Pink and white text reads 22 stories to end 2022.
2022 has been a contentious year for many of us, but amidst our shared struggles are also well-fought victories. As we wrap up 2022 and hope for a better 2023, let’s look at 22 of our community’s victories.
1. A law went into effect in Switzerland which allows one to change their legal gender without surgery.
The Swiss Federal Council decided last year to make a new law that lets transgender people change their gender markers and first names quickly and more easily. The law came into effect on January 1, 2022. Now Swiss transgender people can go to the civil registry and tell them they are trans to change their marker and name. Then they can choose their new name(s). Trans people who are less than 16 years old and other trans people with guardians need permission to change their marker and name.
You can find some of the many LGBTQIA+ organizations in Switzerland here.
2. Same-sex marriage also came into effect in Switzerland this year.
Voters in Switzerland supported same-sex marriage in a referendum last year. A referendum is a vote on one specific issue. It is called a referendum because it is referred to the group of voters to make a decision. A new law was made that gives same-sex couples the right to get married and adopt. Almost two-thirds of Switzerland’s citizens accepted the change. The law went into effect on January 1, 2022.
3. Kuwait's Constitutional Court decided an anti-trans law was unconstitutional.
There was a law in Kuwait that was used to criminalize trans people called article 198 of the penal code. This law made it illegal to “imitate the opposite sex.” Even though trans people are the gender they say they are and are not imitating their own genders, the law effectively made it illegal to be visibly trans. In February 2022, Kuwait’s Constitutional Council decided the law was not constitutional, but parliament still needs to repeal the law.
You can support Rainbow Street, an international protection organization for LGBTQ people in the Middle East & North Africa, here.
4. India decided gender-affirming healthcare would be covered by insurance.
In February 2022, India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment announced that gender-affirming healthcare will be covered by insurance. This means more trans people will be able to access much-needed healthcare like hormone replacement therapy, gender-affirming surgeries, and more.
You can find some of the many LGBTQIA+ organizations in India here.
5. India expanded the definition of family to include queer relationships.
In August this year, India’s Supreme Court changed the definition of family. The new includes queer relationships too. This is a big and important change because it means all different families deserve equal protection. It also means they get social welfare benefits.
6. Chile legalized same-sex marriage.
In June 2021, the government of Chile said it would introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The president passed the bill in July. After talking about it for months, the bill was approved. The president signed it into law and it took effect in 2022. The first same-sex marriage in Chile was on 10 March 2022.
You can find some of the many LGBTQIA+ organizations in Chile here.
7. The United States of America started issuing passports with an “X” gender marker.
The United State of America decided that Americans could choose the gender on their passport applications. They don’t need to have medical papers or any diagnosis to do this, and the gender on their passport can be different from their other documents. This is important for trans people who are changing their gender marker on different documents, which can be a very long process. Also, US citizens will be able to use an X as their gender marker instead of F, for female, or M, for male. The X marker can only be used on passports right now, but it will be an option for more documents starting next year. The first passport with the new X marker was given in April 2022.
You can find some of the many LGBTQIA+ organizations in the United States of America here.
8. Antigua and Barbuda decriminalized homosexuality.
The High Court of Justice for Antigua and Barbuda decided the Sexual Offences Act of 1995 was unconstitutional. This law made different kinds of sex illegal, including men having consensual sex with other men. This law violated many of gay people’s rights. Different groups in the Caribbean have been fighting for these rights, especially the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE). Women Against Rape, an organization from Antigua and Barbuda that supports the LGBT community, was part of the court case that helped make this decision happen.
You can support the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality and Women Against Rape.
9. Slovenia legalized same-sex marriage.
The Constitutional Court of Slovenia made a decision in July 2022. They said that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The court gave Parliament 6 months to fix the ban, even though the decision was effective as soon as it happened. Slovenia legalized same-sex marriage in October 2022.
You can support some of the LGBTQIA+ organizations in Slovenia here.
10. Saint Kitts and Nevis decriminalized homosexuality.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis High Court made a decision in August 2022. They decided that criminalizing gay sex was unconstitutional. This law violates people’s rights to privacy and freedom of expression. This is an important step for LGBT+ people in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and an example for other countries in the Caribbean.
You can support the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality here.
11. Cuba legalized same-sex marriage.
People in Cuba voted on a referendum in 2022. They said they supported legalizing same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage was illegal in Cuba until 2019. In 2019 Cuba said they would make a plan to legalize same-sex marriage. They wrote the law in 2021 and it went through different steps before people voted on it. The president signed it into law in September 2022 and it took effect the next day, making same-sex marriage legal. The law also made same-sex adoption legal.
You can support some of the LGBTQIA+ organizations in Cuba here.
12. The World Health Assembly included sexual orientation in the Global Strategy on HIV, Hepatitis and STIs 2022-2030
The World Health Assembly addressed the global health sector strategies (GHSS) on 1) HIV, 2) viral hepatitis, and 3) sexually transmitted infections. The World Health Assembly is the governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO). The GHSS are guidelines on how to address gaps in public health. Gaps in public health show which people are at risk for different diseases. One of those gaps is queer people, because many queer people don't have access to health and health care. The GHSS 2022-2030 talked about reaching the people in those gaps. It also talked about addressing inequities that cause the gaps. The Assembly voted on the strategy. They affirmed the right to the best standard of health possible without discrimination based on sexual orientation.
13. Several Mexican states legalized same-sex marriage.
In October 2022 the Congress of the State of Mexico legalized same-sex marriage in the State of Mexico. The law was published and took effect in November. Also in October 2022, Tabasco legalized same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage was also legalized in Tamaulipas.
You can find some of the many LGBTQIA+ organizations in Mexico here.
Blood donation bans and deferral period changes
Countries around the world continue to review their discriminatory bans and deferral periods for blood donation which unfairly exclude and penalize queer people, and fortunately, this year saw several countries make major changes to their policies.
14. Greece eliminated the 45-year total ban on blood donation by men who have sex with men (MSM) in January. Greece also opted to remove their previously required deferral period for MSM.
15. France eliminated the deferral period on blood donations for MSM is eliminated in March.
16. Lithuania eliminated the deferral period on blood donations for MSM in May.
17. Austria eliminated the deferral period on blood donations for MSM in May.
18. Ireland reduced the deferral period on blood donations for MSM, as well as their female partners, from one year to four months in March. While it is not ideal, it is a step forward.
You can support organizations doing work to combat discriminatory blood bans and other issues affecting LGBTQIA+ people in Greece, France, Lithuania, Austria, and Ireland.
Conversion therapy bans
Advocates and survivors have fought to ban conversion therapy for decades, and this year saw some success in this battle.
19. In Canada, the ban on conversion therapy went into effect in January.
20. Israel's Health Ministry announced a ban on conversion therapy by medical professionals, including punitive measures for violators, in February.
21. New Zealand’s Parliament passed a ban on conversion therapy on persons under the age of 18 years or lacking decision-making capacity. Additionally, it banned conversion practice that causes serious harm for all age groups.
22. India's National Medical Commission declared providing conversion therapy as "professional misconduct" and empowered the State Medical Councils to take disciplinary action against medical professionals if they provide “conversion therapy”.
You can support organizations doing work to combat conversion therapy and other issues affecting LGBTQIA+ people in Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and India.