Madina Agénor1,2,3, Ashley E Pérez4, Alexa L Solazzo5,6, Ariel L Beccia7, Mihail Samnaliev6,8,9, Janson Wu10, Brittany M Charlton5,6,11,12, S Bryn Austin5,6,12,13. 1. Department of Community Health, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA. 2. The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 4. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. 5. Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 6. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7. Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. 8. Department of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 9. Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 10. GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 11. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 12. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 13. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract
Purpose: We developed a multiyear database of sexual orientation- and gender identity-related U.S. state laws to advance sexual and gender minority (SGM) health research and practice and assessed variability in U.S. state laws from 1996 through 2016 across all U.S. states and D.C. Methods: Between 2014 and 2016, a multidisciplinary group of SGM health researchers and legal experts used secondary and primary legal sources and policy surveillance methods to systematically develop a state-level legal database of 30 sexual orientation- and gender identity-related U.S. state laws in 9 legal domains from 1996 through 2016. We calculated descriptive statistics and created maps to observe the distribution of these laws over both time and space. Results: Although progress has occurred in some domains, such as same-sex marriage, adoption, and employment discrimination, significant challenges to SGM rights remain, especially with regard to HIV criminalization, transgender rights, and discrimination in health care settings. Further, notable variation exists in the presence of protective lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) state laws across U.S. states and D.C. Conclusion: Efforts to repeal harmful U.S. state laws are needed, as are new laws, policies, regulations, practices, and norms that advance social justice and health equity for all SGM people.
Purpose: We developed a multiyear database of sexual orientation- and gender identity-related U.S. state laws to advance sexual and gender minority (SGM) health research and practice and assessed variability in U.S. state laws from 1996 through 2016 across all U.S. states and D.C. Methods: Between 2014 and 2016, a multidisciplinary group of SGM health researchers and legal experts used secondary and primary legal sources and policy surveillance methods to systematically develop a state-level legal database of 30 sexual orientation- and gender identity-related U.S. state laws in 9 legal domains from 1996 through 2016. We calculated descriptive statistics and created maps to observe the distribution of these laws over both time and space. Results: Although progress has occurred in some domains, such as same-sex marriage, adoption, and employment discrimination, significant challenges to SGM rights remain, especially with regard to HIV criminalization, transgender rights, and discrimination in health care settings. Further, notable variation exists in the presence of protective lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) state laws across U.S. states and D.C. Conclusion: Efforts to repeal harmful U.S. state laws are needed, as are new laws, policies, regulations, practices, and norms that advance social justice and health equity for all SGM people.
Entities:
Keywords:
gender identity; gender minorities; law; sexual minorities; sexual orientation; structural stigma
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