In 1973, there were 13 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 28 changes made and 16 in the following year. A total of 186 legal changes were made in the 1970s.
- December 21Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.Article 242 of the family law states explicitly that marriage is between a man and a woman who has cohabited for more than 3 years. The recent movement of "accidental passage" of same sex marriage has not taken effect or exercised.
- April 10Same-sex marriage becomes banned.Sub. §2.1. of Title 9 of the Domestic Relations Law defines marriage as “a civil contract between a male and female”.
- March
- January 29
- January 1Same-sex marriage becomes banned.In 1973, Maryland became the first state in the United States to legally define a marriage as between a man and a woman and ban same-sex couples from marrying. However, there were cases of marriages outside the state being recognised.
- (date unknown)Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.Trans youths with both parents’ consent can access HRT through private healthcare if they are above 16, and through public healthcare if they are above 18. HRT approval for trans youths under 21 is much stricter, especially given the global climate surrounding transitioning for trans youths. You will be subject to significantly more evaluation than trans adults, and some individuals have been rejected for HRT despite having consent from both parents. For trans adults, gender affirming health care has been legal since 1973, the first country in Asia to legalise it.
- Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.Article 22 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act (1973) states that "In the event of a child, after being registered, either by operation or otherwise, changing from a female to a male or from a male to a female and such change is certified by a registered medical practitioner, the district registrar of the district in which the birth is registered shall, with the approval of the registrar and on the application of the parent or guardian of that child, alter the particulars of such child which appear in the births register." May possibly change gender under the National Identity Cards Act 9 of 2011.
- Homosexual activity becomes legal.In 1973, North Dakota repealed its sodomy laws, legalising homosexuality.
- January 1
- (date unknown)
- January 1Same-sex marriage becomes varies by region.From January 1973 to June 2015, the legality of gay marriage in the United States varied by state. Maryland passed the first law banning marriages in 1973 with others following suit but not all. On November 18th, 2003, Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, and their ruling came into effect on May 17th, 2004. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. Between May 17th, 2004, and June 26th, 2015, when the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, 37 states and the District of Columbia legalized same-sex marriage.
LGBT Organizations Founded in 1973
Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through…National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.