In 2004, there were 74 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 107 changes made and 78 in the following year. A total of 715 legal changes were made in the 2000s.
- December 30
- LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.Discrimination aimed toward an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity is banned in France.
- December 29
- December 21
- November 9
- November 5Same-sex marriage becomes legal.Queen's Bench Justice Donna Wilson Ruled It unconstitutional.
- November 4Same-sex marriage becomes banned.The state passed a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage.
- Same-sex marriage becomes banned.Constitutional amendment adopted by state wide vote in 2004. Passed with 62% of the vote. Text of amendment follows: § 15.11 Marriage Amendment Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.
- November 2Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.Proposal 2 passed in 2004 defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman
- Same-sex marriage becomes banned.Also note that it does not matter where a same-sex couple was married, Arkansas states that all such marriages are void in the eyes of the state.
- Same-sex marriage becomes banned.The Commonwealth of Kentucky only recognizes marriages between a man and woman regardless of where the ceremony was performed.
- November 1
- October 19Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.In Florida you have the right to change your gender on your birth certificate and driver's license. In both cases, a physician is required to attest that you are receiving "appropriate treatment". What exactly is considered appropriate seems to be at the discretion of the physician. As such, surgery is not required. Additionally, before beginning hormone therapy, adults are required to have a psychological evaluation performed by a Florida-licensed psychologist or psychiatrist and then every two years thereafter. At the end of June, the Florida Board of Medicine adopted an emergency rule giving patients already on treatment six months to adapt to the new requirements.
- September 25LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.State law provides for protections against employment discrimination in regards to both sexual orientation and gender identification.
- September 24Same-sex marriage becomes legal.Gay marriage became legal in Nova Scotia on September 24th, 2004.
- September 19
- LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
- September 18Same-sex marriage becomes banned.The state passed a referendum question defining marriage to be a union between one man and one woman.
- September 16
- August 25Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.Marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman
- August 18LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- August 17LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.Defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed because the victim's perceived: disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. Protections also include gender identification. Also, In 2014, California became the first state in the U.S. to officially ban the use of gay panic and transgender panic defenses in murder trials.
- August 11Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.Proposed on Legalizing Gay marriage by the King of Bhutan.
- Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).Offence of "unnatural" sex is considered a petty misdemeanor in article 213 & 214.
- August 5Censorship of LGBT issues becomes imprisonment as punishment.Article 4 of the Law on Associations (2004) forbids the registration of associations with objectives deemed "contrary to law and morality." In November 2021, authorities detained multiple women following a complaint from a mother alleging her daughter's involvement in an "online network" of lesbians. Researchers have found that searches for LGBT related subjects on the Malian internet are curated to provide anti-LGBT results. The country has an authoritarian government and appears to control the flow of information online.
- August 4Same-sex adoption becomes legal.Any adults are permitted to petition jointly or individually before the court to request adoption, regardless of sexual orientation. §19-5-202. Second-parent adoption by same-sex couples is permitted per Colo. Rev. §19-5-203 et seq.
- August 1
- Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.Only 22 Countries allow transgender service Bulgaria is not one of them.
- July 24LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.Article 13 explicitly prohibits discriminations on the basis of sexual orientations
- July 16Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.Act No.111 of 2003 requires for transgender people to change their legal gender, (1) be at least 20 years of age, (2) not currently married, (3) no child, (4) infertile (no gonads or persistent lack of gonadal function), (5) and has a body which appears to have genital parts of those of the opposite sex. And also requires medical certificate by two or more psychiatrist.
- July 14
- July 1
- Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.Same-sex marriages and civil unions are prohibited in Georgia. Marriages between people of the same sex are not entitled the status of marriage. Foreign same-sex marriages also stand void here and are not covered by the jurisdiction, whatsoever be the circumstances.
- May 17Same-sex marriage becomes legal.In 2004, Massachusetts became the first US state to legalize same-sex marriage.
- May 14Same-sex marriage becomes varies by region.Legal status is extremely variable based on the individual state. Recognized at a Federal level, but not in all states, for all intents and purposes except Social Security. Social Security is based on the state of residence's recognition of marital status.
- May 1Serving openly in military becomes legal.LGBT people are allowed to serve openly under new rules brought into place when Cyprus joined the European Union
- Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
- April 6Equal age of consent becomes equal.Kosovo has an equal age of consent (16 years) for both heterosexual and homosexual sexual activity.
- March 19Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
- March 15Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.The Alteration of Sex Description and Sex Status Act allows people to apply to have their sex status altered in the population registry, and consequently to receive identity documents and passports indicating their gender identity. The law states that transgender persons must undergo gender reassignment. This includes medical interventions but is not limited to surgery alone. Hormone therapy is considered to be gender reassignment, therefore surgery per se is not required.
- March 4Same-sex marriage becomes varies by region.On March 4th, 2004, a panel of judges in Rio Grande Do Sul gave the green light to gay and lesbian civil unions. The ruling gave same-sex couples broad rights in areas like inheritance, child custody, insurance benefits and pensions. They were the first Brazilian state to offer civil unions.
- March 1LGBT discrimination becomes varies by region.In Tuscany, Piedmont, Liguria, Marche, Umbria, Sicily, Emilia-Romagna and Campania discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is banned.
- Equal age of consent becomes equal.
- February 10Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.No official ‘x’ marking option on official documents, applications etc. for non binary individuals.
- Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.Due to the fact that the UK does not recognise non-binary gender identity, Wales does not currently recognise non-binary gender identity
- Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.No official ‘x’ marking option on official documents, applications etc. for non binary individuals.
- Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.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”.
- February 1LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.LGBTQ+ people from Finland are protected from all types of discrimination.
- January 10Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.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.
- January 9Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.NAC 440.130 provides allowance for persons to change gender on birth certificates and other vital records so long as a certifying physicians signs off on the persons gender identity.
- (date unknown)Homosexual activity becomes illegal (imprisonment as punishment).The federal Criminal Code Act (2004) is used as the criminal state law. Under Section 241 this code criminalises consensual same-sex sexual acts (framed as “carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature”) and imposes a penalty of imprisonment for 14 years. Additionally, Section 217 of this Code also punishes acts of "gross indecency" among men, whether in public or private, with imprisonment for three years.
- Gender-affirming care becomes legal.In 2004, Uzbekistan adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
- Gender-affirming care becomes legal.In 2004, Kazakhstan adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
- LGBT housing discrimination becomes varies by region.In Tuscany, Piedmont, Liguria, Marche, Umbria, Sicily, Emilia-Romagna and Campania housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is banned
- January 1Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.Section 85(1) of the Código do Registo Civil 2004 gives the Civil Registrar general authority to make changes when there is a change of facts which alter the legal identity or status of the person registered. Transgender people can use this section to change the sex description on their identity document.
- (date unknown)
- January 1
- Equal age of consent becomes equal.Equal at 16 years. Art 151 of the Lithuanian Criminal Code.
- (date unknown)Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).
- Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).The Civil Partnership Act (2004). Under the Act, same-sex couples can register a civil partnership, which has almost the same legal effects, rights and obligations as marriage does for mixed-sex couples. For that reason, civil partnership is sometimes called ‘gay marriage’. However, legally, it is not marriage, but is a separate, segregated system
LGBT Organizations Founded in 2004
Sexual Minorities Uganda
Sexual Minorities Uganda [SM-UG] is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation that works towards achieving full legal and social equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual…LGBT Pride Centre of Edmonton
The Pride Centre of Edmonton is a registered charity that was incorporated in August of 2004 (although other incarnations of the Centre have existed since at least 1974.) The…Garden State Equality
With more than 150,000 members, Garden State Equality is New JerseyTrans Youth Support Network
~~ Mission ~~ ~ To make it possible for trans and gender non-conforming youth to survive adultism, racism, sexism and economic injustices in systems we have to engage with to…Colombia Diversa
Founded in 2004, Colombia Diversa is the leading LGBT human rights organization in Colombia. Colombia Diversa focuses on three main areas: 1. Advancing the human and legal…Bilitis Foundation
Bilitis began its activity as a self-support group of lesbian and bisexual women in 2004. Today, Bilitis advocates actively for eliminating all forms of discrimination and…LGBT Organization Labrys Kyrgyzstan
Labrys is committed to improving the situation of Lesbians, Bisexual women, Gay men and Transgender people in Kyrgyzstan through empowering LGBT themselves and working with…Equal Ground
EQUAL GROUND is a nonprofit organisation seeking human and political rights for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) community of Sri Lanka.…Kif-Kif
The organization is the only one that advocates for LGBT rights for MoroccoUniversity of Washington Q Center
We facilitate and enhance a brave, affirming, liberatory, and celebratory environment for students, faculty, staff, and alumni of all sexual and gender orientations, identities…Onassis Stegi
The Onassis Foundation House (Stegi) is a cultural meeting place for theater, dance, music, visual arts and letters. The mission of the Onassis Stegi is the promotion of modern…Skeiv Verden
Skeiv Verden is a national interest organization for LGBTIQ+ people with a minority background. We are an independent, religiously and party-politically independent organization…Asocijacija Duga
Providing support to the LGBT population, young people and people in institutional accommodation throughout Serbia.Skeiv Ungdom
Skeiv Ungdom works for each individual's freedom to be themselves regardless of gender identity, gender expression and sexuality. They want a world where all sexual relationships…