Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✖ Legal, but banned for minors
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Parental approval required
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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History

Homosexual activity in Northern Ireland

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Homosexual activity in Northern Ireland is legal.

Current status
Since Nov 30, 2000
Legal under federal United Kingdom law
The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 repealed all criminal provisions regarding homosexuality; setting an equal age of consent for sexual activity between men.
Sources:
legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/44
stonewall.org.uk/at_home/ha…
European Court of Human Rights in the case of ADT v. UK
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Current status
Since Dec 8, 1982
Legal
Homosexual activity in Northern Ireland has been legal since 1982.
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Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland

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Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 13, 2020
Legal
Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019
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Dec 5, 2005–Jan 12, 2020
Civil unions (marriage rights)
Civil partnership
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Dec 5, 2005–Aug 26, 2018
Civil unions (marriage rights)
Activists are trying to get this legalized. Legalized required under EU Ruling. Gay marriage legalization pending. Foreign Same Sex Marriage recognized from other countries.
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Northern Ireland

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Northern Ireland is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Northern Ireland, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
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Current status
Since Nov 18, 2003
No censorship under federal United Kingdom law
Previous law repealed by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.
Sources:
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/26/section/122
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Right to change legal gender in Northern Ireland

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Right to change legal gender in Northern Ireland is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.

Current status
Since Apr 4, 2005
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis under federal United Kingdom law
Legal gender recognition is possible in all four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) as per the Gender Recognition Act (2004, in effect 2005). Section 1 of the law states that "any person of either gender" who is aged at least 18 can make an application for "a gender recognition certificate" on the basis of— (a) living in the other gender, or (b) having changed gender under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom. These certificates are issued by a Gender Recognition Panel.
The law includes the following requirements for obtaining such certificate: (1) a "gender dysphoria" diagnosis, proved through two reports (one by a registered medical practitioner or psychologist specialised in gender dysphoria, and another one made by a registered medical practitioner); (2) having lived in the “acquired gender” for two years before filing the application, proved through different means (such as a statutory declaration or documents where their gender identity is stated -i.e. pay slips, benefit documentation, bank statements, utility bills); (3) a statutory declaration showing intention "to continue to live in the acquired gender until death"; (4) spousal consent, if the applicant is married or in a civil partnership (partner must consent to the marriage or partnership continuing after the issue of the full gender recognition certificate).
Current status
Since Apr 4, 2005
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
As in United Kingdom
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Apr 4, 2005–Jun 1, 2018
Legal, no restrictions
Not required.
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Gender-affirming care in Northern Ireland

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Gender-affirming care in Northern Ireland is legal, but banned for minors.

Current status
Since Jun 3, 2024
Legal, but banned for minors under federal United Kingdom law
On May 29th 2024, the UK voted to "close the loophole" by banning private care physicians as well as prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland from prescribing puberty blockers to children for gender incongruence. Those who already had a prescription can continue their treatment.

This measure is set to last from June 3rd until September 3rd, but could be extended.
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Northern Ireland

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Northern Ireland is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
No official ‘x’ marking option on official documents, applications etc. for non binary individuals.
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Current status
Since Feb 10, 2004
Not legally recognized under federal United Kingdom law
In 2021 the UK government said (in response to a petition) that legal recognition of non-binary gender identity would have "complex practical consequences for other areas of the law, service provision and public life", and said that they felt existing legislation allowing people to change their legal gender went far enough. Courts have, however, ruled that people with non-binary identities are protected from discrimination by the Equality Act. On 4 October 2023, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted his stance on gender identity in a speech Wednesday, stating it was “common sense” that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman”.

LGBT discrimination in Northern Ireland

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LGBT discrimination in Northern Ireland is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Oct 1, 2010
Illegal in some contexts
Only limited protections for gender reassignment in Northern Ireland, in training, employment, goods, facilities, services or premises. And no protections exist for intersex individuals
Sources:
nidirect.gov.uk/articles/ge…~:text=help%20and%20advice.-,Your%20rights,change)%20in%20employment%20and%20training.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Northern Ireland

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LGBT employment discrimination in Northern Ireland is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Dec 2, 2003
Sexual orientation and gender identity

LGBT housing discrimination in Northern Ireland

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LGBT housing discrimination in Northern Ireland is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Dec 2, 2003
Sexual orientation and gender identity
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Same-sex adoption in Northern Ireland

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Same-sex adoption in Northern Ireland is legal.

Current status
Since Dec 11, 2013
Legal
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Intersex infant surgery in Northern Ireland

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Intersex infant surgery in Northern Ireland is parental approval required.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1989
Parental approval required
In the UK it is illegal to perform medical treatment onto any person without consent. For infants, consent is given by their parents on their behalf under the Children’s Act
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Serving openly in military in Northern Ireland

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Serving openly in military in Northern Ireland is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 12, 2000
Legal
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Blood donations by MSMs in Northern Ireland

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Blood donations by MSMs in Northern Ireland is legal.

Current status
Since Aug 16, 2021
Legal
Blood donation criteria brought in line with UK rules, after being delayed since June 2021.
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Jun 1, 2020–Aug 15, 2021
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
1-year deferral reduced to a 3-month deferral in line with other UK regions (at the time).
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Sep 10, 2016–May 31, 2020
Banned (1-year deferral)
According to the BBC.
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Until Sep 9, 2016
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Banned

Conversion therapy in Northern Ireland

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Conversion therapy in Northern Ireland is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Ban pending.
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Equal age of consent in Northern Ireland

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Equal age of consent in Northern Ireland is equal.

Current status
Since Jan 8, 2001
Equal
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