Laws against lgbtq

Gov. DeSantis Signs Slate of Extreme Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills, Enacting a Record-Shattering Number of Discriminatory Measures Into Law

by HRC Staff •

Florida is enacting a record six expressly anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year, more than the last seven years combined

Tallahassee, Florida – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual person, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, condemns Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing a slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills planned to scale back the freedoms of LGBTQ+ people and other vulnerable communities.

Florida is enacting a record six expressly anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law this year, more than the last seven years united.

Today, Gov. DeSantis signed HB 1069, which silences educators by prohibiting any instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from Pre-K through 8th grade, SB 254, an excessive gender affirming care forbid, and HB 1521, an anti-trans bathroom bill.

Gov. DeSantis has also signed SB 266, which doubles down on his attacks on academic freedom, and SB 1580, a “​​License to Discriminate in Healthcare” bill that will let healthcare providers and insurers to deny

LGBTQ Rights

Know your rights Back to Realize Your Rights main page

The legal landscape for LGBTQ people is constantly evolving. If you think you have been discriminated against and would like our assistance, please visit our Report LGBTQ and HIV Discrimination Page and we can help you figure out whether you are protected under federal or state laws.

Can an employer discriminate against me because of my sexual orientation or gender identity?

Your rights

Employers with 15 or more employees are prohibited by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Execute from discriminating on the basis of sex, and the U.S. Supreme Court held in 2020 (Bostock v. Clayton County), that firing someone on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is sex discrimination. In addition, many states and cities have laws banning this kind of discrimination, and some of those laws apply to smaller employers.

If you believe that your rights have been violated

If you think that you have experienced discrimination at work, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or with your state human rights enforcement agency where applicable. Try

Roundup of Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation Advancing In States Across the Country

by Cullen Peele •

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As extremist lawmakers in mention houses across the country continue improving a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures, the Human Rights Campaign — the nation’s largest sapphic, gay, bisexual, gender diverse and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights management — is providing the below snapshot (updated weekly) to illustrate the unwelcoming legislative climate facing LGBTQ+ people, and the scale and scope with which the ongoing legislative assault is creature waged.

This weaponization of public policy has been driven by extremist groups that have a elongated history in active to oppress the existence and rights of LGBTQ+ people. Several of these organizations have been deemed hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, such as the Alliance Defending Autonomy and the Family Research Council.

Year-to-Date Snapshot: 2023 Anti-LGBTQ+ Mention Legislative Activity

  • Over 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures, a record;

  • Over 220 bills specifically victim transgender and neutrois people, also a record; and

  • A re laws against lgbtq

    LGBTQ Curricular Laws

    LGBTQ-related curricular laws are crucial for LGBTQ students’ health, well-being, and academic triumph. This set of maps covers multiple distinct policies related to LGBTQ inclusion in—or exclusion from—school curricula or standards. The chart below summarizes whether states have an LGBTQ-inclusive curricular standards law or any of the following LGBTQ-specific school censorship laws: "Don't Say LGBTQ" laws, older laws censoring discussions of homosexuality, and parental opt-out/opt-in laws. The tabs above link to specific maps with more information about each type of curricular policy. Click "Citations & More Information" beneath the route legend for more data about each type of laws, and learn more aboutthe importance of inclusive curricular standards from GLSEN.

    Click the above tabs to see more detail about each type of curricular law.

    • State has an LGBTQ-inclusive curricular standards law (8 states)

    • State has none of these LGBTQ-specific curricular laws (23 states , 5 territories + D.C.)

    • State has at least one LGBTQ-specific school censorship

      Around a third of countries in the world explicitly criminalise LGBT people in some form. While this achieved in a variety of ways, and enforced to varying degrees, wherever these laws exist they hold a profoundly negative effect on the LGBT community.

      How are LGBT people criminalised?

      Laws which criminalise LGBT people are invariably framed in a way which criminalises sexual acts rather than identities. The specific framing of criminalising provisions varies from country to country, though ordinary formulations include ‘sodomy’, ‘buggery’, ‘indecency’, ‘unnatural acts’, ‘homosexuality’, ‘lesbianism’, and ‘cross-dressing’.

      In many cases, criminalising provisions are vaguely worded and unclear in scope, allowing a large margin of interpretation by commandment enforcement officers and judges, who are enabled to launch their own prejudices when enforcing the law. Additionally, the existence of these provisions encourages police officers to operate beyond the accurate letter of the law, and arrest, charge, and prosecute people based upon their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender persona even where no prohibited act has been committed or can be proven.

      In some countries, rule enfo