This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBTQ rights that took place in the year 2005.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Vermont since September 1,2009. The Senate passed same-sex marriage legislation on March 23,which the House of Representatives amended and approved by a 94–52 vote on April 3,2009. Governor Jim Douglas vetoed the bill as promised on April 6. Both the House and the Senate successfully overrode Douglas' veto the following day. The law went into effect on September 1,making Vermont the fourth U.S. state,after Massachusetts,Connecticut,and Iowa,to legalize same-sex marriage,and the first to introduce same-sex marriage by enacting a statute without being required to do so by a court decision.
Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in New Jersey since October 21,2013,the effective date of a trial court ruling invalidating the state's restriction of marriage to persons of different sexes. In September 2013,Mary C. Jacobson,Assignment Judge of the Mercer Vicinage of the Superior Court,ruled that as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2013 decision in United States v. Windsor,the Constitution of New Jersey requires the state to recognize same-sex marriages. The Windsor decision held that the federal government was required to provide the same benefits to same-sex couples who were married under state law as to other married couples. Therefore,the state court reasoned in Garden State Equality v. Dow that,because same-sex couples in New Jersey were limited to civil unions,which are not recognized as marriages under federal law,the state must permit civil marriage for same-sex couples. This ruling,in turn,relied on the 2006 decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court in Lewis v. Harris that the state was constitutionally required to afford the rights and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples. The Supreme Court had ordered the New Jersey Legislature to correct the constitutional violation,by permitting either same-sex marriage or civil unions with all the rights and benefits of marriage,within 180 days. In response,it passed a bill to legalize civil unions on December 21,2006,which became effective on February 19,2007.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Hawaii since December 2,2013. The Hawaii State Legislature held a special session beginning on October 28,2013,and passed the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act legalizing same-sex marriage. Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the legislation on November 13,and same-sex couples began marrying on December 2,making Hawaii the fifteenth U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. Hawaii also allows both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to formalize their relationships legally in the form of civil unions and reciprocal beneficiary relationships. Civil unions provide the same rights,benefits,and obligations of marriage at the state level,while reciprocal beneficiary relationships provide a more limited set of rights. When Hawaii's civil union law took effect at the start of 2012,same-sex marriages established in other jurisdictions were considered civil unions in Hawaii.
Equality California (EQCA) is a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California. It is the largest statewide LGBT organization in the United States and the largest member of the Equality Federation. The organization is based in Los Angeles.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of New Hampshire enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people,with most advances in LGBT rights occurring in the state within the past two decades. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in New Hampshire,and the state began offering same-sex couples the option of forming a civil union on January 1,2008. Civil unions offered most of the same protections as marriages with respect to state law,but not the federal benefits of marriage. Same-sex marriage in New Hampshire has been legally allowed since January 1,2010,and one year later New Hampshire's civil unions expired,with all such unions converted to marriages. New Hampshire law has also protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation since 1998 and gender identity since 2018. Additionally,a conversion therapy ban on minors became effective in the state in January 2019. In effect since January 1,2024,the archaic common-law "gay panic defence" was formally abolished;by legislation implemented within August 2023.
Equality Maryland (EQMD) was a non-profit organization formerly headquartered in Silver Spring,Maryland,now based in Baltimore. It was at the time,the largest organization in Maryland whose activities focused on advocacy and education with regard to LGBT social and political movements. Its mission included:the passage of laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation,gender expression,and gender identity;the expansion of Maryland's hate-crimes statute;the increase of domestic partner benefits;the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Maryland and laws banning the practice of conversion therapy on minors. In 2016,the organization merged with FreeState Legal Project,to form FreeState Justice.
This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBTQ rights that took place in the year 2009.
House Bill 444 was a 2009 bill of the Hawaii State Legislature,passed in April 2010 and vetoed by Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle,that would have legalized civil unions for couples in the state of Hawaii. Its legislative process was accompanied by controversy over the bill's content and effects and rallies were held by supporters and opponents.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Nevada enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex marriage has been legal since October 8,2014,due to the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Sevcik v. Sandoval. Same-sex couples may also enter a domestic partnership status that provides many of the same rights and responsibilities as marriage. However,domestic partners lack the same rights to medical coverage as their married counterparts and their parental rights are not as well defined. Same-sex couples are also allowed to adopt children. Since 2022 the Nevada Constitution explicitly includes both sexual orientation and gender identity - discrimination laws since 1999 included sexual orientation for employment and expanded thereafter to housing and accommodation. In addition,conversion therapy on minors is outlawed in the state.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Wyoming may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Wyoming since 1977,and same-sex marriage was legalized in the state in October 2014. Wyoming statutes do not address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal under federal law. In addition,the cities of Jackson,Casper,and Laramie have enacted ordinances outlawing discrimination in housing and public accommodations that cover sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Louisiana may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Louisiana as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas. Same-sex marriage has been recognized in the state since June 2015 as a result of the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. New Orleans,the state's largest city,is regarded as a hotspot for the LGBTQ community.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of West Virginia face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBT persons. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1976,and same-sex marriage has been recognized since October 2014. West Virginia statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Delaware enjoy the same legal protections as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Delaware since January 1,1973. On January 1,2012,civil unions became available to same-sex couples,granting them the "rights,benefits,protections,and responsibilities" of married persons. Delaware legalized same-sex marriage on July 1,2013.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of New Jersey have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ people. LGBT individuals in New Jersey enjoy strong protections from discrimination,and have had the same marriage rights as heterosexual people since October 21,2013.
Vermont is seen as one of the most liberal states in the U.S. in regard to lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) rights,with most progress in jurisprudence having occurred in the late 20th and the early 21st centuries. Vermont was one of 37 U.S. states,along with the District of Columbia,that issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples prior to the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Obergefell v. Hodges, establishing equal marriage rights for same-sex couples nationwide.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Hawaii enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1973;Hawaii being one of the first six states to legalize it. In 1993,a ruling by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court made Hawaii the first state to consider legalizing same-sex marriage. Following the approval of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act in November 2013,same-sex couples have been allowed to marry on the islands. Additionally,Hawaii law prohibits discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity,and the use of conversion therapy on minors has been banned since July 2018. Gay and lesbian couples enjoy the same rights,benefits and treatment as opposite-sex couples,including the right to marry and adopt.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Kentucky still face some legal challenges not experienced by other people. Same-sex sexual activity in Kentucky has been legally permitted since 1992,although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy statute for same-sex couples. Same-sex marriage is legal in Kentucky under the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. The decision,which struck down Kentucky's statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriages and all other same-sex marriage bans elsewhere in the country,was handed down on June 26,2015.
The Hawaii Marriage Equality Act of 2013 is legislation passed by the Hawaii State Legislature as Senate Bill 1 (SB1) and signed by Governor Neil Abercrombie which legalized same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Prior to the bill's enactment,same-sex couples in the state of Hawaii were allowed to form civil unions or reciprocal beneficiary relationships;however,civil unions are both legally limited to civil officials in their performance and unrecognized by the federal government,and RBRs are even more limited by the rights and privileges accorded.
The Marriage Equality Act is a 2009 Vermont state law which legalized the officiating of marriages between same-sex couples in the state. The law went into effect on September 1,2009. Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage,the first to do so by legislation rather than a court ruling.
