In the United States,the rights of transgender people vary considerably by jurisdiction. In recent decades,there has been an expansion of federal,state,and local laws and rulings to protect transgender Americans;however,many rights remain unprotected,and some rights are being eroded. Since 2020,there has been a national movement by conservative/right-wing politicians and organizations to target transgender rights. There has been a steady increase in the number of anti-transgender bills introduced each year,especially in Republican-led states.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in New Jersey have the same legal rights as non-LGBT people. LGBT persons in New Jersey enjoy strong protections from discrimination,and have had the right to marry since October 21,2013.
California is seen as one of the most liberal states in the U.S. in regard to lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) rights,which have received nationwide recognition since the 1970s. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the state since 1976. Discrimination protections regarding sexual orientation and gender identity or expression were adopted statewide in 2003. Transgender people are also permitted to change their legal gender on official documents without any medical interventions,and mental health providers are prohibited from engaging in conversion therapy on minors.
The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) rights. LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states,"The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth,and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". The advocacy movement for LGBT rights in the state has been dated as far back as 1969 during the Stonewall riots in New York City. Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults has been legal since the New York v. Onofre case in 1980. Same-sex marriage has been legal statewide since 2011,with some cities recognizing domestic partnerships between same-sex couples since 1998. Discrimination protections in credit,housing,employment,education,and public accommodation have explicitly included sexual orientation since 2003 and gender identity or expression since 2019. Transgender people in the state legally do not have to undergo sex reassignment surgery to change their sex or gender on official documents since 2014. In addition,both conversion therapy on minors and the gay and trans panic defense have been banned since 2019. Since 2021,commercial surrogacy has been legally available within New York State.
Illinois is seen as one of the most progressive states in the United States in regard to lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) rights and often viewed as one of the most liberal states in the Midwestern United States. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1962,after Illinois became the first U.S. state to repeal its sodomy laws. Same-sex marriage was banned by statute in 1996,but has since been legalized after a law allowing such marriages was signed by Governor Pat Quinn on November 20,2013 and went into effect on June 1,2014. Civil unions have been recognized since 2011,and same-sex couples are also allowed to adopt. Additionally,discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is banned in employment,housing,credit and public accommodations,and conversion therapy on minors has been outlawed since 2016.
In the District of Columbia,lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. Along with the rest of the country,the District of Columbia recognizes and allows same-sex marriages. The percentage of same-sex households in the District of Columbia in 2008 was at 1.8%,the highest in the nation. This number had grown to 4.2% by early 2015.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Maine enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people,including the ability to marry and adopt. 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.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) 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.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Oregon have the same legal rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Oregon,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.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania enjoy most of the same rights as non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Pennsylvania. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples. Pennsylvania was the final Mid-Atlantic state without same-sex marriage,indeed lacking any form of same-sex recognition law until its statutory ban was overturned on May 20,2014.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Arkansas may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Arkansas. 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.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Indiana enjoy most of the same rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Indiana since October 6,2014,when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal in the case of Baskin v. Bogan.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of South Dakota may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT 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 LGBT people is illegal under federal law.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Montana may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT 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 LGBT people is illegal under federal law. A number of cities also provide protections in housing and public accommodations.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Oklahoma may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT 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 LGBT people is illegal. 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.
Discrimination against non-binary people,people who do not identify exclusively as male or female,may occur in social,legal,or medical contexts.
Multiple countries legally recognize non-binary or third gender classifications. These classifications are typically based on a person's gender identity. In some countries,such classifications may only be available to intersex people,born with sex characteristics that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies."
John Kevin Stitt is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma since 2019. A member of the Republican Party,he was elected in 2018,defeating Democrat and former state Attorney General Drew Edmondson with 54.3% of the vote. Stitt was reelected to a second term in 2022,defeating Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister,a Republican turned Democrat,with 55.4% of the vote. A member of the Cherokee Nation,Stitt is the second Native American governor after former Oklahoma governor Johnston Murray.
The Fifty-eighth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma,composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City,Oklahoma from January 3,2021,to January 3,2023,during the second two years of the first administration of Governor Kevin Stitt. The 2020 Oklahoma elections maintained Republican control of both the House and Senate.
Oklahoma Senate Bill 1100 is a 2022 law in the state of Oklahoma which bans sex markers other than male or female on birth certificates. According to Lambda Legal,Oklahoma is the first US state to pass such a law.
