2003 in LGBT Rights

In 2003, there were 81 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 40 changes made and 71 in the following year. A total of 647 legal changes were made in the 2000s.

  • December 18
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Article 21 was amended in 2003 so that legal sex can be rectified to correct for "errors" without changing other details in the civil registry.
  • December 2
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • November 18
    Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    There are no laws censoring LGBTQ Topics in Liverpool
  • Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    Previous law repealed by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.
  • Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    In England, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics. This extends to Manchester
  • Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    The UK does not restrict the promotion of LGBTQ topics.
  • Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    Previous law repealed by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.
  • Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    In Wales, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
  • Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.
    In England, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
  • November 1
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Until 2018, surgery was required to change your legal gender in Brazil.
  • October 8
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Requires a notarized affidavit from a surgeon outlining the surgical procedure(s). A court order may also be used as evidence.
  • September 30
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In 2015, the National Assembly amended the definition of "sex" in the law to include cases of gender change.[20] Transgender people who have not undergone a legal gender change could use "gender" from the list of protected grounds. Gender expression and gender identity are not explicitly mentioned in the revised Act. For other mods please check sources if it is wrong please change it but check sources first as this seems it is correct. Cheers!
  • September 20
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
  • September 16
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    There are some local discrimination protections for LGBT people. Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill pending nationwide.
  • August 28
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Missouri's hate crime statutes explicitly address both sexual orientation, defined as "male or female heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality by inclination, practice, identity or expression," and gender identity, defined as "having a self-image or identity not traditionally associated with one's gender."
  • July 29
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes ambiguous.
    Article 3 of the 2003 Labour Law prohibited discrimination in employment but did not mention sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • July 24
    Same-sex marriage becomes unregistered cohabitation.
  • July 16
    Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    there are no restrictions for single individuals based on sexual orientation
  • July 15
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    In 2003 Discrimination protection was extended to Sexual orientation and Gender identity in the penal code. In 2004, an official anti-discrimination bill was passed that includes provisions for sexual orientations and gender identities
  • July 9
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    Discrimination protection is afforded on the grounds of sexual orientation
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Only discrimination in workplace banned.
  • July 8
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    British Columbia became the second province in Canada behind Ontario to legalize gay marriage.
  • July 1
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    This state explicitly bans housing discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identification. Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign states, "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires grantees and participants of HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity. HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted housing in every state (March 2012)."
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    State law provides for protections against employment discrimination in regards to both sexual orientation and gender identification.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
  • July
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    producing homophobic material can carry up to one year's imprisionment
  • July 1
    Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    Open homosexuals still serve in the military.
  • June 26
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Lawrence v. Texas, U.S. Supreme Court (2003)
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    same sex activities legal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Lawrence v. Texas, U.S. Supreme Court (2003)
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Lawrence v. Texas, U.S. Supreme Court (2003)
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    US Supreme Court ruling issued in Lawrence v. Texas struck down all sodomy laws on the basis of privacy and liberty. The decision overturned any laws remaining in all US states which prohibited acts of sodomy.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    U.S. Supreme Court decision superseding any state or local statute making such activity illegal.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Legal due to the US Supreme ruling about homosexual activity.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexuality was decriminalized at the federal level in the United States through the landmark Supreme Court decision of Lawrence v. Texas in 2003. The court struck down a Texas statute that criminalized sexual acts between same-sex couples, declaring such laws unconstitutional. This judgment set a precedent that rendered similar anti-sodomy statutes across states unenforceable, thereby federally decriminalizing homosexuality in private, consensual settings.
  • June 11
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes varies by region.
    Most of Mexico's states have enacted laws that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or sexual preference, as well as gender. Many states also explicitly ban discrimination based on gender identity in local laws.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Since 2011, Article 1 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States (1917) (federal constitution) prohibits discrimination based on “sexual preferences”. 3 out of 32 subnational jurisdictions bans discrimination based on gender identity in its State Constitutions. Article 1(3) of the Federal Act to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination (2003) includes “sexual preferences” as one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination
  • June 10
    Same-sex marriage becomes varies by region.
    On June 10th, 2003, Ontario became the first province in Canada to legalize civil unions for gay couples. The second province to legalize it was British Columbia less than a month later on July 8th, 2003.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Through the case Halpern v. Canada, the definition of marriage as "one man and one woman" was changed to “the voluntary union for life of two persons to the exclusion of all others” to comply with the couples' equality rights under section 15(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
  • June 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Civil marriages for same sex couples were enabled by Article 143 of the Belgian Civil Code (Book I, Title V, Chapter I). Statutory Cohabitation remains available for those who do not wish to enter into a civil marriage.
  • May 27
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
  • May 26
    Same-sex marriage becomes not legal.
    The Constitution of Rwanda, adopted in May 2003, defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Article 26 states: "Only civil monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is recognized."
  • May 1
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Before the adoption of the Anti-Discrimination Law in 2010, several laws prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation: - law on media (2002), article 23; - labour law (2008), article 5. Also, the 2007 Constitution prohibits discrimination in general but it does not mention sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • April 18
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
  • March 15
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    No discrimination protections in the criminal code.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
  • Serving openly in military becomes ambiguous.
    Currently unknown
  • LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
  • March 13
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
  • March 1
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Before the adoption of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination from 2009, sexual orientation was one of the explicitly mentioned bases for the prohibition of discrimination in the Criminal Code of BiH from 2003 (Article 145) and the Law on Gender Equality from 2003 (Article 2, Paragraph 2).
  • January 16
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    SONDA was passed in early 2003, making illegal for employers to discriminate against employees. This also includes Transgender people.
  • January 10
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Under federal Hate Crimes
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Under federal hate crimes.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Under federal Hate Crimes.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    State Law 7309 of 10 January 2003