Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) persons are entitled to full legal rights and protections regarding equality within the Union of Everett. Since 2003, when the Union of Everett ceded from the United States, LGBT people were provided full protections under federal laws such as protection from discrimination in public and private including employment, housing, education, healthcare and protections from hate crimes. Laws such as ENDA were passed by 2004, ensuring such protections and rights to LGBT people. While individual states did not recognize same sex marriage, in the 2004 the federal government passed federal recognition of same sex and transsexual marriages and began licensing marriages federally. Gays and lesbians serving the military were protected from discharge from se