Minnesota bans private-sector discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, becoming the first U.S. state to enact a law addressing transgender civil rights. [1]
January
15 – In U.S. state of Colorado, district court judge Jeffrey Bayless issues a temporary injunction in Romer v. Evans, preventing Amendment 2 from becoming part of the state constitution.
5 – In Baehr v. Lewin, the Hawaii Supreme Court rules that denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples constitutes discrimination based on sex under the Hawaii Constitution. The court remands the case to the trial court to determine whether the state had a "compelling" state interest in barring such marriages.[2][3]
July
19 – Colorado's Supreme Court upholds an injunction issued by a district court in January against Amendment 2 and sends it back to the district court to be scrutinized.
1 – A court orders the federal government of Canada to grant a gay federal worker spousal and bereavement benefits equal to those heterosexual employees receive.
7 – In the United States, the AFL–CIO labor union passes a resolution to oppose the repeal of gay rights laws.
Eskridge, Jr., William N. (1996). The Case for Same-Sex Marriage: From Sexual Liberty to Civilized Commitment. New York City, The Free Press, a Division of Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-82404-3.