Rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Utah are among the most extensive in the United States. Protective laws have become increasingly enacted since 2014, despite the state's reputation as socially conservative and highly religious. Same-sex marriage has been legal there since the state's ban on same-sex marriage was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court on October 6, 2014. In addition, statewide anti-discrimination laws now cover sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing. In spite of this, there are still a few differences between treatment of LGBT people and the rest of the population.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Delaware enjoy the same legal protections as heterosexuals. 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.
Illinois is seen as one of the most progressive states in the United States in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, 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 in November 2013, after a law allowing such marriages was signed by then-Governor Pat Quinn on November 20 and went into effect on June 1, 2014. Civil unions also have been legal statewide since 2011 and same-sex couples are also allowed to adopt children. Additionally, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is banned in the state. Since 2016, conversion therapy on minors has also been forbidden.
The expansion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the U.S. state of Maryland is a recent phenomenon, with most advances in LGBT rights occurring within the past two decades. Maryland has had statewide protections against discrimination based on an individual's sexual orientation since 2001 and gender identity since 2014. Legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland was approved by voters on November 6, 2012 and went into effect on January 1, 2013. Today, the state of Maryland is regarded as one of the most pro-LGBT states in the country, with two-thirds of Marylanders supporting same-sex marriage. In May 2018, a ban on conversion therapy on minors was signed into law by the Governor, and it became effective on October 1, 2018.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Hawaii enjoy all of the same rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1973; Hawaii being one the first six states to legalize it. Following the approval of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act in November 2013, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry on the islands. Additionally, Hawaiian laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity. 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, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia do not enjoy the same rights that non-LGBT residents do. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Virginia since October 6, 2014, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal in the case of Bostic v. Rainey. Despite this, there is still only limited rights for LGBT persons in Virginia, since there is no statewide law protecting LGBT persons from discrimination in housing, credit, or any other area, with the exception of statewide employment, the state's hate crime laws do not protect against violence committed based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and Virginia's statute criminalizing sodomy between same-sex and opposite-sex couples, though declared unconstitutional in 2003, was not repealed until 11 years later in 2014.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. commonwealth of Kentucky have most of the same rights as non-LGBT persons have, but still face some legal challenges not experienced by other people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Kentucky. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples. On February 12, 2014, a federal judge ruled that the state must recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions, a ruling that is on hold pending review by the Sixth Circuit. Same sex-marriage is now legal in the state 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.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Mississippi face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Mississippi. Same-sex marriage is legal in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. However, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is not banned statewide. Jackson, Mississippi's state capital, enacted such protections in June 2016.
State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts are state laws based on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a federal law that was passed almost unanimously by the U.S. Congress in 1993 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The laws mandate that religious liberty of individuals can only be limited by the "least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest". Originally, the federal law was intended to apply to federal, state, and local governments. In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court in City of Boerne v. Flores held that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act only applies to the federal government but not states and other local municipalities within them. As a result, 21 states have passed their own RFRAs that apply to their individual state and local governments.
Arizona SB 1062 was an Arizona bill to amend an existing law to give any individual or legal entity an exemption from any state law if it substantially burdened their exercise of religion, including Arizona law requiring public accommodation.
An Act to Amend Section 93-17-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, To Conform Adoption Provisions to the Licensure of Nurse Practitioners; To Prohibit Adoption by Same Gender Couples; and For Related Purposes, also called the Mississippi Adoption Ban, is a 2000 Mississippi anti-LGBT statute that amended state law to prohibit adoption by "couples of the same gender", and also allows adoption certificates to be issued by a nurse practitioner instead of a doctor.
Mississippi House Bill 1523, also called the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act or Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, is 2016 state legislation passed in direct response to federal rulings in support of same-sex marriage. MS H.B. 1523 provides protections for persons, religious organizations, and private associations who choose to provide or withhold services discriminatorily in accordance to the three "deeply held religious beliefs or moral convictions" which are specifically outlined in the bill. These protected beliefs are 1) that marriage is and should be an exclusively heterosexual union, 2) sex should not occur outside of marriage, and 3) that biologically-assigned sex is objective and immutably linked to gender.
The Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act is a 2014 act that states that "government should not substantially burden religious exercise without compelling justification. The act protects religious people from legal repercussions if they verbally condemn the lifestyle or actions of LGBT persons. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of an individual to include businesses, and so if a business owner thinks their religious beliefs would be violated by delivering service to an LGBT person, the Act allows them to deny them service, a move that some commentators have called "anti-gay segregation".
Senate Bill 175 is a 2016 Kansas legislative proposal that would prohibit public universities to "deny a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association" based on those organizations' "sincerely held religious beliefs" This bill is intended to protect student organizations who restrict membership in regards to LGBT students, which critics argue is discriminatory.
Senate Bill 2, officially called An act to allow magistrates, assistant registers of deeds, and deputy registers of deeds to recuse themselves from performing duties related to marriage ceremonies due to sincerely held religious objection., is a 2015 North Carolina anti-LGBT law that allows for an exemption for state magistrates, assistant register of deeds, or deputy register of deeds who object to participating to issuing marriage licenses for marriages they object to "based upon any sincerely held religious objection."
Senate Bill 297 is a 2015 Utah anti-LGBT act that allows for an exemption for individuals, religious officials, religious organizations, and government officers and employees who object to participating to issuing marriage licenses for marriages they object to based on "deeply held beliefs about marriage, family, and sexuality."
House Bill 1111, officially called An act to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 1, Chapter 3, relative to the construction of statutes, is a 2017 law in the state of Tennessee that added the following text: "undefined words shall be given their natural and ordinary meaning, without forced or subtle construction that would limit or extend the meaning of the language, except when a contrary intention is clearly manifest."
Senate Bill 149, officially called An Act to provide certain protections to faith-based or religious child-placement agencies, is a 2017 anti-LGBT law that was enacted in the state of South Dakota that permits taxpayer-funded agencies to deny services on the basis of religious exemptions.
Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act is a 2017 anti-LGBT law that was enacted in the state of Alabama that permits taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to deny services on the basis of religious exemptions.
Senate Bill 1556, officially called An act to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 49 and Title 63, relative to conscientious objections to the provision of counseling and therapy, is a 2016 anti-LGBT law in the state of Tennessee that allows licensed counselors in private practice to use their own religious beliefs as an excuse for terminating care or referring away clients because of moral objections to how the client identifies.
