In 1909, there were 2 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 1 change made and 1 in the following year. A total of 11 legal changes were made in the 1900s.
- January 29Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).Laws of Washington 1909 c 249 § 204 amended the state's sodomy law to include oral sex, added a clause to specifically criminalize voluntarily submitting to 'carnal knowledge', and lowered the penalty to "imprisonment in the state penitentiary for not more than ten years".
- (date unknown)Homosexual activity becomes illegal (other penalty).California enacted a law in 1909 that provided for the sterilization of persons convicted two or more times of sexual offences if they showed evidence while in prison of being a "moral or sexual pervert". During this period, an estimated 20,000 people were sterilised, many for same-sex sexual intercourse. The law allowing sterilisation was not repealed until 1972 but they were rare after 1950.
