List of LGBTQ firsts by year (2010s)
This entry documents notable "firsts" achieved by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals or pertaining to LGBTQ rights and representation within the 2010 to 2019 period. These firsts represent significant milestones in the ongoing struggle for equality and recognition.
2010
- Iceland: Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland's Prime Minister, becomes the first openly gay head of government in modern history.
- Iowa: Iowa begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after a unanimous Iowa Supreme Court ruling.
- United States: The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prohibited openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from serving in the United States military, is repealed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama (though the full implementation took place in 2011).
2011
- United States: The White House releases its first official video denouncing bullying of LGBTQ youth.
- United Nations: The UN Human Rights Council passes its first resolution recognizing LGBTQ rights.
- New York: New York legalizes same-sex marriage.
2012
- United States: President Barack Obama announces his support for same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.
- United States: Tammy Baldwin becomes the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate.
2013
- France: France legalizes same-sex marriage.
- United States: The Supreme Court strikes down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in United States v. Windsor, granting federal recognition to same-sex marriages legally performed in states that allow them.
- Estonia: Estonia passes a law recognizing same-sex unions.
2014
- Australia: Penny Wong becomes the first openly lesbian Cabinet Minister in Australia.
- United States: Laverne Cox becomes the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for acting ("Orange Is the New Black").
2015
- Ireland: Ireland becomes the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote (referendum).
- United States: The Supreme Court rules in Obergefell v. Hodges that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Effectively legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
- United States: Sarah McBride becomes the first openly transgender person to work at the White House in an official capacity.
2016
- United States: Orlando, Florida, experiences the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at Pulse, a gay nightclub.
- Singapore: The first Pink Dot SG rally is held at Hong Lim Park, advocating for LGBTQ rights. (Although subsequent rallies have occurred, this was the first in the decade.)
2017
- India: The Kerala High Court allows a transgender person to enroll in the National Cadet Corps (NCC).
- United States: Danica Roem becomes the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature (Virginia).
2018
- Spain: Ángeles Álvarez becomes the first openly lesbian member of the Spanish Senate.
- United States: Jared Polis becomes the first openly gay person elected governor of a U.S. state (Colorado).
2019
- Taiwan: Taiwan becomes the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.
- United States: Pete Buttigieg becomes the first openly gay person to launch a major campaign for President of the United States.
- United Kingdom: The first openly LGBTQ+ ballet dancer, Harrison Lee, joins The Royal Ballet as a First Artist.