LGBTQ + Community Rights

LGBTQ+ people have the right to live with dignity, safety, and equality. In Puerto Rico, LGBTQ+ communities continue to face discrimination, violence, and barriers to accessing healthcare, housing, employment, and other essential services.
The ACLU of Puerto Rico works to defend LGBTQ+ rights by challenging discriminatory policies and practices, protecting equality under the law, and advocating for safe and inclusive spaces. We fight for the right of all people to live openly and free from fear of exclusion or harm.
LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. We are committed to protecting equality and freedom for all people in Puerto Rico.

LGBTQ Rights

What you need to know

2015

Marriage equality became the law in Puerto Rico, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision — yet discrimination and harassment persist.

65%

Nearly 2 in 3 LGBTQ+ students in Puerto Rico reported facing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination at school.

11

At least 11 anti-LGBTQ+ legislative bills have been introduced in Puerto Rico since 2021, including attacks on trans healthcare, sports participation, inclusive bathrooms, prison placement, drag expression, and protections against discrimination.

Help Us Advance Equality for LGBTQ+ Puerto Ricans

The ACLU of Puerto Rico is pushing back against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and working to ensure that equality under the law means equality in daily life. You can help by speaking out against discrimination, supporting inclusive policies, and sharing resources that affirm and protect the LGBTQ+ community across Puerto Rico.

Key Issues

Equality for LGBTQ+ people requires more than legal recognition — it demands cultural and institutional change. The ACLU of Puerto Rico works across sectors to ensure that LGBTQ+ people can live freely and safely in every community.

Discrimination in Employment: LGBTQ+ workers continue to face bias and harassment despite existing legal protections.

Healthcare Access: Transgender and nonbinary individuals experience systemic barriers to medical care and coverage.

Education and Visibility: LGBTQ+ students need safe, inclusive learning environments and protections from bullying.

Family Recognition: Gaps remain in adoption, parental rights, and healthcare decision-making for LGBTQ+ families.

PRIDE Puerto Rico

The Latest

Press Release
Placeholder image

ACLU of Puerto Rico asks Supreme Court to halt use of Law 54 against minors

The organization filed an amicus brief in a case before the highest court involving two teenagers, in which one of the parties has been prevented from attending school in person
Issue Areas: Criminal Law Reform, LGBTQ + Community Rights
Press Release
Placeholder image

ACLU Foundation and ACLU of Puerto Rico file amicus brief in the First Circuit to defend the right of nonbinary people to accurate identity documents

The brief urges the court to recognize that Puerto Rico’s birth certificate policy discriminates against transgender people and must be evaluated under heightened scrutiny
Issue Areas: LGBTQ + Community Rights
Press Release
Placeholder image

Authorized Statements Regarding the ACLU of Puerto Rico's Participation in the Puerto Rico Pride March

Issue Areas: LGBTQ + Community Rights
Press Release
Placeholder image

ACLU of Puerto Rico Urges Governor to Veto Senate Bill 350

In a letter addressed to Jenniffer González Colón, the organization noted that the measure creates two distinct categories of children: one that allows parents to authorize treatments if the child's identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth, and another that prohibits parents the same right if their child's identity is different.
Issue Areas: LGBTQ + Community Rights
Legislation
Jul 16, 2025

Senate Bill 350

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, opposed Senate Bill 350 because of its direct impact on access to gender-affirming care for trans people, particularly trans youth and trans children, as well as on the rights of families and minors. The measure bans gender-affirming medical treatments for people under 21 years of age.
Status: Firmado por el/la gobernador/a
Legislation
Apr 13, 2025

Senate Bill 1

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, opposed Senate Bill 1 because its implementation poses serious dangers and invites rights violations and discrimination. Measures intended to guarantee the exercise of the right to religious freedom are justifiable insofar as they ensure that the government does not interfere with the freedom to act according to one’s beliefs. However, they cease to be justifiable when their application and unlimited scope allow such exemptions to be used as a pretext for discriminatory practices and the possible denial of basic services and access to justice, in violation of civil rights and liberties.
Status: Firmado por el/la gobernador/a
Legislation
Feb 26, 2026

House Bill 166

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, opposes House Bill 166 because it institutionalizes discrimination against transgender people, especially transgender women. Rather than protecting anyone, this bill has the effect of punishing, excluding, and stripping people of rights.
Status: Activo