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States with gay rights

Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by Declare

The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) tracks over 50 different LGBTQ-related laws and policies.  This chart shows the overall policy tallies (as distinct from sexual orientation or gender identity tallies) for each state, the District of Columbia, and the five populated U.S. territories. A state’s policy tally scores the laws and policies within each state that shape LGBTQ people's lives, experiences, and equality. The major categories of laws covered by the policy tally include: Relationship & Parental Recognition, Nondiscrimination, Religious Exemptions, LGBTQ Youth, Health Care, Criminal Justice, and Identity Documents.  

Click on any state to view its detailed policy tally and state profile, or click "Choose an Issue" above to view maps on over 50 unlike LGBTQ-related laws and policies. 

  • High Overall Policy Tally (15 states + D.C.)

  • Medium Overall Policy Tally (5 states)

  • Fair Overall Policy Tally (3 states, 2 territories)

  • Low Overall Policy

    State Equality Index

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    The Human Rights Campaign State Equality Index (SEI) is a comprehensive state-by-state report that provides a review of statewide laws and policies that alter LGBTQ+ people and their families.

    The SEI rates all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. in six areas of law and assigns the states to one of four distinct categories.

    Check your state's scorecard by texting SEI to from your mobile handset. (msg & data rates may apply. Text Cease to quit, HELP for info.)

    State Categories

    In these states, advocates concentrate on raising support for basic LGBTQ+ equality, such as non-discrimination protections in employment, housing and general accommodations. These states are most likely to possess religious refusal or other anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Advocates often further LGBTQ equality by focusing on municipal protections for LGBTQ+ people or opposing negative legislation that targets the LGBTQ+ community.

    States in this category include:

    Alabama 

    Arizona

    Arkansas

    Florida

    Georgia

    Idaho


    Nondiscrimination Laws

    Housing nondiscrimination laws preserve LGBTQ people from being unfairly evicted, denied housing, or refused the ability to rent or buy housing on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender individuality. This map shows state housing nondiscrimination laws that explicitly enumerate sexual orientation and/or gender individuality as protected classes, as well as states that explicitly interpret existing sex protections to enclose sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  Additionally, in states without state protections, municipalities may provide local-level nondiscrimination protections. Notice our maps following local-level nondiscrimination ordinances here. 

    Other rights may live or be known where you live; this map is not intended as legal advice or an indication of your rights. If you have experienced discrimination, contact Lambda Legal's Help Desk or otherwise seek legal advice.

    • State law explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (22 states , 1 t

      LGBTQ Rights

      The ACLU has a long history of defending the LGBTQ community. We brought our first LGBTQ rights case in Founded in , the Jon L. Stryker and Slobodan Randjelović LGBTQ & HIV Project brings more LGBTQ rights cases and lobbying initiatives than any other national organization does and has been counsel in seven of the nine LGBTQ rights cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided. With our reach into the courts and legislatures of every state, there is no other organization that can match our record of making progress both in the courts of rule and in the court of public opinion.

      The ACLU’s current priorities are to end discrimination, harassment and violence toward transgender people, to close gaps in our federal and articulate civil rights laws, to prevent protections against discrimination from being undermined by a license to discriminate, and to protect LGBTQ people in and from the criminal legal system.

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      For non-LGBTQ issues, please contact your local ACLU affiliate.

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