Libertarian perspectives on LGBT rights illustrate how libertarian individuals and political parties have applied the libertarian philosophy to the subject of lesbian,

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

, bisexual and

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

(

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

) rights. In general, libertarians oppose laws which limit the sexual freedom of adults.

By country

Canada

Libertarian Party of Canada

On transgender equality, the

Libertarian Party of Canada The Libertarian Party of Canada (french: Parti libertarien du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada founded in 1973. The party subscribes to classical liberal tenets, and its mission is to reduce the size, scope, and cost of government ...

states: "Comedians are being fined by Human Rights Commissions and Bill C 16 arguably compels speech". Bill C16 is properly titled "

An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code ''An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code'' (french: Loi modifiant la Loi canadienne sur les droits de la personne et le Code criminel) is a law passed by the Parliament of Canada. The law adds gender expression and ...

". The bill adds "gender identity or expression" to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act and the list of characteristics of identifiable groups protected from hate propaganda in the Criminal Code.

France

Liberal Alternative

The Liberal Alternative party states: "We wish to make marriage a private affair, whether religious or not, composed simply of two consenting adults, without regard for sex, and with no further obligation beyond going to the local magistrate/city hall to notify the state about the union. This form of civil union would replace the PACS symbolically. Recognition of marriage is, of course, possible".

New Zealand

ACT

The minority

populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...

factions of the party oppose

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

which voted in 2005 for a law that would outlaw instead being in favour of civic unions, while the dominant majority of the party are in favour.

Libertarianz

Libertarianz stated in their platform that the party "fully supports the concept of a civil union and would also support allowing marriages between same sex couples, and indeed polygamous marriages or marriages between people who are already related—in all cases as long as all parties are adults and consenting". The organization ceased to exist in February 2014.

Russia

Libertarian Party of Russia

The

Libertarian Party of Russia The Libertarian Party of Russia (russian: Либертарианская партия России; ЛПР, Libertarianskaya partiya Rossii; LPR) is a right-libertarian political party in the Russian Federation founded in 2008 based on " self-owner ...

has been one of the most active vocal opponents of the 2013 Russian law banning "propaganda of homosexuality" among minors. Libertarian Party activists have participated in demonstrations in front of the

Moscow City Duma The Moscow City Duma (russian: Московская городская дума, Moskovskaya gorodskaya duma) is the regional parliament ( city duma) of Moscow, a federal subject and the capital city of Russia. As Moscow is one of three fede ...

against the adoption of the law. At a 2012 picket, the Libertarian Party announced its opposition to homophobic laws restricting people's right to freedom of speech.

United States

Anarcho-capitalists

Anarcho-capitalists Anarcho-capitalism (or, colloquially, ancap) is an anti-statist, libertarian, and anti-political philosophy and economic theory that seeks to abolish centralized states in favor of stateless societies with systems of private property enfor ...

believe in stateless

voluntary society A voluntary society, voluntary community or voluntary city is a term used in right-libertarianism to describe an entity in which all property (including streets, parks, etc.) and all services (including courts, police, etc.) are provided through w ...

, thus oppose any law supporting or opposing

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, ...

. The issue of LGBT rights would be left up individually for people to decide whether to support or oppose LGBT rights.

Adam Kokesh Adam Charles Kokesh (; born February 1, 1982) is an American libertarian political activist, radio host, and author. Kokesh was a U.S. 2020 Libertarian presidential candidate running on the single-issue platform of an "orderly dissolution of th ...

argues LGBT people should be anarcho-capitalists.

Libertarian Party

At the first national convention of the Libertarian Party in 1972, the delegates unanimously adopted a platform that included, "We favor the repeal of all laws creating 'crimes without victims' ... such as laws on voluntary sexual relations ..." That year,

John Hospers John Hospers (June 9, 1918 – June 12, 2011) was an American philosopher and political activist. Hospers was interested in Objectivism, and was once a friend of the philosopher Ayn Rand, though she later broke with him. In 1972, Hospers becam ...

, who was gay (although discreetly so), was nominated as the

Libertarian Party Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties Lists of political part ...

's first presidential candidate. In 1975,

Ralph Raico Ralph Raico (; October 23, 1936 – December 13, 2016) was an American libertarian historian of European liberalism and a professor of history at Buffalo State College.Raico, Ralph,
Gay Rights: A Libertarian Approach
. The essay originally appeared in a 1976 presidential campaign pamphlet published by the Libertarian Party. Retrieved March 22, 2022. This pamphlet advocated for removal of all restrictions against gays, including repeal of legislation prohibiting unions between members of the same sex. It also, however, opposed laws forbidding private individuals from discriminating against gays, ''e.g.,'' by refusing to hire them, or to rent or sell houses or apartments to gays, stating "our principles compel us to say that bigotry and prejudice, so long as they do not involve coercion, must also be tolerated." The second LGBT rights organization to operate from a libertarian perspective was the Libertarians for Gay and Lesbian Concerns. The organization held its first national convention in 1985 and sought to promote libertarianism to LGBT Americans. In 1998, Outright Libertarians was formed. Outright Libertarians are also affiliated with the Libertarian Party and takes many of the same position that the Libertarians for Gay and Lesbian Concerns did in the 1980s. In 2009, the Libertarian Party came out against H.R. 1913, a proposed hate crime bill that would add to the federal hate crime statute the categories of

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the ...

and

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

. The reason the Libertarian Party opposed the proposed hate crimes bill was because it would violate equal justice under the law by creating different classes of victims for the same crime. The Libertarian Party also accused legislators of attempting to buy the support of the LGBT community while still opposing same-sex marriage, and challenged them to repeal

Don't ask, don't tell "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on Decemb ...

. In 2013, the Libertarian Party applauded the Supreme Court's decision ''

United States v. Windsor ''United States v. Windsor'', 570 U.S. 744 (2013), is a landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case concerning same-sex marriage. The Court held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denied federal recognition o ...

'' to strike down Section 3 of the

Defense of Marriage Act The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...

(DOMA) as unconstitutional. The Libertarian Party had come out in favor of marriage equality in 2011, although noting that in their ideal society would "not have government in the business of defining relationships at all."Libertarians say marriage equality only one step toward ending legal discrimination
, ''Libertarian'', June 10, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2022. The Libertarian Party currently (as of 2015) takes the following positions relevant to LGBT rights: * Section 1.2 "Expression and Communication": ** We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor the freedom to engage in or abstain from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion. * Section 1.3 "Personal Relationships": ** Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government's treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships. * Section 1.6 "Parental Rights": ** Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their children according to their own standards and beliefs. This statement shall not be construed to condone child abuse or neglect. * Section 3.5 "Rights and Discrimination": ** Libertarians embrace the concept that all people are born with certain inherent rights. We reject the idea that a natural right can ever impose an obligation upon others to fulfill that “right.” We condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant. Government should neither deny nor abridge any individual's human right based upon sex, wealth, ethnicity, creed, age, national origin, personal habits, political preference or sexual orientation. Members of private organizations retain their rights to set whatever standards of association they deem appropriate, and individuals are free to respond with ostracism, boycotts and other free-market solutions. * Section 4.0 "Omissions": ** Our silence about any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive, edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or machination should not be construed to imply approval.

References

External links

* LGBT libertarians *
Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty
*
Outright Libertarians
*
Independent Gay Forum
*
Libertarians for Gay and Lesbian Concerns 1981-1987
* Gay Republicans that invoke libertarian principles *

* Raico, Ralph
"Gay Rights: A Libertarian Approach"
(PDF). * Raimondo, Justin
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell – Don't Go"
It argues that LGBT people should oppose anyone joining the military, rather than campaigning for the right of LGBT people to enlist. {{DEFAULTSORT:Libertarian Perspectives On Lgbt Rights

LGBT rights