December 5 in LGBTQ History
1642: A Massachusetts Bay servant is sentenced to be whipped for “unseemly practices” with another woman in the first documented example of legal prosecution in North America for same-sex relations between women.
Tag: 2012
November 6 in LGBTQ History
2012: Washington voters approve Referendum 74 legalizing same-sex marriage.
September 29 in LGBTQ History
1926: The Captive, a melodrama about a young woman seduced by an older woman (her “shadow”), creates a sensation on Broadway for its lesbian undertones. 1991: California Governor Pete Wilson vetoes AB 101 a gay and lesbian employment rights bill, inciting what some call Stonewall II, a month of marches and angry protests across the state. … Read More
May 31 in LGBTQ History
1718: The death penalty for “sodomy and buggery” is instituted in Pennsylvania, bringing Pennsylvania into conformity with English statute and common law. The law remained in effect until 1786 when, after the Revolution, Pennsylvania legislators were the first to revoke the death penalty for sodomy. 1982: AIDS makes the front page for first time in … Read More
May 9 in LGBTQ History
1970: Ingrid Montano, a teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, resigns after being condemned by community Ieadcrs for having invited a homosexual to come and speak to one of her high school sociology classes. Although she has the support of her principal, she submits her letter of resignation, declaring, “I refuse to compromise on certain issues, and … Read More
May 8 in LGBTQ History
1990: Fitness trainer and former model Paul Barresi “outs” actor John Travolta in an interview in the National Enquirer, claiming that Travolta first propositioned him in the showers of a health club and that over the next two years they “had sex dozens of times while [Travolta] was dating girl stars.” Barresi later apologizes for … Read More
April 7 in LGBTQ History
1970: Midnight Cowboy wins the Oscar for Best Picture, becoming the first (and only) X-rated film to do so. It is also the first major Hollywood film to feature an onscreen sexual encounter between two men. The film’s director, John Schlesinger, also gay, wins for Best Director. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnFoaj8utio] 1976: Civil rights crusader and U.S. Congresswoman Barbara … Read More
March 1 in LGBTQ History
1977: Blueboy Forum, which bills itself as the U.S.’s first gay-oriented TV show, debuts on New York cable. 2012: Maryland passes legislation to legalize gay marriage, becoming the eighth state to do so.
February 13 in LGBTQ History
1972: The film version of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, based on Christopher Isherwood’s writings about his time in pre-WWII Berlin, has its world premiere in New York City. Unlike the stage version, the film version adheres slightly more closely to the source material and portrays Michael York’s character, Brian (based on Isherwood himself), bisexual. 1990: Thirteen … Read More
February 7 in LGBTQ History
1977: The U.S. State Department lifts its ban on the employment of LGBT people and announces that it will consider gay applicants on a case-by-case basis going forward. 1978: The Oklahoma State House of Representatives passes a so-called “Teacher Fitness” statute, which allows local school boards to fire homosexual teachers or any teacher “advocating . … Read More