Does Rhode Island have an anti-discrimination law protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination?

Yes. Since 1995, Rhode Island has had a comprehensive anti-discrimination law concerning sexual orientation in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations and has included sexual orientation under its equal opportunity and affirmative action law.  In 2001, Rhode Island added gender identity or expression to each of these statutory protections (R.I. Gen. Laws, ch. 11-24 (public accommodations); ch. 28-5 (employment); ch. 28-5.1 (equal opportunity and affirmative action); and ch. 34-37 (housing and credit)).

Does it also protect people perceived to be LGBTQ+?

Yes. The anti-discrimination laws define “sexual orientation” as “having or being perceived as having an orientation for heterosexuality, bisexuality or homosexuality and define “gender identity or expression” as including a “person’s actual or perceived gender” (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 28-5-6(11)(gender identity or expression) and (16)(sexual orientation) (employment); 34-37-3(9)(gender identity or expression) and (15)(sexual orientation) (housing and credit); and 11-24-2.1(h)(sexual orientation) and (i)(gender identity or expression) (public accommodations)). Thus, if a person is fired because they are perceived to be gay (whether they are or not), they may still invoke the protection of the anti-discrimination law to challenge the firing.

Existe-t-il des lois fédérales qui protègent les étudiants ?

Yes, Title IX prohibits discrimination against students based on sex in any school or college that receives federal funds. In light of the Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which determined that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are forms of sex discrimination, the federal Department of Education, which enforces Title IX, has stated that it will interpret any sexual orientation or gender
identity discrimination as sex discrimination.

Pour déposer une plainte auprès du Bureau des droits civils du ministère fédéral de l'Éducation, voir :
Comment déposer une plainte pour discrimination auprès du Bureau des droits civils.

Les plaintes peuvent être déposées auprès du coordinateur du Titre IX de votre école, ainsi qu'auprès de :

Bureau des droits civils
Le ministère américain de l'Éducation
Bureau de poste et palais de justice John W. McCormack, salle 222
Place de la Poste
Boston, MA 02109

De plus, certains types de discrimination et de harcèlement peuvent violer les droits constitutionnels d’un étudiant.

Does Rhode Island have a law that bans conversion therapy?

Yes, in 2017 Rhode Island passed Section 23-94, Prevention of Conversion Therapy for Children, which prohibits any licensed mental health professional from performing conversion therapy on a minor.

Les organisations médicales, de santé mentale et de protection de l'enfance, étatiques et nationales, s'opposent toutes à la pratique de la thérapie de conversion, qui vise à modifier l'orientation sexuelle ou l'identité de genre d'une personne. De nombreuses publications professionnelles démontrent que cette pratique est inefficace pour modifier l'orientation sexuelle ou l'identité de genre et qu'elle est néfaste pour les jeunes. Les jeunes ayant suivi une thérapie de conversion présentent un risque accru de dépression, de pensées et de tentatives de suicide, ainsi que de consommation de drogues illicites.

Under the law’s provisions, any licensed health professional who practices conversion therapy would be subject to discipline by the Rhode Island Department of Health.