1995 in LGBT rights

Events

 * A new penal code is introduced in Portugal, which lowers the age of consent for heterosexual acts to 14; however it retains an age of consent of 16 for homosexual acts.
 * Sweden legalizes registered partnerships (a common-law marriage or civil union) with all the rights of marriage - except for marriage in a church and adoption.

May

 * May 25 - In Egan v. Canada the Supreme Court of Canada rules that sexual orientation is a prohibited ground of discrimination under section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a part of the constitution. Section 15 does not explicitly list sexual orientation, but is designed to permit the addition of new grounds by the courts. The ruling will have a wide impact since section 15 applies to all laws, including human rights laws that prohibit discrimination by all employers, landlords, service providers and governments.

October

 * October 10 - United States Supreme Court hears opening arguments in Romer v. Evans, the case that would eventually overturn Colorado's Amendment 2, which banned gay rights laws in the state.

November

 * November 7 - Australia's Christian Coalition says it will fight gay rights advances in the upcoming elections.
 * November 15 - The Florida Baptist state convention votes to begin a boycott of the Walt Disney Company after the firm extends domestic partner health benefits to employees.

December

 * December 29 - KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs, Colorado pulls talks shows by Jenny Jones and Carnie Wilson off the air because they include homosexuals as guests.

Deaths

 * November 17 - James Woods III, 32, author of The Corporate Closet: The Professional Lives of Gay Men in America
 * November 20 - Steven Powsner, 40, former president of the New York City Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center