411 REFERENCE · Wikipedia
2003 in LGBTQ rights
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
none
July 2011
2003 LGBT rights
This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBTQ rights that took place in the year 2003.
Events
The US state of California bans gender identity discrimination in the private sector.http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a13/press/a132003032.htm Assemblyman Mark Leno's Gender Identity Bill Signed By Governor Davis June 13, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070612204026/http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a13/press/a132003032.htm June 12, 2007 dead mdy-all
The US state of New Mexico bans discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the private sector.http://groups.msn.com/farmingtonNMgaymen/nmlaws.msnw Farmington NM Gay Men June 13, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20071031055143/http://groups.msn.com/farmingtonNMgaymen/nmlaws.msnw October 31, 2007 dead
Publication of Louis Crompton's 648-page, world-spanning study Homosexuality & Civilization by Harvard University Press. (0-674-01197-X)
January
30 — In Belgium, legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry becomes active. Because of Belgian requirements for marriage, it will take until June before the first same-sex marriages are actually performed. The legal rights are not completely equal to opposite-sex marriage because couples lack adoption rights.
March
13 — In the United States, The Census Bureau releases figures showing that 34.3 percent of households headed by lesbian couples, and 22.3 percent of those headed by gay male couples are raising children. The report also shows that 99.3 percent of counties in the U.S. have households headed by same-sex couples.http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Room&CONTENTID=9869&TEMPLATE=%2FContentManagement%2FContentDisplay.cfm April 6, 2019 mdy-all dead HRC Applauds U.S. Census Bureau as It Releases First Report on Same-Sex Partners and Their Families January 3, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060103133813/http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Room&CONTENTID=9869&TEMPLATE=%2FContentManagement%2FContentDisplay.cfm
24 — New Mexico governor Bill Richardson signs the New Mexico Hate Crimes Act, establishing enhanced penalties for hate crimes, including anti-gay hate crimes.
May
21 — Marilyn Musgrave, U.S. congresswoman from Colorado, introduces the Federal Marriage Amendment in the country's House of Representatives with 108 co-sponsors.
28 — Rick Perry, governor of the U.S. state of Texas, signs the Texas Defense of Marriage Act. The act allows Texas to deny recognition of same-sex marriages and other forms of same-sex partnerships performed in other states.
30 — Paul E. Patton, governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky, signs an executive order banning public-sector discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.Hunt Jerome June 2012 A State-by-State Examination of Nondiscrimination Laws and Policies https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2012/06/pdf/state_nondiscrimination.pdf Center for American Progress Action Fund 46 February 23, 2021 December 7, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181207161401/https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2012/06/pdf/state_nondiscrimination.pdf dead
June
10 — The United States Department of Justice reverses an earlier decision banning the annual employee gay pride event.
10 — Michael Stark and Michael Leshner are wed in Ontario, becoming the first legal same-sex marriage in Canada.
18 — Canadian province of Ontario appeals court rules that civil same-sex marriages will be recognized as valid by the government, making Canada the first country in the Americas to honor legal same-sex marriage.
21 — Janet Napolitano, governor of the U.S. state of Arizona, issues an executive order banning sexual orientation discrimination in the public sector.http://www.azsos.gov/aar/2003/37/governor.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20070615131509/http://www.azsos.gov/aar/2003/37/governor.pdf June 15, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat format)
26 — The Supreme Court of the United States strikes down all remaining US state sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas.
27 — In its first application of the Lawrence precedent, the Supreme Court vacates the Kansas Supreme Court's decision in Limon v. Kansas. Limon v. Kansas
539
US
955
Supreme Court of the United States
June 27, 2003
openjurist.org/539/us/955/limon-v-kansas-02-583Stout David June 27, 2003 Justices Void Prison Term Given Gay Teenager in Kansas https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/27/politics/justices-void-prison-term-given-gay-teenager-in-kansas.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20240610194621/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/27/politics/justices-void-prison-term-given-gay-teenager-in-kansas.html June 10, 2024 June 10, 2024 The New York Times Washington
July
2 — Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. adds "sexual orientation" to its corporate non-discrimination policy.
28 — Ed Rendell, governor of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, issues an executive order banning gender identity discrimination in the public sector.OA: 2003–10 Equal Employment Opportunity
30 — George W. Bush, president of the United States, says he supports "codifying marriage in the United States as being between one man and one woman."
31 — Jerrold Nadler, U.S. congressman from New York, reintroduces the Permanent Partners Immigration Act (H.R 832) in the U.S. House of Representatives.https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/00832 H.R.832 - 108th Congress (2003-2004): Permanent Partners Immigration Act of 2003 Nadler Jerrold 2003-03-06 www.congress.gov 2019-07-30 July 30, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190730091044/https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/00832 dead Patrick Leahy, U.S. senator from Vermont, also introduces the proposal as S. 1510 in the U.S. Senate.https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/senate-bill/01510 S.1510 - 108th Congress (2003-2004): Permanent Partners Immigration Act of 2003 Leahy Patrick J. 2003-07-31 www.congress.gov 2019-07-30 July 30, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190730091046/https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/senate-bill/01510 dead
August
United Nations Human Rights Committee decides the case Young v. Australia, concerning pension rights of surviving partner.http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/undocs/941-2000.html University of Minnesota Human Rights Library hrlibrary.umn.edu 2019-07-08
September
18 — The bill to repeal Section 28 in the remaining parts United Kingdom (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) receives Royal Assent. Section 28 had already been repealed within Scotland in 2000. The UK repeal became active on November 18.
October
27 — Statistics from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation show that 16.7 percent of hate crimes committed in the country in 2002 were due to bias against the victim's perceived sexual orientation, the highest rate in the 12 years federal records have been kept.
29 — A Human Rights Campaign study shows 60 percent of American adoption agencies accept applications from gay and lesbian couples and 40 percent claim to have placed children in homes headed by same-sex couples.
November
15 — Canadian politician Ted Nebbeling marries his partner of 32 years in what is believed to be the first same-sex marriage of a cabinet minister.
18
In Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declares that a ban on same-sex marriage in Massachusetts is unconstitutional. It's the first such decision by a U.S. state's highest court.LAVOIE DENISE A Decade After Massachusetts' Landmark Gay Marriage Ruling, The Gains Are Clear http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/16/massachusetts-gay-marriage_n_4288726.html 17 November 2013 Huffington Post Nov 16, 2013
Repeal of Section 28 becomes effective in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
20 — The United States Congress passes a resolution condemning all violations of internationally recognized human rights norms based on the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual.
26
In the United Kingdom, the Queen's Speech, which gives the government's program of legislation for the year ahead, includes a bill to allow Civil Partnerships for same-sex couples.
In the United States Senate, the Federal Marriage Amendment is introduced by Wayne Allard of Colorado, Sam Brownback of Kansas, Jim Bunning of Kentucky, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, and Jeff Sessions of Alabama.
December
1 — In the United Kingdom, the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 are introduced, making discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual employees unlawful. However, the regulations do not apply to pension rights or to employees of religious organisations.
6 — Houston, Texas, city councilmember Annise Parker defeats fellow councilmember Bruce Tatro as Houston's first lesbian city controller.
23 — Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm signs an executive order banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/legal/lgln/01.2004.pdf (Adobe Acrobat format)
Deaths
January 19 — Morris Kight, 83, gay rights activist
January 22 — Sarah Pettit, 36, co-founder of Out magazine
December 10 — Bob Ross, 69, founder and publisher of the Bay Area Reporter
December 25 — Jim Osgood, 71, gay rights advocate and leader of Mattachine Midwest Transitions
The Advocate
17
February 17, 2004
See also
LGBTQ
Timeline of LGBT history — timeline of events from 12,000 BCE to present
LGBT rights by country or territory — current legal status around the world
LGBT social movements
References
Category:2000s in LGBTQ rights