The legacy of American territorial imperialism and its consequences for civil rights

Despite the ubiquity of maps presenting 48 contiguous states, Alaska, and Hawaiʻi, the territorial expanse of land subject to the laws of the United States comprises more than that. The federal government also controls and administers island territories in the Caribbean and in the Pacific. Though they exist in constitutional limbo, US territories retain certain autonomy over local affairs. The policy portfolio of territorial governments thus includes the construction of civil rights for their queer residents. Further, the territories do not regulate queer life uniformly. Here, I provide an overview of how the five permanently inhabited US territories have approached the expansion or contraction of rights for sexual minorities. After an analysis of debates related to such rights among territorial officials, I provide a framework for understanding how territorial governments regulate the lives of sexual minorities.