LGBTQ rights in Texas

LGBTQ rights in Texas
Texas (US)
Status
Gender identityTransgender people may change documented sex (gender) by court order[1][2]
Discrimination protectionsFederally protected; no statewide antidiscrimination laws; additional protections in some cities and counties
Family rights
Recognition of relationshipsSame-sex marriage since 2015[3]
AdoptionAdoption permitted for married couples

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Texas have some protections in state law but may face legal and social challenges not faced by others. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized in Texas in 2003 by the Lawrence v. Texas ruling. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled bans on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Texas has a hate crime statute that strengthens penalties for certain crimes motivated by a victim's sexual orientation, although crimes are rarely prosecuted under the statute. The law does not cover gender identity.[4] While some localities in Texas have ordinances that provide a variety of legal protections and benefits to LGBTQ people, Texas has had no statewide law banning anti-LGBT discrimination. The federal protections against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, established in 2020 by several landmark cases, apply in Texas.

A majority of Texans support same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ people.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference family code was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference tbclaws was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC News was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference H crime was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference prri was invoked but never defined (see the help page).