Gay rights in new york
Every year for 15 years, starting in 1971, the New York City Council considered a homosexual rights bill. Every year for 15 years, they rejected it. But in 1986, Mayor Ed Koch reworked the measure’s language, specifying that the bill did not endorse a particular way of life while defining sexual orientation more clearly. Koch spoke in support of the legislation, despite jeers and sometimes violent opposition. The measure passed on March 20, 1986, with a vote of 21 to 14.
New York City had the country’s largest gay population, but it was the 51st city to hand over anti-discrimination laws for homosexuals.
The bill forbade discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations. Violations were punishable by fines of $500 and up to a year in jail. Councilman Noach Precious, who voted against the bill, said, “We are in the initial stages of an insidious crusade.”
Koch said, “It is simply civil rights legislation . . . giving people protections so that your sexual life . . . will no longer be a factor in your getting a profession or renting an apartment or going to a restaurant or theater or any public place of accommodation.”
LGBTQ+ Rights
Are you an LGBTQ+ New Yorker facing discrimination, eviction, or issues accessing health care, immigration relief, housing or other public benefits? Are you living with HIV/AIDs and experiencing discrimination?
Legal Services NYC provides FREE legal assistance to the LGBTQ+ collective and people living with HIV and AIDS in a wide range of areas. With one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ+/HIV legal practices in the city, our priority is to advocate for LGBTQ+ people facing the most significant barriers to stability and life-saving services and benefits.
For free legal help, call Legal Services NYC at 917-661-4500 Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more about our intake process here.
* The information does not constitute legal advice. You should always consult an attorney regarding your matter. Legal help subject to capacity and location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still change my gender marker on my passport?
Yes, you can currently update the gender marker on your U.S.-issued passport thanks to a court order in Orr v. Trump, which allows eligible individuals to correct documentation to reflect their reliable gend
Public opinion in New York appears to be somewhat divided on LGBTQ+ issues, as evidenced by recent studies.
Survey results from 23 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited New York.
Perceived Safety*Absence of verbal harassmentAbsence of threats and violence*Survey results stand for personal perceptions of protection and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal TreatmentTreatment by general publicTreatment by law enforcementTreatment by religious groups
Visibility & RepresentationRepresentation in entertainment
CultureInterest groups and clubs
ServicesSupport and social services
History
Same-sex marriage in Fresh York
?Censorship of LGBT issues in New York
?Censorship of LGBT issues in Unused York is no censorship.
Right to change legal gender in New York
?Right to change legal gender in New York is legal, no restrictions.
Gender-affirming care in New York
?Gender-affirming care in New York is legal.
LGBTQ Travel in New York Mention
There is no better place to enjoy LGBTQ history and culture than New York. From historically significant sites to energetic neighborhoods, there are countless places to investigate and learn about New York’s unrivaled role in progressing LGBTQ rights. The declare also has thriving LGBTQ communities and it remains one of the most welcoming places for LGBTQ visitors in the world, being rated as the most LGBTQ Traveler Friendly Articulate within the U.S. by Spartacus in 2025.
Step into history at the country’s first national monument consecrated to LGBTQ rights with a stop by to the Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village, where in the summer of 1969 the Stonewall Uprising sparked the launch of the up-to-date LGBTQ rights movement. Head over to Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines, iconic LGBTQ+ beach havens on Lengthy Island, and join vibrant LGBTQ+ celebrations year-round from the world-famous NYC Pride Protest in June to winter Pride festivities on snowy slopes in the Catskills and Adirondacks.
Come commemorate Pride where it started—New York State!
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Genderqueer and Queer Rights Committee
The Lesbian, Homosexual, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Rights Committee addresses legal and policy issues in legal institutions and in the court system that affect lesbian, male lover, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. Our Committee has issued reports in favor of proposals to expand LGBTQ rights, while also contradictory proposals to grow opportunities for discrimination. We joined numerous other City Block Committees in supporting the repeal of Civil Rights Statute 50-a, which shielded disclosure of police misconduct records, until it was successfully repealed in June 2020. In initial 2020, we held an event on intersex rights and put forth a report supporting an education campaign on medically unnecessary surgeries for intersex children, a bill which the City Council passed in April 2021. In addition, we updated and reissued our describe supporting the repeal of New York’s law against loitering for the purposes of prostitution, popularly known as the “Walking While Transsexual Ban” because of its discriminatory impact, primarily on trans women of dye, which the commandment was ultimately repealed in February 2021.
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