The 2002 adoption act, which did not take effect until the next year, specifically defined a couple as: &#34;two people (whether of different sexes or the same sex) living as partners in an enduring family relationship&#34;, expressly permitting same-sex adoption. This act was 

The ability for same-sex couples to legally adopt a child.

On November 30, 2000 a bill was signed to make the ages of consent equitable, regardless of gender.  The law came into effect on August 1, 2001.  The age of consent for men who have sex with men was reduced from 18 to 16, on par with different sex individuals.

The difference between legal age of consent for homosexual sex and heterosexual sex.

A bill was signed to reduce the age of consent for men who have sex with men from 21 to 18.

The Sexual Offenses Act made sex between two men legal in 1967, but it was only legal between consenting men who were 21 or older, whereas the age of consent for different-sex couples was 16.

Sexual activities between two or more men were illegal prior to 1967, and therefore, the age of consent was irrelevant; it was all illegal.

In August of 2021, Northern Ireland changed blood donor rules to be equal to those of England, Scotland and Wales, who had reformed theirs earlier in the summer, making MSMs donating blood legal throughout the UK. 
 
Donors of any gender are asked about their recent sexual activity, and those who have only had one sexual partner within the last 3 months will be eligible to donate.

The ability for MSMs (men who have sex with men) to donate blood or tissue for organ transplants. A deferral period refers to a waiting time before a man can donate after having sex.

There was a 2-month period in 2021 when Northern Ireland had not yet abolished unequal restrictions on MSMs donating blood, while the rest of the UK had already enacted reforms.

Between June 2020, when Northern Ireland lessened their deferral period for MSMs donating blood, and June 2021, when England, Wales and Scotland abolished all sexuality-specific rules, all of the UK used a 3 month deferral period.

Scotland and England adopted a 3-month deferral period before Wales, which did so the next year and Northern Ireland two years later. This meant there was a variation in policy within the UK from when England and Scotland changed their policy and when Northern Ireland did.

For roughly a year, all four constituent countries used a 1 year deferral period for MSMs donating blood.

Between 2011 and 2016, Northern Ireland had not yet abolished its lifetime ban on MSMs donating blood. However, England, Wales and Scotland all abolished theirs in 2011.

In reaction to the HIV/AIDS crisis, MSMs were banned from donating blood for life. 

Before 1981 and the advent of the HIV-AIDS crisis, there were no restrictions on men who had sex with men from donating blood in the UK.

The infamous section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 was repealed by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003. Since then, there have been no laws censoring LGBTIQ+ topics in the United Kingdom. 
 
However, in May 2024, draft guidance on sex education in British schools was released by the Department for Education, which seeks to ban schools from teaching children any information about gender identity if implemented. However, these were proposed by the conservative government, which was removed from power two months later.

Censorship or prohibition of discussing, promoting, or teaching LGBTQ+ topics in media, schools, and in the general public.

Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which applied to England, Wales and Scotland, stated that local authorities could not &#34;intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality&#34; or &#34;promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship&#34;. The law did not create a criminal offence, leaving staff to fear losing their jobs if they breached the rules. 

Before Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, there was no active censorship of LGBT issues in the United Kingdom despite severe social stigma.

Per the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (in effect 2005) in all four constituent countries of the UK. The requirements are as follows: 
1. Must be 18 years of age 
2. Must have a gender-dysphoria diagnosis 
3. Must intend &#34;to continue to live in the acquired gender until death&#34; 
4. Has lived in the acquired gender for at least 2 years. 
5. If married: must acquire the consent of the spouse. 
 
Eligibility is determined by a Gender Recognition Panel and if approved then one is granted a gender recognition certificate and may change the gender marker on legal documents.

Legal recognition of a change in gender by permitting a change on an individual's legal documentation.

Until 2005, trans people could not legally change their legal gender in the United Kingdom. However, in 2002, the European Court of Human Rights found that the denial of recognition of trans people is in violation of their human rights.

UK law does not currently prohibit conversion therapy in any way. Conversion therapy bans have been discussed for many years. PM Boris Johnson promised to ban conversion therapy in July 2020 and this was reiterated in 2021. In March 2022, the plans were dropped, only for a partial U-turn just hours later when the government announced that the ban would go ahead but not cover trans people. On January 17 2023, the government announced they&#39;d pass a new law to include transgender people in the conversion therapy ban. 
 
In July of 2024, new prime minister Kier Starmer announced his government would put forward a bill to ban conversion therapy. This ban would include sexual orientation and gender identity. As of March 2025, this bill is yet to be introduced.

Legal status of conducting sexual orientation changing therapy ("ex-gay" therapy)

While many forms of discrimination are illegal throughout the UK, the strength of protections differs between constituent countries. The Equality Act of 2010 was only extended to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

In 2010, the rest of the UK&#39;s employment discrimination protections were brought up to standard with those of Northern Ireland in the Equality Act of 2010. There are, however, exemptions for certain occupations (such as religious organisations). 

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in employment, including hiring, promotion, termination, harassment, etc.

In 2003, the Labour government began prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, with some exceptions. This extended to the whole UK, but Northern Ireland had stronger protections for LGBT people since 1999; the rest of the UK was brought up to par 7 years later.

Before Northern Ireland&#39;s progress in protecting trans people from employment discrimination, no part of the UK had enacted any law protecting LGBT people from employment discrimination.

On May 29th 2024, the UK voted to &#34;close the loophole&#34; by banning private care physicians as well as prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland from prescribing puberty blockers to children for gender incongruence. Those who already had a prescription can continue their treatment. 
 
This measure originally was meant to last from June 3rd until September 3rd, but was extended twice and is now indefinite. It extends to Scotland and Northern Ireland as well (The Sinn Fein gov agreed to follow it and medicines powers are reserved to the UK)

Medical and psychological support designed to help individuals transition to the gender they identify with, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and surgeries.

On March 12th 2024, England stopped the NHS from prescribing puberty blockers to minors. The drugs can still be accessed in the private sector, but are no longer covered in the public healthcare system. 
 
UK Government has put an emergency order up for puberty blockers, this bans HRT and puberty blockers for those under 18. This was effective dated 29/05/2024. This is effective June 3rd until Sept 3rd for 2024, Scotland and Wales have done the same earlier in the year.

Before 2024, there were very few restrictions on who could medically transition.

The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 repealed all criminal provisions regarding homosexuality; setting an equal age of consent for sexual activity between men.

Consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex.

The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 legalized sexual acts between two men who were 21 or older (excluding men serving in the military), but it placed new restrictions on sex for men who have sex with men. The act prohibited sex in places where a third party was likely to be present.

The Offences Against the Person Act 1861 lowered the maximum penalty to life imprisonment. 
 
Subsequent laws, such as The Labouchere Amendment (Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885) redefined the offence and allowed for other punishments, for example Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years hard labour in 1895, and in 1952 Alan Turing was chemically castrated. 
 
Female homosexuality and sexual acts were not addressed in the law, and therefore, they technically would have been legal, though the law often applied the law towards women.

Under the Buggery Act 1533, which recieved Royal Assent from King Henry VIII in 1534, homosexuality in what is now the United Kingdom was punishible by death. 
 
It was replaced in whole by the Offences Against the Person Act 1828, which carried the same punishment until repealed in 1861.

While England, Wales and Scotland are bound by the Equality Act 2010, Northern Ireland is not and has different discrimination protections in employment.

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity when applying for housing or discrimination by landlords / property owners.

In the UK it is illegal to perform medical treatment onto any person without consent. For infants, consent is given by their parents on their behalf under the Children’s Act

Medical interventions performed on intersex infants to alter their genital appearance to conform to typical male or female standards, often without the informed consent of the child who is too young to participate in the decision-making process.

On 2 November 2015, the Northern Ireland Assembly voted 53–52 in favour of same-sex marriage. However, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) tabled a &#34;petition of concern&#34;, signed by 32 members, and prevented the motion from coming into effect. 
 
Following a scandal, deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest on 9 January 2017 and his party, Sinn Féin, refused to nominate a successor, triggering a snap election. In the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election, the DUP lost 10 of their seats in the Assembly and thus their ability to use the petition of concern mechanism. However, no party reached a large-enough majority to form a government and thus no singular government could be formed. Sinn Féin also refused to return to a power-sharing agreement with the DUP. 
 
The Northern Ireland Assembly missed its three week deadline to establish a new Executive, which led to then-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, giving them an extension. After several missed deadlines, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 was passed and given royal assent by Queen Elizabeth II on 24 July 2019. It extended the deadline for forming a government to 13 January 2020, and required then-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Julian Smith, to pass new laws to legalise same-sex marriage. 
 
These new laws came into effect on 13 January 2020, officially bringing Northern Ireland in line with England, Scotland and Wales. Since 13 January 2020, same-sex marriage has officially been legal in the entire United Kingdom.

Marriage and marriage recognition between two people of the same biological sex and/or gender identity.

In January 2013, then-Minister for Women and Equalities Maria Miller introduced the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill to the House of Commons. The bill passed through the Commons by 366 votes to 161 in May 2013, and through the House of Lords by 390 votes to 148 in June 2013. 
 
The bill received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II on 17 July 2013 and became the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, which came into effect on 13 March 2014. The law only applied to England and Wales, so same-sex marriage remained unrecognised in Scotland and Northern Ireland. 
 
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament by Alex Neil, then-Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, on 26 June 2013. 
 
It passed through the Scottish Parliament by a margin of 105 votes to 18 on 4 February 2014 and received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II on 12 March 2014, becoming the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014. 
 
The law came into effect on 16 December 2014, bringing Scotland in line with England and Wales, which had legalised same-sex marriage earlier that year. Same-sex marriage remained unrecognised in Northern Ireland.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II on 18 November 2004. The act came into effect on 5 December 2005 and allowed for civil unions to be performed at registry offices, but not at religious institutions. 
 
Under the Act, same-sex couples can register a civil partnership, which has almost the same legal effects, rights and obligations as marriage does for mixed-sex couples. For that reason, civil partnership was sometimes called ‘gay marriage’. However, legally, it is not marriage, but is a separate, segregated system. 
 
The Equality Act 2010 amended the Civil Partnerships Act 2004 to allow civil unions to be performed at religious institutions, though religious organisations maintained a right to refuse to perform civil unions. This amendment, along with the rest of the Equality Act, came into effect on 1 October 2010.

Same-sex marriages were officially banned after the passage of the Nullity of Marriage Act 1971, which explicity stated that a marriage was considered void if both parties were of the same sex. 
 
The act received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II on 1 July 1971 and came into force on 1 August 1971. The Nullity of Marriage Act was later replaced by the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, however, its effects remained exactly the same.

In 1680, musician Arabella Hunt married &#34;James Howard&#34; in London. However, after only six months of marriage, Hunt sued for annulment claiming that Howard was female. Howard was later confirmed to be biologically female by doctors and the marriage was annulled on the basis that Howard (whose name was actually Amy Poulter) had deceived Hunt and that two women could not validly marry. 
 
On 30 March 1834, Anne Lister and Ann Walker had a marriage ceremony at the Holy Trinity Church in Goodramgate, York. The two considered themselves married afterwards, however, the marriage was never legally recognised. The church where their ceremony was performed now has a commerative rainbow plaque in their honour. 
 
In the 1967 England and Wales Court of Appeal case Talbot (otherwise Poyntz) v Talbot, Eileen Poyntz sued for divorce alleging that her husband James Talbot was female. The Judge, Roger Ormrod, granted Poyntz an immediate divorce on the basis that &#34;marriage is a relationship which depends on sex, not on gender&#34; and that marriages between two people of the same sex were invalid. 
 
Though same-sex marriages were not recognised, there was no law explicity outlawing them until 1971.

The Ministry of Defence were forced to change their stance on when the European Court of Human Rights ruled in September 1999 that the then current ban on gays in the military was unlawful.

The ability for homosexuals to serve in the military and be open about their sexuality.

The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 explicitly made serving in the military as an openly gay/bi man illegal.  Before this act, it was unlawful for a man to have sex with another man, and therefore, it was also illegal.

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 allows for a person to change their legal gender to either &#39;male&#39; or &#39;female&#39;, there is no third gender option. The law came into effect on 4 April 2005. 
 
In 2021, the UK government said (in response to a petition) that legal recognition of non-binary gender identity would have &#34;complex practical consequences for other areas of the law, service provision and public life&#34;, and said that they felt existing legislation allowing people to change their legal gender went far enough. Courts have, however, ruled that people with non-binary identities are protected from discrimination by the Equality Act. 
 
On 4 October 2023, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted his stance on gender identity in a speech at the Conservative Party conference, stating it was “common sense” that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman”. 
 
In January 2024, the High Court in London ruled that (in the case of a US citizen trying to have their non-binary identity recognised in the UK), &#34;We have decided that whenever the Gender Recognition Act refers to ‘gender’ it refers to a binary concept – that is, to male, or to female gender. The GRP [Gender Recognition Panel] accordingly, had and has no power to issue a gender recognition certificate to the claimant which says that they are ‘non-binary’&#34;. 
 
The act applied to the entire UK, and Scotland&#39;s attempts to recognise non-binary genders have all failed.

Legal recognition of non-binary, genderqueer, or third gender identities.

United Kingdom

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