4 – Domestic partnerships begin in U.S. state of Oregon, after a court decides that it does not conflict with the state constitution, which forbids same-sex marriage.[3]
March
1 – Both Nicaragua and Panama legalize homosexuality, with an equal age of consent, under a new penal code coming into effect.
12 – U.S. state of Washington expands its domestic partner legislation to give over 150 additional rights of marriage to same-sex couples.[4]
14 – A bill to allow registered partnerships passes in the Australian state of Victoria by a vote of 58–21. The act becomes effective December 1.
14 – The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights publishes his viewpoint on applying human right principles to sexual orientation and gender identity.[7]
15 – The California Supreme Court strikes down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, with marriages to be available in June.[8]
31 – The Australian Capital Territory will be the first place in Australia to provide same-sex partners who are parents with "parental leave" under the Parental Leave Legislation Amendment Act 2008.[13]
August
19 – Argentina approves the first nationwide gay rights measure, extending to same-sex couples the right to claim their deceased partners' pensions.[14]
21 – The Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon legalizes same-sex marriage. The state of Oregon does not recognize same-sex marriage but as a tribe recognized as a sovereign nation by the United States government the Coquille people are not bound by the state constitution.[15][16]
September
30 – Ecuador legalizes same-sex civil unions with the passage of its new constitution, but simultaneously constitutionally bans marriage and adoption for same sex couples.[17]
October
10 – Connecticut overturns a state ban on same-sex marriage[18] and becomes the third U.S. state to legalize marriage for same-sex couples, following Massachusetts and California.
November
4
California voters ban same-sex marriage with Proposition 8, becoming the first U.S. state to do so after marriages had been legalized for same-sex couples. The amendment to California's constitution passed by a margin of 52% to 47% and overturned the state supreme court's ruling in May in favor of same-sex marriage.
Arkansas voters pass Act 1, which effectively bans adoption by same-sex couples, by a margin of 54% to 41%.[19]
Arizona[20] and Florida[21] voters pass constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.
15 – The Constitutional Court of Hungary declares a previously passed registered partnership law—which would be available to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples—unconstitutional, on grounds that it duplicated the institution of marriage for opposite-sex couples. The court ruled that a registered partnership law that only included same-sex couples would be constitutional, and opined that the legislature had a duty to introduce such a law. Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány instructed the Minister of Justice to prepare a new bill that would conform to the Court's decision.[25]
23 – The Hungarian government announces that it will propose a new registered partnership law in line with the Constitutional Court's decision, to be presented to the parliament as early as February 2009.