2010 in LGBT rights
Encyclopedia
This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 2010.
February
- 2 – The United States Tax CourtUnited States Tax CourtThe United States Tax Court is a federal trial court of record established by Congress under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, section 8 of which provides that the Congress has the power to "constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court"...
ruled in O'Donnabhain v. CommissionerO'Donnabhain v. CommissionerO'Donnabhain v. Commissioner 134 T.C. No. 4 was a case recently before the United States Tax Court. The issue for the court is whether a taxpayer who has been diagnosed with gender identity disorder can deduct sex reassignment surgery costs as necessary medical expenses under . The IRS argued...
that taxpayers may deduct the medical costs associated with treating gender identity disorderGender identity disorderGender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
from their federal income taxes.
March
- 1 – Crime Decree 2009 decriminalises in FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Fiji became the first Pacific Island country to formally decriminalise homosexuality. - 2 – The European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human RightsThe European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
ruled unanimously against "a blanket exclusion of persons living in a homosexual relationship from succession to a tenancy" in Kozak v. Poland. - 4 – Mexico City's same-sex marriage and adoption laws come into effect. This follows twenty-two couples' taking part in a symbolic marriage ceremony in TlaxcalaTlaxcalaTlaxcala officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala is one of the 31 states which along with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipalities and its capital city is Tlaxcala....
on February 26 to highlight the issue. - 9 – The first same-sex marriages are performed in the District of Columbia, with licenses having been available since March 3.
- 11 – Australia becomes the first country in the world to recognise a "non-specified" gender, when the New South Wales Government recognises Norrie May-WelbyNorrie May-WelbyNorrie May-Welby , also known as norrie mAy-Welby, is a Scottish-Australian who became the first person in the world officially declared to be neither a man nor a woman, making Australia the first country in the world to recognise a 'non-specified' gender.-History:May-Welby was born in Paisley,...
as being neither male or female, as hormonally, psychologically and physically zhe was neither male or female. Referred to as "zhe" (rather than she/he) and "hir" (rather than her/his), Norrie began male-to-female reassignment when zhe was 23, but felt "uncomfortable living solely as a woman." Recognition is later canceled after the story hits international headlines, and May-Welby is forced to choose a gender. - 31
- The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopts a recommendation on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.
- In Fields v. Smith the United States District Court for the Eastern District of WisconsinUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of WisconsinThe U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin serves the residents of twenty-eight counties from its two courthouses...
strikes down the state's "Inmate Sex Change Prevention Act." Passed in 2005, 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 absent a medically necessary reason constitutes cruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
.
April
- 16 – Arkansas Proposed Initiative Act No. 1, banning adoption by same-sex couples (but not LGBT individuals) is overturned in state court for violating the Constitution of Arkansas' right to privacy.
- 29 – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeThe Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
adopts a resolution and a recommendation along lines similar to the March 31 recommendation of its Council of Ministers, "calling on member states to address" an array of issues related to LGBT rights.
May
- 17 – Amid controversy, a law enabling same-sex marriage in PortugalSame-sex marriage in PortugalSame-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since June 5, 2010. The government of Prime Minister José Sócrates introduced a bill for legalization in December 2009; it was passed by the Assembly of the Republic in February 2010. The bill was declared legally valid by the Portuguese Constitutional...
is promulgated by president Aníbal Cavaco SilvaAníbal Cavaco SilvaAníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC , is the President of Portugal. He won the Portuguese presidential election on 22 January 2006 and was re-elected on 23 January 2011, for a second five-year term. Cavaco Silva was sworn in on 9 March 2006....
, although adoption is ruled out. The law comes into force on June 5, with the first marriage on June 7. - 18 – Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza are convicted in a MalawiLGBT rights in MalawiHomosexual acts are illegal in Malawi. Section 153 prohibits "unnatural offences". Section 156 concerning "public decency" is used to punish homosexual acts...
an court or having committed "unnatural offenses" and "indecent practices between males" under sections 153 and 156 of Malawi's criminal code after local newspapers reported that they had participated in a public same-sex chinkhoswe, or engagement ceremony. Monjeza, who identifies as male, and Chimbalanga, a transgender person who identifies as female, are each sentenced to 14 years hard labour on May 20, but are pardoned by President Bingu wa MutharikaBingu wa MutharikaBingu wa Mutharika is a Malawi economist who is President of Malawi. He took office on 24 May 2004 after winning a disputed presidential election...
following international pressure and an appeal from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-MoonBan Ki-moonBan Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
.
June
- 2 – United States President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
issues a memorandum ordering federal departments and agencies to extend spousal benefits to same-sex couples to the extent permitted by the Defense of Marriage ActDefense of Marriage ActThe Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
. - 24 – In Schalk and Kopf v. AustriaSchalk and Kopf vs. AustriaSchalk and Kopf v. Austria is a case decided in 2010 by the European Court of Human Rights in which it was clarified that the European Convention on Human Rights does not oblige member states to legislate for or legally recognize same-sex marriages.- Facts of the case :The applicants are a...
, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously finds that a State not legislating for, or recognising, same-sex marriage is not in violation of Article 12 of the European Convention on Human RightsEuropean Convention on Human RightsThe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
(ECHR). By four votes to three, it ruled that the non-recognition of same-sex relationships was not in violation of the ECHR. - 27 – Same-sex marriage in Iceland is legalised with Prime Minister Jóhanna SigurðardóttirJóhanna SigurðardóttirJóhanna Sigurðardóttir , , is the Prime Minister of Iceland. Many years a politician, she was previously Iceland's Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security from 1987–1994 and 2007–2009. She has been a member of the Althing for Reykjavík constituencies since 1978, winning re-election on eight...
and her partner, Jónína Leósdóttir, among the first to make use of the law. - 28 – The Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruled in Christian Legal Society v. MartinezChristian Legal Society v. MartinezChristian Legal Society v. Martinez, 561 U.S. ___, 130 S.Ct. 2971, 177 L.Ed.2d 838 , is a June 28, 2010, decision by the United States Supreme Court...
that public universities may refuse to recognise student organisations with discriminatory membership policies.
July
- 1 – Ireland'sRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Dáil ÉireannDáil ÉireannDáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
passes the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 is an Act of the Oireachtas which allows civil partnerships. The act also provides rights for participants in long-term cohabiting relationships who have not entered into a civil partnership or marriage...
without a vote. It passed the Seanad ÉireannSeanad ÉireannSeanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
the next week by 48 votes to 4, completing its passage through the OireachtasOireachtasThe Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
. On July 19, President of IrelandPresident of IrelandThe President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Mary McAleeseMary McAleeseMary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
, signs the bill into law, creating a form of civil unionCivil unionA civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
for same sex couples with most of the rights and duties of marriage, except that civil partners may not adopt or jointly be guardians of a child. The act also provides rights for participants in long-term cohabiting relationships who have not entered into a civil partnership or marriage. - 6 – HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
governor Linda LingleLinda LingleLinda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
vetoes Hawaii House Bill 444Hawaii House Bill 444House Bill 444 was a 2009 bill of the Hawaii State Legislature, passed in April 2010 and vetoed by Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle, that would have legalized civil unions for couples in the state of Hawaii...
, which would have established civil unionsRecognition of same-sex unions in HawaiiThe U.S. state of Hawaii currently recognizes same-sex couples in reciprocal beneficiary relationships, which provide limited rights and benefits. Civil unions that provide benefits similar to marriage were legalized in 2011, and will become available in 2012...
for same-sex couples in that state. - 7 – The Supreme Court of the United KingdomSupreme Court of the United KingdomThe Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
, in HJ and HT v Home SecretaryHJ and HT v Home SecretaryHJ and HT v Secretary of State for the Home Department 2010] UKSC 31 is a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom concerning two men, from Iran and Cameroon respectively, claiming asylum in the United Kingdom on the grounds of their homosexuality...
, ruled that the asylumRight of asylumRight of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
claims of two men based on their fear of being persecuted in their home countries (Iran and Cameroon) because of their homosexuality may not be denied on the basis of their ability to conceal their homosexuality in the so-called "discretion test." - 8 – United States district courtUnited States district courtThe United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
judge Joseph L. TauroJoseph Louis TauroJoseph Louis Tauro is a United States federal judge. He is the son of the late Massachusetts Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro.Born in Winchester, Massachusetts, Tauro received an A.B. from Brown University in 1953 and an LL.B. from Cornell Law School in 1956. He was a First Lieutenant in the United...
ruled in two separate cases that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage ActDefense of Marriage ActThe Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
is unconstitutional. In Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services Tauro says that the definition of marriage enacted by CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
for federal purposes violates the Tenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionTenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, 1791...
and "encroaches upon the firmly entrenched province of the state" by treating some couples with Massachusetts marriage licenses differently than others. In Gill v. Office of Personnel ManagementGill v. Office of Personnel ManagementGill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management 699 F.Supp.2d 374 is a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts...
brought by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, he says the law violates the equal protection of the law guaranteed by the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionFifth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
. - 15 – The Argentine SenateArgentine SenateThe Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
passes (despite the General Law Committee recommending rejection of the bill) a same-sex marriage bill that had passed in the Chamber of DeputiesArgentine Chamber of DeputiesThe Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
on May 5. President Cristina Fernández de KirchnerCristina Fernández de KirchnerCristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner , commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, and the second female president ever to serve...
signs the law on July 21. Argentina becomes the tenth country in the world, and third Roman Catholic country to legalize same-sex marriage, despite heavy criticism from the Church in ArgentinaRoman Catholicism in ArgentinaThe Catholic Church in Argentina is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the Curia in Rome, and the Argentine Episcopal Conference....
amongst others. - 19 – The United Nations Economic and Social CouncilUnited Nations Economic and Social CouncilThe Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
voted to accredit International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights CommissionInternational Gay and Lesbian Human Rights CommissionThe International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission is a US-based international non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, intersexuals, transgender people and people with HIV/AIDS...
(IGLHRC) as a non-governmental organizationNon-governmental organizationA non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
granted consultative statusConsultative StatusConsultative Status is a phrase whose use can be traced to the founding of the United Nations and is used within the UN community to refer to "Non-governmental organizations in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council." Also some international organizations could...
, allowing IGLHRC to attend UN meetings, contribute statements and collaborate with UN agencies. - 22- The European Court of Human Rights holds, in P.B. and J.S. v. Austria, that lack of access to insurance for same-sex couple on equal terms with other marriages violates the ECHR.
August
- 4 – In Perry v. SchwarzeneggerPerry v. SchwarzeneggerPerry v. Schwarzenegger is a federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California challenging the federal constitutionality of Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that amended the California Constitution to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples,...
, District Judge Vaughn R. WalkerVaughn R. WalkerVaughn R. Walker served as a district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California from 1989 to 2011.-Biography:Walker was born in Watseka, Illinois, in 1944...
ruled that Proposition 8California Proposition 8 (2008)Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
, the state constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage, violates the "Equal Protection Clause" and the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution because there is no rational basisRational basis reviewRational basis review, in U.S. constitutional law, refers to a level of scrutiny applied by courts when deciding cases presenting constitutional due process or equal protection issues related to the Fifth Amendment or Fourteenth Amendment. Rational basis is the lowest level of scrutiny that a...
for singling out homosexual couples for denial of marriage licenses. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
then issued an emergency stay without explanation on August 16. - 10 – The Supreme Court of MexicoSupreme Court of Justice of the NationThe Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation is the highest federal court in the United Mexican States. It consists of a President of the Supreme Court and ten Ministers who are confirmed by the Senate from a list proposed by the President of the Republic.Justices of the SCJN serve for fifteen...
ruled in quick succession that Mexico City's same-sex marriage lawSame-sex marriage in Mexico CitySame-sex marriage is legal in Mexico City —the Federal District of Mexico— having been approved by its Legislative Assembly on 21 December 2009, and signed into law by Head of Government Marcelo Ebrard on 29 December 2009...
is constitutional. that the same marriages contracted in Mexico City must be recognised throughout Mexico, although no other state is required to perform them. and that it is unconstitutional to bar these married same-sex couples from adopting children. - 9 – A judge in New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
ruled that a marriage license issued to a lesbian couple in 2004 is valid, though she declines to rule on the broader constitutional question of same sex marriage. - 17 – The Federal Constitutional Court of GermanyFederal Constitutional Court of GermanyThe Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
rules that the surviving partners of registered partnerships are entitled to the same inheritance tax laws as the survivors of marriages. Surviving marital partners previously paid 7–30% inheritance tax while surviving registered partners paid 17–50%. - 31
- The Parliament of TasmaniaParliament of TasmaniaThe Parliament of Tasmania consists of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Monarch represented by the Governor of Tasmania....
approves legislation to recognise same-sex marriages and registered unions performed outside Tasmania. - The Fifth Court of AppealsTexas Courts of AppealsThe Texas Courts of Appeals are part of the Texas judicial system. In Texas, all cases appealed from the district level, both criminal and civil, may be heard by one of the fourteen Texas Courts of Appeals. The exception is for cases where the death penalty is a factor; these cases go directly to...
in Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
reverses a 2009 ruling in a same-sex divorce case, ruling that the Texas constitutionTexas ConstitutionThe Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that describes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Texas.Texas has had seven constitutions: the constitution of Coahuila y Tejas, the 1836 Constitution of the Republic of Texas, the state constitutions of 1845,...
al ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the Equal Protection ClauseEqual Protection ClauseThe Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"...
of the Fourteenth AmendmentFourteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
and that district courts in Texas do not have subject-matter jurisdictionSubject-matter jurisdictionSubject-matter jurisdiction is the authority of a court to hear cases of a particular type or cases relating to a specific subject matter. For instance, bankruptcy court only has the authority to hear bankruptcy cases....
to hear a same-sex divorce case.
- The Parliament of Tasmania
September
- 9 – Judge Virginia A. PhillipsVirginia A. PhillipsVirginia A. Phillips is a judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.-Early life and education:...
of the United States District Court for the Central District of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Central District of CaliforniaThe United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
ruled in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of AmericaLog Cabin Republicans v. United States of AmericaLog Cabin Republicans v. United States is a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of 10 U.S.C. § 654, commonly known as don't ask, don't tell , which excludes homosexuals from openly serving in the United States military...
that the "don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" policy violates the FifthFifth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
and FirstFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
Amendments to the United States ConstitutionUnited States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. On November 2, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal indefinitely extended a temporary stay of the judgment. - 13 – Chief of the Defence ForceChief of the Defence Force (Australia)Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...
of Australia Angus HoustonAngus HoustonAir Chief Marshal Allan Grant "Angus" Houston AC, AFC is a retired senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force and was the Chief of the Defence Force from 4 July 2005 until his retirement on 3 July 2011...
issued an order lifting the ban on transgender personnel. - 21 – New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Governor David PatersonDavid PatersonDavid Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
signed a bill into law allowing unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to adopt children. The new law also replaces the term "husband and wife" with the gender-neutral "married couple." - 22 – In In re: GillIn re: GillIn re: Gill is a landmark Florida court case that in 2010 ended Florida's 33-year ban on adoptions by homosexuals. In 2007 Frank Martin Gill, an openly gay man, had petitioned the circuit court to adopt two boys that he and his partner had been raising as foster children since 2004...
, a three-judge panel of the Florida Third District Court of AppealFlorida Third District Court of AppealThe Florida Third District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Its ten judges have jurisdiction over cases arising from Miami-Dade Monroe Counties.-History:...
unanimously strikes down the state's ban on homosexuals as adoptive parents as violating the "equal protection clause" of the Florida ConstitutionFlorida ConstitutionThe Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
. Florida state attorney Bill McCollumBill McCollumIra William "Bill" McCollum, Jr. is a former Florida Attorney General. A Republican, he was Florida's 36th attorney general, taking office in 2007...
later announced that he would not further appeal against the ruling. - 29 — TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
passes a bill recognizing legal same-sex marriages performed outside Tasmania.
October
- 5 – Court of First Instance of Hong KongCourt of First Instance (Hong Kong)The Court of First Instance is one of two courts in the High Court of Hong Kong. The court has unlimited jurisdiction in both civil and criminal matters...
dismissed a judicial review in W v. Registrar of Marriages filed by a transsexual person, which concerned the constitutionality of marriage legislation and the interpretation of the "one man and one woman" clause.
November
- 2- Voters in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
pass an initiative that strips health insurance benefits from the unmarried partners of city employees. Supporters say that their intention was to target gay city employees and their partners.
December
- 22 – The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark federal statute that establishes a legal process for ending the Don't ask, don't tell policy , which since 1993 prevented openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the United States Armed Forces.The Act did not immediately repeal the...
is signed into law by the President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. following its passage by the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
signs the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark federal statute that establishes a legal process for ending the Don't ask, don't tell policy , which since 1993 prevented openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the United States Armed Forces.The Act did not immediately repeal the...
into law.
Deaths
- September 22 – Tyler ClementiSuicide of Tyler ClementiTyler Clementi was an eighteen-year-old student at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge on September 22, 2010. His roommate Dharun Ravi had video streamed Clementi kissing another man over the Internet without Clementi's knowledge,...
, American student, committed suicide after a video of his sexual encounter with a man was streamed over the internet without his knowledge.
See also
- Timeline of LGBT historyTimeline of LGBT historyThe following is a timeline of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender related history.-9660 to 5000 BC:* Mesolithic rock art in Sicily depicts phallic male figures in pairs that have been interpreted variously, including as depictions of homosexual intercourse.-7000 to 1700 BC:*Among the sexual...
– timeline of events from 12,000 BCE to present - LGBT rights by country or territory – current legal status around the world
- LGBT social movementsLGBT social movementsLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...