# List of U.S. ballot initiatives to repeal LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws

Ballot initiatives to repeal LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws in the United States (U.S.) have been a recurring political strategy aimed at overturning legal protections for LGBTQ individuals at the state and local levels from 1974–2018. Ballot initiative efforts to repeal anti-discrimination laws on the basis of sexual orientation or sexual preference lasted from 1974–2016, while ballot initiative efforts to repeal anti-discrimination laws on the bias or gender identity and/or gender expression or gender presentation lasted from 2002–2018. After 2018, there has bee no ballot initiatives in the U.S. to repeal LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws.

## History

Madison, Wisconsin, became the first jurisdiction in the United States to pass a sexual orientation nondiscrimination ordinance on March 6, 1972, which was enacted on April 10, 1972, protecting individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Jurisdictions in the United States began outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in 1972, when East Lansing, Michigan, passed an ordinance forbidding discrimination based on "affectional or sexual preference". In response, opponents began organizing campaigns to place measures on their local ballots to repeal these anti-discrimination laws. The repeal movement found a national spokesperson in Anita Bryant, who helped found—and served as president of—Save Our Children. Save Our Children organized in Florida in 1977 in response to the passage by the Dade County Commission of an anti-discrimination ordinance. Bryant's campaign was successful; the Miami-Dade ordinance was repealed by a greater than two-to-one margin. Repeal campaigns, building on this success, spread nationally and several other ordinances were repealed. In California in 1978, conservative state senator John Briggs sponsored Proposition 6, which would have barred gay and lesbian people from working in a public school. The defeat of this measure, and of an ordinance repeal measure in Seattle, Washington, the same day, stalled the momentum of the repeal forces.
The mid-1980s and early 1990s saw a resurgence in ballot initiatives, culminating in proposed state constitutional amendments in Oregon and Colorado not only to repeal existing anti-discrimination ordinances but to proactively prohibit the state and any local unit of government within the state from ever passing such an ordinance. In 1992, Oregon's Measure 9 sponsored by the Oregon Citizens Alliance failed, but Colorado's Amendment 2 passed. Amendment 2 was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in its 1996 Romer v. Evans decision. Oregon and two other states, Idaho and Maine, had initiatives between the passage of Amendment 2 and the Court decision; all three were defeated but many municipalities within Oregon passed local measures.
As the question of same-sex marriage has risen to greater prominence, opponents of such marriages have turned their attention to passing constitutional amendments barring individual states from legalizing same-sex marriages or recognizing such marriages performed in other jurisdictions. These amendments are listed here. Before the marriage issue arose, some jurisdictions had begun providing limited rights and benefits to same-sex domestic partners. These ordinances also became targets of repeal efforts, with repeal supporters meeting with less success.
Since the 2015 US Supreme Court ruling in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, the prominence of LGBT anti-discrimination laws became the top priority of LGBT rights activists. One of the most controversial, recent, and largest repeal effort was Proposition 1 in Houston, Texas.

## Ballot initiatives

| Election date | County, municipality, or state | Referendum name | Goal | Yes votes | % yes votes | No votes | % no votes | % voter turnout | Outcome |
| May 7, 1974 | Boulder, Colorado | Referendum 1 | Repeal of Ordinance No. 3311, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 24,123 | 83% | 18,228 | 17% | 52.7% | Repealed |
| June 7, 1977 | Miami-Dade County, Florida | | Repeal of Ordinance 77-4, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 202,319 | 69.3% | 90,129 | 30.7% | | Repealed |
| April 25, 1978 | St. Paul, Minnesota | | Repeal of Ordinance 17212, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 29,053 | 63.1% | 17,040 | 36.9% | | Repealed |
| May 9, 1978 | Wichita, Kansas | | Repeal of Ordinance 35-242, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 47,389 | 80% | 10,005 | 20% | | Repealed |
| May 23, 1978 | Eugene, Oregon | | Repeal of Ordinance 18080, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 22,898 | 64.3% | 12,002 | 35.7% | | Repealed |
| November 7, 1978 | Seattle, Washington | | Repeal of Ordinance 107772, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing and employment | 71,381 | 37.1% | 121,598 | 62.9% | | Defeated |
| November 7, 1978 | California | Proposition 6 | Bans gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, as well as anyone who supported gay rights, from working in public schools | 2,823,293 | 41.57% | 3,956,571 | 58.43% | | Defeated |
| June 3, 1980 | San Jose, California | | Repeal of Ordinance 18362, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 62,782 | 70.2% | 26,612 | 29.8% | | Repealed |
| June 3, 1980 | Santa Clara County, California | | Repeal of Ordinance NS-300.34, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 137,888 | 75.2% | 45,460 | 24.8% | | Repealed |
| January 16, 1982 | Austin, Texas | | Repeal of Ordinance 820106-J, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing | 11,375 | 63% | 6,683 | 37% | | Defeated |
| November 6, 1984 | Duluth, Minnesota | | Repeal of Ordinance 8050, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 24,598 | 76% | 7,777 | 24% | | Repealed |
| January 19, 1985 | Houston, Texas | | Repeal of Ordinance 82-114, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in city employment | 85,254 | 82% | 18,677 | 18% | | Repealed |
| March 4, 1986 | Davis, California | | Repeal of Ordinance 1548, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 4,829 | 58% | 3,491 | 42% | | Defeated |
| November 8, 1988 | Oregon | Measure 8 | Repeal of Executive Order 87-20, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in state employment | 626,751 | 52.75% | 561,355 | 47.25% | | Repealed |
| November 7, 1989 | Athens, Ohio | | Repeal of Ordinance 0-84-89, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 2,487 | 53% | 2,203 | 47% | | Repealed |
| November 7, 1989 | Irvine, California | | Repeal of Ordinance 2397, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 11,456 | 53% | 10,125 | 47% | | Repealed |
| November 7, 1989 | Concord, California | | Repeal of Ordinance 1954, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 8,387 | 50.2% | 8,317 | 49.8% | | Repealed |
| November 7, 1989 | San Francisco, California, California | Proposition L | Repeal of Ordinance 1989-0710, which provided domestic partnership benefits to couples | 54,000 | 52.5% | 49,000 | 47.5% | | Repealed |
| November 7, 1989 | Tacoma, Washington | | Repeal of Ordinance 23623, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 24,628 | 51.2% | 23,483 | 48.8% | | Repealed |
| November 6, 1990 | Wooster, Ohio | | Repeal of Ordinance 1990-41, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 5,166 | 63% | 3,036 | 37% | | Repealed |
| November 6, 1990 | Seattle, Washington | Referendum 47 | Repeal of Ordinance 113260, which provided domestic partnership benefits to couples | 75,000 | 45.2% | 91,000 | 54.8% | | Defeated |
| May 21, 1991 | Denver, Colorado | Question 1A | Repeal of Ordinance 44, which provides anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 118,931 | 45% | 97,000 | 55% | | Defeated |
| November 5, 1991 | St. Paul, Minnesota | | Repeal of Ordinance 17509, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 38,721 | 54% | 33,103 | 46% | | Defeated |
| November 5, 1991 | San Francisco, California | Proposition K | Repeal of Ordinance No. 1991-01, which provided domestic partnership benefits to couples | 54,000 | 52.5% | 49,000 | 47.5% | | Defeated |
| May 19, 1992 | Tampa, Florida | Proposition 13 | Repeal of Ordinance 15047, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 94,960 | 53% | 83,753 | 47% | 42.5% | Passed |
| May 19, 1992 | Corvallis, Oregon | | Repeal of Ordinance 93-12, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations and prohibited the city from recognizing homosexuality, passing anti-discrimination laws based on homosexuality, and from using city funds and properties to "promote" homosexuality | 5,136 | 37% | 8,731 | 63% | | Defeated |
| November 3, 1992 | Colorado | Amendment 2 | Prohibited the state and local governments from enacting anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation | 813,966 | 53.41% | 710,151 | 46.59% | | Passed |
| November 3, 1992 | Oregon | Measure 9 | Prohibited state and local governments from recognizing sexual orientation as a basis for protected status | 638,527 | 43.53% | 828,290 | 56.47% | | Defeated |
| November 2, 1993 | Portsmouth, New Hampshire | | Repeal of Ordinance 10-93, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 2,203 | 55.6% | 1,760 | 44.4% | | Repealed |
| November 2, 1993 | Lewiston, Maine | | Repeal of Ordinance 93-12, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 6,754 | 68% | 3,180 | 32% | | Repealed |
| November 2, 1993 | Portland, Maine | | Repeal of Ordinance 33-93, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 8,450 | 43% | 11,241 | 57% | | Repealed |
| November 2, 1993 | Tampa, Florida | | Repeal of Ordinance 15047, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 40,984 | 58.5% | 29,163 | 41.5% | | Repealed |
| November 2, 1993 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Issue 3 | Prohibited the city from enacting or enforcing anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation | 72,425 | 67% | 35,615 | 33% | | Repealed |
| April 5, 1994 | Springfield, Missouri | Proposition R | Repeal of Ordinance 5781, which included sexual orientation as a protected category under the city's hate crime laws | 26,592 | 51.3% | 25,268 | 48.7% | 25% | Repealed |
| November 8, 1994 | Alachua County, Florida | | Repeal of Ordinance 93-7, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation | 35,306 | 57% | 26,640 | 43% | | Repealed |
| November 8, 1994 | Alachua County, Florida | | To bar future ordinances from providing protections based on sexual orientation | 36,537 | 59% | 25,380 | 41% | | Passed |
| November 8, 1994 | Austin, Texas | Proposition 22 | Repeal of Ordinance 940109-A, which provided domestic partnership benefits to couples and restricted benefits to only employees' parents, spouse, children, and other specified family members | 56,000 | 51.2% | 53,000 | 48.8% | | Repealed |
| November 8, 1994 | Idaho | Proposition 1 | Prohibited state and local governments from recognizing sexual orientation as a basis for protected status | 181,366 | 49.9% | 182,199 | 50.1% | | Defeated |
| November 8, 1994 | Oregon | Measure 13 | Prohibited state and local governments from recognizing sexual orientation as a basis for protected status | 592,746 | 48.45% | 630,628 | 51.55% | | Defeated |
| January 10, 1995 | West Palm Beach, Florida | | Repeal of Ordinance 3282, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 21,112 | 44% | 26,872 | 56% | | Defeated |
| November 7, 1995 | Maine | Question 1 | Repeal of Maine's Human Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 367,563 | 47% | 414,272 | 53% | | Defeated |
| November 7, 1995 | Northampton, Massachusetts | Domestic partnership repeal | Repeal of Ordinance 87-41, which provided domestic partnership benefits to city employees | 2,013 | 49.5% | 2,100 | 50.5% | | Repealed |
| November 5, 1996 | Lansing, Michigan | Question 1 | Repeal of Ordinance 746, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 52,000 | 52% | 48,000 | 48% | | Repealed |
| November 5, 1996 | Lansing, Michigan | Question 2 | To bar the city from enacting future ordinances to protect sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 55,000 | 55% | 45,000 | 45% | | Passed |
| February 10, 1998 | Maine | Question 1 | Repeal of Maine's Human Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 374,594 | 47.5% | 413,753 | 52.5% | | Repealed |
| November 3, 1998 | Maine | Question 1 | Repeal of Maine's Human Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 221,562 | 52% | 204,686 | 48% | | Repealed |
| November 3, 1998 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | Repeal of Resolution 51-98 | Repeal of Resolution 51-98, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 5,000 | 60% | 3,333 | 40% | | Repealed |
| November 3, 1998 | Fort Collins, Colorado | Referendum 2A | Repeal of Ordinance No. 82, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 19,834 | 62% | 12,126 | 38% | | Repealed |
| 1999 | Falmouth, Maine | | Repeal of Ordinance 98-03, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in credit, education, employment, housing, and public accommodations and prohibit the town from making any ordinance, policy or regulation regarding sexual orientation | 1,200 | 41% | 1,700 | 59% | | Defeated |
| November 2, 1999 | Spokane, Washington | | Repeal of Ordinance 31310, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations | 52,000 | 52% | 48,000 | 48% | | Defeated |
| November 7, 2000 | Maine | Question 1 | Repeal of Maine's Human Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 374,594 | 47.5% | 413,753 | 52.5% | | Repealed |
| November 7, 2000 | Ferndale, Michigan | Proposals or Ordinance Measures | Repeal of Ordinance No. 986, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, and public services | 2,863 | 43.8% | 3,669 | 56.2% | 44% | Defeated |
| November 7, 2000 | Oregon | Measure 9 | Prohibit public school teachers from encouraging, promoting, or sanctioning homosexuality | 662,506 | 47.11% | 743,769 | 52.89% | | Defeated |
| November 6, 2001 | Huntington Woods, Michigan | Proposals or Ordinance Measures | Repeal of Ordinance No. 493, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accommodations | 1,437 | 47.5% | 1,587 | 52.5% | 40% | Defeated |
| November 6, 2001 | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Adoption of Special Class Status Based on Sexual Orientation, Conduct, or Relationship Prohibited | Repeal of Ordinance 474, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations and prohibit the city from adopting future protections based on sexual orientation | 3,719 | 46% | 4,361 | 54% | | Defeated |
| November 6, 2001 | Traverse City, Michigan | | Repeal of Ordinance 706, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations and prohibit any city body from adopting policies or rules to protect gay, lesbian and bisexual people from discrimination | 2,456 | 42% | 3,381 | 58% | | Repealed |
| November 6, 2001 | Houston, Texas | Charter Amendment-Proposition 2 | Prohibit the city from providing employment benefits, including health care, to persons other than employees, their legal spouses, and dependent children and prohibit from granting any privilege in promotion, hiring, or contracting based on sexual preference | 128,099 | 51.52% | 120,525 | 48.48% | 28.3% | Repealed |
| September 10, 2002 | Miami-Dade County, Florida | | Repeal of County Ordinance 98-170, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in credit, employment, finance, housing, and public accommodations | 144,300 | 47% | 163,362 | 53% | 35% | Defeated |
| November 5, 2002 | Westbrook, Maine, Maine | | Repeal of Westbrook Human Rights Ordinance, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accommodations | 3,050 | 49.63% | 3,095 | 50.37% | | Defeated |
| November 5, 2002 | Ypsilanti, Michigan | Proposition A | Repeal of Ordinance 865, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations and prohibited any ordinance that afforded protected or minority status to people based on sexual orientation | 2,969 | 37% | 5,055 | 63% | 30.79% | Defeated |
| November 5, 2002 | Tacoma, Washington | Initiative 1 | Repeal of Ordinance No. 25966, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, lending, and public accommodations | 19,463 | 42.64% | 26,173 | 57.36% | 46.93% | Defeated |
| March 1, 2005 | Topeka, Kansas | Proposition 1 | Repeal of Ordinance 17853, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in city employment and barring the city from recognizing sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression or expression as a protected class for ten years | 12,795 | 48% | 13,285 | 52% | | Defeated |
| November 8, 2005 | Maine | Question 1 | Repeal of Maine's Human Rights Act, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in credit, education, employment, housing, and public accommodations | 185,672 | 43% | 246,617 | 57% | | Defeated |
| March 24, 2009 | Gainesville, Florida | Charter Amendment 1 | Repeal of Ordinance 0-05-92, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in credit extension services, employment, housing, and public accommodations | 8,382 | 41.67% | 11,732 | 58.33% | 26.9% | Defeated |
| November 3, 2009 | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Ordinance 1856 | Repeal of Ordinance 1856, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 7,671 | 61.85% | 4,731 | 38.15% | | Passed |
| November 8, 2011 | Traverse City, Michigan | City Proposal | Repeal of Ordinance 660, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 2,788 | 62.91% | 1,644 | 37.09% | 6.56% | Defeated |
| November 6, 2012 | Salina, Kansas | Ordinance No. 12-10747 | Repeal of Ordinance No. 12-10614, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 10,472 | 54.15% | 8,867 | 45.85% | 56.8% | Repealed |
| November 6, 2012 | Hutchinson, Kansas | Ordinance No. 2012-24 | Repeal of Ordinance No. 2012-24, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 5,214 | 58% | 3,786 | 42% | 50.6% | Repealed |
| May 20, 2014 | Pocatello, Idaho | Proposition 1 | Repeal of Ordinance 2921, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 4,863 | 50.41% | 4,943 | 49.59% | 27.4% | Defeated |
| August 7, 2014 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Referendum on Ordinance No. 12781 | Upholds Ordinance No. 12781, which provided domestic partnership benefits to city employees and provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public employment and public accommodations | 8,184 | 37.42% | 13,685 | 62.58% | 17.7% | Defeated |
| December 9, 2014 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | Repeal of Ordinance No. 5703 | Repeal of Ordinance 5703, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 7,527 | 51.65% | 7,047 | 48.35% | 29.42% | Repealed |
| April 7, 2015 | Springfield, Missouri | Question 1 | Repeal of Ordinance 6143, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 15,364 | 51.43% | 14,510 | 48.57% | 23.86% | Repealed |
| September 8, 2015 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | Ordinance 5781 Special Election | Upholds Ordinance 5781, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 7,698 | 52.79% | 6,884 | 47.21% | 29.51% | Passed |
| November 3, 2015 | Houston, Texas | Proposition 1 | Upholds Ordinance No. 2014-530, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 157,110 | 39.03% | 100,582 | 60.97% | 27.45% | Defeated |
| June 28, 2016 | Texarkana, Arkansas | Ordinance No. M-130 | Repeal of Ordinance No. M-130, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations | 2,465 | 79.9% | 620 | 20.1% | 11.1% | Repealed |
| April 3, 2018 | Anchorage, Alaska | Proposition 1 | Restrict access to public bathrooms and locker rooms based on an individual's sex assigned at birth | 36,993 | 47.36% | 41,115 | 52.64% | 35.06% | Defeated |
| November 6, 2018 | Massachusetts | Question 3 | Upholds Chapter 272, Section 98, as amended by Chapter 134 of the Acts of 2016, which provided anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity in public accommodations | 1,806,742 | 67.82% | 857,401 | 32.18% | 60.17% | Passed |