2023 in LGBTQ rights
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This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBTQ rights taking place in the year 2023.
Events
[edit]February
[edit]- 1 -
- A law legalizing same-sex marriage came into force in Slovenia.[1]
- Finland's parliament passed a law allowing trans people to change their legal gender without them needing to be infertile or to have been sterilized.[2]
- 6 - The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal ruled that government policy forcing transgender individuals to undergo sex reassignment surgery before changing their gender on their ID cards is unconstitutional.[3]
- 7 - A court ruling legalizing recognition of same-sex couples and same-sex marriage came into force in Curaçao.[4]
- 9 - The Senate of Spain passed, with 144 votes in favor, 108 votes against, and 2 abstentions the so-called ley trans bill. The latter allows all transgender people 16 or older to legally change their gender by simply signing a declaration (without the need for prior psychological counseling with a therapist); it also grants transgender people aged 12 to 16 the ability to legally change their gender under certain conditions.
- 16 - The ley trans passed the Spanish Parliament after the Congress of Deputies approved it in its second reading with 191 votes in favour, 60 against, and 91 abstentions.[5]
- 17 -
- A law legalizing same-sex marriage came into force in Andorra.[6][7]
- The Government of the United Kingdom used section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from receiving royal assent, effectively vetoing it.[8] Had the bill become law, it would have made it easier for trans Scottish citizens to change their legal gender.
- 23 - A South Korean High Court recognized the legal status of same-sex couples while ruling on a case considering a same-sex partner's right to spousal coverage under the national health insurance service.[9][10]
- 24 - Kenya's Supreme Court ruled that, even if homosexual intercourse is prohibited by the law, the constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression and of assembly extends to LGBT advocacy groups.[11]
March
[edit]- 2 - The ley trans came into force in Spain.
- 20 - The Supreme Court of Nepal issues a non-binding ruling asking the government to recognize same-sex marriage in the country.[12]
- 21 - The Parliament of Uganda passed by voice vote the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which prescribes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuals" (definition which includes those who are convicted of homosexuality more than once and those who engage in homosexual sex with a person older than 75 or with a disabled person)[13] and imprisonment for up to 20 years for "promoters of homosexuality".
April
[edit]- 14 - The Parliament of the Cook Islands passed into law the Crimes (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill 2023, decriminalizing homosexuality.[14] The bill will come into effect on June 1.[15]
May
[edit]- 16 - The Namibian Supreme Court ruled 4–1 that same-sex marriages concluded outside of Namibia should be recognised for residency purposes.
- 16 - Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed a bill granting full adoption rights to same-sex couples.[16]
- 25 - Cyprus' Parliament passed a bill criminalizing conversion therapy.[17]
- 29 - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law.
June
[edit]- 1 -
- The Crimes (Sexual Offences) Amendment Act 2023 came into effect, decriminalizing homosexuality in the Cook Islands.[15]
- A law granting same-sex couples the right to adopt came into force in Liechtenstein.
- 10 - The Parliament of Iceland passed a bill criminalizing conversion therapy with 53 votes in favor and 3 abstentions.[18]
- 13 - The City Council of Hamtramck, Michigan introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and “nations’ flags that represent the international character of [the] City,” which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents.[19] Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously.[20][21]
- 14 - The Dane County Board of Supervisors passes a resolution declaring the county to be the first sanctuary for transgender and non-binary individuals in the United States.[22]
- 20 - The Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu) passed a bill allowing same-sex marriages, which will come into effect on January 1, 2024.[23]
- 28 - A single judge bench of the Nepal Supreme Court orders the government to establish a separate register for sexual minorities and non-traditional couples and to temporarily register them.[24]
July
[edit]- 14 - The Russian State Duma approves a bill banning gender-affirming care and sex reassignment surgeries.[25]
- 28 - In Bulgaria, a law on amendments and supplements to the criminal code is approved, which provides for heavier penalties for crimes committed on the basis of the victim's sexual orientation.[26]
August
[edit]- 22 - Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ruled that the current protections afforded by federal hate crime law extends to LGBTQ+ individuals. This decision implies that people who engage in hate speech targeted at LGBTQ+ people could potentially face imprisonment ranging from two to five years.[27][28]
September
[edit]- 5 - The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal issued its decision in the case of Sham Tsz Kit v Secretary for Justice, ruling that the government's lack of recognition of same-sex partnerships violates the right to privacy under the Basic Law. The ruling is suspended for two years in order to give the government time to comply with the decision.[29]
October
[edit]- 4 - The Supreme Court of Mauritius ruled that Section 250 of the country's Criminal Code, which criminalized gay sex, is unconstitutional.[30]
- 17 - The Supreme Court of India, in Supriyo v. Union of India, ruled that the legalization of same-sex marriage is a matter for the Parliament to decide, not the courts, but said that the country had a duty to acknowledge LGBTQ relationships and to protect them from discrimination.[31]
November
[edit]- 9 - The Saeima, Latvia's parliament, voted to allow same-sex couples to establish civil unions, providing them with legal recognition but fewer rights than married couples. The new legislation allows same-sex couples to register their partnership with a notary.[32]
- 29 - Authorities in the Lumjung district in Nepal formally registered the union of an LGBT couple, the first same-sex marriage to be registered in the country.[33]
- 30 - Russia's Supreme Court, in a ruling prompted by a motion from the Ministry of Justice, declared what it calls "the international LGBT public movement" an extremist organization and banned its activities across the country. The ruling came after a closed-door hearing and no one from "the defendant's side" was present.[34]
December
[edit]- 17 - The Church of England blessed same-sex couples for the first time, while maintaining its opposition to performing same-sex weddings in church.[35]
- 18 - The Catholic Church approves non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, but clarifies that it still deems same-sex activity to be sinful and opposes all forms of same-sex legal union.[36]
References
[edit]- ^ Queer.de: Und wieder ein Land mehr, Slowenien: Ehe ist geöffnet, February 2, 2023
- ^ "Parliament passes long-awaited amendments to Finland's transgender law". 1 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ Lau, Chris (6 February 2023). "Rights of 2 transgender men breached over ID cards, top Hong Kong court rules". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "Caribbean Court orders Aruba, Curaçao to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples". 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Aprobada definitivamente la 'ley trans' que reconoce la autodeterminación de género". www.ondacero.es (in Spanish). 16 February 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Consellgeneral.ad: Qualified bill of the person and the family, 21 July 2022
- ^ "El nou codi de família tira endavant amb consens de majoria i oposició". El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Catalan). 22 July 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ Walker, Peter (17 January 2023). "UK government formally blocks Scotland's gender recognition law". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ McCurry, Justin (21 February 2023). "South Korean court recognises legal status of same-sex couples for first time". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "South Korea court recognises same-sex couple rights for first time". BBC News. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "Victory as Kenya's highest court allows registration of LGBT organisation". 24 February 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Supreme Court's historic decision, recognizing same-sex marriage (full text of the order and video)". Pahichan.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ Nicholls, Larry Madowo,Catherine (21 March 2023). "Uganda parliament passes bill criminalizing identifying as LGBTQ, imposes death penalty for some offenses". CNN. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Historic day: Cook Islands Parliament decriminalises homosexuality". Cook Islands News. 14 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ a b "'Now we are truly equal': Cook Islands parliament decriminalises homosexuality". NZ Herald. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ "Legislature approves adoption rights for same-sex couples". 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
- ^ "Parliament passes bill criminalising conversion therapy". 25 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- ^ "Iceland bans 'conversion therapy' in unanimous vote". 12 June 2023.
- ^ Warikoo, Niraj (13 June 2023). "Hamtramck considers banning LGBTQ Pride flags on city property". Detroit Free Press. Gannett. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
- ^ "City Council Meeting, June 13, 2023". City of Hamtramck (Video). 23 June 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Protesters unite against Hamtramck neutrality resolution, Pride flag ban". 24 June 2023.
- ^ Bowden, Taylor (16 June 2023). "Dane Co. becomes first sanctuary in the nation for trans and nonbinary people". NBC 15. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ Reuters.com: Estonia becomes first central European country to allow same-sex marriage, June 20, 2023
- ^ The Hindu: Supreme Court of Nepal orders registration of marriages for same-sex couples, 28 June 2023
- ^ "Russia's Duma votes for law to ban gender reassignment surgery, in further crackdown on LGBTQ rights". CNN.
- ^ "Victory for LGBTI people: SC added sexual orientation as a protected sign in the NC". Darik. Darik. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Brazil high court rules homophobia punishable by prison". France 24. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "In Brazil, Using Homophobic Slurs Is Now Punishable By Prison". Them. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ Wong, Brian (5 September 2023). "Hong Kong must create legal framework for same-sex partnerships: top court". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
- ^ "Mauritius Supreme Court rules law targeting LGBT people is unconstitutional". Human Dignity Trust. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ "India's top court says it does not have the power to legalise same-sex marriage". France 24. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ "Latvian parliament legalises same-sex partnerships". Reuters. 9 November 2023.
- ^ "Nepal registers first same-sex marriage hailed as win for LGBT rights". BBC. 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Russian court bans 'LGBT movement'". BBC. 30 November 2023.
- ^ APNews: Church of England blesses same-sex couples for the first time, but they still can’t wed in church, 17 December 2023
- ^ Vatican News: Doctrinal declaration opens possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations, 18 December 2023