2005 in gay rights

From Freepedia

See also: 2004 in gay rights, other events of 2005, 2006 in gay rights and the Gay rights timeline

Contents 1 Events 1.1 January 1.2 February 1.3 March 1.4 April 1.5 May 1.6 June 1.7 July 1.8 September 1.9 October 2 Deaths 3 External links

Events

January

• January 1
  • United States:
    • California law AB 205, which extends many rights and responsibilites of marriage to registered domestic partners, goes into effect.

February

• February 1
  • Canada:
    • The federal government introduces Bill C-38, the Civil Marriage Act, which would legalize same-sex marriage in all provinces and territories.

• February 4
  • United States:
    • New York Supreme Court Judge Doris Ling-Cohan rules in favor of a lawsuit by five same-sex couples, stating that a ban on gay marriage violates the State's constitution.

March

• March 14
  • United States:
    • San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer rules that the State's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

April

• April 20
  • United States:
    • The Connecticut legislature approves a law to allow same-sex civil unions in the state effective October 1.
• April 21
  • Spain:
    • The Spanish Congress of Deputies passes legislation to legalize same-sex marriage.
  • United States:
    • Microsoft withdraws support for Washington bill H.B. 1515, "Expanding the jurisdiction of the human rights commission", at the pressuring of evangelical Ken Hutcherson. H.B. 1515 would have made it illegal to fire an employee based on sexual orientation. Hutcherson had threatened Microsoft with a nation-wide boycott.
• April 22
  • United States:
    • Washington bill H.B. 1515 is defeated in the state senate by a single vote. Two Democrats join all 23 Republicans to defeat the bill. [1]
• April 25
  • Canada:
    • Four gay couples in New Brunswick ask their Court of Appeal to redefine marriage to include same-sex unions.
• April 26
  • New Zealand
    • Civil union legislation comes into effect. The first couples apply for licenses on the same day.

May

• May 9
  • Canada:
    • The Anglican Church of Canada puts off its decision on same-sex marriage until 2007.

• May 20
  • Canada:
    • A same-sex couple from the Northwest Territories sue the government over the right to be married.

• May 23
  • United States:
    • At its annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia, the American Psychiatric Association votes to support government-recognized marriages between same-sex partners.

June

• June 5
  • Switzerland
    • Fifty-eight percent of voters in Switzerland voted in favor of extending rights for registered same-sex couples. This is the first time that the topic has been put to a national referendum in Europe. Same-sex couples will be treated in the same way as opposite-sex married couples in terms of pension and taxes. However, they will not be able to marry, to adopt children or undergo fertility treatment.
• June 26
  • United States:
    • Muncie, Indiana holds its first gay pride event. [2]
• June 28
  • Canada:
    • The Canadian House of Commons passes Bill C-38, a proposed law to legalize same-sex marriage on a national basis, by a vote of 158-133.
• June 30
  • Israel:
    • 5,000 attend and 1,000 protest Jerusalem's gay pride parade. The event is halted after anti-gay protestors stab three marchers. [3]
  • Spain:
    • The Spanish Senate passes legislation to legalize same-sex marriage.
  • United Kingdom:
    • The Methodist Church of Great Britain becomes the first major Christian denomination in Britain to offer blessings for same-sex unions.
  • United States:
    • LOGO, the first commercial-supported LGBT-themed television network, debuts on U.S. digital cable television in 10 million homes. It is owned and operated by MTV Networks.
    • Legislation is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to ban discrimination based upon sexual orientation in hiring practices among the federal workforce.

July

• July 1
  • United States:
    • California State Attorney General Bill Lockyer asks the California Supreme Court to decide whether gay marriage is permitted under the state's constitution. (See Same-sex marriage in California)
    • A group of gay veterans rallied in Austin, Texas to protest Gov. Rick Perry's comments that LGBT military veterans should leave Texas. An estimated 65,000 LGBT veterans live in Texas.
• July 2
  • United Kingdom:
    • 30,000 people attend London's gay pride parade, which was led by celebrity Bob Geldof.
    • Police officers from Hampshire and Dyfed-Powys are told by local municipal governments not to wear their police uniforms if they march in the London gay pride parade.
  • United States:
    • The United Church of Christ opens its convention in Atlanta. Among the issuees to be decided is whether the church will accept and celebrate same-sex marriages among its congregation.
• July 3
  • Spain:
    • The national law legalizing same-sex marriage takes effect.
• July 19
  • Canada:
    • The Canadian Senate passes Bill C-38 by a vote of 47-21.
  • Iran:
    • Two male teenagers, Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni, are executed by hanging in Mashhad. They were accused of having a consensual homosexual relationship. [4]
• July 20
  • Canada:
    • Canada's Bill C-38 receives Royal Assent effectively legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada. The first same-sex couple to receive a marriage licence is a gay couple from Alberta.

September

• September 7
  • United States:
    • The California Legislature passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the first legislature in the US to do so. [5]

• September 29
  • United States:
    • California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes the bill passed on September 7 legalizing same-sex marriage. [6]

October

• October 22
  • United States:
    • The Kansas Supreme Court struck down a state law that punished underage sex more severely if it involved homosexual acts. [7]

Deaths

• June 4 - Jean O'Leary, 57, from complications of lung cancer; American activist who organized the first White House meeting with LGBT leaders; helped create National Coming Out Day.

External links

• Web site for Advocate news magazine
• 365gay.com
• Google search for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender news