LGBT Rights in Northern Ireland
Constituent Country

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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The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 repealed all criminal provisions regarding homosexuality; setting an equal age of consent for sexual activity between men.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:
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpg…
www.stonewall.org.uk/at_hom…
European Court of Human Rights in the case of ADT v. UK
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Dec 9, 1982–Nov 29, 2000
Legal
15 years after the rest of the UK legalized sexual acts between two men who were 21 or older, the legalisation was extended to Northern Ireland with the "Homosexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 1982". The act prohibited sex in places where a third party was likely to be present.
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Nov 1, 1861–Dec 8, 1982
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
The Offences Against the Person Act 1861 lowered the maximum penalty for same-sex sexual acts to life imprisonment.

Subsequent laws, such as The Labouchere Amendment (Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885) redefined the offence and allowed for other punishments, for example Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years hard labour in 1895, and in 1952 Alan Turing was chemically castrated.

Female homosexuality and sexual acts were not addressed in the law, and therefore, they technically would have been legal, though law enforcement often applied the law towards women.

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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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. The infamous section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act did not extend to Northern Ireland.
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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
Per the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (in effect 2005) in all four constituent countries of the UK. The requirements are as follows:
1. Must be 18 years of age
2. Must have a gender-dysphoria diagnosis
3. Must intend "to continue to live in the acquired gender until death"
4. Has lived in the acquired gender for at least 2 years.
5. If married: must acquire the consent of the spouse.

Eligibility is determined by a Gender Recognition Panel and if approved then one is granted a gender recognition certificate and may change the gender marker on legal documents.
Until Apr 4, 2005
Illegal under federal United Kingdom law
Until 2005, trans people could not legally change their legal gender in the United Kingdom. However, in 2002, the European Court of Human Rights found that the denial of recognition of trans people is in violation of their human rights.
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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 originally was meant to last from June 3rd until September 3rd, but was extended twice and is now indefinite. It extends to Scotland and Northern Ireland as well (The Sinn Fein gov agreed to follow it and medicines powers are reserved to the UK)
Until Jun 2, 2024
Legal
Before 2024, there were very few restrictions on who could medically transition.

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 under federal United Kingdom law
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 allows for a person to change their legal gender to either 'male' or 'female', there is no third gender option. The law came into effect on 4 April 2005.

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, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted his stance on gender identity in a speech at the Conservative Party conference, stating it was “common sense” that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman”.

In January 2024, the High Court in London ruled that (in the case of a US citizen trying to have their non-binary identity recognised in the UK), "We have decided that whenever the Gender Recognition Act refers to ‘gender’ it refers to a binary concept – that is, to male, or to female gender. The GRP [Gender Recognition Panel] accordingly, had and has no power to issue a gender recognition certificate to the claimant which says that they are ‘non-binary’".

The act applied to the entire UK, and Scotland's attempts to recognise non-binary genders have all failed.

LGBT discrimination in Northern Ireland

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LGBT discrimination in Northern Ireland is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Aug 1, 1999
Illegal in some contexts
Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity has been illegal in some areas since 1999, when employment protections were extended to transgender individuals. In 2003, these protections were further extended to all LGBT people, and in 2007, LGB individuals gained protections against employment discrimination, but not gender-diverse individuals.
Until Jul 31, 1999
No protections
Before the Gender Reassignment Regulations (Northern Ireland) act of 1999, there were no discrimination protections for LGBT people in any area.

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
The 1999 Gender Reassignment Regulations amended sex discrimination protections to include gender identity, then in 2003, new legislation was passed protecting people from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Aug 1, 1999–Dec 1, 2003
Gender identity only
The Gender Reassignment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 act amends the Sex Discrimination Order to make it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of gender identity.
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Until Jul 31, 1999
No protections under federal United Kingdom law
Before Northern Ireland's progress in protecting trans people from employment discrimination, no part of the UK had enacted any law protecting LGBT people from employment discrimination.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Northern Ireland

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LGBT housing discrimination in Northern Ireland is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2007
Sexual orientation only
Protections in housing discrimination were extended to LGB people with the "The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (NI) 2006", taking effect in 2007. Currently, they are not extended to protect people on the basis of gender identity.
Until Dec 31, 2006
No protections
Before the "The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (NI) 2006", no discrimination protections existed for LGBT people in Northern Ireland.
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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 Apr 2003
Legal under federal United Kingdom law
The 2002 adoption act, which did not take effect until the next year, specifically defined a couple as: "two people (whether of different sexes or the same sex) living as partners in an enduring family relationship", expressly permitting same-sex adoption. This act was
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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 under federal United Kingdom law
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 under federal United Kingdom law
The Ministry of Defence were forced to change their stance on when the European Court of Human Rights ruled in September 1999 that the then current ban on gays in the military was unlawful.
Until Jan 11, 2000
Illegal under federal United Kingdom law
The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 explicitly made serving in the military as an openly gay/bi man illegal. Before this act, it was unlawful for a man to have sex with another man, and therefore, it was also illegal.
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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.
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 under federal United Kingdom law
UK law does not currently prohibit conversion therapy in any way. Conversion therapy bans have been discussed for many years. PM Boris Johnson promised to ban conversion therapy in July 2020 and this was reiterated in 2021. In March 2022, the plans were dropped, only for a partial U-turn just hours later when the government announced that the ban would go ahead but not cover trans people. On January 17 2023, the government announced they'd pass a new law to include transgender people in the conversion therapy ban.

In July of 2024, new prime minister Kier Starmer announced his government would put forward a bill to ban conversion therapy. This ban would include sexual orientation and gender identity. As of March 2025, this bill is yet to be introduced.

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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