LGBT issues in the United States
| LGBT rights in the United States | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Legal in some areas since 1962 |
| Gender identity/expression | Laws vary by jurisdiction |
| Military service |
Yes, openly (for lesbian, gay, and bisexual members); "Don't ask, don't tell" policy repealed in September 2011 |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships |
Legal nationwide since 2015 except American Samoa and some tribal jurisdictions (United States v. Windsor). |
| Adoption | Legal in 50 states since 2016 |
Legal nationwide since 2003
(Lawrence v. Texas)
Yes, openly (for lesbian, gay, and bisexual members);
Legal nationwide since 2015 except American Samoa and some tribal jurisdictions
(Obergefell v. Hodges)
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States vary on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. Since June 26, 2003, sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex as well as same-sex adolescents of a close age has been legal nationwide, pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. As of June 26, 2015, all states license and recognize marriage between same-sex couples on account of the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
However, the United States has no federal law outlawing discrimination nationwide, leaving residents in some states without protection from discrimination, other than from federal executive orders which have a more limited scope than from protections through federal legislation. Thus, LGBT persons in the United States may face challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents.
The strongest expansions in LGBT rights in the United States have come from the United States Supreme Court. In four landmark rulings between the years 1996 and 2015, the Supreme Court invalidated a state law banning protected class recognition based upon homosexuality, struck down sodomy laws nationwide, struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, and made same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
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