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1981 in LGBT Rights

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In 1981, there were 17 recorded legal changes made affecting LGBT people. In the previous year, there were 18 changes made and 29 in the following year. A total of 271 legal changes were made in the 1980s.

  • September 18
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Before the JaParker Deoni Jones Birth Certificate Equality Amendment Act of 2013 trans people could only change their birth certificates upon confirmation of sex reassignment surgery under the D.C. Vital Records Act of 1981.
  • August 22
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    Until 2015, Nayarit’s Civil Code defined a marriage as being between a man and a woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage. It was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court ruling in 2014.
  • July 7
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes imprisonment as punishment.
    The 1981 Penal Code of Cote d'Ivoire contained Article 360, which gives a penalty of three months to two years imprisonment for "acts of outrage to public decency". The code also contained a clause stating that if it was an "improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex", the sentence would be imprisonment from six months to two years instead. There was no information as to whether it was used to persecute LGBTIQ+ people in practice but the explicit provision was removed in the 2019 Penal Code.
  • April 9
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    The existing administrative practice was formally codified into state law with the passage of the Vital Statistics Act (ch. 309, 1981 N.M. Laws 1521). Based on the Model State Vital Statistics Act, this legislation provided explicit statutory recognition and legal guidance for attorneys regarding the amendment of birth certificates, strictly conditioning any revision on the legal proof of a completed surgical gender change.
  • March 1
    Equal age of consent becomes equal.
    In Victoria the law about under-age sex is the same for both men and women and for gay and heterosexual sex.
  • Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    In 1981, homosexuality was decriminalised in Victoria.
  • February 19
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Legal gender recognition was formally codified into state law when Senate Bill 256 (the Arkansas Vital Statistics Act of 1981). Codified at ARK. CODE ANN. § 20-18-307(d), the statute explicitly mandates that the state registrar amend a birth certificate upon receipt of a certified court order. This order must verify that the individual's sex has been "changed by surgical procedure" and that their legal name has been updated. This strictly medicalized and judicial framework remains in effect today.
  • February 1
    (deleted region)
    Homosexual activity becomes legal.
    Homosexual activities were legalised in Scotland — on the same basis as that which was used for the 1967 Act – by Section 80 of the Criminal Justice
  • January 31
    Right to change legal gender becomes legal, but requires surgery.
    Based on the rulings of the Évora Court of Appeal (Tribunal da Relação de Évora, judgment of Jan 31, 1981) and the Lisbon Court of Appeal (Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa, judgment of Apr 5, 1984), gender change was legalized through a lawsuit against the state (acção de estado) before a common court. Lacking a specific statute, judges applied Article 10(3) of the Civil Code (Código Civil) to fill the legal vacuum. Established jurisprudence strictly required the plaintiff to provide proof of: legal age, single marital status, absence of descendants, one documented year living in the given social role, and the completion of irreversible genital sex reassignment surgery combined with irreversible sterilization.
  • (date unknown)
    Same-sex marriage becomes banned.
    The 1981 "MUSLIM MARRIAGES REGISTRATION ACT" refers to marriage as between a "bride" and a "bridegroom"
  • Gender-affirming care becomes legal, but restricted for minors.
    In 1981, the Department of Sexology and Pathology of Interpersonal Relationships was established in Warsaw, which was the first facility in Poland providing help to transgender people, including the diagnosis of gender dysphoria and hormone therapy. Since then, many similar healthcare facilities have been established, including private ones, after the fall of the communist system in Poland.
  • Blood donations by MSMs becomes banned (indefinite deferral).
    In reaction to the HIV/AIDS crisis, MSMs were banned from donating blood for life.
  • January 1
    Same-sex adoption becomes illegal.
    The Law on Marriage and Family Relations adopted on June 5, 1980 also recognized two categories of adoption: "incomplete adoption" and "full adoption". In the first case, adoptive parents could be both individuals and married partners (Article 157). In the second case, adoptive parents are married partners, and exceptionally unmarried persons if there are justified reasons for that (Article 191).
  • (date unknown)
    Censorship of LGBT issues becomes state-enforced.
    Tanzania has a history of enforcing strict laws against the LGBT community. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal and can be punished by imprisonment. The government has also taken steps to restrict LGBT rights organizations and their activities. Public attitudes towards the LGBT community in Tanzania can be quite hostile, which contributes to a challenging environment for individuals who identify as LGBT. It's important to stay informed about the current situation and exercise caution when discussing or engaging in LGBT-related issues in Tanzania. The 1981 Penal Code criminalises selling, distributing or exhibiting "materials that are tending to corrupt morals" in Article 175 which is often used to censor LGBTIQ+ topics.
  • LGBT housing discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Section 5 of the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination on the grounds of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression bans discrimination towards LGBTQ+ persons. Norwegian law prohibits discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity. This extends to housing and employment sectors.
  • LGBT employment discrimination becomes sexual orientation and gender identity.
    As of 1981, Employment discrimination was outlawed as well as LGBTQ discrimination.
  • LGBT discrimination becomes illegal.
    Section 5 of the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination on the grounds of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression bans discrimination towards LGBTQ+ persons. Norway was the first country in the world to enact a law against the discrimination of LGBT people by amending Paragraph 349a of the Norwegian Penal Code. In the same year Paragraph 135a was amended to prohibit hate speech directed at sexual minorities.

LGBT Organizations Founded in 1981