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
- December 2LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- November 18Censorship 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- Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.Previous law repealed by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.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- Censorship of LGBT Issues becomes no censorship.Previous law repealed by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.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
- October 8Right 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 30LGBT 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- September 20Serving openly in military becomes legal.Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.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 16LGBT 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 28LGBT 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 29LGBT 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
- July 16Same-sex adoption becomes single only.there are no restrictions for single individuals based on sexual orientation
- July 15
- July 9LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.Discrimination protection is afforded on the grounds of sexual orientation
- July 8Same-sex marriage becomes legal.British Columbia became the second province in Canada behind Ontario to legalize gay marriage.
- July 1LGBT 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.
- JulyLGBT discrimination becomes illegal.producing homophobic material can carry up to one year's imprisionment
- July 1Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.Open homosexuals still serve in the military.
- June 26Homosexual 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.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.
- Homosexual activity becomes legal.
- Homosexual activity becomes legal.
- 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 11LGBT 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 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 1Same-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 27Equal age of consent becomes equal.
- May 26
- May 1LGBT 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 18Homosexual activity becomes legal.
- March 15Serving openly in military becomes legal.No discrimination protections in the criminal code.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
- LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
- March 13LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
- March 1LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
- January 16LGBT 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.