What was the first state to legalize homosexuality
The early 1990s saw a major expansion of the Council of Europe membership due to the crumble of the Soviet Union and the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. In 1989, for example, there were 22 member states whereas by 2010 this had risen to 47.
To join the Council of Europe, new member-states must undertake certain commitments, including conforming their criminal laws to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). As we know from the situation in Northern Ireland described in Dudgeon above, the ECHR right to privacy prohibits the criminalisation of same-sex outing. By the time candidate states from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc applied for membership of the Council of Europe, it was a condition of their accession to decriminalise.
By way of example, the following countries decriminalised at or around the time they joined: Lithuania (joined the Council of Europe in 1993; decriminalised in 1993), Estonia (1993; 1992), Romania (1993; 1996), Serbia (2003; 1994), Ukraine (1995; 1991), Albania (1995; 1995), Latvia (1995; 1992), Macedonia FYROM (1995; 1996), Moldova (1995; 1995), Russia (1996; 1993), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2002; 1998-2001), Georgia (1999; 200
The original gay-pride flag was hand-dyed by Gilbert Baker. It flew in the San Francisco Gay Liberty Day Parade on June 25, 1978. The flag consisted of eight stripes; Baker assigned specific definition to each of the colors: hot pink: sexuality; red: life; orange: healing; yellow: sunlight green: nature; turquoise: magic/art; indigo/blue: serenity/harmony; violet: spirit.
After the November 27, 1978, assassination of openly gay San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, demand for the rainbow flag greatly increased. As Baker ramped up production of his version of the flag, he dropped the hot pink stripe because of the unavailability of hot-pink fabric. In 1979 the flag was modified again. When hung vertically from
the lamp posts of San Francisco’s Market Street, the center stripe was obscured by the post itself. Changing the flag blueprint to one with an even number of stripes was the easiest way to rectify this, so the turquoise stripe was dropped, which resulted in a six stripe version of the flag.
In 1988, the rainbow flag came to nationwide attention in the United States after John Stout sued his landlords
and won when they attempted to prohibit him from displ
When was same-sex marriage legalized in the US? A quick history of LGBTQ rights battles
There are 35 countries where same-sex marriage is legal. The most recent country to legalize same-sex marriage is Estonia, and its law went into effect Jan. 1 of this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
But LGBTQ+ rights are under attack in other political settings. The American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking 300 anti-LGBTQ bills for the 2024 legislative session, many of them involving curriculum, pronouns and gender-affirming care. Last year, USA TODAY reported over 650 bills targeting the community were introduced in the first half of 2023.
When was lgbtq+ marriage legalized in the US?
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal across the country with its ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case.
According to Supreme Court database Oyez, this case was brought up to the Supreme Court after groups of same-sex couples sued declare agencies in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, challenging these states’ bans on same-sex marriage.
Some of these states’ same-sex marriage bans were part of a national movement in response to President George
Gay rights timeline: Key dates in the fight for equality
From its beginning with riots against police oppression of gays in Recent York City more than 40 years ago, the fight for gay rights continues today on modern fronts: over marriage, therapies to “cure” homosexuals and one of the country's most popular institutions, the Boy Scouts of America.
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on two landmark, same-sex-marriage cases, striking down the Defense of Marriage Perform and paving the way for same-sex marriage in California with their ruling on Proposition 8.
“The swift road to marriage equality has produced millions of conversations around the dinner table and water cooler on the freedom of every American to wed the person they like. It is these conversations that have changed minds. But while we've reached the tipping point on marriage, there's still a ways to go for full LGBT equality, enjoy ending bullying in schools and workplace discrimination,” Kevin Nix, a spokesman for the LGBT advocacy community, Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement earlier this year.
Here is a look at some of the key moments in American LGBT history:
June 28, 1969: Start of the gay rights movement
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