LGBTQ rights in Oklahoma

Last updated

LGBTQ rights in Oklahoma
Map of USA OK.svg
Oklahoma (USA)
Status Legal statewide since 2003
( Lawrence v. Texas )
Gender identity Transgender people no longer allowed to change legal gender since 2021
Restrictions Non-binary birth certificates not allowed
Discrimination protections Protections in employment; further protections in Norman
Family rights
Recognition of relationships Same-sex marriage since 2014
Adoption Same-sex couples allowed to adopt

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Oklahoma face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Oklahoma as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy laws. Both same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples have been permitted since October 2014. State statutes do not prohibit discrimination based on 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. [1] This practice may still continue, as Oklahoma is an at-will employment state and it is still legal to fire an employee without requiring the employer to disclose any reason.

Contents

History and legality of same-sex sexual activity

Prior to European settlement, several Native American tribes inhabited the region. These peoples had perceptions towards gender and sexuality which differed significantly to that of the Western world. Tribes who were forcibly moved to Oklahoma also have/had such perceptions. Male-bodied individuals who act, behave and dress as women are known as haxu'xan among the Arapaho, he'émáné'e among the Cheyenne, kúsaat among the Pawnee people, and m'netokwe among the Potawatomi, whereas female-bodied individuals who act and live as male are referred to as hetanémáné'e among the Cheyenne. These individuals, nowadays also called "two-spirit", were traditionally regarded as supernatural and blessed by the spirits. In the Omaha-Ponca language, spoken by the Ponca and Omaha peoples, the term mix'uga refers to intersex or transgender people. Literally, the term means "instructed by the moon". Similar terms exist in the Chiwere language, historically spoken by the Missouria, Otoe and Iowa peoples, where it is mixo'ge , and in the now-extinct Kansa language where it is míⁿxoge .[ citation needed ]

Upon its creation in 1890, the Oklahoma Territory received Nebraska's criminal code and common law punishing sodomy ("crime against nature"), whether heterosexual or homosexual, with up to a year of imprisonment. The same year, the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature passed a law criminalizing sodomy with a potential sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment. The crime was complete upon penetration only. The law applied to consensual adults and married couples. The first recorded sodomy case occurred in 1917, when a judge ruled in Ex Parte DeFord that fellatio (oral sex) violated the sodomy statute. Likewise, in the 1935 case of Roberts v. State, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals held that cunnilingus was a violation of the law. In 1943, in LeFavour v. State, the same court rejected contentions that the sodomy law applied only to people of the same sex, confirming that it applied universally regardless of sex or sexual orientation. [2]

One of the few court cases to deal with lesbian activity occurred in 1971, in Warner et al v. State. In this case, a married couple were convicted of forcing an Oklahoma City woman to engage in oral sex with each of them. The Court of Criminal Appeals specifically noted that lesbian activity was a violation of the sodomy statute. In 1973, the Court of Criminal Appeals, in Canfield v. State, voted 2–1 to uphold the conviction and sentence of 15 years in jail of Kenneth Canfield for consensual sodomy. The court rejected arguments that the law was an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. In Post v. State (1986), the court ruled that the sodomy law could not be applied to private, consensual adult heterosexual activity. The court did not address homosexual activity in its ruling. In 1990, the court ruled in Virgin v. State that the insertion of a single finger into the rectum did not constitute penetration. [2]

In 1997, the Oklahoma Legislature revised parts of the sodomy statute, reducing the penalty to 2 years' imprisonment, a fine of 1,000 U.S. dollars or both. The law was short-lived; in 1999, a new law made same-sex sodomy punishable by up to 20 years in prison. [2]

Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Oklahoma since 2003, when the United States Supreme Court struck down all state sodomy laws with its ruling in Lawrence v. Texas . [3]

Recognition of same-sex relationships

In April 2004, the Oklahoma Senate, by a vote of 38 to 7, and the Oklahoma House of Representatives, by a vote of 92 to 4, approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. On November 2, 2004, Oklahoma voters approved Oklahoma Question 711, a constitutional amendment which banned same-sex marriage and any "legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups". [4] [5] [6] On January 14, 2014, Judge Terence C. Kern, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, declared Question 711 unconstitutional. The case, Bishop v. United States (formerly Bishop v. Oklahoma), was stayed pending appeal. [7] A 3-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit heard oral arguments in Bishop on April 17, 2014, and upheld the district court's decision on July 18. [8]

On October 6, 2014, the United States Supreme Court turned down Oklahoma's appeal which reinstates the district court's ruling that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Following the court's rejection of the appeal, the Oklahoma County Court Clerk's Office and others across the state started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. [9]

Adoption and parenting

Adoption

Oklahoma permits adoption by a couple or an unmarried adult without regard to sexual orientation. [10]

In August 2007, years before Oklahoma began allowing same-sex marriage, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Finstuen v. Crutcher ordered Oklahoma to recognize an adoption by a same-sex couple. The child had been born in Oklahoma, and the parents had been married elsewhere. The court ordered Oklahoma to issue a revised birth certificate showing both adoptive parents. [11]

Oklahoma law allows adoption agencies to choose not to place children in certain homes if it "would violate the agency's written religious or moral convictions or policies." [12]

Fertility treatments

Lesbian couples can access fertility treatments and in vitro fertilization. Officially, when a child is born via donor insemination and the parents are married, state law recognizes the non-genetic, non-gestational mother as a legal parent. [13] However, in 2023, an Oklahoma district judge gave parental rights to a sperm donor and took away those rights from the woman's ex-spouse. The mother's wife had not been mentioned in the contract with the sperm donor, and she had not adopted the child. However, she had been married to the mother at the time of the child's birth, and she had been listed on the birth certificate. [14]

While there are no specific surrogacy laws in Oklahoma, courts recognize the legal validity of surrogacy contracts (gestational or traditional), without regard to the partners' genders. A traditional contract may increase the risk of legal conflict or litigation. [15]

Discrimination protections

Map of Oklahoma cities that had sexual orientation and/or gender identity anti-employment discrimination ordinances prior to Bostock .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} Sexual orientation and gender identity in both public and private employment Sexual orientation in public employment Does not protect sexual orientation and gender identity in employment Oklahoma counties and cities with sexual orientation and gender identity protection.svg
Map of Oklahoma cities that had sexual orientation and/or gender identity anti–employment discrimination ordinances prior to Bostock
  Sexual orientation and gender identity in both public and private employment
  Sexual orientation in public employment
  Does not protect sexual orientation and gender identity in employment

Oklahoma statutes do not address discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. [16]

The city of Norman has a nondiscrimination policy that prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, [17] [18] while the cities of Edmond, [19] Oklahoma City and Tulsa have nondiscrimination policies that prohibit discrimination in public employment (i.e. city employees only) on account of sexual orientation. [20] [21]

Bostock v. Clayton County

On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County, consolidated with Altitude Express, Inc. v. Zarda , and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is discrimination on the basis of sex, and Title VII therefore protects LGBT employees from discrimination. [22] [23] [24]

Conversion therapy

In Norman, conversion therapy has been banned since July 2021, making it the first city within Oklahoma to ban conversion therapy. [25]

Hate crime law

State law does not address hate crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation. [26] However, since the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was signed into law in October 2009, federal law has provided additional penalties for crimes motivated by the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Hate crimes against LGBTQ people can be prosecuted in federal court.

Transgender rights

Transgender rights within Oklahoma remained mostly unaddressed until Kevin Stitt was elected as governor of Oklahoma. Since taking office in 2019, he has consistently acted against transgender rights.

In August 2023, Stitt signed into law an executive order "explicitly defin[ing] male and female as biological sexes assigned at birth". [27] This applies for all state and legal purposes, including using bathrooms and changing rooms in state-owned facilities, playing sports, living in domestic violence shelters, receiving assistance from rape crisis centers, incarceration, and the collection of statistics. [28] [29] [30]

Identity documents

Previously, the Office of Vital Records altered the marker on the birth certificate of a transgender person upon receipt of a court order. Transgender Oklahomans could also change the gender marker on a driver's license by submitting to the Department of Public Safety a notarized statement from a physician confirming that they had undergone "permanent and irreversible" transition.

In October 2021, Oklahoma became the 14th US state to allow a "non-binary option" on a birth certificate by a court order resulting from Kit Vivien Loreleid v. Oklahoma State Department of Health. [31] [32]

In November 2021, Governor Stitt signed an executive order which blocked the Oklahoma State Department of Health from issuing any change to the gender marker on a birth certificate. [33]

In April 2022, the Oklahoma Legislature passed Senate Bill 1100 to only allow sex markers of either male or female explicitly listed on birth certificates issued within Oklahoma and also legally ban “any other sex markers”. The Governor of Oklahoma signed the bill into law, effective immediately with an "emergency clause". [34] [35] [36] [37]

Athletics

In March 2022, Stitt signed a bill that passed the Oklahoma Legislature preventing transgender women and girls from competing on women and girls' athletic teams at public schools and universities. [38] [39]

Healthcare

In April 2023, a bill passed the Oklahoma Legislature that explicitly legally bans any gender-affirming healthcare practices on minors. Governor Stitt signed the bill into law in May 2023, making Oklahoma the 16th state to restrict such care for minors. [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] In October 2023, a judge declined to stop it from taking effect. [46]

In February 2023, the Oklahoma House passed a bill to ban any entity which receives public funding from providing or allowing its members to provide gender-affirming healthcare to a transgender person of any age, and to ban insurance providers from covering it, while altogether banning such care for minors. [47] [48] However, this bill was not voted upon by the Senate during the 2023 legislative session, and thus did not become law.

In October 2022, Stitt signed a bill into law that passed the Oklahoma Legislature will legally ban any government funding of Oklahoma hospitals - that provide any "gender transition services" to minors (similar to banning government funding abortions within Oklahoma hospitals since 1997). [49]

Living Conditions

In 2018, a local school in Achille had to shut down for a few days due to safety concerns after a 12-year-old transgender student received death threats and threats of mutilation, whipping and castration by her classmates' parents. [50]

Freedom of expression

Tulsa Pride 2017 Tulsa Pride 2017.jpg
Tulsa Pride 2017

No promo homo law

Oklahoma has a "no promo homo law" in place that forbids the "promotion of homosexuality" in schools and instructs HIV-related education to teach students that not "engaging in homosexual activity" prevents the spread of the HIV virus. [51]

Diversity training ban

In April 2021, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill legally banning any diversity training. The Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt signed the bill into law effective immediately. [52] [53]

Public universities

In late 2021, state Sen. Rob Standridge introduced a bill (SB 1141) that would permit students in public universities to avoid any courses “addressing any form of gender, sexual, or racial diversity, equality, or inclusion curriculum” (as described by the Oklahoma Senate's press release) unless the course is required for their major. Standridge claimed that schools are "trying to indoctrinate students". [54]

National Guard

Proposed legislation to institute in the Oklahoma National Guard a local version of "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT), the federal policy that formerly prohibited gays, lesbians and bisexuals from serving openly in the U.S. military, was proposed in January 2012 and withdrawn in February. [55] [56]

Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor in June 2013 invalidating Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act , [57] the U.S. Department of Defense issued directives requiring state units of the National Guard to enroll the same-sex spouses of guard members in federal benefit programs. Guard officials in Oklahoma enrolled some same-sex couples until September 5, 2013, when Governor Fallin ordered an end to the practice. [58] Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on October 31 said he would insist on compliance. [59] On November 6, Fallin announced that members of the Oklahoma National Guard could apply for benefits for same-sex partners at federally owned ONG facilities, where most staffers are federal employees, and at federal military installations. [60] When DoD officials objected to that plan, Fallin ordered that all married couples, opposite-sex or same-sex, would be required to have benefits requests processed at those facilities. [61]

Public opinion

A 2022 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll found that 54% of Oklahomans supported same-sex marriage, while 44% were opposed. 2% were undecided. Additionally, 65% supported an anti-discrimination law covering sexual orientation and gender identity. 30% were against. The PRRI also found that 40% were against allowing public businesses to refuse to serve LGBTQ people due to religious beliefs, while 50% supported such religiously based refusals. [62]


Public opinion for LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws in Oklahoma
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		 % support % opposition % no opinion
Public Religion Research Institute January 2-December 30, 2019 573 ?63%27%10%
Public Religion Research Institute January 3-December 30, 2018 652 ?62%29%9%
Public Religion Research Institute April 5-December 23, 2017 794 ?64%25%11%
Public Religion Research Institute April 29, 2015-January 7, 2016 1,038 ?60%36%4%

Summary table

Same-sex sexual activity legal Yes check.svg (De facto legal since 2003. The state still has anti-sodomy law, but unenforceable)
Equal age of consent Yes check.svg
Anti-discrimination laws for sexual orientation X mark.svg / Yes check.svg (In employment since 2020, not in housing nor public accommodations) [a]
Anti-discrimination laws for gender identity X mark.svg / Yes check.svg (In employment since 2020, not in housing nor public accommodations) [a]
Same-sex marriages Yes check.svg / X mark.svg (Since 2014, but explicitly banned in several Native American reservations) [b]
Stepchild and joint adoption by same-sex couples Yes check.svg (Since 2014)
Lesbian, gay and bisexual people allowed to serve openly in the military Yes check.svg (Since 2011)
Transgender people allowed to serve openly in the military Yes check.svg (Since 2021) [63]
Intersex people allowed to serve openly in the military X mark.svg (Current DoD policy bans "hermaphrodites" from serving or enlisting in the military) [64]
Conversion therapy banned on minors X mark.svg / Yes check.svg (Norman city only) [25]
Right to change legal gender and a non-binary option on documents (e.g. on birth certificates and driving licences) X mark.svg / Yes check.svg (No on birth certificate, yes on driver's license)
Access to IVF for lesbian couples Yes check.svg
Surrogacy arrangements legal for gay male couples Yes check.svg
MSMs allowed to donate blood Yes check.svg / X mark.svg (Since 2020; 3-month deferral period) [65]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 The city of Norman provides further protections, including in housing and public accommodations.
  2. ↑ Explicit ban on same-sex marriage in the following tribes and reservations:
    Muscogee Nation since 2001.
    Iowa Tribe since 2004.
    Choctaw Nation since 2012.
    Seminole Nation since 2016.
    Citizen Potawatomi Nation since unknown.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Utah</span>

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Utah have significantly evolved in the 21st century. Protective laws have become increasingly enacted since 2014, despite the state's reputation as socially conservative and highly religious. Utah's anti-sodomy law was invalidated in 2003 by Lawrence v. Texas, and fully repealed by the state legislature in 2019. Same-sex marriage has been legal since the state's ban was ruled unconstitutional by federal courts in 2014. In addition, statewide anti-discrimination laws now cover sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing, and the use of conversion therapy on minors is prohibited. In spite of this, there are still a few differences between the treatment of LGBTQ people and the rest of the population, and the rights of transgender youth are restricted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Nevada</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Louisiana</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in West Virginia</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in New Jersey</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Vermont</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Maine</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Maine have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex marriage has been recognized in Maine since December 2012, following a referendum in which a majority of voters approved an initiative to legalize same-sex marriage. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited in the areas of employment, housing, credit and public accommodations. In addition, the use of conversion therapy on minors has been outlawed since 2019, and joint adoption is permitted for same-sex couples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Iowa</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in the U.S. state of Iowa have evolved significantly in the 21st century. Iowa began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on April 27, 2009 following a ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court, making Iowa the fourth U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples may also adopt, and state laws ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Wisconsin</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Wisconsin enjoy most of the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. However, the transgender community may face some legal issues not experienced by cisgender residents, due in part to discrimination based on gender identity not being included in Wisconsin's anti-discrimination laws, nor is it covered in the state's hate crime law. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Wisconsin since October 6, 2014, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal in the case of Wolf v. Walker. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned statewide in Wisconsin, and sexual orientation is a protected class in the state's hate crime laws. It approved such protections in 1982, making it the first state in the United States to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Oregon</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Oregon have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ people. Oregon became one of the first U.S. jurisdictions to decriminalize sodomy in 1972, and same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since May 2014 when a federal judge declared the state's ban on such marriages unconstitutional. Previously, same-sex couples could only access domestic partnerships, which guaranteed most of the rights of marriage. Additionally, same-sex couples are allowed to jointly adopt, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations is outlawed in the state under the Oregon Equality Act, enacted in 2008. Conversion therapy on minors is also illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in North Carolina</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of North Carolina may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents, or LGBT residents of other states with more liberal laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Arkansas</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Arkansas face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity in Arkansas was decriminalized in 2001 and legally codified in 2005. Same-sex marriage became briefly legal through a court ruling on May 9, 2014, subject to court stays and appeals. In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that laws banning same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States nationwide including in Arkansas. Nonetheless, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity was not banned in Arkansas until the Supreme Court banned it nationwide in Bostock v. Clayton County in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Arizona</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Arizona may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Arizona, and same-sex couples are able to marry and adopt. Nevertheless, the state provides only limited protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Several cities, including Phoenix and Tucson, have enacted ordinances to protect LGBTQ people from unfair discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Indiana</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in the U.S. state of Indiana have been shaped by both state and federal law. These evolved from harsh penalties established early in the state's history to the decriminalization of same-sex activity in 1977 and the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2014. Indiana was subject to an April 2017 federal court ruling that discrimination based on sexual orientation is tantamount to discrimination on account of "sex", as defined by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ruling establishes sexual orientation as a protected characteristic in the workplace, forbidding unfair discrimination, although Indiana state statutes do not include sexual orientation or gender identity among its categories of discrimination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in New Mexico</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of New Mexico enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. New Mexico has seen prominent advances in gay and lesbian rights in recent decades. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1975. Same-sex marriage is legal statewide in New Mexico, as is adoption and access to fertility treatments for lesbian couples. Same-sex couples have had the same rights as heterosexual married couples since 2013. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is banned statewide in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations. Additionally, conversion therapy on minors is prohibited in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in South Dakota</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of South Dakota may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Dakota, and same-sex marriages have been recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. State 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 under federal law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in South Carolina</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of South Carolina may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Carolina as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy laws. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples. However, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is not banned statewide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Montana</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Montana may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Montana since 1997. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples, as same-sex marriage has been recognized since November 2014. State 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. A number of cities also provide protections in housing and public accommodations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Idaho</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Idaho face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Idaho, and same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since October 2014. State statutes do not address discrimination based on 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. A number of cities and counties provide further protections, namely in housing and public accommodations. A 2019 Public Religion Research Institute opinion poll showed that 71% of Idahoans supported anti-discrimination legislation protecting LGBTQ people, and a 2016 survey by the same pollster found majority support for same-sex marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Kansas</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Kansas have federal protections, but many face some legal challenges on the state level that are not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Kansas under the US Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy laws that only apply to same-sex sexual acts. The state has prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations since 2020. Proposed bills restricting preferred gender identity on legal documents, bans on transgender people in women's sports, bathroom use restrictions, among other bills were vetoed numerous times by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly since 2021. However, many of Kelly's vetoes were overridden by the Republican supermajority in the Kansas legislature and became law.

References

  1. ↑ Rodriguez, Laura; Gatlin, Donald. "Approximately 62,000 LGBT Workers in Oklahoma Lack Statewide Protections against Ongoing Employment Discrimination". The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Painter, George. "The History of Sodomy Laws in the United States: Oklahoma". glapn.org. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Oklahoma Sodomy Law". Human Rights Campaign. June 26, 2003. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Oklahoma Marriage/Relationship Recognition Law". Hrc.org. March 16, 2007. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  5. ↑ CNN: Ballot Measures, accessed May 15, 2011
  6. ↑ "US judge strikes down Oklahoma gay marriage ban as 'arbitrary, irrational' (+video)". Csmonitor.com. January 14, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  7. ↑ Federal lawsuit renewed against Oklahoma's constitutional ban of same-sex marriage Accessed 11 December 2010
  8. ↑ Associated Press (August 8, 2014). "Oklahoma same-sex marriages ruled constitutional for second time". The Guardian. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ Lowry, Lacie (October 6, 2014). "Same-Sex Marriages Legal, Underway In Oklahoma". News9.com. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  10. ↑ Human Rights Campaign: Oklahoma Adoption Law Archived July 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , accessed May 15, 2011
  11. ↑ Finstuen v. Crutcher Archived September 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (10th Cir. 2007), accessed July 11, 2011
  12. ↑ Fortin, Jacey (May 12, 2018). "Oklahoma Passes Adoption Law That L.G.B.T. Groups Call Discriminatory". The New York Times.
  13. ↑ "Oklahoma's equality profile". Movement Advancement Project.
  14. ↑ Kay, Kaitor (February 15, 2023). "Sperm donor granted custody of Oklahoma boy raised by lesbian couple". WFLA. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ "What You Need to Know About Surrogacy in Oklahoma". American Surrogacy.
  16. ↑ Human Rights Campaign: Oklahoma Non-Discrimination Law Archived July 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , accessed May 15, 2011
  17. ↑ Jane Glenn Cannon (December 22, 2015). "Norman City Council affirms LGBT rights". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Municipal Equality Index" (PDF). Human Rights Campaign. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  19. ↑ MEI 2017: See Your City’s Score
  20. ↑ Bryan, Emory (June 18, 2010). "Tulsa City Council Approves Sexual Orientation Policy; Rejects Immigration Ordinance". News on 6 . Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  21. ↑ Kimball, Michael (November 16, 2011). "Oklahoma City Council passes sexual orientation measure". The Oklahoman . Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  22. ↑ Biskupic, Joan (June 16, 2020). "Two conservative justices joined decision expanding LGBTQ rights". CNN.
  23. ↑ "US Supreme Court backs protection for LGBT workers". BBC News. June 15, 2020.
  24. ↑ Liptak, Adam (June 15, 2020). "Civil Rights Law Protects Gay and Transgender Workers, Supreme Court Rules". The New York Times.
  25. 1 2 Brooke Griffin (June 30, 2021). "Norman City Council Votes to Ban Conversion Therapy". Newson6.com . Archived from the original on July 10, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Oklahoma Hate Crimes Law". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  27. ↑ "Oklahoma Gov. Signs executive order defining male & female as sex assigned at birth". August 2, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Transgender rights targeted in executive order signed by Oklahoma governor". AP.
  29. ↑ "Oklahoma Executive Order enacts 'Women's Bill of Rights,' critics call it 'transmisogyny'". KOSU (NPR).
  30. ↑ "Oklahoma gov. signs 'Women's Bill of Rights' into law to protect girls from 'out of control gender ideology'". FOX.
  31. ↑ "Oklahoma issues first nonbinary birth certificate". October 22, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Movement Advancement Project | Identity Document Laws and Policies".
  33. ↑ Governor of Oklahoma. Executive Order 2021-24 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Human Rights Campaign Condemns Governor Stitt for Signing Anti-Equality Legislation". April 26, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Senate Bill Related to Sex Designation on Birth Certificate Passes State House".
  36. ↑ "Bill Information".
  37. ↑ "Oklahoma governor signs law banning nonbinary birth certificates". CNN . April 27, 2022.
  38. ↑ Cole, Devan (March 30, 2022). "Oklahoma becomes fourth state to enact anti-trans sports ban this year". CNN. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Oklahoma governor signs transgender sports ban". NBC News . March 30, 2022.
  40. ↑ "Human Rights Campaign Condemns Oklahoma House for Passing Gender Affirming Care Ban". Human Rights Campaign. April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Oklahoma SB613". Legiscan. May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Human Rights Campaign Condemns Oklahoma Senate for Passing Gender Affirming Care Ban". Human Rights Campaign. April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Oklahoma governor signs gender-affirming care ban for kids". AP News. May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Oklahoma makes it a felony for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to trans youth". May 2, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Human Rights Campaign Condemns Oklahoma Governor Stitt for Signing Gender-Affirming Care Ban into Law". May 2, 2023.
  46. ↑ Murphy, Sean (October 7, 2023). "Federal Judge Allows Oklahoma Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors To Take Effect". HuffPost. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  47. ↑ "House passes bill banning gender transition services for minors in Oklahoma". KOCO. February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  48. ↑ House Bill 2177 (PDF). Oklahoma State Legislature. February 28, 2023.
  49. ↑ Weger, Haley (October 4, 2022). "GOV. STITT SIGNS BILL OUTLAWING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE AT OU CHILDREN'S". News On 6. Griffin Media. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Transgender Girl, 12, Is Violently Threatened After Facebook Post by Classmate's Parent". The New York Times. August 15, 2018.
  51. ↑ "State Anti-LGBT Curriculum Laws". Lambda Legal.
  52. ↑ "Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Signs Discriminatory Diversity Training Ban into Law". May 10, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Oklahoma State Legislature Sends Discriminatory Diversity Training Ban to Governor Stitt's Desk". April 29, 2021.
  54. ↑ "Standridge files bills to address indoctrination in Oklahoma schools | Oklahoma Senate". oksenate.gov. December 16, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  55. ↑ "Bill Would Reintroduce DADT to Oklahoma Guard". Military.com. January 10, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  56. ↑ "DADT Bill Apparently Shelved in Oklahoma House". Military.com. February 21, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  57. ↑ legal citation as 570 U.S.___ (2013)
  58. ↑ "Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin tells National Guard to deny same-sex benefits". New York Daily News. September 18, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  59. ↑ Johnson, Chris (October 31, 2013). "Hagel to direct nat'l guards to offer same-sex benefits". Washington Blade. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  60. ↑ Allen, Silas (November 7, 2013). "Oklahoma National Guard will process same-sex spouse benefits at a few federal facilities". NewsOK. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  61. ↑ Mills, Russell (November 20, 2013). "Fallin: OK will no longer process benefits for National Guard couples". KRMG. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  62. ↑ PRRI: American Values Atlas 2022
  63. ↑ Baldor, Lolita; Miller, Zeke (January 25, 2021). "Biden reverses Trump ban on transgender people in military". Associated Press.
  64. ↑ "Medical Conditions That Can Keep You From Joining the Military". Military.com. May 10, 2021.
  65. ↑ McNamara, Audrey (April 2, 2020). "FDA eases blood donation requirements for gay men amid "urgent" shortage". CBS News.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.