2011 in LGBTQ rights: Difference between revisions

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	* 21 — A judge in ] denies the petition of a biological woman seeking to have her marriage to a transgender man voided on the grounds that it constitutes an illegal same-sex marriage. Other courts in Texas have ruled that gender is established by chromosomes and that similar marriages were void.<ref></ref>		* 21 — A judge in ] denies the petition of a biological woman seeking to have her marriage to a transgender man voided on the grounds that it constitutes an illegal same-sex marriage. Other courts in Texas have ruled that gender is established by chromosomes and that similar marriages were void.<ref></ref>
	* 22 — An independent arbiter rules that ] must extend spousal benefits to the same-sex spouses of two police officers who legally married in other states.<ref></ref>		* 22 — An independent arbiter rules that ] must extend spousal benefits to the same-sex spouses of two police officers who legally married in other states.<ref></ref>
			* 23 — Massachusetts Governor ] signed House Bill 3810 into law, which prohibits private employers with six or more employees from discriminating against employees and applicants on the basis of gender identity.<ref>;"National Law Review", accessed December 3, 2011</ref>Gender identity will become a protected category with respect to private employment, and will be added as a protected category to several laws. The new law will go into effect on July 1, 2012.
	* 24 — A judge in ] sentences three men to five years each in prison for committing homosexual acts.<ref></ref>		* 24 — A judge in ] sentences three men to five years each in prison for committing homosexual acts.<ref></ref>

Revision as of 20:49, 4 December 2011

Overview of the events of 2011 in LGBT rights

List of years in LGBT rights

(table)

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This is a list of events in 2011 that affected LGBT rights.

Events

January

1 — The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 comes into effect in Ireland, allowing same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships.
2 — A criminal court in Bursa, Turkey orders the LGBT rights organization Rainbow Association to shut down following allegations that members engaged in prostitution.
3 — Ugandan High Court Justice V.F. Kibuuka Musoke rules that Rolling Stone violated the civil rights of homosexuals when it printed their pictures on the front page with the headline "Hang Them." The court orders the newspaper to pay each of the three lead plaintiffs $1.5 million Ugandan shillings.
4

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issues two rulings in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which seeks to overturn California's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. In the first, the court rules that Imperial County does not have standing to intervene in the suit. In the second, the court asks the California Supreme Court to rule on whether proponents of the amendment have standing to appeal.
New Mexico Attorney General Gary King issues an opinion stating that legal same-sex marriages performed outside the state would likely be recognized within the state.

7 — The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, Texas rules that the Texas Attorney General does not have standing to intervene in a same-sex divorce case. The ruling, which conflicts with a ruling issued in 2010 by the 5th Court of Appeals, means that a Texas divorce granted to two women who married in Massachusetts is legal. However, the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unaffected.
10

The Appeals Court of Saskatchewan in Canada rules that marriage commissioners in Saskatchewan cannot refuse to marry same-sex couples due to religious objections. The decision is in response to a proposed law which had two versions: One would allow any marriage commissioner to avoid performing a same-sex wedding because of his or her religion; the other version would allow commissioners to opt out of performing a same-sex ceremony only if they were commissioners before Canada enacted marriage equality in 2004.
Newly sworn-in Ohio Governor John Kasich allows a previous executive order prohibiting discrimination in state employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity to expire.

12 — The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council bans the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing" from the Council's member stations after the board finds the word "faggot" in the lyrics offensive.
14 — A Virginia circuit court judge reverses his earlier ruling and allows one half of a lesbian couple to change her last name legally to that of her partner. The judge had initially denied the name change, stating that since same-sex marriage is illegal in Virginia and the couple "hold themselves out as a married couple" the name change was for "fraudulent purposes."
18

The Supreme Court of the United States without comment rejects an appeal in Jackson v. The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, which sought to overturn the law allowing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. The suit contended that the legalization of same-sex marriage should have been put to a vote in the district.
A Bristol County Court judge rules that the owners of a bed and breakfast in Cornwall, United Kingdom violated the rights of a homosexual couple in a civil partnership when they refused to rent them a double room because of the owners' Christian beliefs. The decision is described as a landmark.

20 — The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development proposes new regulations designed to eliminate discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
21 — Ohio governor John Kasich signs an executive order that prohibits discrimination in state employment on the basis of sexual orientation; however, it does not include gender identity.
24 — The Wyoming House of Representatives passes a bill that would bar the state from recognizing legal same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Current Wyoming law bars same-sex marriage within the state but also requires the state to recognize all legal marriages performed elsewhere.
27

The Iowa Senate rejects a proposal for a voter intiative to amend the Iowa constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
The Wyoming Senate approves a resolution that, if approved by voters, would amend the state constitution to bar recognition of same-sex marriage in the state.

The Constitutional Council of France rules that French laws which restrict marriage to unions between men and women do not violate the French Constitution.
The Pentagon releases its outline for training military personnel on the policy and protocol regulations that will be implemented to repeal don't ask, don't tell. Officials estimate that training will take approximately three months.
A UK judge grants a temporary injunction to halt the deportation of Brenda Namiggade to Uganda. Namiggade has said she fled Uganda because she was beaten and harassed for being a lesbian. Her requests for asylum were denied when a court ruled that there was "no evidence" she is a lesbian.
In Indiana, the Gary Community School Corporation, as part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed in 2007 by a transgender former student, announces a new anti-discrimination policy that includes specific protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Following its passage in December 2010, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signs the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act. This act allows all couples, regardless of gender, to enter into civil unions which provide all of the state benefits of marriage. The law is scheduled to take effect June 1.
Because same-sex marriage is constitutionally prohibited in the state of Nebraska, an Otoe County judge refuses to grant a divorce to two women legally married in Vermont eight years ago. The judge does, however, rule on child support and visitation issues.
Representatives at São Tomé and Príncipe's United Nations Universal Periodic Review announce that upcoming revisions to its Criminal Code will decriminalize homosexual sex in the country. The new code would come into effect four months later. Nauru announced a similar intention days earlier at its UPR session.

February

The United States Department of State begins issuing passport applications that ask applicants for "Mother or parent one" and "Father or parent two" instead of for "Father" and "Mother." The change, announced in December 2010, is "in recognition of different types of families."
The Iowa House of Representatives passes House Joint Resolution 6, which would submit a ballot initiative to amend the Iowa constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The Iowa Senate had already rejected a similar initiative in January.

7 — New York City adopts a new policy regarding transgender marriage license applicants specifying that once an applicant displays a proper photo identification the city clerk may not request further proof of sex.
17 — The Arkansas Supreme Court upholds a lower court ruling giving a woman visitation rights with the child of her former partner. The court rules that even though same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Arkansas, the woman stood in loco parentis to the child.
18

Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick signs an executive order banning discrimination against state employees based on gender identity or expression.
The Alaska Board of Regents votes to add sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination policy.

In response to two lawsuits, Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management and Windsor v. United States, the Justice Department announces that it will no longer defend the constitutionality of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act although the department will "remain parties to the cases and continue to represent the interests of the United States throughout the litigation." That section had been ruled unconstitutional in two district court cases, Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services and Gill v. Office of Personnel Management.
Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie signs the state's civil unions bill. The law will take effect on January 1, 2012.

The Justice Department notifies the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit that it will not defend the constitutionality of section 3 of DOMA in Massachusetts v. HHS and Gill v. OPM.
A New York state appellate court rules that recognizing a legal same-sex marriage performed in Canada for purposes of probate does not violate the public policy of the state of New York.

March

1 — The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit rules that Indian Prairie School District 204 may not bar students from wearing shirts with anti-gay slogans finding that a "school that permits advocacy of the rights of homosexual students cannot be allowed to stifle criticism of homosexuality." The district had argued that it barred a shirt reading "Be Happy, Not Gay" on the grounds that it violated the rights of students toward whom the derogatory comment was directed.
2 — The Wyoming Senate defeats a bill that would have prevented the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions.
7 — Citing the 1971 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in Baker v. Nelson and Minnesota's defense of marriage act, Hennepin County District Judge Mary Dufresne dismisses a lawsuit brought by marriage equality advocacy group Marry Me Minnesota which contended that the state ban on same-sex marriage violates the rights of same-sex couples to due process, equal protection, religious freedom and freedom of association.
8 — The Mexican Senate unanimously adopts a constitutional reform that would forbid discrimination on the basis of "preferencias sexuales" (sexual preferences). The resolution now goes to the states for ratification.
9 — Along party lines, the United States House of Representatives Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group votes to defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act after the Obama administration announced it would not support the bill. The Advisory Group vote sidesteps a full House vote on the question.
11 — After three hours of debate the Maryland House of Delegates refers the state's marriage equality bill back to the judiciary committee. The referral delays possible passage of the bill until at least 2012.
16 — Upon its second reading, the Liechtenstein Parliament passes a bill legalizing registered civil partnership. The law will take effect on September 1, 2011.
21 — The Cook County Jail in Chicago implements a new policy for housing transgender prisoners, allowing for them to be housed based on their gender identity rather than birth sex.
24

Canada announces a pilot program to provide $100,000 in living assistance funds to refugees facing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Roman Catholic-operated Marquette University announces that it will offer domestic partnership benefits to employees beginning in 2012.

28 — United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announces that it will no longer deny applications for green cards on the part of bi-national same-sex married couples but will put those cases on hold pending resolution of the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.
30

USCIS reverses its ruling and announces that it will continue to deny green cards to bi-national applicants in same-sex marriages.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit dismisses the complaint of a Wal-Mart employee fired in 2005 for anti-gay harassment of another employee. The court rules that Wal-Mart did not violate the fired employee's religious freedom. Wal-Mart's anti-harassment policy includes "sexual orientation" as a category.

31 — The Constitutional Court of Korea rules in a 5-4 decision that the Korean military ban on homosexual conduct is constitutional and does not discriminate against homosexual military personnel.

April

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development launches the "Live Free" campaign to educate the American public on housing discrimination, including discrimination faced by LGBT people. While neither sexual orientation nor gender identity are expressly covered under the Fair Housing Act, such discrimination may sometimes be illegal based on gender expression.
The Nashville, Tennessee Metro Council passes a measure requiring businesses with contracts with the city to promise not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

7 — The Arkansas Supreme Court upholds a 2010 lower court ruling that a 2008 voter-approved ban on adoption by unmarried cohabiting couples is unconstitutional.
11 — The Maine Human Rights Commission finds that a rental agency that repeatedly delayed an application from a transgender applicant illegally discriminated against her based on her gender identity.
12 — The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rules that a Louisiana registrar's refusal to list the names of both same-sex adoptive parents on a birth certificate does not violate their child's right to equal protection nor does the Full Faith and Credit Clause, which requires each state to recognize the legal proceedings of the other states, require Louisiana to "confer particular benefits on unmarried adoptive parents contrary to its law."
13 — Rear Admiral Mark L. Tidd, Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy, issues a two-page "guidance" memo stating that following final repeal of the don't ask, don't tell policy, same-sex couples would be allowed to marry in Naval facilities with Naval chaplains officiating in those states in which same-sex marriage is legal.
18

The National Assembly of Hungary adopts a new constitution that among other things explicitly restricts same-sex marriage. However, same-sex couples may obtain the same legal protections through registering as domestic partners. If signed as expected by President Pál Schmitt it will go into effect on January 1, 2012.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signs into law a bill that requires adoption agencies in the state to "give primary consideration to adoptive placement with a married man and woman". Agencies may place a child with a legally single person if it is in the child's best interest or if there is no married couple available. Same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Arizona.

20 — The Virginia Board of Social Services votes to strike language from new proposed adoption regulations which would have barred discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Single people and married mixed-sex couples may adopt children.
21 — Montana District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock rules against same-sex couples seeking to force the state to extend the benefits of marriage to them, finding that the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and the separation of powers between the courts and the legislature prevents it.
23 — It is reported that pursuant to a 2008 order by then-Governor David Paterson that New York state agencies recognize same-sex unions performed in other jurisdictions, the New York State Department of Correctional Services has updated its regulations to allow prisoners in same-sex marriages and civil unions to have conjugal visits and seek furloughs if a spouse or partner is terminally ill.
26

In the UK, the Charity Tribunal upholds an earlier ruling from the Charity Commission that denies an exemption from the 2007 Sexual Orientation Regulations to the Leeds-based Catholic Care adoption agency. The charity must consider same-sex couples as prospective adoptive parents and may not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
The Clovis, New Mexico school board votes to ban all extra-curricular clubs from meeting during school hours within hours of a club application's being filed for a gay-straight alliance. The federal Equal Access Act requires schools receiving federal finds to allow equal access to all extra-curricular clubs. The board claims that the timing of the ban is coincidental.

29 — The United States Department of Labor updates its internal equal employment opportunity policy to bar discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

May

Nepal takes a national census and officially recognizes a third gender in addition to male and female.
5

The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil rules in a unanimous 10-0 decision, with one abstention, to legalize same-sex civil unions.
The ACLU announces a settlement in the case of Witt v. Department of the Air Force. The Air Force agrees to drop its appeal and remove Witt's discharge from her military record and she will retire with full benefits.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approves a constitutional amendment allowing for the ordination of clergy in same-sex relationships.
In the face of political opposition from Republican members of Congress who claimed that allowing the use of federal facilities or personnel to perform same-sex marriages would violate the Defense of Marriage Act, Rear Admiral Mark L. Tidd suspends his April 13 "guidance" memo pending further Naval review.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell signs the state's civil unions bill into law, granting same-sex couples in the state all of the rights of marriage. The law will take effect January 1, 2012.
The Minnesota Senate approves a proposed constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriage in the state.

13 — After delaying a vote originally scheduled two day ago, the Parliament of Uganda adjourns without taking action on the country's proposed anti-homosexuality bill.
17

The Nevada Legislature passes a bill to bar employment discrimination in the state on the basis of gender identity or expression.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin bans a gay pride march scheduled for May 28, despite an October 2010 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that similar bans in 2006, 2007 and 2008 violated the European Convention on Human Rights. Activists plan to defy the ban as they had in past years.
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is observed.

The Tennessee Legislature gives final passage to the "Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act." The bill would repeal an ordinance passed earlier this year in Nashville that requires companies doing business with the city to adopt anti-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill would also prevent any unit of local government from requiring companies to bar discrimination on any basis that is not illegal under state law. The Tennessee Senate also passes Senate Bill 49, colloquially known as the "Don't Say Gay bill", which would bar schools from presenting any prepared material or lessons about homosexuality to students before high school.
United States District Judge Frank Montalvo rules that a voter initiative in El Paso, Texas that stripped health benefits from the unmarried partners of city employees is constitutional. Although supporters of the initiative stated that they only intended to remove benefits from the partners of gay employees, Montalvo finds that the language of the ordinance also strips benefits from city officials and others who are not technically employees of the city.

21 — The Minnesota House of Representatives passes a proposed constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriage in the state. The amendment will go before the voters in November 2012.
23

Tennessee governor Bill Haslam signs the "Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act" into law, reversing Nashville's LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance and barring any local unit of government from requiring that companies bar discrimination on any basis not already covered by state law.
The Church of Scotland votes to allow openly gay ministers, who can live in civil unions.

24 — A judge in Wharton, Texas rules that a transgender woman is still legally male and invalidates her marriage to a biological male. The woman had been seeking her husband's death benefits.
25

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signs Assembly Bill 211, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression. The law will take effect October 1.
A spokesperson for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announces that she has suspended an upcoming distribution of sex education videos through the ministries of health and education, saying that the "anti-homophobia kits," as they are known, are inappropriate for children and do not offer an "objective" view of homosexuality.

26 — The United States House of Representatives passes a military spending bill with amendments designed to delay final repeal of don't ask, don't tell. The bill would also specify that the Defense of Marriage Act applies to all Department of Defense policies and prohibit the use of military facilities or personnel for performing same-sex marriages.
28 — Moscow police arrest more than 30 people at a gay rights march in the city, despite an October 2010 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that denying permits to gay rights demonstrations is illegal.

June

1 — Illinois' civil unions law goes into effect.
2 — Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signs the Nevada Senate Bills 331 and 368, which outlawed discrimination in housing and public accommodation on the basis of gender identity.
4 — A lesbian couple marries in what is being called France's first legal same-sex marriage. The marriage is legal because one of the brides, a male-to-female transgender, never legally changed her sex.
6 — The Wyoming Supreme Court reverses a lower court ruling and allows a a LGBT couple married in Canada to divorce. The ruling recognised same-sex marriage in Wyoming only in the context of divorce.
8

The Virginia Board of Juvenile Justice, which oversees the state's juvenile correctional facilities, votes unanimously to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The Portland, Oregon City Council votes unanimously to expand health coverage for city workers to cover the cost of sex re-assignment surgery up to $50,000.
In an apparent national first, Cambridge, Massachusetts announces plans to reimburse city employees in legal same-sex marriages for the federal tax burden they incur for the value of health benefits received by their spouses. Under federal law, employers are required to include the value of such benefits as taxable income, while mixed-sex married couples are not taxed. Reimbursement in the form of quarterly stipends are expected to begin in July.

10 — The Obama administration issues a "guidance" memo stating that under existing law, states may choose to offer the same level of asset protection to same-sex couples under Medicaid asset recovery plans as it offers to mixed-sex married couples.
11 — The first ever gay pride march in Split, Croatia is attacked by extremists throwing rocks, bottles and firecrackers. Over 100 people are detained by authorities. Croatian President Ivo Josipovic condemns the violence, saying that violent extremism is "something that cannot be tolerated in Croatia".
14

United States Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan affirms in a letter to educators that gay-straight alliances should be afforded the same rights and protections as any other student-initiated organization under the Equal Access Act.
Chief U.S. District Judge James S. Ware rejects a petition to vacate retired Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which invalidated California's Proposition 8. Proponents of the measure had claimed that Walker's involvement in a long-term relationship with another man required him either to disclose the relationship or to recuse himself.
The National Assembly of France rejects a bill presented by the opposition Socialist Party seeking to legalise same-sex marriage by 293 votes to 222.
The El Paso, Texas city council votes to restore health benefits to the non-married partners of city employees. The benefits had been stripped by a voter initiative in November 2010.

15 — The United States Department of Health and Human Services announces its first-ever grant in the amount of $250,000 to create a resource center for LGBT political refugees.
16

The United Nations Human Rights Council passes a declaration which for the first time condemns discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The declaration also commissions a study of anti-gay discrimination around the world.
The National Assembly of Slovenia passes, on the third reading, a bill expanding the rights of registered partnerships.

19 — Voters in Liechtenstein approve a binding resolution by a margin of 68%–32% that recognises registered partnerships. Same-sex couples will have the same tax, inheritance and welfare rights as married couples but will remain barred from adopting children.
20 — Dane County Judge Dan Moeser rules that Wisconsin's domestic partnership registry, which offers limited benefits to registered partners, does not violate the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. He finds that the state "does not recognize domestic partnership in a way that even remotely resembles how the state recognizes marriage."
21 — The World Health Organization releases a report stating that legal sanctions against homosexuality have worsened the worldwide AIDS pandemic and calls upon world governments to enact anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
23 — A Washington County, Maryland judge rules that one member of a same-sex couple legally married in Washington, D. C. may invoke spousal privilege and refuse to testify against her spouse in a criminal case.
24

Following a 36-26 vote passing exemptions for religious organizations, the New York Senate approves the same-sex marriage law; the New York State Assembly had approved the amended bill earlier in the day. Governor Andrew Cuomo signs the bill into law shortly before midnight. The law will take effect in 30 days and will make New York the sixth state in the United States to recognize same-sex marriage.
Police in St. Petersburg, Russia, detain 14 gay rights activists holding an unsanctioned gay pride event.

27 — Sao Paulo, Brazil state Judge Fernando Henrique Pinto rules that two men in a civil union may convert their union into a full legal marriage, believed to be the first legal same-sex marriage in the country.
29 — An organization supporting same-sex marriage and seven same-sex couples in New Jersey file a lawsuit, Garden State Equality v. Dow, seeking full marriage rights. A 2006 decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court, Lewis v. Harris, led to the establishment of civil unions in the state but plaintiffs argue that civil unions do not offer the full equality required by the original Court decision.

July

Following a federal investigation into the September 2010 suicide of gay student Seth Walsh, the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department of Education announce a "resolution agreement" with California's Tehachapi Unified School District addressing bullying based on sexual orientation and gender expression.
The United States Department of Justice files a brief in Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management, supporting a plaintiff who is asking for DOMA Section 3 to be ruled unconstitutional. It provides its first account of "a significant history of purposeful discrimination against gay and lesbian people, by governmental as well as private entities".

2 — Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signs the state's civil unions bill into law. The law, which is effective immediately, is designed to grant same-sex couples the same rights as married couples but withholds the word "marriage." However, some rights, such as tax exemptions based on marital status, remain unavailable because the state uses federal tax law to determine them, which does not recognize any form of same-sex union. Some LGBT rights activists had urged Chafee to veto the bill, saying that exemptions for religious organizations were overly broad and might allow such groups to discriminate against civil unions.
5 — Governor Dan Malloy of Connecticut signs bill HB-6599, which bars discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and other laws based on gender identity or expression. The law, which will take effect October 1, makes Connecticut the 15th state (along with Washington, D.C.) to outlaw some form of gender identity discrimination.
6 — In Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit lifts its stay of a lower court's order and orders an immediate halt to the enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell." The court cites progress implementing the 2010 repeal of the policy and the Obama administration's 1 July brief in a DOMA case that cites the history of government and private discrimination based on sexual orientation.
7 — The United States Department of Justice seeks to withdraw its appeal of a California same-sex couple's joint bankruptcy petition and announces that it will no longer raise objections to "bankruptcy petitions filed jointly by same-sex couples who are married under state law".
12 — It is reported that railway police in Hyderabad, India arrested 212 hijras in June "to eradicate the menace of eunuch [sic]."
14

California governor Jerry Brown signs the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful Education Act. The new law mandates that educational material in California schools includes information on the contributions of LGBT people to California and United States history, prohibits discriminatory material and lessons and adds "sexual orientation" to existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education.
After a July 11 order from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals requiring that it reveal whether it intends to continue defending "don't ask, don't tell", the Obama administration requests an emergency reconsideration of the court's order suspending the enforcement of the policy.

15 — The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals grants the government's emergency request to reinstate "don't ask, don't tell" but bars the government from investigating, penalizing or discharging anyone under the policy.
19 — With over 1,700 same-sex New York City couples having applied for marriage licenses online to be married on July 24, the first day such marriages will be legally performed in the state, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announce that a lottery will be held to assign spots to 764 same-sex and mixed-sex couples to be married in the city that day.
20 — The United States Department of Justice confirms that it, along with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, is investigating Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 in Minnesota for "allegations of harassment and discrimination in the based on sex, including peer-on-peer harassment based on not conforming to gender stereotypes." Several students, including four who, according to friends and family, were homosexual or perceived as such and committed suicide within the last two years. The school district has a policy barring any discussion of homosexuality and requires staff to remain neutral on matters of sexual orientation.
22

President Barack Obama announces that certification required for ending the U.S. military's ban on openly gay servicemembers has been completed and that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is scheduled to end on September 20.
The Michigan Supreme Court rejects an appeal from a lesbian seeking shared custody of the children of her former partner.

24 — The first legal same-sex marriages are performed in the state of New York. New York City records 659 marriages, a one-day record for the city.
26

The Constitutional Court of Colombia rules that same-sex couples in de facto unions constitute a family. The Court further rules that the Congress of Colombia has two years to address marriage equality through the legislative process. If the deadline passes without legislation, same-sex couples will be able to formalize their unions through notary publics.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council reports that the International Gay and Lesbian Association has been granted consultative status. This gives ILGA the right to attend U.N. meetings, speak, and provide information to U.N. bodies on treatment of gays.
The Italian Chamber of Deputies rejects a bill that would have outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The United States Department of Labor releases a report on employee benefits in the United States which for the first time includes information on the availability of same-sex domestic partnership benefits.

August

1 — Members of the Suquamish tribe in the U.S. state of Washington vote unanimously to legalize same-sex marriage. The tribal court may issue a marriage license to two unmarried adults regardless of sex as long as at least one of them is a registered tribal member.
4 — President Barack Obama signs a proclamation ordering the State Department to bar from entry into the United States anyone who has engaged in oppression against various groups, including those defined by "sexual orientation or gender identity."
5

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upholds a lower court ruling in Fields v. Smith, striking down Wisconsin's "Inmate Sex Change Prevention Act." The law barred doctors in Wisconsin prisons from prescribing hormone treatment or sex reassignment surgery to transgender inmates. The court finds that denial of treatment without a medically necessary reason constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
Thirteen embassies seated in Prague issue a joint statement in support of the Prague Pride gay carnival scheduled for August 13. The event had been denounced by Czech President Vaclav Klaus. The statement was signed by the ambassadors from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain (which initiated the action), Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

13 — Several thousand people march in the first-ever gay pride march in Prague. Dozens of counter-demonstrators protest the event but a police presence of 300 keeps marchers and protesters separate.
15 — The American Civil Liberties Union files suit against the Camdenton R-III School District in Osage Beach, Missouri because of its alleged practice of blocking access to LGBT-oriented educational sites with content-control software. The ACLU contends that such blocking places an "undue burden" on students.
17 — Maine Secretary of State Charles E. Summers, Jr. approves language for a ballot initiative seeking to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Proponents will need to gather just over 57,000 signatures by January 2012 to place the initiative on the November 2012 ballot. Maine legislators had approved marriage equality in 2009 but the law was overturned by referendum later that year.
26 — The Nebraska Supreme Court issues a ruling clarifying same-sex parenting rights in the state. The court rules that a woman who served as a parent to her former partner's child during their relationship can pursue custody and visitation.
31 — The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council modifies its January ruling on the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing", saying that while the word "faggot" is "inappropriate", the song itself was satirical and taken in context the slur was not used in a hateful manner.

September

2 — The California State Senate passes AB 9, known as "Seth's Law" after 13-year-old Seth Walsh, who committed suicide in 2010 after constant anti-gay harassment at his school. The bill would require every school in California to implement anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies and programs that include actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The state assembly had passed the bill in June.
4 — Iran Human Rights, an organization that monitors Iranian state news, reports that three men were hanged on this day for engaging in sodomy.
6

California governor Jerry Brown signs SB 117, also known as the Equal Benefits Act, into law. The Act bars the state from entering into contracts worth more than $100,000 with vendors that do not offer equal benefits to the spouses of same-sex employees.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholds a lower court order requiring the state of Arizona to continue providing health care benefits to the same-sex partners of state workers while a lawsuit challenging the removal of benefits continues. The plaintiffs contend that the law stripping the benefits, which was signed in 2009, violates their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection.

7 — The United States Department of Health and Human Services issues a finalized guidance memorandum that creates an enforcement mechanism for the policy announced last year by the Obama administration mandating hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding allow patients to designate their choice of visitors during inpatient stays, including same-sex partners.
12 — A transgender woman in Illinois is awarded over $100,000 for discrimination by a former employer based on her gender identity. The award is believed to be the first on the basis of gender identity made in the state since the Illinois Human Rights Act was amended in 2006 to cover it.
13 — Following passage Monday in the State Assembly, the North Carolina Senate passes a proposed state constitutional amendment limiting the state's definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. North Carolina voters will see the amendment on the ballot in May 2012.
15

The government of Australia announces new passport guidelines that will allow intersex people to select "X" as their gender identifier. Only intersex people may select X; transgender people must still select either "male" or "female".
The United States Social Security Administration confirms that it has discontinued the practice of notifying employers when an employee's gender marker on a W-2 tax form does not match the worker's gender in Social Security records. Transgender activists feared that such "gender no-match" letters could have the effect of outing transgender people in possibly hostile work environments.
The San Antonio, Texas City Council approves a budget that includes domestic partnership benefits for city employees.

17 — Alaska Superior Court Judge Frank Pfiffner rules that denying same-sex couples the senior citizen and property tax exemptions given to mixed-sex married couples violates the state's constitutional guarantee of equal protection.
20 — Don't ask, don't tell, the law which since 1993 has excluded LGB people from serving openly in the United States military, expires nine months after it was legislatively repealed. The United States Army is the first branch of the military to announce formally that the exclusionary policy is over.
26 — New York governor Andrew Cuomo signs into law a bill requiring the New York State Office of the Aging to assess the needs of traditionally underserved populations among the elderly, including LGBT senior citizens.
28 — The European Parliament in Straßburg passes a resolution against discrimination by sexual orientation.
29

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacates the district court's ruling in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, ruling that the legislative repeal of don't ask, don't tell renders the case moot. The dismissal leaves the earlier court rulings without value as precedent.
Citing the 1982 case Adams v. Howerton, United States District Judge Stephen Victor Wilson dismisses the lawsuit of a binational same-sex couple who legally married in Massachusetts and who sought to have the Defense of Marriage Act declared unconstitutional. Marriage advocates had argued that Adams should not be considered precedent because of the changed legal landscape for married same-sex couples since it was decided.

The United States Federal Bureau of Prisons announces the settlement of a lawsuit brought by a transgender prisoner that will change how transgender people are treated in the federal prison system. Formerly such prisoners were subjected to a "freeze frame" policy under which transgender prisoners were "frozen" at the level of treatment they were at upon entering the prison system. Now prisoners "will receive a current individualized assessment and evaluation. Treatment options will not be precluded solely due to level of services received, or lack of services, prior to incarceration…current, accepted standards of care will be used as a reference for developing the treatment plan."
Following the end of "don't ask, don't tell" the United States Department of Defense issues a memo clarifying that military facilities may be used for, and that any military chaplain may preside over, any private ceremony that does not violate the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is performed. The memo clears the way for same-sex marriages to be performed in military facilities in those jurisdictions where same-sex marriages are legally recognized.
Officials in Serbia ban a gay pride parade scheduled for October 2 in Belgrade, citing the possibility of "major chaos" and "enormous damage to public order and peace". A parade last year was disrupted by far right counter-demonstrators and counter-demonstrations planned for this year are also banned.

October

1 — Connecticut becomes the 15th state to ban discrimination against transgender employees when HB6599 or An Act Concerning Discrimination became effective October 1st. The new law defines gender identity and expression as "a person's gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's physiology or assigned sex at birth.
3

The UK's Identity and Passport Service announces plans to change passport application forms to include options for same-sex parents to identify as "parent one" and "parent two" rather than as "mother" and "father" and to allow transgender applicants to opt out of selecting a gender for passport purposes.
Park Ridge, Illinois repeals a 1928 ordinance against cross-dressing. Such bans were historically used to harass and arrest gay people.

5 — California Governor Jerry Brown signs Seth's law, requiring school districts across the state have a uniform process for dealing with complaints about bullying and mandating that school personnel intervene, when safe to do so, to stop bullying.
8 — Andrew Mitchell, the UK's Secretary of State for International Development, announces that African countries which persecute homosexuals will face cuts in financial aid from the British government. The Government has already cut £19 million in aid to Malawi after two men were sentenced in 2010 to 14 years' hard labor for attempting to marry (the men were later released after intercession by the United Nations).
9 — California Governor Jerry Brown announces the signing of the Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 443) and the Vital Statistics Modernization Act (AB 887). AB 443 makes it illegal to discriminate in employment, education, housing, and other public settings based on gender identity or expression and AB 887 allows transgender people to obtain a court order to protect their gender.
25

The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil rules in favor of two women seeking to be legally civilly married, finding that "sexual orientation should not serve as a pretext for excluding families from the legal protection that marriage represents".
The United States Department of Homeland Security grants political asylum to a gay man from Mauritania, one of five countries which imposes the death penalty for homosexuality.

28 — As part of an ongoing review of benefits available to the partners of LGB military personnel, the United States Department of Defense releases a list of 14 such rights and benefits.

November

The UK Equalities Commission announces that same-sex couples may use houses of worship in England and Wales for civil partnership ceremonies although no religious organization can be forced to perform them.
The United States Internal Revenue Service announces that it intends to issue a formal agreement, known as a "notice of acquiescence", with the 2010 United States Tax Court decision in O'Donnabhain v. Commissioner, allowing people to deduct the costs for treating gender identity disorder from their federal income taxes.

3 — The United Nations Human Rights Committee issues a groundbreaking report on Iran's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the country's treatment of its LGBT citizens. The report, which has legal weight in the international community, could become a tool for improving the lives of LGBT people in Iran and elsewhere.
4

An advance copy of a UN Human Rights Committee report on LGBT rights in Jamaica shows the body is calling upon the Jamaican government to protect the rights of its LGBT citizens, including repealing the nation's "buggery" law.
Mercer University in Georgia announces that it has extended domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples.

8 — Voters in Traverse City, Michigan defeat by a two-to-one margin a ballot initiative to repeal the town's anti-discrimination ordinance that was enacted in 2010.
9 — The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denies a motion by Log Cabin Republicans for an en banc hearing in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, which sought to have "don't ask, don't tell" declared unconstitutional. LCR announces that it will not appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
14 — The government of Brazil, based on an October ruling by the country's Supreme Federal Court, grants permanent resident status to a foreign national based on his same-sex relationship with a Brazilian citizen.
15 — The Oklahoma City Council votes to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in city employment.
21 — A judge in Dallas, Texas denies the petition of a biological woman seeking to have her marriage to a transgender man voided on the grounds that it constitutes an illegal same-sex marriage. Other courts in Texas have ruled that gender is established by chromosomes and that similar marriages were void.
22 — An independent arbiter rules that Baltimore County, Maryland must extend spousal benefits to the same-sex spouses of two police officers who legally married in other states.
23 — Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed House Bill 3810 into law, which prohibits private employers with six or more employees from discriminating against employees and applicants on the basis of gender identity.Gender identity will become a protected category with respect to private employment, and will be added as a protected category to several laws. The new law will go into effect on July 1, 2012.
24 — A judge in Cameroon sentences three men to five years each in prison for committing homosexual acts.

Deaths

January 7 — Carlos Castro, Portuguese journalist and LGBT rights activist, bludgeoned.
January 15 — Lance Lundsten, American student, suicide following alleged school bullying.
January 19 — Kameron Jacobsen, American student, suicide following alleged Facebook bullying.
January 26 — David Kato, Ugandan, LGBT rights activist, bludgeoned.
February 27 — James Gruber, American LGBT activist, last surviving original member of the Mattachine Society, following an illness.
February 28 — Peter J. Gomes, American theologian and same-sex marriage advocate, complications following a stroke.
April 17 — Alfred Freedman, American psychiatrist who led the campaign to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973, complications following surgery.
April 23 — Noxolo Nogwaza, South African LGBT activist, possible victim of corrective rape, murdered.
May 7 — Doric Wilson, American playwright and LGBT activist.
June 19 — Taylor Siluwé, American writer, lung cancer.
June 25 — Jean Harris, American LGBT rights activist.
July 22 — Ifti Nasim, Pakistani-born poet and LGBT rights activist, heart attack.
August 3 — Rudolf Brazda, German survivor of Buchenwald concentration camp and the last known homosexual internee.
August 22 — Jack Layton, Canadian politician, LGBT rights advocate, cancer.
September 11 — Walter Righter, American Episcopalian bishop charged with and absolved of heresy for ordaining a non-celibate gay man, illness.
September 11 — Arthur Evans, author and LGBT rights activist, co-founder of Gay Activists Alliance, heart attack.
September 18 — Jamey Rodemeyer, American student, suicide following online bullying.
October 7 — Paula Ettelbrick, American lawyer and LGBT rights activist, cancer.
October 11 — Frank Kameny, American LGBT rights activist, heart disease.
October 14 — Jamie Hubley, Canadian student, suicide following bullying and depression.
October 26 — Axel Axgil, Danish LGBT rights activist, complications from a fall.
October 26 — Aristide Laurent, American LGBT rights activist and co-founder of The Advocate magazine, cancer.
October 29 (reported) — Rose Robertson, British LGBT rights activist, natural causes.
November 7 — Peter Burton, British journalist and LGBT rights advocate, heart attack,
November 10 — Barbara Grier, American lesbian rights activist and co-founder of Naiad Press, cancer.
November 11 — Ashlynn Conner, American student, suicide following alleged gender-based bullying.

References

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2011 in LGBTQ rights: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:49, 4 December 2011

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

Deaths

See also

References