1997 in LGBTQ rights

Sodomy is decriminalized in the People's Republic of China.^[1]
Fiji becomes the second country in the world whose constitution explicitly protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation, although the Fijian government does not invalidate or repeal its sodomy laws.^[2]
U.S. state of Maine bans sexual orientation discrimination in the private sector. The ban is later repealed in a referendum.^[3]
U.S. state of New Hampshire bans sexual orientation discrimination in the private sector.^[4]

30 — Ellen DeGeneres's character Ellen Morgan comes out as gay in "The Puppy Episode", seen by 42 million viewers.^[5]

2 — District judge Eugene Nickerson in Abel v. United States of America, a challenge to "don't ask, don't tell", rules that the law in its entirety violates the First and Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.^[6]^[7]

3 — In Ontario, Canada court rules that the Government of Ontario's Insurance Act must include same-sex partners in its definition of spouse.^[8]

25 — Homosexuality is decriminalized in Ecuador following a landmark decision handed down by the Constitutional Tribunal.^[9]

Annise Parker is elected as an at-large member of the Houston City Council alongside mayoral candidate Lee P. Brown.^[10]
2 — David Catania becomes the first openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to the city council of Washington, D.C.^[11]
10 — The Constitution Review Committee in Florida votes 6–2 to reject adding sexual orientation as a criterion for protection in the state constitution.^[12]
16 — In New Zealand, the court of appeal rules unanimously not to grant same-sex couples the right to marry.^[13]
17 — In the U.S. state of New Jersey, same-sex couples are given the right to jointly adopt children.^[14]

Events