Fact Sheet

In 2007, the State of Oregon enacted the Oregon Equality Act (also known as SB2), the landmark law to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from discrimination. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination because of your sexual orientation or gender identity, Oregon law will protect you, starting January 1, 2008, and will allow you to take action to address the problem.

In 2006, the State of Washington enacted the landmark Anderson-Murray Antidiscrimination Law to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from discrimination through Washington's Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination because of your sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or HIV status, WLAD may now protect you and allow you to take action to solve the problem.

Lambda Legal has created, with assistance from Equal Rights Washington, a fact sheet, Washington's Law Against Discrimination protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, to let you know what your rights are under this new law.

On February 10, 2011, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) issued a letter to state birth registrars announcing a procedure change allowing a woman to be named as a parent on the Maryland birth certificate of the child born to her same-sex married spouse, without the necessity of a court order.

Please take note:  On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional.  For information about how this development may potentially affect married same-sex couples' federal taxes, click here.  In addition, please check this page for future updates to our fact sheet on income-splitting for same-sex couples, which does not yet take into account this new development.