.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Republican Party (United States)". glbtq.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "League due Nixon pitch". The Advocate. October 11, 1972. p. 20. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via EBSCOhost.
^ "TO PASS H.R. 2580, THE AMENDED IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT". Govtrack.us. August 25, 1965. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Gerald Ford on Civil Rights". Ontheissues.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Price, Deb. "Gerald Ford: Treat gay couples equally" Archived January 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. The Detroit News, October 29, 2001. Retrieved December 28, 2006
^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. "Vocal Gay Republicans Upsetting Conservatives", The New York Times, June 1, 2003, p. N26.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Haider-Markel, Donald P. (2002). Gay and Lesbian Americans and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook.
^ Shilts, Randy (1993). Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military.
^ ^a ^b Nunes, Donnel. "Rules on Immigration By Homosexuals Eased". The Washington Post. September 10, 1980. p. A15.
^ "Carter backs civil unions for gay couples – Southern Voice Atlanta". Archived from the original on September 13, 2015.
^ Allen, Bob (September 25, 2014). "Jimmy Carter on gay rights: Jesus didn't discriminate". Baptist News Global. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
^ Raushenbush, Paul Brandeis (March 19, 2012). "President Jimmy Carter Authors New Bible Book, Answers Hard Biblical Questions". HuffPost. Retrieved March 19, 2012. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.
^ Carpenter, Dale (June 10, 2004). "Reagan and Gays: A Reassessment". IGF Culture Watch. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Shilts 2005: 368
^ White, Allen (June 8, 2004). "Reagan AIDS Legacy/Silence equals death." San Francisco Gate
^ "CAMPAIGN NOTES; Reagan Would Not Ease Stand on Homosexuals". The New York Times. August 18, 1984. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
^ Hate Crimes Protections Timeline Archived April 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
^ "Anne-Imelda M. Radice". 2001-2009.state.gov. October 26, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Republican Party (United States)". glbtq.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Anderson, Lisa (April 19, 2004). "Gays long loyal to GOP agonize over supporting Bush". Chicago Tribune.
^ "Amendment Would Mean No Money to D.C. Domestic-Partner Registry". CitizenLink. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Dixon, Julian. "H.R. 6056 (102nd)". Govtrack.us. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Thorgalsen, Helen (September 25, 2013). "George H.W. Bush Serves As Witness at Gay Wedding (PHOTO)". HuffPost. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "New 'cottage' at Maine compound for Jeb Bush". The Boston Globe. May 23, 2015.
^ "Arkansas". Glapn.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Socarides, Richard (March 8, 2013). "Why Bill Clinton Signed the Defense of Marriage Act". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
^ Sullivan, Andrew (March 29, 2013). "Dissents of the Day." The Dish.
^ Feder, Jody (2010). "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4379-2208-0.
^ Mixner, David (November 25, 2009). see pages 495–497. Random House Publishing. ISBN 9780307429582. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
^ Cloud, John (November 1996). "Stranger Among Friends. – book reviews". Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
^ Klein, Joe (2002). The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton. Doubleday. ISBN 0-7679-1412-0.
^ "President seeks better implementation of 'don't ask, don't tell'". CNN. December 11, 1999. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
^ "PUBLIC LAW 104 – 199 – DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT". U.S. Government Printing Office.
^ Rich, Frank (February 26, 2012). "Bill Clinton's shifting justifications for signing the Defense of Marriage Act". New York.
^ ^a ^b Geidner, Chris (September 29, 2011). "Becoming Law". MetroWeekly.
^ "Unfinished Business: The Defense of Marriage Act". The New York Times. July 2, 2011.
^ "Clinton-Gore Accomplishments: Gay and Lesbian Americans". Clinton2.nara.gov. Archived from the original on March 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
^ Volsky, Igor. (August 5, 1995) Clinton Issued Order Letting Gays Get Security Clearances 16 Years Ago Today Archived March 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
^ "Clinton Grants Gay Workers Job Protection". The New York Times. May 29, 1998. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
^ Bennet, James (November 9, 1997). "Clinton Is Greeted Warmly as He Speaks to Gay Group". The New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
^ "2000.12.01: (Fact Sheet) Clinton Administration Record on HIV/AIDS". Archive.hhs.gov. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
^ "S. 2056 (104th): Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 (On Passage of the Bill)". Govtrack.us. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
^ "The Clinton-Gore Administration A Record of Progress for Gay and Lesbian Americans." Archived March 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine The White House
^ ^a ^b "Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 / June 11" (PDF). govinfo.gov.
^ "Bill Clinton on Prop 8: 'It's Unfair and It's Wrong.'". Queerty. October 31, 2008.
^ Tracey, Michael (July 14, 2009). "Bill Clinton drops opposition to same-sex marriage". The Nation.
^ "Bill Clinton Calls for DOMA Repeal". Human Rights Campaign. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Bush angers slain man's family". Salon. October 16, 2000. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
^ "Sec. 2.001. MARRIAGE LICENSE". Statutes.legis.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Texas Gubernatorial Election 1998 National Political Awareness Test". Votesmart.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "George W. Bush on Civil Rights". Ontheissues.org. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
^ Blakeslee, Nate (March 1, 2007). "Family Values". Texas Monthly. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Bills aim to bar adoption by gays". glapn.org. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
^ Lochhead, Carolyn; Coile, Zachary (October 10, 2004). "How gay GOP group lost its faith in Bush / High hopes in 2000 dissolve in dispute over marriage ban". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Gay Republicans Endorse Bush". Los Angeles Times. August 5, 2000. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "With Respect to Mary Cheney". Fair.org. February 22, 1999. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Gore Flips, and Flops, on Defense of Marriage Act, AR Says". PR Newswire. October 12, 2000. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via The Free Library.
^ "George W. Bush on Defense". Issues2000.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Lee, Christopher (May 25, 2005). "Official Says Law Doesn't Cover Gays". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
^ Heredia, Christopher (April 10, 2001). "NEWSMAKER PROFILE / Scott Evertz / New AIDS Czar Called a Skillful Bridge Builder / Evertz the first gay man to hold position". The San Francisco Chronicle.
^ Allen, Mike (June 27, 2002). "Bush Approves Federal Same-sex Death Benefits". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Carpenter, Flagrant Conduct, 269
^ "Democrats Ready to Vote on Marriage". Glapn.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Transcript of Bush statement". CNN. February 24, 2004. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
^ "Log Cabin nixes Bush, others endorse Kerry". PrideSource. September 16, 2004. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013.
^ Allen, Mike; Milbank, Dana (March 27, 2005). "Log Cabins Go Against the GOP Grain". The Washington Post.
^ "Black Gay Republicans Break with Log Cabin Republicans, Endorse Bush" (Press release). PR Newswire. September 21, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Bumiller, Elisabeth (October 26, 2004). "Bush Says His Party Is Wrong to Oppose Gay Civil Unions". The New York Times.
^ "In a First, Gay Rights Are Pressed at the U.N." Atlantic Philanthropies. December 19, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Baim, Tracy (January 14, 2009). "Obama changed views on gay marriage; 1996 statement: 'I favor legalizing same-sex marriage'" (PDF). Windy City Times. pp. 6–8.
^ Baim, Tracy (January 21, 2009). "Obama marriage story goes national; 1998 survey shows another shift" (PDF). Windy City Times. p. 5.
^ ^a ^b "Barack Obama on Civil Rights". Ontheissues.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "CNN/YouTube debate transcript". CNN. July 24, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
^ Elliott, Philip (February 13, 2007). "Obama's N.H. visit brings little criticism, much love". Rockford Register Star. Associated Press. Retrieved March 2, 2007.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ ^a ^b "SCORECARD Measuring Support for Equality in the 110th Congress" (PDF). Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity". Votesmart.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Obama Statement on Vote Against Constitutional Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage" (Press release). Barack Obama: US Senator for Illinois. Archived from the original on October 20, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2007.
^ "Michelle Obama speaks to gay Democrats". Reuters. June 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
^ "The audacity of hope – 'from Selma to Stonewall'". TMP. June 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2013.'&rft.date=2008-06-27&rft_id=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/06/the-audacity-of-hope-from-selm.php&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:LGBTQ rights in the United States" class="Z3988">
^ "Michelle Obama Speaks to LGBT Delegates at Convention Lunch". Towleroad. August 27, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
^ Dschabner (November 2, 2008). "Obama Says He Is Against Same-Sex Marriage But Also Against Ending Its Practice in Calif". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 16, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ Chipman, Kim (February 29, 2008). "Gay Clinton Backers Defect to Obama, Eroding Her Base". Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "PRESS RELEASE -- Human Rights Campaign Endorses Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States". Human Rights Campaign. June 6, 2008. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ Eleveld, Kerry (February 1, 2008). "Obama Picks Up LGBT Supporters From Edwards". Advocate. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ Baim, Tracy; Besen, Wayne R. (2010). Obama and the Gays: A Political Marriage. Prairie Avenue Productions. p. 110. ISBN 9781453801710. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
^ Lavers, Michael K (December 5, 2012). "EXCLUSIVE: National Stonewall Democrats faces $30,000 budget gap". The Washington Blade. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ Pleming, Sue (March 18, 2009). "In turnaround, U.S. signs U.N. gay rights document". Reuters. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
^ "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2009". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved September 7, 2017 – via National Archives.
^ "Presidential Proclamation—Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017 – via National Archives.
^ "Presidential Proclamation-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month". whitehouse.gov. May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via National Archives.
^ "Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2012". whitehouse.gov. June 1, 2012 – via National Archives.
^ "Presidential Proclamation – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2013". whitehouse.gov. May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via National Archives.
^ "Obama proclaims June LGBT Pride Month". Metro Weekly. May 30, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Presidential Proclamation – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2014". whitehouse.gov. May 30, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2017 – via National Archives.
^ "Obama issues Presidential Proclamation declaring June LGBT Pride Month". LGBTQ Nation. May 29, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
^ "Presidential Proclamation – LGBT Pride Month, 2016". whitehouse.gov. May 31, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2017 – via National Archives.
^ "Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination, 6–17–09". whitehouse.gov. June 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2016 – via National Archives.
^ Weiner, Rachel (October 28, 2009). "Hate Crimes Bill Signed into Law 11 Years After Matthew Shepard's Death". HuffPost.
^ "Sharon Lubinski: Senate Confirms First Openly Gay US Marshal". HuffPost. December 28, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
^ Tapper, Jake (January 4, 2010). "President Obama Names Transgender Appointee to Commerce Department". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
^ "Obama's New Queer Appointee Amanda Simpson Brings Some 'T' to the Administration". Queerty. December 31, 2009. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
^ "Obama Hires Trans Woman Amanda Simpson". National Center for Transgender Equality. December 31, 2009. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
^ Hananel, Sam (October 26, 2010). "Obama has appointed most U.S. gay officials". The Washington Times. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
^ "Obama Widens Medical Rights for Gay Partners". The New York Times. April 16, 2010.
^ "Obama Expands Family Medical Leave Act to Cover Gay Employees". Fox News. June 22, 2010.
^ "Obama signs bill repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' policy". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. December 22, 2010. Archived from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
^ "President Obama Instructs Justice Department to Stop Defending Defense of Marriage Act calls Clinton-Signed Law "Unconstitutional"". ABC News. February 23, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passes, Hailed As 'Historic Moment'". HuffPost. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
^ "Fewer Youths to Be Deported in New Policy". The New York Times. August 19, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ Tate, Curtis. "Pentagon says chaplains may perform gay weddings". McClatchy. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ "U.S. to Aid Gay Rights Abroad, Obama and Clinton Say". The New York Times. December 7, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ Johnson, Luke (April 9, 2012). "Obama Opposes Minnesota Anti-Gay Marriage Constitutional Amendment". HuffPost. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "LGBT Prison Employees to Get Representation". The Advocate. May 3, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ Stein, Sam (May 9, 2012). "Obama Backs Gay Marriage". HuffPost. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "Gay-Straight Alliance Network". Retrieved October 9, 2012.
^ Raghavan, Gautam (January 25, 2012). "A Special Message on National Gay-Straight Alliance Day". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved October 9, 2012 – via National Archives.
^ Adams, Jamiah (May 27, 2011). "HRC Endorses President Obama for 2012". Democrats.org. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
^ "2012 Endorsements". Votesmart.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Gay Troops Discharged Under DADT To Receive Full Severance Pay". On Top Magazine.
^ Robillard, Kevin (January 21, 2013). "First inaugural use of the word 'gay'". Politico. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
^ Michelson, Noah (January 21, 2013). "Obama Inauguration Speech Makes History With Mention of Gay Rights Struggle, Stonewall Uprising". HuffPost. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
^ Wolf, Richard (March 1, 2013). "Obama: I would rule against all gay marriage bans". USA Today.
^ Parsons, Christi (August 7, 2013). "Obama criticizes Russia's new anti-gay law in Leno interview". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
^ Deutch, Theodore. "H.R. 3304: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014". Govtrack.us. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Obama Condemns Uganda's Tough Antigay Measure". The New York Times. February 17, 2014.
^ "Carney: Brewer 'did the right thing' by vetoing anti-gay bill". Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights. February 28, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ "Obama includes openly gay athletes in 2014 Olympic delegation". CBS News. December 17, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "U.S. delegation delivers strong message in Sochi". USA Today. February 7, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
^ "Uganda's Museveni meets with Obama days after repeal of anti-gay law". Gay Star News. August 6, 2014. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
^ "President Obama makes video appearance at Gay Games". WKYC. August 9, 2014. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
^ "Obama Makes Surprise Video Appearance at Gay Games Opening Ceremony: WATCH". Towleroad: A Site With Homosexual Tendencies. August 10, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
^ Zeke J Miller. "David Axelrod: Barack Obama Misled Nation On Gay Marriage In 2008". Time. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ Peralta, Eyder (February 23, 2015). "U.S. Appoints First-Ever Special Envoy For LGBT Rights : The Two-Way". NPR. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
^ "White House complex now has a gender-neutral bathroom". CNN. October 29, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
^ "Leelah's death moves Obama to respond". Cincinnati.com. October 17, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
^ Ennis, Dawn (May 2015). "Obama Calls for End to Discriminatory Parenting Laws". The Advocate. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
^ "Obama Administration Affirms Support for LGBT Non-Discrimination & HERO". Freedomforallamericans.org. October 29, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ Eilperin, Juliet (November 10, 2015). "Obama supports altering Civil Rights Act to ban LGBT discrimination". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ Lemongello, Steven (June 16, 2016). "Obama in Orlando: 'Our hearts are broken too'". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^ TEGNA. "President Obama endorses Oregon Gov. Kate Brown". KGW.
^ "Bisexual Governor Kate Brown Talks Openly About Surviving Domestic Violence, Shuts Down Opponent's Ignorance". AutoStraddle. October 6, 2016.
^ "Kate Brown becomes first openly LGBT person elected governor". The Washington Blade. November 8, 2016.
^ "Oregon's Bisexual Gov. Bans Conversion Therapy". The Advocate. May 19, 2015.
^ "Donald Trump". GLAAD. November 28, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Wolfe, Kathi (May 13, 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: Trump comes out against Equality Act". Washington Blade. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Congress Must Make The Equality Act A Top Priority". National Center for Transgender Equality. November 7, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Towle, Andy (February 15, 2011). "Donald Trump: It's Great That 'New York Has a Lot of Gays….But I'm Not in Favor of Gay Marriage.'". Towleroad.
^ "Ted Cruz attacks Donald Trump's financial record; Trump responds". Fox News. January 31, 2016. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016.
^ "Trump Orders an End to Open Transgender Military Service in 2018". BuzzFeed. August 30, 2017.
^ "Trump administration considering narrowing legal definition of gender: Report". The Hill. October 21, 2018.
^ "Justice Department says businesses can discriminate against transgender employees". The Hill. October 25, 2018.
^ "Zarda v. Altitude Express Amicus Brief" (PDF). United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. July 26, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "HUD proposes rule change to gut trans protections at homeless shelters". Washington Blade. May 22, 2019.
^ "DeVos defends controversial guidance on transgender students". The Hill. April 10, 2019.
^ "HHS Announces New Conscience and Religious Freedom Division". U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. January 18, 2018.
^ "Trump Administration removes LGBTQ content from federal websites". NBC News. January 24, 2017.
^ Merica, Dan (January 30, 2017). "Trump signs executive order to keep out 'radical Islamic terrorists'". CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Taylor, Jessica (October 13, 2017). "Trump Addresses Values Voter Summit: In America 'We Don't Worship Government, We Worship God'". NPR. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Holbrook, Tim (February 14, 2017). "Trump shows his true hand on LGBTQ rights". CNN. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ Karimi, Faith; Grinberg, Emanuella. "Trump's reversal on transgender directive: How we got here". CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
^ "Education Secretary Stands By Transgender Protections Guidance Rollback". C-SPAN. April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
^ "Supreme Court rejects transgender bathroom case, allowing transgender students to use bathroom of choice". CBS News. Associated Press. May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
^ Kelley, Alexandra (May 28, 2020). "US rules against state allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports". The Hill. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
^ Hays, Emily (September 10, 2020). "Showdown Looms On Trans Athletes". New Haven Independent. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
^ Davis, Julie Hirschfeld (July 26, 2017). "Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed in the Military". The New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
^ Diamond, Jeremy. "Trump to reinstate US military ban on transgender people". CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
^ Miller, Zeke (July 26, 2017). "President Trump's Tweets Catch D.C. Off Guard". Time. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^ S.M. (July 27, 2017). "Donald Trump's ill-considered ban on transgender soldiers". The Economist. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
^ Editorial Board (April 29, 2018). "A Growing Problem for the Military Transgender Ban: Facts". The New York Times. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ Arthur, Donald C.; Pollock, Gale; Steinman, Alan M.; Frank, Nathaniel; Mazur, Diane H.; Belkin, Aaron (April 2018). "DoD's Rationale for Reinstating the Transgender Ban Is Contradicted by Evidence" (PDF). Palm Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
^ Phillip, Abby (August 25, 2017). "Trump directs Pentagon to implement ban on transgender service members, bans sex-reassignment surgery". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^ Lamothe, Dan (August 29, 2017). "Transgender ban frozen as Mattis moves forward with new review of options". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
^ Hayes, Christal (November 23, 2018). "Trump asks Supreme Court to fast-track ruling on transgender military ban". USA Today. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ Stohr, Greg (January 22, 2019). "Supreme Court Lets Trump's Transgender Military Ban Take Effect". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
^ Jackson, Brie (January 22, 2019). "President Trump's transgender ban goes into effect". ABC4. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
^ Office of the Attorney General (October 4, 2017). "Revised Treatment of Transgender Employment Discrimination Claims Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964" (PDF). ThinkProgress. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Blumberg, Antonia (August 16, 2019). "Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court To Legalize Firing Transgender Workers". HuffPost. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
^ Browning, Bil (May 12, 2018). "Trump strips transgender prisoners of protections against rape & abuse". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ DeMarco, Marisa (August 30, 2018). "Many Transgender Asylum-Seekers Held In Special ICE Unit". NPR. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
^ Lavers, Michael K. (June 12, 2019). "Reporters granted access to ICE transgender detainee unit". Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
^ "'Transgender' Could Be Defined Out of Existence Under Trump Administration". The New York Times. October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
^ Birnbaum, Emily (October 22, 2018). "Trans advocacy groups protest in front of White House". The Hill. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ Grenoble, Ryan (October 22, 2018). "Trump's Reported Proposal To Redefine Gender, Eliminate Trans Rights Prompts Mass Protests". HuffPost (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ ^a ^b McDonald, Jeff. "Hundreds rally to preserve transgender rights, recognition". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ "Over 300 gather in Portland to protest Trump's proposed transgender policy". Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ "Minneapolis council members join crowd for rally for transgender rights". KARE. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ "Hundreds at LA City Hall protest Trump administration's new transgender policy". KTTV. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ Durian, Tom (October 26, 2018). "Milwaukee transgender advocates rally following Trump policy proposals". WTMJ-TV. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ "Massachusetts residents, leaders gather to promote transgender protections week before elections". The Daily Free Press. October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
^ Young, Shannon (November 2, 2018). "US Rep. Joe Kennedy III demands HHS reject effort to redefine 'sex,' says transgender Americans 'will not be erased'". masslive. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
^ Wong, Edward; Sullivan, Eileen (July 8, 2019). "New Human Rights Panel Raises Fears of a Narrowing U.S. Advocacy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Cha, Ariana Eunjung (April 24, 2019). "Trump administration prepares a rule civil rights groups worry may deny care to transgender patients". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
^ Kodjak, Alison; Wroth, Carmel (May 24, 2019). "Trump Administration Proposes Rule To Reverse Protections For Transgender Patients". NPR. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
^ Rights (OCR), Office for Civil (May 23, 2019). "HHS Proposes to Revise ACA Section 1557 Rule to Enforce Civil Rights in Healthcare, Conform to Law, and Eliminate Billions in Unnecessary Costs". HHS.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
^ Weixel, Nathaniel (October 15, 2019). "Federal judge overturns ObamaCare transgender protections". The Hill. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
^ "HHS Issues Proposed Rule to Align Grants Regulation with New Legislation, Nondiscrimination Laws, and Supreme Court Decisions". HHS.gov. November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
^ "81 FR 89393 - Health and Human Services Grants Regulation". Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 238. December 12, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
^ "Trump Administration Erases Civil Rights Protections for LGBTQ Health Programs". National Center for Transgender Equality. November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
^ Diamond, Dan (April 24, 2020). "Trump team moves to scrap protections for LGBTQ patients". Politico. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
^ Sanger-Katz, Margot; Weiland, Noah (June 12, 2020). "Trump Administration Erases Transgender Civil Rights Protections in Health Care". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
^ Dept of Health and Human Services. "Nondiscrimination in Health and Health Education Programs or Activities, Delegation of Authority (4153-01-P)" (PDF). Retrieved June 12, 2020.
^ Jan, Tracy (May 22, 2019). "Proposed HUD rule would strip transgender protections at homeless shelters". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
^ "Making Admission or Placement Determinations Based on Sex in Facilities Under Community Planning and Development Housing Programs". Federal Register. July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
^ Cameron, Chris (July 24, 2020). "Trump Presses Limits on Transgender Rights Over Supreme Court Ruling". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
^ Burns, Katelyn (July 17, 2020). "The Trump administration's proposed homeless shelter rule spells out how to spot a trans woman". Vox. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
^ Johnson, Chris (March 28, 2017). "Trump's U.S. Census proposes, immediately cuts LGBT survey questions". Washington Blade. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ O'Hara, Mary Emily (March 29, 2017). "LGBTQ Americans Won't Be Counted in 2020 U.S. Census After All". NBC News. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ Wang, Hansi Lo (March 30, 2018). "2020 Census Will Ask About Same-Sex Relationships". NPR. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ Necati, Yas (April 6, 2018). "The 2020 US census will fail to recognise all LGBT people who aren't currently in a same sex relationship". Independent. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ O'Hara, Mary Emily (March 20, 2017). "Trump Administration Removes LGBTQ Questions From Elderly Survey". NBC News. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Fitzsimons, Tim (December 31, 2019). "Trump trend: LGBTQ mentions quietly axed from discrimination guidelines". NBC News. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
^ Barbash, Fred (July 27, 2017). "Trump administration, intervening in major LGBT case, says job bias law does not cover sexual orientation". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^ Feuer, Alan (July 27, 2017). "Justice Department Says Rights Law Doesn't Protect Gays". The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^ Grenoble, Ryan (June 15, 2020). "Supreme Court Says LGBTQ Employees Are Protected By Civil Rights Employment Statutes". HuffPost. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
^ Johnson, Chris (November 30, 2018). "Trump agrees to USMCA agreement with LGBT provisions". Washington Blade. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ "U.S. Department of Labor Publishes Final Rule to Implement Legal Requirements for Religious Exemption". U.S. Department of Labor. December 7, 2020. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ Lang, Nico (December 8, 2020). "Trump Finalizes Rule OKing Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination Days Before Biden Takes Office". them. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
^ "Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
^ "HHS Announces New Conscience and Religious Freedom Division". Health and Human Services. January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
^ Fitzsimons, Tim (January 24, 2019). "S.C. group can reject gays and Jews as foster parents, admin says". NBC News. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
^ Stern, Mark Joseph (January 24, 2019). "The Trump Administration Will Let Adoption Agencies Turn Away Jews and Same-Sex Couples. Thank SCOTUS". Slate. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
^ "U.S. Department of Labor Proposes a Rule Clarifying Civil Rights Protections for Religious Organizations". U.S. Department of Labor. August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
^ Kelleher, Patrick (June 4, 2020). "The Trump administration just asked the Supreme Court to make it legal to ban same-sex couples from adopting". Pink News. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
^ Embury-Dennis, Tom (October 3, 2017). "US votes against UN resolution condemning gay sex death penalty, joining Iraq and Saudi Arabia". The Independent.
^ ^a ^b "Following backlash, US clarifies UN vote on "death penalty for gays"". NBC News. October 4, 2017.
^ Bollinger, Alex (September 24, 2020). "Trump administration pushes anti-LGBTQ "religious freedom" at the UN as European countries boycott". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
^ Johnson, Chris (February 19, 2019). "Key LGBT groups not invited to Trump summit on decriminalizing homosexuality". Washington Blade. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
^ Gilchrist, Tracy E. (February 19, 2019). "Trump Launches Campaign to Decriminalize Homosexuality". Advocate. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
^ Fitzsimons, Tim (February 21, 2019). "'I don't know': Trump draws blank on homosexuality decriminalization push". NBC News. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
^ "Richard Grenell On Global LGBT Decriminalization: I'm Supported By Both Parties", NBC News, February 20, 2019, archived from the original on November 7, 2021, retrieved April 2, 2019 – via YouTube
^ "LGBT Search". The Trump Archive. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ Finnegan, Conor; Palmeri, Tara (June 7, 2019). "State Dept denies embassies' requests to fly rainbow pride flag on official flagpoles". ABC News. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
^ "U.S. recalls its ambassador to Zambia after gay rights row: sources". Reuters. December 23, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
^ Nattrass, William (June 11, 2021). "Orbán's LGBT crackdown extends to schools". The Independent. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
^ Arnsdorf, Isaac (February 24, 2020). "Trump's New Spy Chief Once Got $100,000 from a Group Funded by the Hungarian Government but Never Reported It". ProPublica. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
^ "US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell resigns". Deutsche Welle. June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
^ Bixby, Scott (August 26, 2020). "'Smoke and Mirrors': Ric Grenell Claim Trump Helped Legalize Homosexuality Worldwide Is a Lie, Activists Say". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
^ "Richard Grenell Joins the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) as Special Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy". American Center for Law and Justice. August 27, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
^ Kaoma, Kapya (November 5, 2012). "Major Christian Right Actors Seek to Criminalize Homosexuality in Africa". Political Research Associates. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
^ "About Us". East African Center For Law & Justice. Archived from the original on May 28, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Drabold, Will (July 15, 2016). "Here's What Mike Pence Said on LGBT Issues Over the Years". Time. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ "Donald Trump Introduces Mike Pence as Vice President Pick". July 16, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
^ Drabold, Will. "Here's What Mike Pence Said on LGBT Issues Over the Years". Time. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
^ ^a ^b Burns, Alexander (July 15, 2016). "How Donald Trump Finally Settled on Mike Pence". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
^ Mayer, Jane. "The Danger of President Pence". The New Yorker. No. October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017. Two sources also recalled Trump needling Pence about his views on abortion and homosexuality. During a meeting with a legal scholar, Trump belittled Pence's determination to overturn Roe v. Wade. The legal scholar had said that, if the Supreme Court did so, many states would likely legalize abortion on their own. "You see?" Trump asked Pence. "You've wasted all this time and energy on it, and it's not going to end abortion anyway." When the conversation turned to gay rights, Trump motioned toward Pence and joked, "Don't ask that guy—he wants to hang them all!"
^ Scott, Eugene (October 17, 2017). "Trump's joke about Mike Pence affirms the long-held concerns of many in the LGBT community". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
^ Anderson, Travis (October 17, 2017). "Trump's joke about Pence must spur action at state level, Mass. LGBT activist says". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
^ Feldman, Kate (October 16, 2017). "George Takei, Billy Eichner, more lash out about President Trump's 'joke' about Mike Pence wanting to see gay people 'hang'". Daily News. New York. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
^ Rense, Sarah (September 2, 2017). "Here's Why Mike Pence Advised Against Hiring Gay People". Esquire. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
^ Dresden, Hilton (September 1, 2017). "Mike Pence Wrote An Article Urging Employers Not to Hire Gay People". Out. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
^ Kaczynski, Andrew (July 14, 2016). "Here Is Mike Pence's Questionable 2000 Proposal On HIV/AIDS Funding". BuzzFeed. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ "The Pence Agenda for the 107th Congress: A Guide to Renewing the American Dream". Mike Pence for Congress. Archived from the original on January 19, 2001. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
^ Stack, Liam (November 30, 2016). "Mike Pence and 'Conversion Therapy': A History". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
^ Signorile, Michelangelo (November 12, 2016). "The Mike Pence (Donald Trump) Assault On LGBTQ Equality Is Already Underway". HuffPost. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ "HIV and Gay and Bisexual Men" (PDF). CDC: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. September 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
^ Herrick, John (December 1, 2018). "VP Pence Criticized for Not Mentioning Gay Community in AIDS Speech". WIBC. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
^ "Biden calls for LGBTQ protections in Day 1 executive order, angering conservatives". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
^ Broverman, Neal; Ring, Trudy (January 21, 2021). "Montana Pushes Anti-Trans Bills, Sets Up Battle With Biden Admin". Advocate. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ "Biden to reverse transgender military ban imminently, White House says". NBC News. January 20, 2021.
^ "Biden overturns Trump transgender military ban". BBC News. January 25, 2021.
^ "President Biden". Twitter. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
^ Goldstein, Amy (May 10, 2021). "Biden administration revives anti-bias protections in health care for transgender people". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
^ "Executive Order on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals". The White House. June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
^ "Biden executive order strengthens protections for 2 million LGBTQ youth". Los Angeles Blade. June 15, 2022. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
^ "Biden signs executive order to fight anti-LGBTQ state bills". NBC News. June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
^ Craighill, Peyton M.; Clement, Scott (March 5, 2014). "Support for same-sex marriage hits new high; half say Constitution guarantees right". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Record-High 70% in U.S. Support Same-Sex Marriage". Gallup.com. June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
^ "Gay marriage support hits new high in Post-ABC poll". The Washington Post. March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
^ "Chapter 4: Social and Political Attitudes". Pew Forum. November 3, 2015.
^ "Emerging Consensus on LGBT Issues: Findings From the 2017 American Values Atlas". PRRI. May 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Support for Same-Sex Marriage Grows, Even Among Groups That Had Been Skeptical". Pew Research Center. June 26, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
^ "Support for Same-Sex Marriage Grows, Even Among Groups That Had Been Skeptical". Pew Research Center. June 26, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
^ Brumley, Jeff (December 6, 2022). "BJC leaders say religious liberty fears about Respect for Marriage Act are overdrawn". Baptist News. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
^ "Multifaith Statement of Support" (PDF).
^ Miller, Steven P. (2014). "Left, Right, Born Again". The Age of Evangelicalism: America's Born-Again Years. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 32–59. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199777952.003.0003. ISBN 9780199777952. LCCN 2013037929. OCLC 881502753.
^ Durham, Martin (2000). "The rise of the right". The Christian Right, the Far Right, and the Boundaries of American Conservatism. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press. pp. 1–23. ISBN 9780719054860.
^ Gannon, Thomas M. (July–September 1981). "The New Christian Right in America as a Social and Political Force". Archives de sciences sociales des religions. 26 (52–1). Paris: Éditions de l'EHESS: 69–83. doi:10.3406/assr.1981.2226. ISSN 0335-5985. JSTOR 30125411.
^ Westengard, Laura (2019). "Monstrosity: Melancholia, Cannibalism, and HIV/AIDS". Gothic Queer Culture: Marginalized Communities and the Ghosts of Insidious Trauma. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 99–103. ISBN 978-1-4962-0204-8. LCCN 2018057900.
^ "LDS Newsroom – Same-Gender Attraction". April 8, 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
^ "SBC Officially Opposes "Homosexual Marriage". The Southern Baptist Convention. July 26, 2003. Retrieved July 5, 2006.
^ "The 2008 Democratic National Platform: Renewing America's Promise". Democratic Party. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
^ Stein, Sam (August 4, 2012). "Democratic Party Platform: Pro-Gay Marriage, Immigration Reform, Shots At Romney, Squishy On Guns". HuffPost. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
^ "2016 Democratic Party Platform" (PDF). Democratic Platform Committee. July 21, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
^ Schwab, Nikki (January 19, 2019). "Pete Buttigieg is first openly gay Democrat to run for president". New York Post. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
^ Kane, Jim (August 25, 2017). "Trump Signs Memo Implementing Ban On Transgender People Enlisting In The Military". NPR. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
^ "Republican Platform 2016" (PDF). Committee on Arrangements for the 2016 Republican National Convention. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "GOP delegates ratify anti-LGBT platform". The Washington Blade. July 18, 2016.
^ "Fred Karger". The Guardian.
^ "Election 2012 - Michigan Republican Primary". The New York Times.
^ "Libertarians applaud steps toward marriage equality". Libertarian Party. April 13, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2009. America's third largest party Monday praised officials in Iowa, Vermont and the District of Columbia for taking recent steps toward marriage equality, and urged legislators in all states to scrap government licensing, taxation and regulation of marriage.
^ Boaz, David (2008). "Hospers, John (1918– )". In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp. 228–229. doi:10.4135/9781412965811.n139. ISBN 978-1412965804. LCCN 2008009151. OCLC 750831024.
^ Walker, Jesse (June 13, 2011). "John Hospers, RIP". Reason Online. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^ Riley, John (November 23, 2018). "In final tally, Libertarian gay couple outperforms top Republican in D.C. elections". Metro Weekly. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ "Gay Libertarian couple outpolls GOP in DC". Libertarian Party. November 11, 2018. The first openly gay presidential nominee of any U.S political party was John Hospers
^ O'Grady, Jane (July 13, 2011). "John Hospers obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ Baruchman, Michelle. "Who is Chase Oliver? Things to know about the Libertarian presidential candidate" – via AJC.com.
^ Robertson, Nick (May 26, 2024). "Libertarian Party chooses Chase Oliver as presidential nominee". The Hill. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
^ "David McReynolds, pacifist and socialist leader, is dead at 88". The Villager. August 23, 2018. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
^ "Green Party on the Issues". OnTheIssues.org. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
^ "Sodomy laws ruled unconstitutional". National LGBTQ Task Force. June 26, 2003. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Top US court backs protection for LGBT workers". BBC News. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
^ "HUD TO ENFORCE FAIR HOUSING ACT TO PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY". U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
^ Green, Emma (January 6, 2016). "Can States Protect LGBT Rights Without Compromising Religious Freedom?". The Guardian. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
^ "ACLU News & Commentary". American Civil Liberties Union.
^ "#DontEraseUs: FAQ About Anti-LGBT Curriculum Laws". Lambda Legal. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Policy Maps". GLSEN.
^ "The Matthew Shepard And James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act Of 2009". The United States Department of Justice. August 6, 2015. Archived from the original on August 28, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ "Asylum Based on Sexual Orientation and Fear of Persecution". NAFSA: Association of International Educators - Rainbow Special Interest Group. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015.
^ "How Will Ugandan Gay Refugees Be Received By U.S.?". NPR. February 24, 2014.
^ Carranza, Daniel Gonzalez and Rafael. "Biden administration suspends most interior deportations over next 100 days, but quick expulsions of migrants at the border continue". The Arizona Republic.
^ "U.S. State Department has no process for accepting transgender passports". Salon. May 8, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "U.S. 21st country to allow same-sex marriage nationwide". CNN. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
^ "American Samoa is lone US territory questioning gay marriage validity; no licenses sought". U.S. News & World Report. July 10, 2015. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
^ "Tribal challenge to same-sex marriage dismissed". Indianz.Com. August 4, 2005. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Reilly, Mollie (March 31, 2016). "Same-Sex Couples Can Now Adopt Children in All 50 States". HuffPost. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
^ "Family Leave Laws". Movement Advancement Project. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ McVeigh, Karen; Harris, Paul. "US military lifts ban on openly gay troops". The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
^ "Biden reverses Trump ban on transgender people in military". AP NEWS. April 20, 2021.
^ "Medical Conditions That Can Keep You from Joining the Military". Military.com. May 10, 2021.
^ "Change of Sex Marker". travel.state.gov.
^ "How do I change my gender on Social Security's records? · Customer Self-Service". faq.ssa.gov.
^ Forgey, Quint (March 31, 2022). "State Department will offer 'X' gender marker for U.S. passports". POLITICO. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ "NYC Commission on Human Rights Announces Strong Protections for City's Transgender". The official website of the City of New York. December 21, 2015.
^ "US airport security screening to become more gender-neutral". AP NEWS. March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
^ "What Is Gender Dysphoria?". American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ Kirby, D. (1998). "Transsexualism". In Ruth Chadwick (ed.). The encyclopedia of applied ethics. London: Elsevier; Academic Press. pp. 423–425. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-373932-2.00314-8. ISBN 978-0-12-373932-2.
^ "DSM-IV Gender Identity Disorder and Transvestic Fetishism". Psychology of Gender Identity & Transgenderism. Archived from the original on February 26, 2004. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ "LGBTQ Donors". American Red Cross. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
^ "Revised Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products" (PDF). Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

Bibliography

Bullough, Vern, "When Did the Gay Rights Movement Begin?", April 18, 2005. Retrieved December 30, 2005.
Bullough, Vern L. (ed.) Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context. Harrington Park Press, 2002.
Gallagher, John & Chris Bull, Perfect Enemies: The Religious Right, the Gay Movement, and the Politics of the 1990s, 1996, Crown, 300 pp. Retrieved December 30, 2005.
Matzner, Andrew, "Stonewall Riots", glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Culture, Claude J. Summers, ed. 2004. Retrieved December 30, 2005.
Percy, William A. & William Edward Glover, "Before Stonewall by Glover & Percy", November 5, 2005. Retrieved December 30, 2005.

External links

LGBTQ History in Government Documents from UCSD Library
WhiteHouse.gov: Civil Rights – includes section on LGBTQ rights
FACT SHEET: The Biden-⁠Harris Administration Champions LGBTQ Equality and Marks Pride Month June 2022
A Look at the State of the Gay Rights Movement – video report by Democracy Now!
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Human Rights Campaign – official website
- HRC LGBTQ Resources Guide
Refuge Restrooms – A user-compiled, edited, and evaluatable All-Gender Restroom locator (with disability access feature)
Gallup News May 18. 2017 online – Gallup Poll: "Americans Split Over New LGBTQ Protections, Restroom Policies"

[64] Executive Order 13673

[699] r gender-diverse, X, third-gender, indeterminate, other, T, Hijra, and other legal genders not represented as "male" or "female" from other countries

[717] Diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" in accordance with DSM-5 (2013), is made only if there is "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning", the American Psychiatric Association advises.^[712] The DSM-IV (1994) listed "gender identity disorder" with simlilar clinical criteria. Between 1980 and 1994, "transsexualism" was listed as a mental disorder by the DSM-III, without any criteria of "distress" or "impaired function" (in effect, classifying transgender identity itself as a mental disorder).^[713]^[714]

[1] Derks, Marco; van den Berg, Mariecke (2020). Public Discourses About Homosexuality and Religion in Europe and Beyond. Springer International Publishing. p. 338. ISBN 9783030563264. ...(the United States and [Western] Europe) as "already in crisis" for their permissive attitudes toward nonnormative sexualities...

[2] Leveille, Dan (December 4, 2009). "LGBT Equality Index: The most LGBT-friendly countries in the world". Equaldex. Retrieved January 26, 2023. 12.) United States

[:0-3] Ball, Molly (May 13, 2024). "How 20 Years of Same-Sex Marriage Changed America". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 15, 2024. Two decades later, what was once the white-hot center of political debate has receded to the background... The widespread public approval suggests most people don't believe the horrors once forecast have resulted from same-sex marriage's legalization...

[:43-4] Garretson, Jeremiah (2018). "A Transformed Society: LGBT Rights in the United States". The Path to Gay Rights: How Activism and Coming Out Changed Public Opinion. New York University Press. ISBN 9781479850075. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a dramatic wave began to form in the waters of public opinion: American attitudes involving homosexuality began to change... The transformation of America's response to homosexuality has been — and continues to be — one of the most rapid and sustained shifts in mass attitudes since the start of public polling.

[5] McCarthy, Justin (June 1, 2022). "Same-Sex Marriage Support Inches Up to New High of 71%". Gallup, Inc. Retrieved October 2, 2022.

[6] "The Gay Rights Movement In Illinois: A History". CBS. December 2, 2010. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[7] "Employment Non-Discrimination Laws on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity". Human Rights Campaign. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[8] Reilly, Mollie (March 31, 2016). "Same-Sex Couples Can Now Adopt Children in All 50 States". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023.

[9] {{cite news|date=March 31, 2016|title=Judge Invalidates Mississippi's Same-Sex Adoption Ban, the Last of Its Kind in America|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2016/04/01/mississippi_same_sex_adoption_ban_overturned_spelling_trouble_for_hb_1523.html|work=Slate|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318053938/https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/04/mississippi-same-sex-adoption-ban-overturned-spelling-trouble-for-hb-1523.html|archive-date=March 18, 2023}|author=Mark Joseph Stern}

[10] Grant, Jaime M.; Mottet, Lisa A.; Tanis, Justin; Harrison, Jack; Herman, Jody L.; Keisling, Mara (2011). Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (PDF) (Report). National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 12, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.

[11] "Majority of Americans Believe Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage Should be Guaranteed Rights | Grinnell College". Grinnell College. September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022. Solid majorities across both parties agree that... marrying someone of the same sex...are rights that should be guaranteed to all citizens...

[12] "September 20-25, 2022 Grinnell College National Poll" (PDF). FiveThirtyEight. September 28, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.

[auto1-13] Staff. "GSS Data Explorer: "Homosexuals should have right to marry?" (18-34)". General Social Survey. Retrieved March 4, 2023.

[14] "America's far right is increasingly protesting against LGBT people". The Economist.

[15] Kane, Peter-Astrid (April 28, 2022). "After years of progress on gay rights, how did the US become so anti-LGBTQ ?". The Guardian. Retrieved May 18, 2023.

[16] Trotta, Daniel (May 18, 2023). "US Republican transgender laws pile up, setting 2024 battle lines". The Guardian. Retrieved May 18, 2023.

[17] Lopez, German (June 26, 2015). "Same-sex marriage in the US, explained". Vox. Retrieved March 1, 2023.

[18] "Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage Appears to Shift at Accelerated Pace". FiveThirtyEight. May 19, 2016.

[Changing_Attitudes_on_Gay_Marriage-19] "Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. July 29, 2015. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2015.

[20] "Americans Favor Rights for Gays, Lesbians to Inherit, Adopt". Gallup. December 12, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2014.

[:32-21] "PRRI – American Values Atlas". ava.prri.org. Retrieved October 8, 2024.

[22] Staff (December 14, 2022). "Lowest Opinion Of Trump Among Voters In Seven Years, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Biden Approval Rating Climbs | Quinnipiac University Poll". Quinnipiac University. Retrieved December 15, 2022.

[23] Brenan, Megan (June 24, 2024). "Same-Sex Relations, Marriage Still Supported by Most in U.S." Gallup.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.

[:6-24] Supreme Court of the United States (June 26, 2003). "Opinion of the Court". Cornell Law. Retrieved July 26, 2017.

[sodus-25] "Sodomy Laws in the United States". Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. November 23, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2012.

[26] "Raleigh police press sodomy charges". The News & Observer. May 27, 2008. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[rnodrop-27] "Prosecutors Drop Sodomy Charges". The News & Observer. May 30, 2008. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.

[majones11-28] Murphy, Tim (April 12, 2011). "The Unconstitutional Anti-Gay Law That Just Won't Die". Mother Jones. Retrieved November 26, 2012.

[29] Same-sex activity had become legal in Illinois in 1962, Connecticut in 1971, Colorado and Oregon in 1972, Delaware and Hawaii in 1973, Massachusetts and Ohio in 1974, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota in 1975, California, Maine, Washington, and West Virginia in 1976, Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming in 1977, Nebraska in 1978, New Jersey in 1979, Alaska, New York, and Pennsylvania in 1980, Wisconsin in 1983, Kentucky in 1992, Nevada and District of Columbia in 1993, Tennessee in 1996, Montana in 1997, Georgia and Rhode Island in 1998, Maryland and Missouri (Western District counties only) in 1999, Arizona and Minnesota in 2001, and Arkansas in 2002

[ILGA_2014-30] State-sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults Archived October 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, authored by Lucas Paoli Itaborahy, May 2014

[31] "State Sodomy Laws Continue To Target LGBT Americans". Equality Matters. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2012.

[32] Ring, Trudy (April 19, 2013). "WATCH: Montana Sodomy Repeal Signed Into Law". The Advocate.

[33] Garret, Thomas (April 23, 2014). "SB 14 Sodomy; crimes against nature, clarifies provisions of clause, penalty". Virginia Government.

[34] Kurtz, Josh (May 8, 2020). "Here Are Two Dozen Bills Becoming Law Without Hogan's Signature". Maryland Matters.

[35] "Bill to repeal Md. sodomy law to take effect without governor's signature". Washington Blade. May 19, 2023. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[36] Blade, Special to the LA (May 19, 2023). "Minnesota repeals sodomy, fornication, & adultery laws". Los Angeles Blade: LGBTQ News, Rights, Politics, Entertainment. Retrieved November 9, 2023.

[37] McBride, Alex. "Lawrence v Texas (2003)". PBS News. Retrieved July 9, 2014.

[38] "What is the Romeo and Juliet Law in Texas? | Romeo & Juliet Law". Houston-criminalattorney.com. September 3, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[39] "PENAL CODE CHAPTER 21. SEXUAL OFFENSES". Statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[40] Barrett, Peter (January 8, 2019). "What is the Age of Consent in Texas?". Barrettcrimelaw.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[41] Riccardo Ciacci; Dario Sansone (2023). "The impact of sodomy law repeals on crime". Journal of Population Economics. 36 (4): 2519–2548. arXiv:2008.10926. doi:10.1007/s00148-023-00953-1.

[festive-42] Belluck, Oam (May 17, 2004). "With Festive Mood, Gay Weddings Begin in Massachusetts". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2014.

[Mervosh-43] Mervosh, Sarah (May 21, 2019). "Both Parents Are American. The U.S. Says Their Baby Isn't". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 21, 2019.

[Greene-44] Greene, Jenna (May 27, 2021). "Pro Bono Hero: How Morgan Lewis partner Manning helped win citizenship for babies of same-sex couples". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved October 20, 2021.

[45] Ring, Trudy (October 27, 2020). "State Dept. Quits Fight Over Citizenship of Same-Sex Couples' Kids". advocate.com. The Advocate. Retrieved October 20, 2021.

[46] "Victory! State Department Withdraws Appeal in Cases of Same-Sex Couples' Children Refused Passports". Lambda Legal. October 27, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[47] "8 States with Legal Gay Marriage and 39 States with Same-Sex Marriage Bans - Gay Marriage - ProCon.org". Gaymarriage.procon.org. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2012.

[48] Davis, Don (November 7, 2012). "Minnesota voters reject marriage amendment". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.

[equality_act-49] "The Equality Act". Human Rights Campaign. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2020.

[:4-50] "Justices rule LGBT people protected from job discrimination". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Associated Press. June 15, 2020.

[51] Killough, Ashley. "Houses passes Equality Act". CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[52] "Why the Equality Act Remains Important to LGBTQ Equality". The Regulatory Review. July 27, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[53] Gentry, Dana (July 26, 2024). "Family values, LGBTQ rights would backslide with Project 2025 • Nevada Current".

[54] Latham, Angele. "Inside Project 2025: How the expansive conservative playbook could impact religious liberty". The Tennessean.

[55] "What is Project 2025 and what does it mean for LGBTQ Americans?". www.advocate.com.

[56] Tilcsik, András (2011). "Pride and Prejudice: Employment Discrimination against Openly Gay Men in the United States". American Journal of Sociology. 117 (2): 586–626. doi:10.1086/661653. hdl:1807/34998. JSTOR 10.1086/661653. PMID 22268247. S2CID 23542996.

[57] Purdum, Todd S. (August 4, 1995). "Clinton Ends Ban on Security Clearance for Gay Workers". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2012.

[58] "1998-05-28 Statement on Amendment to EEO Executive Order". nara.gov. May 5, 1998. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.

[Edgeboston.com-59] "In Landmark Ruling, Feds Add Transgendered to Anti-Discrimination Law". Edgeboston.com. April 25, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2015.

[Carpenter-60] Carpenter, Dale (December 14, 2012). "Anti-gay discrimination is sex discrimination, says the EEOC". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2015.

[Tatectate-61] Tatectate, Curtis. "EEOC: Federal law bans workplace bias against gays, lesbians, bisexuals". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 17, 2015.

[The_White_House-62] "Executive Order – Further Amendments to Executive Order 11478, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government, and Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity". whitehouse.gov. Office of the Press Secretary. July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014 – via National Archives.

[63] "Obama signs edict banning discrimination against federal LGBT employees". Al Jazeera. July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.

[Vogue-65] Kutner, Jenny (March 29, 2017). "Trump Rolls Back Protections for LGBTQ Workers, Despite Recent Promises". Vogue. Retrieved December 6, 2018.

[66] Bostock v. Clayton Cnty., Ga., No. 17-1618, 590 U.S. ___ (2020)

[67] Edwards-Levy, Ariel (June 25, 2020). "The Supreme Court Rulings On LGBTQ Rights And DACA Are Really Popular, Poll Finds". HuffPost. Retrieved June 26, 2020.

[68] "Renter's Rights Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination". FindLaw. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[69] "Equal Access to Housing Final Rule - HUD Exchange". hudexchange.info. Retrieved May 23, 2019.

[:2-70] "RIN: 2506-AC53". reginfo.gov. Retrieved May 23, 2019.

[casebriefs.com-71] "Braschi v. Stahl Associates Co - Case Brief for Law Students". Casebriefs. Retrieved August 7, 2020.

[72] Gutis, Philip S. (July 7, 1989). "New York Court Defines Family To Include Homosexual Couples". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 7, 2020.

[nytimesobama-73] "Obama Widens Medical Rights for Gay Partners". The New York Times. April 16, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.

[74] Simmons-Duffin, Selena (June 12, 2020). "Transgender Health Protections Reversed By Trump Administration". NPR News. Retrieved June 28, 2020.

[Alonso-Zaldivar-75] Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo (May 10, 2021). "Reversing Trump, U.S. Restores Transgender Health Protections". HuffPost. Retrieved May 10, 2021.

[76] Wan, William (March 29, 2023). "Kentucky lawmakers pass major anti-trans law, overriding governor's veto". Washington Post.

[77] Meyer, Doug (2014). "Resisting Hate Crime Discourse: Queer and Intersectional Challenges to Neoliberal Hate Crime Laws". Critical Criminology. 22 (1): 113–125. doi:10.1007/s10612-013-9228-x. S2CID 143546829.

[78] Pershing, Ben (October 22, 2009). "Hate crimes bill set to become law". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2009.

[79] "President Barack Obama signs hate crimes legislation into law". Baywindows.com. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[adl-80] State Hate Crime Laws Archived June 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Anti-Defamation League, June 2006. Retrieved May 4, 2007.

[81] Volokh, Eugene (June 19, 2017). "Supreme Court unanimously reaffirms: There is no 'hate speech' exception to the First Amendment". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 3, 2022.

[82] "Gay/Trans Panic Defense Laws" (PDF). Movement Advancement Project. June 7, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.

[83] Branigin, William; Wilgoren, Debbi; Bacon, Perry Jr. (December 22, 2010). "Obama signs DADT repeal before big, emotional crowd". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[84] "In 60 days, gays will be allowed to serve openly in the military". CNN. July 23, 2011.

[85] "Who Must Register". Selective Service System. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2015.

[86] Baldor, Lolita (July 13, 2015). "Pentagon announces plan aimed at lifting transgender ban". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.

[transgenderend-87] "Military lifts transgender ban s". McClatchy. June 30, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.

[aptrans-88] Baldor, Lolita. "10 Transgender Soldiers Ask for Formal Recognition". Associated Press.

[89] "Trump: Transgender people 'can't serve' US military". BBC News. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.

[90] "Joint Chiefs: 'No modifications' to transgender policy from Trump tweet". Politico. Retrieved July 28, 2017.

[Trump-170825-91] Trump, Donald J. (August 25, 2017). "Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2017 – via National Archives.

[92] "Trump asks US court for review of transgender military ban". BBC. November 23, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.

[93] Welna, David; Chappell, Bill (January 22, 2019). "Supreme Court Revives Trump's Ban On Transgender Military Personnel, For Now". NPR News. NPR. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[94] "GLAD, NCLR Statements on House Armed Services Committee Hearing on Transgender Military Ban". No Trans Military Ban. February 27, 2019. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[95] Norquist, David (March 12, 2019). "MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF MANAGEMENT OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE" (PDF). Washington Blade. Retrieved March 19, 2019.

[96] "Frequently Asked Questions on the Transgender Military Ban" (PDF). notransmilitaryban.org. February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[97] "Bipartisan bills introduced to thwart Trump's trans military ban". NBC News. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[98] "US appeals court rules in favor of Trump transgender ban, but policy still can't be enforced". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[99] Wamsley, Laurel (March 31, 2021). "Pentagon Releases New Policies Enabling Transgender People To Serve In The Military". NPR News. Retrieved May 3, 2021.

[100] J.P. Lawrence, Stars and Stripes (April 30, 2021). "Free to Be a Better Soldier: Transgender Service Members Cheer Reversal of Ban". Military.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.

[101] Gutierrez, Gabe; Jansing, Chris (May 21, 2019). "Thousands of immigrants forced into solitary confinement by ICE". MSNBC. Retrieved May 23, 2019.

[102] Speri, Alice. "Inmates Are Losing Their Privilege to Get Laid." Vice. April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.

[103] Rodgers, Patrick. "Conjugal Visits: Preserving family bonds behind bars". LegalZoom. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[104] "Conjugal visits allowed for inmates and partners in same-sex marriages, civil unions". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2016.

[105] Speri, Alice. "Inmates Are Losing Their Privilege to Get Laid Archived April 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine." Vice. April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.

[Sanburn-106] Sanburn, Josh. "Mississippi Ending Conjugal Visits for Prisoners." Time. January 13, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.

[economist.com-107] "Which countries offer gender-neutral passports?". The Economist. April 11, 2022. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved April 19, 2022.

[108] "Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey" (PDF). Thetaskforce.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 6, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

[109] "These Are the Trans Women Killed So Far in the U.S. in 2015". The Advocate. July 27, 2015.

[110] "These Are the Trans People Killed in 2016". The Advocate. October 14, 2016.

[111] "A Blueprint for Equality: Housing and Homelessness". National Center for Transgender Equality. June 29, 2015. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.

[112] "REPORT: Trans Americans Four Times More Likely to Live in Poverty". The Advocate. February 18, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

[113] "Sexual Assault in the LGBT Community". NCLR. April 30, 2014.

[114] "Op-ed: Trans Men Experience Far More Violence Than Most People Assume". The Advocate. July 23, 2015.

[115] "Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault: The Numbers". Office for Victims of Crime. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[116] "Gender Minority & Homelessness: Transgender Population" (PDF). In Focus: A Quarterly Research Review of the National HCH Council. 3 (1). September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[117] "Your Rights Gender Identity Discrimination". Workplace Fairness. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[118] "Transgender FAQ". GLAAD. November 8, 2013.

[119] "It Takes A Village To Bully A Transgender Kindergartner". Thinkprogress.org. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

[advocate.com-120] "The Criminal Justice System Is Broken and Trans People Are Suffering". The Advocate. May 24, 2016.

[121] "Transgender asylum seeker faces abuse in immigration detention – Transgender Law Center". Transgenderlawcenter.org. January 13, 2015. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

[nbcnews.com-122] "Transgender Woman Says She Was Delayed by TSA for Anatomical 'Anomaly'". NBC News.

[msnbc.com-123] "TSA changes word for trans bodies from 'anomaly' to 'alarm'". MSNBC. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

[124] "Why Transgender Women Have the Country's Highest HIV Rates". HIV Plus. April 2, 2015.

[125] Dupere, Katie (August 5, 2015). "6 ways the health care system fails transgender patients". Mashable.

[126] "Trans People Are Using #TransHealthFail And It's Making A Difference". Buzzfeed.

[127] "State Bill Would Modernize Process To Change Gender on Illinois Birth Certificates". progressillinois.com. May 28, 2023.

[128] Jackson, Alyssa. "The high cost of being transgender". CNN.

[129] "Costs of Transgender Transition Can Have Dark Financial Legacy". NBC News.

[130] "Trump signs controversial 'sex-trafficking' bill that could hurt the future of the internet". The Daily Dot. March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[131] "Sex workers explain why the House's online sex-trafficking bill is bulls**t". The Daily Dot. March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[132] Stahl, Aviva; Schrupp, Lindsay (August 2, 2018). "'We're Monumentally Fucked': Trans Sex Workers on Life Under FOSTA/SESTA". Broadly. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[133] "Position on FOSTA-SESTA and its Impact on Consensual Sex Work and the Chilling of Sexual Speech". AASECT: American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[134] Cole, Samantha; Maiberg, Emanuel (April 11, 2018). "Trump Just Signed SESTA/FOSTA, a Law Sex Workers Say Will Literally Kill Them". Motherboard. Retrieved March 7, 2019.

[135] "Debunking the 'Bathroom Bill' Myth – Accurate Reporting on LGBT Nondiscrimination: A Guide for Journalists". GLAAD. February 24, 2016.

[136] "Nearly 240 anti-LGBTQ bills filed in 2022 so far, most of them targeting trans people". NBC News. March 20, 2022.

[137] Mayeda, Ali (April 3, 2023). "LGBTQ Communities Fight Back Against Coordinated Nationwide Assault". Equality Federation. Retrieved November 7, 2023.

[138] "Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2016.

[139] "Bathroom Bills, Selfies, and the Erasure of Nonbinary Trans People". The Advocate. April 1, 2016.

[140] "FindLaw's Writ - Grossman: When Parentage Turns on Anatomical Sex An Illinois Court Denies a Female-to-Male Transsexual's Claim of Fatherhood". findlaw.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011.

[141] Grenberg, Julie (2006). "The Roads Less Travelled: The Problem with Binary Sex Categories". In Currah, Paisley; Juang, Richard; Minter, Minter (eds.). Transgender Rights. Minneapolis: Minnesota University Press. pp. 51–73. ISBN 0-8166-4312-1.

[nbcnews.com2-142] "Kansas to allow trans residents to change birth certificates". NBC News. June 25, 2019.

[143] "Changing Birth Certificate Sex Designations: State-By-State Guidelines". Lambda Legal. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014.

[144] Purifoy, Parker (December 26, 2020). "Federal judge rules Ohio birth certificate policy is unconstitutional". Los Angeles Blade. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[145] "Idaho House Passes Bill Banning Trans People from Correcting Gender on Birth Certificates". Lambda Legal. February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.

[146] Stitt, Kevin (November 8, 2021). "Executive Order 2021-24" (PDF). Oklahoma Secretary of State.

[147] "Montana permanently blocks transgender people from changing their birth certificates". PBS NewsHour. September 9, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.

[148] "General Laws". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.

[149] "Transgender People and Amended Birth Certificates". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. August 26, 2015. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.

[150] "Change of Gender". Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2012.

[151] "Massachusetts Allows Nonbinary Marker on Licenses, IDs". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.

[152] "Sources of Authority to Amend Sex Designation on Birth Certificates". Lambda Legal. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.

[153] "Gender Change Request" (PDF). Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2012.

[virginia.gov-154] "LIS > Bill Tracking > HB1041 > 2020 session". lis.virginia.gov. Retrieved October 3, 2020.

[155] "Driver's License Policies by State". National Center for Transgender Equality. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

[156] Ebrahimji, Alisha (July 11, 2023). "A state judge ordered Kansas to stop letting transgender people change their gender marker on their driver's licenses". CNN. Retrieved February 10, 2024.

[157] Migdon, Brooke (January 30, 2024). "Florida bars transgender residents from changing gender on driver's licenses". The Hill.

[158] Crowley, Kinsey; Soule, Douglas (January 30, 2024). "Florida barring gender changes on driver's license puts trans residents at risk, critics say". USA Today.

[AlHajal-159] AlHajal, Khalil (November 16, 2015). "Judge refuses to dismiss challenge to Michigan policy on transgender drivers". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2021.

[ACLUJohnsonFiled-160] "ACLU Lawsuit: Michigan ID Policy Exposes Transgender Men and Women to Risk of Harassment, Violence". American Civil Liberties Union. May 21, 2015. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2021.

[161] "8 FAM 403.3 Gender Change". United States Department of State. June 27, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.

[162] "8 FAM 1004.1 Passport Amendments". United States Department of State. June 27, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.

[163] "US citizens can now choose the gender 'X' on their passport applications". Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.

[164] "Nepal issues first third-gender passport, after Australia and N. Zealand". DailySabah. August 10, 2015. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015.

[165] Nandi, Jacinta (November 10, 2013). "Germany got it right by offering a third gender option on birth certificates". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016.

[166] Plucinska, Joanna (August 11, 2015). "Nepal Is The Latest Country to Acknowledge A Third Gender on Passports". Time. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015.

[167] "Malta becomes first European country to recognize gender identity in Constitution". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.

[guardian-31aug2017-168] Busby, Mattha (August 31, 2017). "Canada introduces gender-neutral 'X' option on passports". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.

[169] "The 'two-spirit' people of indigenous North Americans". The Guardian. October 11, 2010. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017.

[170] "The Beautiful Way Hawaiian Culture Embraces A Particular Kind Of Transgender Identity". HuffPost. April 28, 2015. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017.

[171] "Fa'afafines: The Third Gender". theculturetrip.com. September 15, 2011. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015.

[172] "Society Of Fa'afafine In American Samoa - S.O.F.I.A.S." Archived from the original on January 4, 2018 – via Facebook.

[173] "In Mexico, Mixed Genders And 'Muxes'". NPR. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015.

[174] Khaleeli, Homa (April 16, 2014). "Hijra: India's third gender claims its place in law". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017.

[175] "Third Gender". HuffPost. March 19, 2014. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.

[oregon-176] O'Hara, Mary Emily (June 10, 2016). "'Nonbinary' is now a legal gender, Oregon court rules". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.

[177] "North Dakota governor signs law criminalizing trans health care for minors". PBS. April 20, 2023. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.

[mapping_attacks-178] "Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures". American Civil Liberties Union. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023. The ACLU is tracking 501 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S.

[ual2-179] "Arkansas Lawmakers Override Veto, Enact Transgender Youth Treatment Ban". Associated Press. April 6, 2021. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[180] McMillan, Jeff; Kruesi, Kimberlee (May 20, 2023). "Meet the influential new player on transgender health bills". AP News. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.

[:12-181] Balevic, Katie (May 20, 2023). "Do No Harm, a group of 'medical professionals' fighting 'woke healthcare,' is behind many anti-trans laws". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.

[182] "APA Policy Statement on Affirming Evidence-Based Inclusive Care for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Nonbinary Individuals, Addressing Misinformation, and the Role of Psychological Practice and Science". American Psychological Association. February 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[183] Reed, Erin. "World's largest psych association supports trans youth care". www.advocate.com. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[williamsinstitute-184] "Nearly 100,000 transgender youth live in states that banned access to health care, sports, or school bathrooms in 2023". Williams Institute. Retrieved December 29, 2023.

[185] "Efforts to restrict transgender health care endure in 2024, with more adults targeted". NBC News. January 11, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.

[KFF-186] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "The Proliferation of State Actions Limiting Youth Access to Gender Affirming Care". KFF. January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.

[187] Kalish, Lil (May 30, 2024). "Tennessee Enacts 'Concerning' First-In-The-Nation Law". HuffPost. Retrieved May 30, 2024.

[188] Panetta, Grace (June 9, 2023). "Lawmakers in blue states are linking protections for abortion and gender-affirming care". The 19th. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[189] Ferguson, Dana; Maucione, Scott; Birkeland, Bente; Pluta, Rick; Jackson, Colin; Squires, Acacia (April 21, 2023). "Minnesota to join at least 4 other states in protecting transgender care this year". NPR. Retrieved June 11, 2023.

[190] Hassan, Adeel (June 27, 2023). "States Passed a Record Number of Transgender Laws. Here's What They Say". The New York Times. New York Times. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[191] Block M. "Parents raise concerns as Florida bans gender-affirming care for trans kids". NPR. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.

[192] Schott B. "Why GOP lawmakers want to stop doctors from prescribing gender-affirming care for Utah's youth". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.

[193] Connell-Bryan A, Kenen J, Holzman J (November 27, 2022). "Conservative states are blocking trans medical care. Families are fleeing". Politico. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.

[194] Ramirez M. "As state laws target transgender children, families flee and become 'political refugees'". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.

[195] Yurcaba J (April 19, 2021). "'It's not safe': Parents of trans kids plan to flee their states as GOP bills loom". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.

[196] Lavietes, Matt; Yurcaba, Jo (October 17, 2024). "Texas AG sues doctor who allegedly provided transgender care to 21 minors". NBC News. Retrieved October 17, 2024.

[197] Block, Melissa (July 21, 2021). "Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Ban On Gender Confirming Treatments For Trans Youth". NPR. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[198] Branigin, Anne (June 21, 2023). "Arkansas federal judge blocks first ban on gender-affirming care". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

[199] Powell, Tori B. (February 24, 2022). "Texas Governor Greg Abbott orders state agencies to investigate gender-transitioning procedures as child abuse". CBS News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.

[200] Yurcaba, Jo (February 23, 2022). "Texas governor calls on citizens to report parents of transgender kids for abuse". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[201] "Texas Court Expands Injunction Blocking State from Targeting Families of Trans Youth Who Are Members of PFLAG National". ACLU (Press release). Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[202] Nguyen, Alex; Melhado, William (June 2, 2023). "Gov. Greg Abbott signs legislation barring trans youth from accessing transition-related care". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[203] Melhado, William (August 25, 2023). "Texas ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans kids will go into effect despite legal fight". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.

[204] Vertuno, Jim; Demillo, Andrew (June 28, 2024). "Texas Supreme Court upholds ban on youth gender transitions. It's the largest state with such a law". AP News. Retrieved July 20, 2024.

[205] Chandler, Kim (April 8, 2022). "Alabama Governor Signs Law Banning Transgender Medication". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.

[206] Caspani, Maria (May 9, 2022). "Alabama ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth takes effect". Reuters. Reuters. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.

[207] Rojas, Rick (May 14, 2022). "Alabama's Transgender Youth Can Use Medicine to Transition, Judge Rules". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.

[208] Fortinsky, Sarah (August 21, 2023). "Court reverses injunction on Alabama transgender health care ban". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[sltrib.com-209] Schott, Brian. "Blocking gender-affirming health care in Utah could be found unconstitutional, a legal review found". Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[deseret.com-210] McKellar, Katie (January 26, 2023). "Utah House votes to ban transgender surgeries and puberty blockers for kids". Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[legiscan.com-211] Transgender Medical Treatments and Procedures Amendments (Senate Bill 16). Utah State Legislature. January 11, 2023. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[Schott-212] Schott, Bryan (January 27, 2023). "Ban on health care for transgender youth passed by Utah Legislature". Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[213] "Human Rights Campaign: South Dakota Lawmakers Turn Their Backs on Trans Kids Once Again". Human Rights Campaign. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.

[214] Cameron, Kesia (February 9, 2023). "SD Senate passes bill prohibiting gender-affirming medical care for minors". Dakotanewsnow.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.

[215] Sforza, Lauren (February 14, 2023). "Noem signs gender-affirming care ban for South Dakota youth". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.

[216] Yurcaba, Jo (February 28, 2023). "Mississippi governor signs bill banning transgender health care for minors". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.

[217] Wagster Pettus, Emily (February 21, 2023). "Mississippi Senate passes limit on gender-affirming health care". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.

[218] Brown, Melissa (February 23, 2023). "Tennessee legislature passes ban on gender-transition health care for minors". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.

[219] "TN Governor signs drag show, gender-affirming care bills into law". WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. March 2, 2023. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.

[220] Walker, Finch (February 22, 2023). "Ban on health care for trans youth to go into effect in March. More is coming, Fine says". Florida Today. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.

[221] Riedel, Samantha (March 16, 2023). "Florida's Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Goes Into Effect Today". Them. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.

[222] Farrington, Brendan (May 17, 2023). "Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bills targeting drag shows, trans rights and care for transgender children". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.

[223] "Preliminary injunction, Case No. 4:23cv114-RH-MAF, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee" (PDF). storage.courtlistener.com. June 6, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[Florida_blocked-224] "Judge Strikes Down Florida's Ban on Transgender Care for Minors". New York Times. June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.

[225] "US appeals court clears way for Florida ban on transgender care for minors". ABC News. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.

[226] Rose, Andy; Forrest, Jack (March 23, 2023). "Iowa's governor signs law banning gender-affirming care for minors". CNN Politics. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.

[227] "Georgia law will ban most transgender care for kids under 18". NBC News. Associated Press. March 23, 2023. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.

[228] Boboltz, Sara (March 21, 2023). "Georgia Legislature Sends Anti-Trans Health Care Bill To GOP Governor". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.

[229] Riedel, Samantha (September 6, 2023). "Georgia's Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Youth Is Back In Effect". Them. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.

[230] Chen, Shawna; Habeshian, Sareen (March 30, 2023). "Kentucky and West Virginia the latest states to step up anti-trans push". Axios. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.

[231] Siegler, Allen (March 29, 2023). "W.Va. transgender health bill may have little effect on access to care". The Register-Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2024.

[232] "GOP lawmakers override veto of transgender bill in Kentucky". Associated Press. March 29, 2023. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[233] Mattise, Jonathan (September 29, 2023). "Judges maintain bans on gender-affirming care for youth in Tennessee and Kentucky". AP News. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2023.

[:9-234] Schreiner, Bruce; Lovan, Dylan (July 14, 2023). "Kentucky's ban on gender-affirming care takes effect as federal judge lifts injunction". AP News. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.

[Arizona_ban-235] Cole, Devan (March 30, 2022). "Arizona governor signs bill outlawing gender-affirming care for transgender youth and approves anti-trans sports ban". CNN. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[236] "SB 1138" (PDF). AZLeg.gov. 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[Arizona_shield_law-237] "Arizona governor's executive orders ban conversion therapy, permit transgender health care". The Hill. June 28, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[238] "House Bill 71 – Idaho State Legislature". Retrieved April 5, 2023.

[239] Maldonado, Mia (March 27, 2023). "Idaho bill to ban gender care for trans youth clears Senate, heads back to House". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved April 5, 2023.

[240] "Federal judge blocks Idaho gender-affirming transgender care ban". ABC News. December 27, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[241] "Supreme Court temporarily revives Idaho law banning gender affirming care for minors". NPR. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.

[242] "Supreme Court permits Idaho to enforce ban on gender-affirming care for minors". CNN. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.

[243] "Indiana and Idaho enact bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth | CNN Politics". CNN. April 7, 2023. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[244] "Federal judge blocks most of Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care for minors". PBS NewsHour. June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.

[245] "Ban on gender-affirming care for minors allowed to take effect in Indiana". ABC. February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

[246] Ahmed, Trisha (April 20, 2023). "North Dakota governor signs law criminalizing trans health care for minors". PBS. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[247] Hanson, Amy Beth (April 28, 2023). "Montana latest to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.

[248] Montana Fourth Judicial District Court (September 27, 2023). "Order granting plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction" (PDF). ACLU. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.

[249] "House Bill 808 Archived January 11, 2024, at the Wayback Machine" ncleg.gov. 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023

[250] Veto of House Bill 808 Archived October 23, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. webservices.ncleg.gov. 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023

[251] "House Bill 808 Archived December 23, 2023, at the Wayback Machine" ncleg.gov. 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023

[252] "Oklahoma governor signs ban on gender-affirming care for trans kids". PBS News. May 1, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2024.

[253] Murphy, Sean (October 7, 2023). "Federal Judge Allows Oklahoma Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors To Take Effect". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2023.

[254] "Nebraska imposes 40 hours of therapy and other restrictions on care for trans youths". NBC News. October 2, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[255] "Ohio Governor Bans All Gender-Affirming Surgeries For Minors". HuffPost. January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.

[256] Kaur, Anumita; Shin, Annys (December 14, 2023). "Ohio legislators pass ban on gender-affirming care for minors, sending bill to governor". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

[257] "Ohio bans gender-affirming care for minors, restricts transgender athletes over Gov. Mike DeWine's veto". CBS News. January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.

[258] "Ohio judge blocks ban on gender-affirming care for minors". The Hill. April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

[259] "Judge upholds Ohio's gender-affirming care ban; civil rights group vows immediate appeal". ABC News. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.

[260] "Wyoming Bans Gender Transition Care for Minors". New York Times. March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.

[261] "South Carolina Bans Gender Transition Care for Minors". New York Times. May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.

[262] "4th Circuit rules gender identity is a protected characteristic". Washington Blade. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.

[263] "NH HB619 2024 Regular Session". LegiScan.

[264] "Sununu signs bans on trans girls in girls' sports, gender affirming surgeries for minors". New Hampshire Bulletin. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.

[265] "A parent and child's perspectives on the need for trans and nonbinary allyship". ctpublic.org. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[266] Stracqualursi, Veronica. "Connecticut governor signs law protecting abortion seekers and providers from out-of-state lawsuits". CNN. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[267] "Massachusetts governor signs bill safeguarding reproductive, gender-affirming health care into law". The Hill. July 29, 2022. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[268] "Senator Wiener's Historic Bill to Provide Refuge for Trans Kids and Their Families Signed into Law". sd11.senate.ca.gov. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[269] "Washington DC Mayor signs 'comprehensive' trans and abortion bill". November 29, 2022. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[270] "Gov. Pritzker Signs Sweeping Reproductive Rights Protections Into Law". illinois.gov. January 13, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[271] "Governor signs House Bill 7, Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Act". governor.state.nm.us. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[272] "Vermont governor signs bills protecting access to abortion, gender-affirming care". The Hill. May 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[273] "Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Protecting Gender-Affirming Health Care in New Jersey". nj.gov. April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[274] Bedayn, Jesse; Slevin, Colleen (April 14, 2023). "Colorado offers safe haven for abortion, transgender care". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[275] "Minnesota Session Laws - 2023, Regular Session". revisor.mn.gov. April 27, 2023. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[276] Komenda, Ed (May 9, 2023). "Transgender minors protected from estranged parents under Washington law". PBS. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[277] "Governor Moore Signs Executive Order to Protect Gender Affirming Health Care in Maryland". governor.maryland.gov. June 6, 2023. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[278] Yurcaba, Jo (June 26, 2023). "New York governor signs 'safe haven' law for transgender youth". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[279] Wyatt, Sydney (August 15, 2023). "Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek celebrates law protecting gender-affirming care, abortion". Statesman Journal. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.

[280] "Gov. Mills signs controversial abortion and gender-affirming care bill into Maine law". April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2024.

[281] "Maine's Governor Mills signs trans & abortion sanctuary bill into law". April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2024.

[282] "Bill Texts: RI S2262 2024 Regular Session". LegiScan.

[vox-283] Lopez, German (April 7, 2016). "Tennessee's anti-transgender bathroom bill, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.

[mic.com-284] Bianco, Marcie (April 2, 2016). "Statistics Show Exactly How Many Times Trans People Have Attacked You in Bathrooms". Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2017.

[rolereboot-285] King-Miller, Lindsay (April 12, 2016). "Stop Using Women's Safety to Justify Transphobia". Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.

[patheos-286] Firma, Terry (April 11, 2016). "More Republican Politicians Than Trans People Have Been Arrested For Sex Acts in Bathrooms". Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.

[287] Broverman, Neal (May 17, 2018). "Trump Supporter Broadcasts Live as She Chases Trans Woman Out of Bathroom". The Advocate. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.

[NYT-288] Chokshi, Miraj (July 14, 2014). "Transgender Woman is Charged With Voyeurism at Target in Idaho". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2017.

[usts-289] "2015 U.S. Transgender Survey : Executive Summary" (PDF). U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.

[psmag-290] Wheeling, Kate (August 4, 2017). "Stalled Out: How Social Bias is Segregating America's Bathrooms". Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

[Guardian-2015-291] Kasperkevic, Jana (March 17, 2015). "Florida anti-transgender bathroom bill moves a step closer to passing". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.

[292] Steinmetz, Katy (March 14, 2017). "Texas Senate Approves Controversial Bathroom Bill After Five-Hour Debate". Time. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.

[293] Gelernter, Josh (December 17, 2016). "A Conservative Defense of Transgender Rights". National Review. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.

[294] "B.P.J. V. West Virginia State Board of Education - Order Granting Preliminary Injunction".

[hecox-295] "Hecox v. Little". American Civil Liberties Union.

[296] "Trans kids and supporters say new Texas law will keep them out of school sports". January 18, 2022.

[297] "Arkansas governor signs transgender sports ban into law". NBC News. March 26, 2021.

[298] "On the First Day of Pride Month, Florida Signed a Transgender Athlete Bill into Law". NPR. June 2, 2021.

[299] "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Signs Anti-Trans Sports Bill into Law". Human Rights Campaign. April 23, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2022.

[300] "Oklahoma governor signs transgender sports ban". NBC News. March 30, 2022.

[301] "Kentucky Legislature overrides governor's veto of transgender sports ban". NBC News. April 13, 2022.

[302] "Mississippi governor signs bill banning trans athletes from school sports". NBC News. March 11, 2021.

[303] "Tennessee Governor Signs Legislation Banning Collegiate Transgender Athletes". Sports Illustrated. May 6, 2022.

[304] "West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Signs Anti-Trans Sports Bill into Law". Human Rights Campaign. April 28, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2022.

[305] "South Carolina becomes the latest state to enact a transgender sports ban". NPR. May 17, 2022.

[306] "Utah bans transgender athletes in girls sports despite governor's veto". NPR. March 25, 2022.

[307] "South Dakota governor signs 2022's first trans athlete ban into law". NBC News. February 4, 2022.

[308] "Montana governor signs bill banning transgender students from sports teams". TheGuardian.com. May 8, 2021.

[309] "Kim Reynolds bans transgender girls from female sports, signing Republican-backed law". The Des Moines Register.

[310] "Arizona Governor Becomes Second Official to Sign Anti-Trans Sports Bill Wednesday". Sports Illustrated. March 30, 2022.

[311] "Idaho's Transgender Sports Ban Faces a Major Legal Hurdle". NPR.

[312] "Wyoming bans transgender youths from girls' sports teams". NBC News. March 21, 2023.

[313] Smith, Mitch (May 24, 2022). "Indiana Lawmakers Override Transgender Sports Veto". The New York Times.

[314] "Louisiana Becomes Latest State to Ban Transgender Athletes in Schools". June 8, 2022.

[315] "Georgia High School Association Chooses to Discriminate Against Transgender Student Athletes, Issuing Ban Against Competing in High School Sports". May 4, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.

[316] Chen, David W. (April 12, 2023). "North Dakota Bars Trans Girls and Women From Female Sports Teams". The New York Times.

[auto2-317] "Sununu signs bans on trans girls in girls' sports, gender affirming surgeries for minors". New Hampshire Bulletin. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.

[318] "Texas is pushing the most anti-trans bills in the country. Advocates fear deadly consequences". PBS. September 13, 2021.

[319] "Conservatives want to ban transgender athletes from girls sports. Their evidence is shaky". November 15, 2021.

[320] Witz, Billy (January 24, 2022). "As Lia Thomas Swims, Debate About Transgender Athletes Swirls". The New York Times.

[321] "Soule v. CIAC - Athletes in Women's Sports Amicus Brief".

[322] "Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, Layshia Clarendon, and Brianna Turner Join More Than 150 Athletes and WNBPA in Supporting Trans Youth Participation in Sports". October 14, 2021.

[323] "Georgia High School Association Chooses to Discriminate Against Transgender Student Athletes, Issuing Ban Against Competing in High School Sports". Human Rights Campaign. May 4, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.

[324] "Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, and Candace Parker Join Nearly 200 Athletes Supporting Trans Youth Participation in Sports". December 21, 2020.

[325] "Trans Students Protected Under Title IX, Biden Administration Says". June 17, 2021.

[326] Dolan, Jack (September 22, 2011). "Inmate loses bid for taxpayer-paid sex-change operation". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.

[327] Finucane, Martin; Ellement, John R.; Valencia, Milton J. (January 17, 2014). "Mass. appeals court upholds inmate's right to taxpayer-funded sex change surgery". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 19, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.

[328] Apuzzo, Matt (April 3, 2015). "Transgender Inmate's Hormone Treatment Lawsuit Gets Justice Dept. Backing". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.

[329] Sontag, Deborah (April 5, 2015). "Transgender Woman Cites Attacks and Abuse in Men's Prison". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.

[330] "U.S. rolls back protections for transgender prison inmates". Reuters. May 12, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2019.

[331] Smith, G. "Biography". Gwensmith.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2013.

[332] Jacobs, Ethan (November 15, 2008). "Remembering Rita Hester". EDGE Boston. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2010.

[333] "The Transgender Day of Remembrance". apa.org. Retrieved November 1, 2019.

[elders2017-334] Elders, M Joycelyn; Satcher, David; Carmona, Richard (June 2017). "Re-Thinking Genital Surgeries on Intersex Infants" (PDF). Palm Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2017.

[interacthealth-335] terACT (May 23, 2016). "Federal Government Bans Discrimination Against Intersex People in Health Care". interactadvocates. Retrieved May 27, 2016.

[336] "Why Intersex Rights Are Human Rights". Open Society Foundations. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

[337] "US: Harmful Surgery on Intersex Children". Human Rights Watch. July 25, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

[338] "California: Resolution Affirms Intersex Rights". Human Rights Watch. August 28, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

[339] "California becomes first state to condemn intersex surgeries on children". USA Today. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

[interactcat-340] terACT (June 2016). Recommendations from interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth regarding the List of Issues for the United States for the 59th Session of the Committee Against Torture (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.

[341] "Order: Zzymm v Kerry and Portell". Lambda Legal. Retrieved January 30, 2017.

[ohara2016-342] O'Hara, Mary Emily (December 29, 2016). "Nation's First Known Intersex Birth Certificate Issued in NYC". NBC News. Retrieved December 30, 2016.

[343] "HIV/AIDS: Snapshots of an Epidemic". amfAR. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[344] "History of Gay Rights Movement in U.S". Uky.edu. Archived from the original on November 18, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[345] Sircar, Neiloy (2018). "Good Public Health Policy, Better Public Health Law: Blood Donation, Individual Risk Assessments, & Lifting the Deferral for Men Who Have Sex With Men" (PDF). Food and Drug Law Journal. 73 (1). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[2023_recommendations-346] "Recommendations for Evaluating Donor Eligibility Using Individual Risk-Based Questions to Reduce the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products". Food and Drug Administration. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.

[347] "US Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for industry: eligibility determination for donors of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps)". Food and Drug Administration.

[348] Puente, Michael A.; Patnaik, Jennifer L.; Lynch, Anne M.; Snyder, Blake M.; Caplan, Chad M.; Pham, Binhan; Neves da Silva, Helio V.; Chen, Conan; Taravella, Michael J.; Palestine, Alan G. (November 1, 2020). "Association of Federal Regulations in the United States and Canada With Potential Corneal Donation by Men Who Have Sex With Men". JAMA Ophthalmology. 138 (11): 1143–1149. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.3630. PMC 7516798. PMID 32970105.

[349] "Conversion Therapy". GLAAD. August 27, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2023.

[350] "Conversion "Therapy" Laws". Movement Advancement Project. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2023.

[351] Congress, Elaine P.; Chang-Muy, Fernando (2008). Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Legal Issues, Clinical Skills and Advocacy. Springer Publishing Company. p. 258. ISBN 9780826133366. Retrieved November 18, 2019.

[352] "Network Audience". State of the Media. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[353] "Supreme Court / Homosexuality and Women's Pensions Cases / Bakke / Protests NBC News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive". Tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. October 3, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[354] "Supreme Court / Homosexuality Case / Nixon Tapes / Other Cases To Come CBS News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive". Tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. October 3, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[355] "Supreme Court / Washington Homosexual Firing / Bakke / Other Cases ABC News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive". Tvnews.vanderbilt.edu. October 3, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2011.

[356] "Overview of the Rights of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Teachers". Retrieved November 2, 2013.

[357] Epstein, Aaron (January 15, 1985). "Supreme Court Hears Debate on Law Banning Gay Teachers". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved July 6, 2012 – via Google News.

[358] Board of Education v. National Gay Task Force, 470 U.S. 159 (1985)

[359] Hager, Phil (March 27, 1985). "Justices Affirm Ruling Upholding Gay Teachers' Rights". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 6, 2012.

[360] "Gay Student Services v. Texas A&M University. U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 737 F.2d 1317. August 3, 1984". DanPinello. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2015.

[361] "Free Speech and Expression Rights of Students". Law and Higher Education. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.

[CftxP-362] Barnes, Robert (June 26, 2013). "Supreme Court strikes down key part of Defense of Marriage Act". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 27, 2013.

[Opinion-363] Supreme Court of the United States (June 26, 2013). "United States v. Windsor" (PDF). supremecourt.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.

[364] Lawrence, Hurley (June 15, 2020). "U.S. Supreme Court endorses gay, transgender worker protections". Reuters.

[365] Wolf, Richard. "Supreme Court grants federal job protections to gay, lesbian, transgender workers". USA Today.

[366] Dwyer, Devin; Hutzler, Alexandra (June 30, 2023). "In sweeping decision, SCOTUS rules for Christian web designer's free speech rights over LGBTQ protections". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.

[367] Adam, Thomas (2005). Germany and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History; a Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 1007. ISBN 9781851096282.

[368] Bielakowski, Alexander M. (2013). Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the U.S. Military: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 667–69. ISBN 9781598844276.

[wash_vol_11-369] The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745–1799, Vol. 11, John C. Fitzpatrick, Ed., United States Government Printing Office, 1934.

[DC_Sodomy_law-370] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "District of Columbia". Glapn.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[371] "Amendment VIII: Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Proportioning Crimes and Punishments". Press-pubs.uchicago.edu. Retrieved March 11, 2014.

[372] Ticer, Patricia S. "Sodomy Laws Virginia". GLAPN. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

[373] "The History of Sodomy Laws in the United States – Indiana". Glapn.org. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

[Sexual_Orientation_and_Asylum_in_the_United_States-374] "Opening the Doors of Immigration: Sexual Orientation and Asylum in the United States". Wcl.american.edu. Archived from the original on August 22, 2002. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[usni-375] "Key Dates in US Policy on Gay Men and Women in the United States Military". usni.org. Retrieved March 22, 2014.

[376] "The Articles of War". Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[377] Lawrence R. Murphy, "Perverts by Official Order: The Campaign Against Homosexuals by the United States Navy," Lawrence R. Murphy, Haworth Press, 1988, ISBN 0866567089

[378] Jacobson, David (September 5, 1997). Rights Across Borders: Immigration and the Decline of Citizenship. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-0801857706.

[379] Tichenor, David J. (May 6, 2002). Dividing Lines: The Politics of Immigration Control in America. Princeton Studies in American Politics. Princeton University Press. p. 195. ISBN 978-0691088051. quotes part of this passage

[380] Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Harry S. Truman: "Veto of Bill To Revise the Laws Relating to Immigration, Naturalization, and Nationality.," June 25, 1952". The American Presidency Project. University of California – Santa Barbara. Retrieved August 24, 2013.

[lavender-381] David K. Johnson, The Lavender Scare: the Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004), 123–4. Eisenhower in his memoirs written years later explicitly referenced "instability, alcoholism, homosexuality."

[382] "HR 4080. Unite, Consolidate, Revise and Clarify the Articles of War, the Articles for the Gov't of the Navy, and the Disciplinary Laws of the Coast Guard, and Enact and Establish a Uniform Code of Military Justice. Mc Carran Motion to Refer to the Judiciary Committee". Govtrack.us. February 2, 1950. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[383] "The Jenkins Report". Time. October 30, 1964. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2010.

[384] "Jenkins Defended by Mental Group". The New York Times. October 22, 1964. Retrieved November 13, 2010.

[GayGreenwichVillage1-385] Goicichea, Julia (August 16, 2017). "Why New York City Is a Major Destination for LGBT Travelers". The Culture Trip. Retrieved February 2, 2019.

[StonewallNationalMonument1-386] Rosenberg, Eli (June 24, 2016). "Stonewall Inn Named National Monument, a First for the Gay Rights Movement". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2016.

[GayGreenwichVillage3-387] "Workforce Diversity The Stonewall Inn, National Historic Landmark National Register Number: 99500562". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 21, 2016.

[388] Ehrlichman, John (January 1, 1982). Witness to Power: The Nixon Years. p. 239.

[Republican_Party_(United_States)_gay_rights-389] "Republican Party (United States)". glbtq.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[390] "League due Nixon pitch". The Advocate. October 11, 1972. p. 20. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via EBSCOhost.

[391] "TO PASS H.R. 2580, THE AMENDED IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT". Govtrack.us. August 25, 1965. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[392] "Gerald Ford on Civil Rights". Ontheissues.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[393] Price, Deb. "Gerald Ford: Treat gay couples equally" Archived January 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. The Detroit News, October 29, 2001. Retrieved December 28, 2006

[394] Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. "Vocal Gay Republicans Upsetting Conservatives", The New York Times, June 1, 2003, p. N26.

[gay_rights_2002-395] Haider-Markel, Donald P. (2002). Gay and Lesbian Americans and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook.

[396] Shilts, Randy (1993). Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military.

[nunes-397] Nunes, Donnel. "Rules on Immigration By Homosexuals Eased". The Washington Post. September 10, 1980. p. A15.

[398] "Carter backs civil unions for gay couples – Southern Voice Atlanta". Archived from the original on September 13, 2015.

[399] Allen, Bob (September 25, 2014). "Jimmy Carter on gay rights: Jesus didn't discriminate". Baptist News Global. Retrieved August 16, 2015.

[Carter-400] Raushenbush, Paul Brandeis (March 19, 2012). "President Jimmy Carter Authors New Bible Book, Answers Hard Biblical Questions". HuffPost. Retrieved March 19, 2012. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.

[gay_lovers_wh-401] Carpenter, Dale (June 10, 2004). "Reagan and Gays: A Reassessment". IGF Culture Watch. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[402] Shilts 2005: 368

[403] White, Allen (June 8, 2004). "Reagan AIDS Legacy/Silence equals death." San Francisco Gate

[404] "CAMPAIGN NOTES; Reagan Would Not Ease Stand on Homosexuals". The New York Times. August 18, 1984. Retrieved August 16, 2015.

[405] Hate Crimes Protections Timeline Archived April 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Retrieved April 5, 2007.

[406] "Anne-Imelda M. Radice". 2001-2009.state.gov. October 26, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[407] "Republican Party (United States)". glbtq.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[trib-408] Anderson, Lisa (April 19, 2004). "Gays long loyal to GOP agonize over supporting Bush". Chicago Tribune.

[citizenlink.org-409] "Amendment Would Mean No Money to D.C. Domestic-Partner Registry". CitizenLink. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[410] Dixon, Julian. "H.R. 6056 (102nd)". Govtrack.us. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[411] Thorgalsen, Helen (September 25, 2013). "George H.W. Bush Serves As Witness at Gay Wedding (PHOTO)". HuffPost. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[412] "New 'cottage' at Maine compound for Jeb Bush". The Boston Globe. May 23, 2015.

[413] "Arkansas". Glapn.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[newyorker.com-414] Socarides, Richard (March 8, 2013). "Why Bill Clinton Signed the Defense of Marriage Act". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 12, 2013.

[415] Sullivan, Andrew (March 29, 2013). "Dissents of the Day." The Dish.

[416] Feder, Jody (2010). "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4379-2208-0.

[417] Mixner, David (November 25, 2009). see pages 495–497. Random House Publishing. ISBN 9780307429582. Retrieved July 22, 2013.

[418] Cloud, John (November 1996). "Stranger Among Friends. – book reviews". Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2011.

[The_Natural-419] Klein, Joe (2002). The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton. Doubleday. ISBN 0-7679-1412-0.

[420] "President seeks better implementation of 'don't ask, don't tell'". CNN. December 11, 1999. Retrieved August 30, 2011.

[421] "PUBLIC LAW 104 – 199 – DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT". U.S. Government Printing Office.

[422] Rich, Frank (February 26, 2012). "Bill Clinton's shifting justifications for signing the Defense of Marriage Act". New York.

[metroweekly-423] Geidner, Chris (September 29, 2011). "Becoming Law". MetroWeekly.

[424] "Unfinished Business: The Defense of Marriage Act". The New York Times. July 2, 2011.

[425] "Clinton-Gore Accomplishments: Gay and Lesbian Americans". Clinton2.nara.gov. Archived from the original on March 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.

[426] Volsky, Igor. (August 5, 1995) Clinton Issued Order Letting Gays Get Security Clearances 16 Years Ago Today Archived March 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine

[427] "Clinton Grants Gay Workers Job Protection". The New York Times. May 29, 1998. Retrieved September 12, 2013.

[428] Bennet, James (November 9, 1997). "Clinton Is Greeted Warmly as He Speaks to Gay Group". The New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2023.

[429] "2000.12.01: (Fact Sheet) Clinton Administration Record on HIV/AIDS". Archive.hhs.gov. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.

[430] "S. 2056 (104th): Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 (On Passage of the Bill)". Govtrack.us. Retrieved September 12, 2013.

[431] "The Clinton-Gore Administration A Record of Progress for Gay and Lesbian Americans." Archived March 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine The White House

[usgovinfo.about.com-432] "Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 / June 11" (PDF). govinfo.gov.

[433] "Bill Clinton on Prop 8: 'It's Unfair and It's Wrong.'". Queerty. October 31, 2008.

[434] Tracey, Michael (July 14, 2009). "Bill Clinton drops opposition to same-sex marriage". The Nation.

[435] "Bill Clinton Calls for DOMA Repeal". Human Rights Campaign. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[Byrd_Jr._Hate_Crimes_Act-436] "Bush angers slain man's family". Salon. October 16, 2000. Retrieved March 24, 2014.

[437] "Sec. 2.001. MARRIAGE LICENSE". Statutes.legis.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[438] "Texas Gubernatorial Election 1998 National Political Awareness Test". Votesmart.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[Bush_civil_rights-439] "George W. Bush on Civil Rights". Ontheissues.org. Retrieved November 9, 2012.

[440] Blakeslee, Nate (March 1, 2007). "Family Values". Texas Monthly. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[441] "Bills aim to bar adoption by gays". glapn.org. Retrieved February 22, 2019.

[442] Lochhead, Carolyn; Coile, Zachary (October 10, 2004). "How gay GOP group lost its faith in Bush / High hopes in 2000 dissolve in dispute over marriage ban". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[Gay_Republicans_Endorse_Bush-443] "Gay Republicans Endorse Bush". Los Angeles Times. August 5, 2000. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[444] "With Respect to Mary Cheney". Fair.org. February 22, 1999. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[445] "Gore Flips, and Flops, on Defense of Marriage Act, AR Says". PR Newswire. October 12, 2000. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via The Free Library.

[446] "George W. Bush on Defense". Issues2000.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[447] Lee, Christopher (May 25, 2005). "Official Says Law Doesn't Cover Gays". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2010.

[448] Heredia, Christopher (April 10, 2001). "NEWSMAKER PROFILE / Scott Evertz / New AIDS Czar Called a Skillful Bridge Builder / Evertz the first gay man to hold position". The San Francisco Chronicle.

[449] Allen, Mike (June 27, 2002). "Bush Approves Federal Same-sex Death Benefits". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[450] Carpenter, Flagrant Conduct, 269

[451] "Democrats Ready to Vote on Marriage". Glapn.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[452] "Transcript of Bush statement". CNN. February 24, 2004. Retrieved August 2, 2013.

[453] "Log Cabin nixes Bush, others endorse Kerry". PrideSource. September 16, 2004. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013.

[wapo-454] Allen, Mike; Milbank, Dana (March 27, 2005). "Log Cabins Go Against the GOP Grain". The Washington Post.

[455] "Black Gay Republicans Break with Log Cabin Republicans, Endorse Bush" (Press release). PR Newswire. September 21, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[456] Bumiller, Elisabeth (October 26, 2004). "Bush Says His Party Is Wrong to Oppose Gay Civil Unions". The New York Times.

[457] "In a First, Gay Rights Are Pressed at the U.N." Atlantic Philanthropies. December 19, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2012.

[Baim_2009a-458] Baim, Tracy (January 14, 2009). "Obama changed views on gay marriage; 1996 statement: 'I favor legalizing same-sex marriage'" (PDF). Windy City Times. pp. 6–8.

[Baim_2009b-459] Baim, Tracy (January 21, 2009). "Obama marriage story goes national; 1998 survey shows another shift" (PDF). Windy City Times. p. 5.

[Obama_civil_rights-460] "Barack Obama on Civil Rights". Ontheissues.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[autogenerated1-461] "CNN/YouTube debate transcript". CNN. July 24, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2007.

[462] Elliott, Philip (February 13, 2007). "Obama's N.H. visit brings little criticism, much love". Rockford Register Star. Associated Press. Retrieved March 2, 2007.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[110th_congress_Obama-463] "SCORECARD Measuring Support for Equality in the 110th Congress" (PDF). Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[Obama_scorecard-464] "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity". Votesmart.org. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[465] "Obama Statement on Vote Against Constitutional Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage" (Press release). Barack Obama: US Senator for Illinois. Archived from the original on October 20, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2007.

[466] "Michelle Obama speaks to gay Democrats". Reuters. June 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.

[467] "The audacity of hope – 'from Selma to Stonewall'". TMP. June 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2013.'&rft.date=2008-06-27&rft_id=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/06/the-audacity-of-hope-from-selm.php&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:LGBTQ rights in the United States" class="Z3988">

[468] "Michelle Obama Speaks to LGBT Delegates at Convention Lunch". Towleroad. August 27, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2013.

[469] Dschabner (November 2, 2008). "Obama Says He Is Against Same-Sex Marriage But Also Against Ending Its Practice in Calif". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 16, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[Bloomberg1-470] Chipman, Kim (February 29, 2008). "Gay Clinton Backers Defect to Obama, Eroding Her Base". Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[471] "PRESS RELEASE -- Human Rights Campaign Endorses Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States". Human Rights Campaign. June 6, 2008. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[472] Eleveld, Kerry (February 1, 2008). "Obama Picks Up LGBT Supporters From Edwards". Advocate. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[BaimBesen2010-473] Baim, Tracy; Besen, Wayne R. (2010). Obama and the Gays: A Political Marriage. Prairie Avenue Productions. p. 110. ISBN 9781453801710. Retrieved September 1, 2014.

[474] Lavers, Michael K (December 5, 2012). "EXCLUSIVE: National Stonewall Democrats faces $30,000 budget gap". The Washington Blade. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[475] Pleming, Sue (March 18, 2009). "In turnaround, U.S. signs U.N. gay rights document". Reuters. Retrieved April 2, 2019.

[476] "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2009". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved September 7, 2017 – via National Archives.

[477] "Presidential Proclamation—Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017 – via National Archives.

[478] "Presidential Proclamation-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month". whitehouse.gov. May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via National Archives.

[479] "Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2012". whitehouse.gov. June 1, 2012 – via National Archives.

[480] "Presidential Proclamation – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2013". whitehouse.gov. May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via National Archives.

[481] "Obama proclaims June LGBT Pride Month". Metro Weekly. May 30, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[482] "Presidential Proclamation – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2014". whitehouse.gov. May 30, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2017 – via National Archives.

[483] "Obama issues Presidential Proclamation declaring June LGBT Pride Month". LGBTQ Nation. May 29, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

[484] "Presidential Proclamation – LGBT Pride Month, 2016". whitehouse.gov. May 31, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2017 – via National Archives.

[485] "Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination, 6–17–09". whitehouse.gov. June 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2016 – via National Archives.

[486] Weiner, Rachel (October 28, 2009). "Hate Crimes Bill Signed into Law 11 Years After Matthew Shepard's Death". HuffPost.

[487] "Sharon Lubinski: Senate Confirms First Openly Gay US Marshal". HuffPost. December 28, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2019.

[488] Tapper, Jake (January 4, 2010). "President Obama Names Transgender Appointee to Commerce Department". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2010.

[489] "Obama's New Queer Appointee Amanda Simpson Brings Some 'T' to the Administration". Queerty. December 31, 2009. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2010.

[490] "Obama Hires Trans Woman Amanda Simpson". National Center for Transgender Equality. December 31, 2009. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2010.

[491] Hananel, Sam (October 26, 2010). "Obama has appointed most U.S. gay officials". The Washington Times. Retrieved November 9, 2012.

[492] "Obama Widens Medical Rights for Gay Partners". The New York Times. April 16, 2010.

[493] "Obama Expands Family Medical Leave Act to Cover Gay Employees". Fox News. June 22, 2010.

[494] "Obama signs bill repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' policy". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. December 22, 2010. Archived from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010.

[495] "President Obama Instructs Justice Department to Stop Defending Defense of Marriage Act calls Clinton-Signed Law "Unconstitutional"". ABC News. February 23, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[huffingtonpost.com-496] "U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passes, Hailed As 'Historic Moment'". HuffPost. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2014.

[497] "Fewer Youths to Be Deported in New Policy". The New York Times. August 19, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

[498] Tate, Curtis. "Pentagon says chaplains may perform gay weddings". McClatchy. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

[499] "U.S. to Aid Gay Rights Abroad, Obama and Clinton Say". The New York Times. December 7, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

[500] Johnson, Luke (April 9, 2012). "Obama Opposes Minnesota Anti-Gay Marriage Constitutional Amendment". HuffPost. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

[501] "LGBT Prison Employees to Get Representation". The Advocate. May 3, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55]

[56]

[57]

[58]

[59]

[60]

[61]

[62]

[63]

[a]

[64]

[65]

[66]

[67]

[68]

[69]

[70]

[71]

[72]

[73]

[74]

[75]

[76]

[77]

[78]

[79]

[80]

[81]

[82]

[83]

[84]

[85]

[86]

[87]

[88]

[89]

[90]

[91]

[92]

[93]

[94]

[95]

[96]

[97]

[98]

[99]

v t e LGBTQ in the United States
History	Politicians First to hold office Members of Congress History of violence against LGBTQ people History of transgender people Sodomy laws Timeline
Rights	Same-sex unions Marriage Civil union Domestic partnership by municipal areas LGBTQ in the military Sexual orientation Transgender personnel Intersex people Employment discrimination Local ordinances Adoption Transgender rights Transgender disenfranchisement Gender identity under Title IX
Society	African-American LGBTQ community Population and demographics LGBTQ movements in the United States Health HIV/AIDS in the United States Veterans healthcare LGBTQ Pride Month Retirement issues Sports Lists of LGBTQ organizations community centers Rights organizations Youth homelessness
Category

v t e LGBT rights in the Americas
Sovereign states	Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela
Dependencies and territories	Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Falkland Islands French Guiana Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saba Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands U.S. Virgin Islands
North America Central America Caribbean South America

v t e Early LGBT rights advocacy in the United States (pre-Stonewall riots)
Organizations	Columbia Queer Alliance Council on Religion and the Homosexual Daughters of Bilitis ECHO Homophile Action League Janus Society Knights of the Clock Mattachine Society Metropolitan Community Church NACHO ONE, Inc. PRIDE Society for Human Rights Student Homophile League Veterans Benevolent Association
Mattachine Society	Hal Call Rudi Gernreich James Gruber Harry Hay Dale Jennings Frank Kameny Jack Nichols
Daughters of Bilitis	Lisa Ben Barbara Gittings Barbara Grier Kay Lahusen Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Ruth Simpson Ada Bello
Others	Merton Bird Reed Erickson Arthur Evans Charles Henri Ford Henry Gerber Morris Kight Aristide Laurent W. Dorr Legg Bob Mizer Troy Perry Clark Polak Craig Rodwell José Sarria Richard L. Schlegel Drew Shafer Parker Tyler Randy Wicker H. Lynn Womack
Publications	The Advocate Drum Focus: A Journal for Lesbians The Ladder The Phoenix: Midwest Homophile Voice Vice Versa
Events	Newport sex scandal (1919) Harvard Secret Court (1920) Pullman porter affair (1940) Hazel's Inn raid (1956) One, Inc. v. Olesen (1958) Cooper Do-nuts Riot (1959) MANual Enterprises v. Day (1962) Fun Lounge police raid (1964) Annual Reminder (1965–1969) Julius sip-in (1966) Compton's Cafeteria riot (1966)
Film/TV	The Rejected (1961) "The Homosexuals" (1967)
Related	Athletic Model Guild Black Cat Bar Black Cat Tavern DOB Australia Homophile movement Garden of Allah (cabaret) Julius (NYC bar) Henry Gerber House LGBTQ movements Minorities Research Group (UK) ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives Oscar Wilde Bookshop The Patch Tavern Guild LGBTQ rights in the United States

v t e Social issues in the United States
Economy	Abusive supervision Communications Cost of living Farmers' suicides Labor Land reforms Pensions Poverty Remittances Slum Clearance Standard of living Street vendors Transport Urbanization Unemployment Widening income gap
Education	Educational inequality Higher education bubble Literacy
Environment	Conservation Climate change Natural disasters Pollution Water supply and sanitation
Family	Cohabitation Domestic violence Extended family Family planning Infertility Martial rape Nuclear family Polygamy
Children	Abortion Child abuse Child labor Child marriage Child prostitution Child trafficking Street children
Women	Acid attacks Women's health Feminism Menstrual taboo Prostitution Rape Sexism
Racism and racial inequality	African Americans Environmental racism Interminority racism Islamophobia Mass racial violence Native Americans Race and health Racial achievement gap Racial profiling Racial wage gap
Crime	Corruption Human trafficking Illegal immigration Organized crime prison overcrowding Prison rape Race and crime Terrorism Vigilantism Cybercrime
Health	HIV/AIDS Malnutrition Obesity Suicide
Media	Censorship Internet Films about social issues Freedom of speech Fake news Post-truth Truthiness
Discrimination	Ableism Age discrimination Caste discrimination Family responsibilities discrimination Housing discrimination Institutionalized discrimination Religious discrimination
Other issues	Colorism Extremism Gambling Plutocracy Political apathy Sexuality LGBTQ Human rights Prohibition Police brutality