LGBT rights in the United States

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LGBT rights in the
United States
Location of the United States
StatusHomosexuality Legal in various areas since 1961
Military
  • Sexual orientation: Yes
  • Gender identity: Yes (since 2021)
  • Intersex status: No
  • "Don't ask, don't tell" policy repealed on September 20, 2011
  • Transgender ban
    repealed January 25, 2021
  • (DoDI) 6130.03, 2018, section 5, 13f and 14m
Discrimination protections
Family rights
Adoption
Equal adoption rights for same-sex couples in all states since 2016

In the United States,

bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights have developed significantly since the late 1980s.[1][2]

In 1962, beginning with Illinois, states began to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity,

LGBT-related anti-discrimination laws regarding housing and private and public services varies by state. Twenty-three states plus Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and twenty-two states plus Washington, D.C., outlaw discrimination based on gender identity or expression.[4] Family law also varies by state. Adoption of children by same-sex married couples is legal nationwide since Obergefell v. Hodges (Mississippi had its ban struck down by a federal court in March 2016).[5][6]

Hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity are punishable by federal law under the

Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, but many states lack laws that cover sexual orientation and/or gender identity.[7] Laws that prohibit hate speech, including those that relate to sexual orientation or gender identity, are unconstitutional, due to the First Amendment's broad protections for free speech.[8]

During the 2020s, gender identity issues became prominent topics in American politics, particularly regarding athletics and transgender-related healthcare for minors. [9][10][11] In 2023, 510 anti-LGBT bills were introduced in state legislatures. A large number of these are “forced outing” bills requiring teachers to alert the parents of a student when they begin going by a different name or pronouns, along with curriculum censorship banning discussion on gender identity and sexual orientation. [12]

Public opinion is largely supportive of same-sex marriage while mixed on transgender issues. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans support same-sex marriage, while 28% oppose it.[13]

Public opinion