1971: Village Voice columnist Jill Johnston comes out in her article, “Lois Lane is a Lesbian,” sparking a controversy between feminism and lesbianism that results in various Johnston antics, including simulating an orgy during a panel discussion moderated by Norman Mailer. 1972: The California DMV reports that while the majority of the 65,000 vanity license plates … Read More
1973: Twenty year old French actress and star of the The Last Tango in Paris, Maria Schneider, admits to the New York Times that she is bisexual, stating “I’ve had quite a few lovers for my age. More men than women . . . women I love more for beauty than for sex. Men I … Read More
1973: The U.S. Supreme Court decides Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion in the United States. Norma Leah McCorvey (aka “Jane Roe”) wrote of her sexual orientation in her 1994 autobiography, I Am Roe. A few years later she claims that she has converted to Christianity and is no longer a lesbian.
1973: For the second time in two years, the New York City Council rejects a proposed gay rights ordinance for the city.
1973: The Board of the American Psychiatric Association votes to recommend that homosexuality no longer be classified as a mental illness. 1977: The provincial government of Quebec adds gay men and lesbians to the list of groups whose civil rights are legally protected under the province’s Charter of Human Rights.
1973: Gay Activist Mark Allan Segal interrupts a live broadcast of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite by holding up a sign that reads “Gays Protest CBS Prejudice” 1975: George Moscone is elected Mayor of San Francisco. 1986: Austin, TX passes an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against people with AIDS in employment, housing, business, medical … Read More
1973: The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of Florida’s sodomy laws.