HIGHLIGH
45 YEARS OF L
BERL IN S
FROM ACTIVISM TO POP CULTURE, the LGBT community has gotten a lot
if we can’t take you back down Memory Lane, old schoolers, or paint a historical
THE 1970S
As Stonewall happened in the summer of ’69, LGBT America rolled into the 1970s ready for a fight. Tired of being shamed by the media, legally oppressed by politicians, and ostracized from their own families, the community locked arms in solidarity and said, “Enough.” The fight for civil rights was on.
#1
The song of 1970 was Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
19 70
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What later became Pride, the first Gay Liberation Day March is held in NYC and LA.
Average cost of a gallon of gas:
36¢
Colorado and Oregon repeal sodomy laws.
DR. FRANK KAMENY
In DC, Dr. Frank Kameny becomes the first openly gay candidate for Congress.
The US Libertarian Party denounces victimless crime laws, sodomy among them. The University of Michigan establishes the “Gay Advocates Office,” the first US collegiate office for the community.
TS FROM
GBT PROGRESS YLVESTRE
done over the past few decades. Let’s break down our advancements and see mural in your minds, young ones. 19 72
Michigan and California become the first two states to have cities with homosexual rights ordinances.
The University of Buffalo offers Lesbianism 101, the first course on gay ladies in the US.
of Friends on Bisexuality issues the “Ithaca Statement on Bisexuality” in support of bisexuals.
A Quaker group called the Committee
Stonewall Nation, the first “gay anthem,” is
19 73
The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
#1
The song of 1973 was Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree by Dawn feat. Tony Orlando
written and recorded by Madeline Davis and is produced on 45 rpm records. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is formed.
PFLAG 1972
19 74
Ann Arbor, MI becomes the first US city with an openly gay city council member. The Bisexual Forum is founded in NYC.
19•••
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The song of 1976 was Wings by Silly Love Songs.
19 75
Homosexuality is legalized in California. Minneapolis becomes the first city in the US to pass trans-inclusive civil rights protection legislation. A Connecticut court finds that substantial state interest must be demonstrated to deny a change in sex recorded on a birth certificate.
19 76
Indiana decriminalizes private consensual homosexual acts between adults.
The city council of Los Angeles prohibits employment discrimination by the city based on sexual orientation.
19 79
The first National March on Washington for homosexual rights march takes place in DC. MARCH ON WASHINGTON
Median Household Income for 1974:
$11,800
HARVEY MILK
19 78
Then-governor Ronald Reagan of California helps defeat the state’s Prop 6, a ballot initiative that would prevent gays and lesbians from becoming teachers, by speaking out against it.
THE 1980S
Motivated by the recent assassination of Harvey Milk and encouraged by a strong foundation for political revolution, the LGBT gang slathered on more elbow grease and battled on.
19 80
The Democratic Rules Committee takes a nondiscrimination stance against homosexuality, meaning the Democrats become the first political party to endorse a gay-rights platform.
19 81
The Billy DeFrank Lesbian and Gay Community Center, the first of its kind, opens in San Jose, California.
Average cost of a gallon of gas:
•••22
$1.25
19 82
Wisconsin becomes the first US state to outlaw sexualorientation discrimination. The first Gay Games is held in San Francisco, attracting 1600 participants.
PHOTO BY JIM KELLY-EVANS
Dade County, FL cranks up the first human rights ordinance.
The earliest known lesbian-feminist BDSM organization, Samois, is founded in San Francisco.
dozens of gay men in mental institutions in the 1950s.
19 77
Harvey Milk becomes the first-elected public official after he wins as city-county supervisor of San Francisco.
The rainbow flag becomes the symbol of the movement.
Iowa repeals its “sexual psychopath” law. Passed in the wake of a moral panic following the 1954 rape and murder of a young boy, the law had been used to detain
OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 23
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19 83
Massachusetts Representative Gerry Studds reveals he is a homosexual on the floor of the House, becoming the first openly homosexual member of Congress.
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The song of 1983 was Every Breath You Take by The Police.
19 84
Harvey Milk High holds its first class in NYC.
GERRY STUDDS
19 86
FTM is formed, the leading advocacy group for femaleto-male transgender individuals.
Austin, TX passes an ordinance that prohibits discrimination against people with HIV or AIDS.
HARVEY MILK HIGH
#1
The song of 1986 was That’s What Friends Are For by Dionne and Friends.
•••24
Transgender woman Sandy Stone publishes The Empire Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto, in response to the anti-transsexual book Transsexual Empire. The work is considered the origin of transgender studies. Congressman Barney Frank comes out.
Massachusetts voters reelect representative Gerry Studds, despite revealing himself as homosexual the year before.
19 85
The second National March on Washington takes place, later being called “The Great March” for its sheer size and overall success.
GREAT MARCH ON WASHINGTON
19 88
The World Health Organization organizes the first World AIDS Day. National Coming Out Day is founded.
19 89
4500 protestors in NYC show up for “Stop the Church,” acting out against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese’s stance against condoms, abortion, and AIDS education. Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Columbus, Ohio adopt ordinances that ban sexual-orientation discrimination in the private sector.
THE 1990S
Longtime Denver-resident and activist Tea Schook would characterize the 90s as a time of renewal. “Reagan’s war on gay men was nearly over,” she reminisces. “ACT UP [AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power] had started and was energizing fellas like it was 1972. Women had taken over leadership of the institutions founded in 70s and we were not relinquishing those roles so a more equal coownership of our freedom movement evolved. In the 90s, we learned to act politically. We developed allies in other disengaged communities.”
#1
The song of 1990 was Hold On by Wilson Phillips.
Such as? “People of color. In Denver we courted black, Asian, and Native groups. We found activist religious leaders and linked with them. We brought women’s groups to our cause — prochoice, women’s rights. Lesbians were already in those organizations so it was a little easier to get the support. We got our friends elected to office and then we started running. We learned to leverage those relationships to gain legal status. And then the Supreme Court gave us a huge win in the mid-90s [with Amendment 2].”
PHOTO BY LEE SNIDER/CORBIS
AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT OCTOBER 1987
Average cost of a gallon of gas:
19 90
$1.16
President George Bush signs the Ryan White Care Act, a federally funded program for people living with AIDS.
SOUTHERN COMFORT CONFERENCE 1991
preeminent of transfocused conference in the US.
19 91
The Southern Comfort Conference, a major trans event, takes place for the first time. It’s the largest, most famous, and
RYAN WHITE
The Department of Defense issues a directive prohibiting the military from denying applicants from service based on their sexual orientation — but only if they’re closeted. Out
Transgender Nation is formed in San Francisco.
19 99
Nancy Katz becomes the first openly-lesbian judge in the state of Illinois. The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition is founded. California adopts a domestic partnership law. Boeing begins offering domestic partner health benefits.
•••26
A red ribbon becomes the symbol of awareness and compassion for those living with HIV/AIDS.
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NANCY KATZ
A Wall Street Journal survey found that gay Americans were 3x more likely to be college graduates, 3x more likely to hold professional or
managerial positions, and typically make $30k more per year than the average American.
19 98
Gender identity is added to PFLAG’s mission, making it the first national LGBT organization to officially adopt a trans-inclusive policy for its work.
gays need not apply. The policy is referred to as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). An estimated 1M people show up for the The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation in DC.
Karen Kopriva of Illinois becomes the first American teacher to transition on the job. The Transgender Day of Remembrance is founded to memorialize the murder of transgender woman Rita Hester.
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The song of 1994 was The Sign by Ace of Base.
19 94
The American Medical Association denounces supposed “cures” for homosexuality.
19 95
All the national transgender organizations get together to form GenderPAC, the first national political advocacy organization devoted to the right to one’s gender identity. The Transgender Historical Society is founded.
19 96
LESLIE FEINBERG
Leslie Feinberg publishes Transgender Warriors, a history of transgender people.
The Supreme Court decides that Colorado’s 2nd amendment, denying gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, is unconstitutional.
19 97
Ellen DeGeneres’ character Ellen Morgan comes out as gay and is seen by 42 million viewers.
ELLEN DEGENERES
Same-sex couples in New Jersey are given the right to jointly adopt children.
OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 27
THE 2000S
Leading up to the 00s, anti-gay rhetoric polarized the nation as certain presidential hopefuls used their opposition to samesex marriage as lynchpins for their campaigns. Unfortunately, it worked. Regardless, the momentum would not be slowed, and with so many victories underway for the LGB community, the T proved that it was not silent.
20 03
Both the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) are founded.
20 01
Massachusetts becomes the first state to perform same-sex marriages.
The Transgender Foundation of America is formed.
Theresa Sparks becomes the first openly transgender woman ever named “Woman of the Year” by the California State Assembly.
Average cost of a gallon of gas:
The Supreme Court rules that sodomy laws in the US are unconstitutional.
$1.41
20 00
The Transgender Historical Society donates their collection of historical materials to the University of Michigan. Vermont becomes the first state in the US to legalize civil unions and registered partnerships between same-sex couples.
•••28
THERESA SPARKS
20 02
New York bans sexual orientation discrimination in the private sector, while Alaska bans it in the public sector. PFLAG establishes its Transgender Network (TNET) as its “special affiliate,” taking on the same privileges and responsibilities for the trans community as it has for the gay and lesbian community in its original chapters. Five members of the trans community present at the LGBTI Health Summit in Boulder, marking the first time trans, bi, and intersex people are recognized as co-equal partners on the national level rather than being gay and lesbian “allies” or tokens.
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The song of 2005 was We Belong Together by Mariah Carey.
Median Household Income for 2002:
$42,409
EVE ENSLER, AUTHOR OF VAGINA MONOLOGUES
The first all-transgender performance of the Vagina Monologues was held. The monologues were read by eighteen notable transgender women, and a new monologue revolving around the experiences and struggles of transgender women was included.
20 04
San Francisco holds the first-ever Trans March, now a major part of Pride celebrations in many major cities. Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize same-sex marriage.
20 05
Transgender activist Pauline Park becomes the first openly transgender person chosen to be grand marshal of the New York City Pride March, the oldest and largest LGBT pride event in the US. The American Psychiatric Association votes to support governmentrecognized marriages between same-sex partners.
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS
Alexandra Billings becomes the first openly transgender woman to play a transgender character on TV. It was in the made-for-TV movie Romy and Michele: A New Beginning.
20 06
Kim Coco Iwamoto is elected to the Hawaii Board of Education, making her at that time the highest ranking openly transgender elected official in the United States, as well as the first openly transgender official to win statewide office.
KIM COCO IWAMOTO
MIKEY THE ACTIVE
DC bans gender identity discrimination in the private sector.
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20 07
Actress Candis Cayne plays a transgender woman on ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money, making her the first openly transgender actress to play a recurring transgender character on primetime TV. The Soulforce Equality Ride visits 32 schools in the US that ban enrollment of openly-gay students.
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The song of 2008 was Low by Flo Rida feat. T-Pain.
Colorado bans gender-identity and sexual-orientation discrimination in the private sector. Theresa Sparks (see 2003) is elected president of the San Francisco Police Commission by a single vote, making her the first openly transgender person ever to be elected president of any San Francisco commission, as well as San Francisco’s highest ranking openly transgender official.
20 08
Domestic partnerships in Oregon begin. Connecticut overturns its same-sex marriage ban. Trans historian and pioneer Cristan Williams donates her personal collection to the Transgender Foundation of America, where it becomes the first collection in the Transgender Archive, an archive of transgender history worldwide.
SOULFORCE EQUALITY RIDE
President Obama signs a Presidential Memorandum allowing same-sex partners of federal employees to receive certain benefits. The Matthew Shepard Act is passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama.
20 09
The Committee on Lesbian and Gay History, an affiliated society of the American Historical Association, changes its name to the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History.
Average cost of a gallon of gas: CRISTAN WILLIAMS
#1
PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM
The song of 2010 was TiK ToK by Ke$ha.
THE 2010S
•••30
The 10s are characterized by a windfall of legislation throughout our country that propped the gay and lesbian community up for legally recognized marriage. As well, major gains in the transgender community enjoyed a domino effect that we’re still experiencing.
$2.90
20 10
A federal judge in San Francisco decides that gays and lesbians have the constitutional right to marry. Phyllis Frye becomes Texas’ first openly transgender judge. The governor of New York signs a bill into law allowing unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to adopt, and replaces the term “husband and wife” with the gender-neutral “married couple.”
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20 14
The Supreme Court denies appeal requests from five states seeking to prohibit same-sex marriage.
CHAZ BONO
20 11
Chaz Bono becomes a highly visible transgender celebrity when he appears on Dancing With The Stars, making it the first time an openly transgender man has been on a major network show for something unrelated to being transgender. New York State passes the Marriage Equality Act The US Dept. of State issues passport applications that ask for “Mother or Parent One” and “Father or Parent Two” instead of for “Father” and “Mother,” to be more inclusive of different types of families.
Laverne Cox becomes the first openly transgender person on the cover of TIME Magazine. Later that year, she becomes the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting category.
20 12
Mills College becomes the first single-sex college in the country to adopt a policy explicitly welcoming openly transgender students.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is officially repealed. Civil unions get started in Delaware and Hawaii. For the first time in American history, two school districts (one in FL, one in CA) celebrate LGBT History Month.
Average cost of a gallon of gas:
$2.48
20 13
JASON COLLINS
Colorado legalizes samesex civil unions. Jason Collins becomes the first openly gay NBA player, penning his coming out story for Sports Illustrated.
•••32
Same-sex marriage is legalized in Colorado after the State Supreme Court lifts injunctions against three county clerks. Attorney General John Suthers orders all 64 county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
20 15
The Supreme Court declares the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court declares same-sex marriage the law of the land.
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders eliminates the term “gender identity disorder,” which was considered stigmatizing, instead referring to “gender dysphoria,” which focuses attention only on those who feel distressed by their gender identity.
The Pentagon announces it will allow transgender personnel to serve openly in the US military, starting in 2016. CAITLYN JENNER
There’s only room for so much in our pages, so we welcome any additions to the timeline at OutFrontOnline.com.
Olympian Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) comes out in a television interview as a transgender woman.