1890s in LGBT Rights

Number of LGBT-related laws changed over time
  • January 1
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (death penalty as punishment).
    74 lashes for immature men and death penalty for mature men. 50 lashes for women. as well as life in prison. forth conviction is death penalty.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
    None exist in the criminal code.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes no protections.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    No explicit protections. People are kicked out of their house if they are found out if they are lgbt.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Same sex marriage is not recognized.
  • May 1
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    At least 6 months imprisonment
  • March 14
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
    Responding to STATE v. PLACE, the Washington State Legislature adopted the common law definition of "crimes against nature" and established a penalty of "imprisonment at hard labor in the state penitentiary for not less than ten nor more than fourteen years" upon conviction of sodomy.
  • (date unknown)
    Homosexual activity becomes male illegal, female legal.
    Section 354 of the Guyana Criminal Law (Offences) Act of 1893 states “Everyone who commits buggery, either with a human being or with any other living creature, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for life.” Buggery is also known as anal sexual intercourse. This law generally goes unenforced however LGBT people still regularly face discrimination and violence. Decriminalization pending.
  • (date unknown)
    Equal age of consent becomes ambiguous.
    Under the Criminal Law Code at the time, age of consent to vaginal sex was raised from 12 to 14. Anal sex was not mentioned.
  • January 1
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    The new code, commonly known as the "Zanardelli Code" after the then Minister of Justice, contained no mention of "acts against nature" and consequently decriminalized same-sex relations throughout the country. The situation was not even changed 40 years later by fascism with the promulgation of the Rocco Code, which remains the code in force, on October 19, 1930.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    legal since 1890
  • Equal age of consent becomes equal.
  • (date unknown)
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    No laws against homosexual relationships anywhere in Italy's Penal Code