(Photo Credits: Markéta Machová from Pixabay)

No question about it, this year is annus horribilis and I know all of us can’t wait to get 2020 behind us. 

What a nightmare 2020 has been. There’s the COVID-19 pandemic, for starters; the Australian bushfires; “murder hornets” in the U.S.; the Beirut explosion in August; and the West Coast wildfires. 

As if those were not enough, add to the mix the numerous environmental disasters around the world from the U.S. that has been hit by hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, and fire; to the volcanic eruption and typhoon Vamco that killed 53 people in the Philippines; and Hurricane Eta that killed at least 150 people in Central America last November 3. Read more about this here and here.

The year 2020 has seen many deaths that shocked the world as well. There’s the death of Kobe Bryant, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Chadwick Boseman, John Lewis, Sean Connery, and George Floyd‘s death that awakened the protests to end systemic racism in the U.S., to name a few. Please take a look below:


And then of course, there’s the death toll of the COVID-19 patients worldwide which is currently at 1,818,789. 

We do not know their names. And while we may see them only as numbers—just part of the statistics in the fight against coronavirus—but they actually have families, friends, and loved ones who are spending the holiday season without them for the very first time. 

Still, not all of 2020 has been bad, there were also great times.

While we do live in troubled times mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we—the Adam4Adam Team—think it is also important to look back and count our wins. This is why today we are giving you a quick look back at some of the notable events in the history of LGBTQ rights that happened this 2020: 

On Conversion Therapy: 

  • Utah opened the year 2020 by banning conversion therapy for minors
  • Germany and Albania banned conversion therapy for minors last May 2020
  • In Mexico, Mexico City banned conversion therapy last July 24 while the State of Mexico followed suit in October 2020
  • Louisville, Kentucky banned conversion therapy last October 2020 as did Virginia way back in March 2020
  • Yukon, in Canada, banned conversion therapy in November 2020

On Integrating an LGBTQ-Inclusive Curriculum

  • Scotland’s LGBT-inclusive education was approved in July 2020 and is poised to start this coming year (2021)
  • New Jersey introduced and implemented an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum this A.Y. 2020
  • Illinois’ LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, which was passed last year, gets implemented this A.Y. 2020 as well

On Marriage Equality

  • In Northern Ireland, a lesbian couple was the first same-sex couple to get married on February 11, 2020
  • Marriage equality becomes legal in Sark on April 23, 2020
  • Marriage equality comes to Costa Rica on May 26, 2020
  • Bolivia approved first same-sex civil union this December 2020
  • Switzerland voted for the legalization of same-sex marriage on December 18, 2020 though it will have to pass a nationwide referendum this 2021 first before the gay marriage law can take effect

On Gay and Trans Panic Defense

  • New Jersey banned gay and transgender ‘panic defenses’ on January 2020 becoming the 9th state to do so

  • Gay and trans panic defense was banned in Washington State way back in March. Washington becomes the 10th state to ban the controversial legal strategy mostly used in murder and assault cases
  • On July 2020, Colorado becomes the 11th state to ban gay and transgender panic defense.

On LGBTQ Employment:

  • June 15, 2020—The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that it is illegal for employers to fire workers simply for being gay or transgender because this violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

And who can forget the 2020 election in November where a record number of LGBTQ candidates won? There’s Jessica Benham, for example, who made history in Pennsylvania for becoming the first out bisexual autistic woman to ever be elected to the state legislature. Then there’s Delaware’s Sarah McBride, who became the first transgender state senator in U.S. history.

Last but certainly not the least, both the states of Virginia and California signed pro-LGBTQ bills into law.


“California has some of the strongest pro LGBTQ+ laws in the nation and with the bills signed today, our march toward…

Posted by California Governor on Saturday, September 26, 2020

What a journey 2020 has been for each and every one of us! 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, will spill over well into 2021—whether economically, financially, work and school-wise, etc.—the effect will continue to be felt around the world. But thanks to the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech as well as Moderna and other COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, it seems that we are finally seeing the light at the end of this lengthy coronavirus tunnel.

As we spend the last few hours of 2020 contemplating and reviewing the events that happened this year, we hope that 2021 will be better and brighter for everyone. 

Happy New Year, guys! Wishing you all good health and more blessings this 2021 and beyond. Cheers!

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