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2020 in LGBT Rights

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In 2020, there were 114 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 119 changes made and 140 in the following year. A total of 618 legal changes have been made so far in the 2020s.

  • December 16
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    Romania's Constitutional Court struck down the ban on education of gender identity, which was put into effect a few months prior.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    From December 16, 2020, the rules changed, and now Gay men can donate blood under the same conditions as the rest of the population.
  • December 15
    Same-sex adoption becomes illegal.
    Although same-sex couples cannot adopt jointly, adoption by individuals is illegal regardless of sexual orientation or partnership status. Stepchild adoption is only available for married (different-sex) couples.
  • December 12
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).
    Since 2020, legal cases have set precedent for civil unions in Bolivia after a gay couple has achieved a legally recognized civil union. Only one civil union has been recognized ever since. The couple, together for more than 11 years, took their case to court. While the Bolivian Constitution still does not contemplate same sex unions, the couple argued successfully the prohibition violated international human rights standards and constituted discrimination under Bolivian law.
  • December 1
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    12 month deferral periods were dropped to 3 months across multiple categories of donor, including MSMs.
  • November 20
    Conversion therapy becomes not banned.
    Florida government passed “negative law” protecting conversion therapy from any bans.
  • November 10
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Yukon became the first territory to ban conversion therapy in 2020. A federal ban was then issued in 2022.
  • October 30
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The 2020 Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Employment, among other areas.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    The 2020 Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Housing, among other areas.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    On October 27, 2020, the Parliament of North Macedonia adopted a new Law on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in all areas.
  • October 20
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    The Congress of the State of Mexico approved a conversion therapy ban by a majority vote. The ban reforms the Penal Code of the State of Mexico to punish those who subject, coerce or force to receive or perform conversion therapies, to change the sexual orientation and gender identity of a person, with three years of prison or 25 to 100 days of community service and 50 to 200 days of fines.
  • October
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Arizona residents can change their gender marker to an X on their driver's license, provided they can show a government issued ID with the same marker.
  • October 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    Same-sex marriage was ruled to be incompatible with the Catholic Church, however same-sex civil unions were favored by Pope Francis.
  • September 4
    Serving openly in military becomes legal.
    There has never been a formal ban on the military service of trans people in the Argentine Armed Forces. And in 2021, following decree Law No. 721, military service for trans people began to be encouraged through a system of positive discrimination that began to reserve 1% of all military service vacancies for trans people.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (marriage rights).
    Civil Partnership Law, 2020
  • September 1
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    According to Rule 7(1) of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Sentencing Guidelines) Rules (2019), as adopted by the Commonwealth of Dominica via Statutory Instrument No. 3 (2019), Practice Direction 8E No. 1 (effective from 1 September 2020), Section 5(j) lists murder motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation as one of the exceptionally serious crimes warranting the possibility of life imprisonment for the offender.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Since September 1, 2020, Transgender individuals will just need “appropriate clinical treatment” to change sex on a birth certificate - under recently passed and signed laws by both the Virginia General Assembly and the Governor of Virginia cutting red tape.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Pursuant to rule 7(1) of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Sentencing Guidelines) Rules (2019), adopted by Saint Kitts and Nevis under Statutory Rules and Orders No. 26 (2019), Practice Direction 8E No. 1 (effective 1 September 2020) includes under Section 5(j) the crime of murder motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation among the exceptionally serious crimes that could lead to the imposition of life imprisonment for the perpetrator.
  • August 21
    LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    In August 2020, the Kansas Human Rights Commission announced that it will investigate and resolve cases alleging discrimination on basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in housing and public accommodations.
  • August 13
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    The Health Leislation Ammendment Act of 2020 modified the Public Health Act of 2005 to make conversion therapy illegal. Penalties are up to 18 months in jail for attempting to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation or gender identity using practices such as aversion therapy, hypnotherapy and psychoanalysis.
  • August 10
    LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    With the Regional Law of 7 August 2020, n.37, in Campania there are rules in force against violence and discrimination determined by sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • August 5
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    The Employment (Prevention of Discrimination) Act protects against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.
  • August 1
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Transgender people are allowed to redefine their gender legally in Kyrgyzstan, but require undergoing sex reassignment surgery. The first such surgery was performed in Bishkek in January 2014.
  • July 26
    Intersex infant surgery becomes full ban.
    On July 26, 2020, the Ministry of Health published the Medical Protocol for the Assessment of Children with Atypical Genital Development. According to the protocol, surgical interventions will only be permitted in cases when it is required and all interventions should be done according to protocol, and not according to the parent’s wishes.
  • July 24
    Conversion therapy becomes varies by region.
    Mexico City was the first region within Mexico to ban conversion therapy. Here is a list in chronological order showing every region that has banned the practice: - Mexico City (2020) - State of Mexico (2020) - Oaxaca (2021) - Baja California Sur (2021) - Zacatecas (2021) - Yucatán (2021) - Tlaxcala (2021) - Colima (2021) - Jalisco (2022) - Baja California (2022) - Hidalgo (2022) - Sonora (2022) - Nuevo León (2022) - Puebla (2023) - Querétaro (2023) - Sinaloa (2023) - Morelos (2023) - Quintana Roo (2023) - Guerrero (2024)
  • July 23
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Pennsylvania residents are able to change their gender marker to 'X' on state IDs and driver's licenses.
  • July 20
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.
    Starting in July, 2020 the Finnish Health Authority banned gender affirming surgeries for minors and started severely restricting any type of gender-affirming care for minors due to "the uncertainty of providing any irreversible “gender-affirming” interventions for those 25 and under, due to the lack of neurological maturity" among other reasons.
  • July 18
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling. Full discrimination protection in state employment. As well as full discrimination protection in city of Charlottesville. Sexual orientation discrimination protection Only in the Alexandria. As well sexual orientation in the county of Arlington.
  • July 14
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Maine-born residents can ask for an X gender marker on their birth certificates and IDs.
  • July 7
    Intersex infant surgery becomes not banned.
    Not prohibited according to the Health Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan
  • July 1
    Same-sex adoption becomes single only.
    Article 57 of the Act on Civil Status Records specifies in point 1 that an application for adoptive adoption of a child should be submitted to the competent RYNÝ institution through a written application for state registration of the child's adoption, containing the decision of the voivode or a final court decision on the adoption of the child. Such an application may be submitted by an individual or a heterosexual couple.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Hawaii residents can self-identify as non-binary on official forms and ask for an X gender marker on state IDs.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law sweeping legislation in most counties that not only protects the rights of lgbtq Virginians in employment and accommodations but also expands the ability of plaintiffs to sue in Virginia state court.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    Since 2020, an amendment to Article 261 bis of the Criminal Code (1937) penalises discrimination based on "sexual orientation" in the provision of goods and services. Article 261 bis of the Criminal Code was amended to include “sexual orientation” in the provision that criminalises public denigration, discrimination, or incitement to those actions, as well as the public dissemination of ideologies that aim to systematically denigrate or defame members of a protected group.
  • July
    Homosexual activity becomes illegal (up to life in prison as punishment).
    5 years in prison for the first offense. Third time offenders are punishable by life in prison.
  • July 1
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    The federal laws of Russia do not allow for same-sex unions of any kind, and the Russian constitution has defined marriage as a union strictly between a man and woman since 2020.
  • June 29
    Serving openly in military becomes lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
    Serving openly in the military is legal for LGB people, but Transgenders are yet to achieve this. Not a single African country including this one allows trans military service
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual acts are not criminalized.
  • Equal age of consent becomes unequal.
    Age of consent is unequal as the age of consent for homosexuality is 21.
  • June 24
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    The Law for the Protection Against Conversion Treatments (KonvBehSchG) bans providing, arranging and advertising conversion therapy. Conducting conversion therapy on minors, or persons of legal age is those whose consent was obtained without their volition, is also explicitly banned. Providing, arranging or advertising conversion therapy is punishable by a fine up to €30,000. Carrying out conversion therapy on a minor, or an adult whose consent was obtained without their volition, is punishable by up to a year of imprisonment or a fine.
  • June 18
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    In 2020, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled to not issue revised birth certificates anymore, but simply cross out the old gender marker and write the new one under it. This makes transgender people easily identifiable.
  • June 17
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    Romania's Parliament passed a bill that bans the study of gender identity in education.
  • June 15
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally under a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally by a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally by a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally by a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally by a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Protected federally by a Supreme Court ruling.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    As of June 15th, 2020 the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal under Title VII the Civil Rights Act of 1964, classified as sex discrimination. As of June 15, 2020, all persons working for employers that employ more than 15 people are protected from discrimination based solely on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity via the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes no protections.
    LGBTQ Discrimination rights for employment are protected federally under Supreme court rulling in 2020, however states still are obligated to their own laws. Meaning states can still pass protection laws or not. Arkansas has no known protections.
  • June 12
    Same-sex marriage becomes unrecognized.
    Under Indian Laws.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes unregistered cohabitation.
    The Uttarakhand High Court acknowledged that cohabitation and "live-in relationships" are protected by law.
  • June 2
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    No censorship.
  • June 1
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    1-year deferral reduced to a 3-month deferral in line with other UK regions (at the time).
  • May 28
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation only.
    The only protection against discrimination in Employment in this period existed in the Labour Law.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes no protections.
    On 14 May 2020, Constitutional Court of North Macedonia repealed the Law on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination on procedural grounds, meaning that LGBT people were no longer protected in Housing.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal in some contexts.
    On 14 May 2020, Constitutional Court of North Macedonia repealed the Law on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination on procedural grounds, meaning that LGBT people were no longer (explicitly) protected group. The only protection existed in laws that prohibited discrimination in certain areas of life and mentioned sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes illegal.
    On International Transgender Day of Visibility 2020 Hungary's parliament submitted a bill to amend the definition of sex to match sex at birth, making it impossible for individuals to change their legal gender. On January 31st 2023, the Constitutional Court of Hungary issued a ruling that will continue to block new applications from transgender people for legal gender recognition.
  • May 26
    Same-sex adoption becomes legal.
    Adoption was legalized for gay couples when gay marriage became legal. Single individuals (whether gay or straight) have been allowed to adopt equally before then.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Same-sex marriage in Costa Rica has been legal since May 26, 2020 as a result of a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice. Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to recognize and perform same-sex marriages.
  • May 8
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    The Supreme Court has ruled that the blood donation ban is unconstitutional in May of 2020.
  • May 1
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Same birth laws that allowed gender change without GRS.
  • Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Amended birth certificate laws.
  • April 28
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Manitoba residents can opt for a gender neutral marker on their IDs or birth certificates, or decide to remove the marker altogether.
  • April 17
    Same-sex adoption becomes illegal.
    Current Adoption Laws (Law No. 6486/Law No. 1136) do not explicitly prohibit single people from adopting regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. However, Paraguay has declared itself a "Pro-Family and Pro-Life" country and they do not allow and ignore adoptions requested by LGBTQIAP+ people.
  • April 12
    Same-sex marriage becomes civil unions (limited rights).
    Civil unions with limited rights, the law is inspired by the French model of PACS. Same sex couple now have inheritance, health rights and some tax rights, but their tax are not equal to married couples
  • April 2
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    The FDA announced changes to blood donor eligibility policy on 2nd April 2020, reducing the MSM deferral period from 12 months to 3 months, it is not legally binding but most agencies and the American Red Cross treat it as such.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    In July 2019, Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn announced that the deferral period would be reduced to four months of abstinence from 2 April 2020.
  • March 31
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    There is now an option to have “X” written for the gender mark on your license.
  • March 16
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Since 2020, all criteria that was previously mandatory has become optional, and the court will request them on a case-by-case basis. First approved legal case of FTM gender recognition without sterilization occured in 2021, and for MTF in 2023. Despite this, most judges still view the surgery as a prerequisite, and thus those seeking LGR often move to district with lax requirements. In 2024 Cheongju District Court has suggested a new criteria "based on subjective experiences of gender and gender identity, fitness to the identifying gender role, medical criteria and external presentation (not necessarily sterilization), and impression by a 3rd party."
  • March 11
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes no censorship.
    The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered a consent decree that declares South Carolina’s 1988 discriminatory anti-LGBTQ curriculum law unconstitutional and bars its enforcement.
  • March 3
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Virginia becomes first southern state to ban gay conversion therapy.
  • March
    Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    In March 2020, the life-time ban was reduced to a 4 month deferral period.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (less than 6-month deferral).
    A four month deferral is in place following Denmark's decision.
  • February 11
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
    Law was changed to allow trans people to apply through the Family Court under section 28 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationship Registration Act 1995. Currently through the Family Court, you are required to provide 'supporting evidence' of some form of medical treatment, which does not have to be surgery but may be.
  • January 27
    Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Connecticut residents can select an X for their gender marker on IDs and driver's licenses.
  • January 21
    Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Utah is the 19th U.S State to ban conversion therapy.
  • January 13
    Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland came into force on 13 January 2020.
  • Same-sex marriage becomes legal.
    Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019
  • January 1
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    Puerto Rico in 2020 stated to the Washington blade that they have added gender affirming care to Medicaid. It is unknown for minors if they can receive gender affirming care or not.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes imprisonment as punishment.
    In 2020, the Ministry of Health endorsed a plan to establish legal consequences, both administrative and criminal, for spreading information that undermines the institution of family and marriage. In April of 2024, Belarus broadened its definition of pornography to encompass portrayals of "non-traditional sexual relations and/or sexual behavior," thereby making the advocacy of homosexuality subject to imprisonment for up to four years.
  • Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.
    Despite no concrete laws targeting gender affirming care, due to other anti-LGBT laws, the limited availability of gender affirming care for minors, a complete ban on surgeries for minors and generally conservative attitudes it is restricted for minors.
  • (date unknown)
    Gender-affirming care becomes legal.
    There are no laws prohibiting gender affirming care or banning it in the state of Connecticut. However, HUSKY their low income insurance now requires 3 letters of recommendation for Gender Affirming Care as of 2022. Connecticut DSS requires all under age people to have gender incongruence is marked and sustained over time. As well as many more restrictions that are related to gender affirming care.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    illegal since 2020
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes not legally recognized.
    Indiana no longer allows X gender markers on official IDs.
  • January 1
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, no restrictions.
    Rule 5 CCR 1006-1 states that Colorado citizens can update their birth certificate and driver’s license to include their correct gender information.
  • Legal recognition of non-binary gender becomes recognized.
    Jude’s Law lets a person who does not identify as male or female to check an ‘X’ box on a Colorado issued driver’s license or identification. This law also allows for a new birth certificate with the correct information to be issued to the individual.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes legal.
    In 2020, the 12-month deferral period was scrapped completely, no restrictions have been placed since.
  • Censorship of LGBT issues becomes ambiguous.
    While there is legislation in Hungary that calls for LGBTQ+ censorship in schools, it’s unenforced and Ignored by the Hungarian Populace. No one has been fined from this lore as of now
  • Conversion therapy becomes banned.
    Albania's psychologists have banned so-called "conversion therapy", which tries to change the sexual orientation of young LGBT people, a move hailed on Saturday by the country's rights groups.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes gender identity only.
    For housing discrimination laws, there are only discrimination protections for a persons gender identity.
  • January
    LGBT employment discrimination becomes gender identity only.
    In India, there is only protections in employment for gender identity.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 2020

  • Rainbow Bhutan FaviconRainbow Bhutan
  • Rainbow Seniors FaviconRainbow Seniors
    Greece
    Communication with public and private bodies with the ultimate goal of creating a network of solidarity and support of the LGBTQI + community that will respond to the needs of…
  • Faros FaviconFaros
    Greece
    The project aims to strengthen protection, monitoring and prevention mechanisms as well as combat hate crimes and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic discrimination and violence…
  • Faros FaviconFaros
    Greece
    The project aims to strengthen protection, monitoring and prevention mechanisms as well as combat hate crimes and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic discrimination and violence…
  • Spectrum Center FaviconSpectrum Center
    Washington, United States
    Spectrum’s mission is to create a safe, intersectional, intergenerational, LGBTQIA2S+ community gathering space that celebrates a resilient, healthy community through social…
  • Western Equality Zone Foundation FaviconWestern Equality Zone Foundation
    Ghana
    SERVICES WEZ provide a safe place where the LGBT community members can be themselves, have fun, meet new people, make new friends and partake in all activities. We render…
  • Centre T FaviconCentre T
    Russia
    Helping transgender people in Russia: psychological support, therapy groups and tea parties as well as training for practitioners
  • Trans Aid Cymru FaviconTrans Aid Cymru
    Wales, United Kingdom
    Trans Aid Cymru is a mutual aid network supporting trans, intersex, and nonbinary people across Wales.
  • Velvele FaviconVelvele
    Turkey
    Velvele started on February 15, 2020 as the personal blog of one immigrant queer person trying to make sense of his life. Right after its founding, in the COVID pandemic’s…