Five years ago today on June 26th, 2015, the Supreme Court said in a 5-4 ruling that same-sex marriage is constitutional and should be recognized by all 50 states. But how did we get here? And where have we gone since then? In this article, we are going to take a dive in some of the biggest milestones in LGBTQ+ history.
I want to highlight the fact that LGBTQ+ history goes way further than where I am going to begin but this is what I was able to find documented. I will also be focusing on the United States history of the LGBTQ+ community and not a worldwide history. Let's start all the way back to 1649, Sarah White Norman was charged with "lewd behavior" with Mary Vincent Hammon in Massachusetts. Making this the first known conviction for lesbian activity in North America. And in 1779, Thomas Jefferson revised Virginia law and made sodomy punishable by mutilation instead of death. The next documented milestone does not come for another 145 years, in 1924, Henry Gerber forms the Society for Human Rights in Chicago. This became the first gay group in the United States, even though it was quickly shut down due to political pressure. In 1925, blues singer Ma Rainey is arrested at her house in Harlem for having a lesbian gathering. According to the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Rainey was part of an extensive lesbian and bisexual African American women group in Harlem. In 1948, Alfred Kinsey, a biologist and sex researcher, published the "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," which found that homosexual behavior was not restricted to people who identify themselves as gay and that 37% of men have experienced homosexual activity at least once. Keep in mind, during this time, homosexuality was still considered an illness so this was very controversial back in the day. November 11, 1950, the first lasting gay organization is formed by activist Harry Hay in Los Angeles, California. It is called the Mattachine Society and aims to "eliminate discrimination, derision, prejudice, and bigotry" and to assimilate homosexuals into mainstream society. In 1952, The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance. During that same year, Christine Jorgensen is the first American to come forward about being transgender and her experiences with gender confirmation surgery and hormone replacement therapy. She is, considered by many, the first visible transgender person in the media since it caused an international media sensation. April 27, 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower signs Executive Order 10450, which bans homosexuals from working in the federal government or any of its private contractors. The Order says homosexuals are a security risk, along with alcoholics. Just 2 years later in 1955, the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) is founded by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon in San Francisco. DOB is considered to be the first lesbian rights organization and set out to make this a social alternative to lesbian bars, which at the time were considered illegal. In 1956, Evelyn Hooker shares her paper "The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual" at the American Psychological Association Convention in Chicago. In her research, Hooker found that heterosexuals and homosexuals do not differ significantly causing clinical change in perceptions of homosexuality. January 13, 1958, marks the first day in history that the Supreme Court rules in favor of homosexuals. In the case of One, Inc. v. Olesen, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the First Amendment rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender magazine called "One: The Homosexual Magazine." In 1966, Compton Cafeteria Riot broke out when transgender women were denied service and arrested for breaking gendered clothing laws. And just 3 years later, police try to raid the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28th, it was a popular gay bar at the time and it was frequently raided by police. This lead to a struggle between police and LGBTQ+ people for four straight days, these riots birthed the modern LGBTQ+ movement. In 1973, the board of American Psychiatric Association votes 13-0 to remove homosexuality from the list of psychiatric disorders, the DSM-II. Although it is still listed as a Sexual Orientation Disturbance in the DSM-II and then as Egodystonic Homosexuality in the DSM-III. Sexual orientation is only fully removed in the revised version of DSM-III in 1987. In 1973, Maryland became the first state to ban same-sex marriage and, during that same time, Lambda Legal becomes the first legal organization established to fight for LGBTQ+ equal rights. January 9, 1978, Harvey Milk is inaugurated as city supervisor for San Francisco, becoming the first openly gay man to be elected in California. In November, Milk and Mayor George Moscone are murdered by Dan White. Later that year, Gilbert Baker, inspired by Milk to develop a symbol of pride and hope for the LGBTQ+ community, designs and stitches the first ever rainbow flag. October 14, 1979, the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights draws an estimate of 75,000 to 125,000 individuals fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. One year later in 1980, Democrats are the first political party to add "gay rights" to their platform. In 1982, nearly 800 people are infected with GRID (Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Disorder). When the disorder is also found outside of the gay community, biologist Bruce Voeller successfully lobbies to change the name to AIDS. Many events related to the AIDS crisis happened in the coming years, too many to go into detail but here are some highlights: People v. West 12 Tenants Corp. (first HIV/AIDS discrimination lawsuit), National March on Washington (demand that President Reagan address the AIDS crisis), Ryan White Care Act (federally funded program for people living with AIDS), and ACT UP is founded (LGBTQ+ Community Center to bring attention to AIDS-related issues). November 30, 1993, President Bill Clinton signs the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. It is a military policy banning openly gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the military, but also prohibits the harassment of closeted homosexuals. Just a year later in 1996, President Clinton also signed the Defense of Marriage Act, banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage. He defined marriage as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife." In 2002, New York Times expands its definition of "gender" to protect transgender and gender non-conforming people in employment, housing, and public accommodations. In May 17th, 2004, the first legal same-sex marriage in the United States takes place in Massachusetts between Marcia Kadish and Tanya McCloskey. In 2006, Kim Coco Iwamoto is the first openly transgender person to be elected to a state level office in the United States, she was elected to be in the Board of Education in Hawaii. In 2009, President Obama signs the Matthew Shepard Act into law. This expands the 1969 definition of hate-crime to include crimes motivated by a victims sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. This was the first federal law to include protections for transgender people. In 2011, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy officially ends. This allowed gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to openly serve in the military, although this does not include transgender people. October 4, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court denies to review five different marriage cases and allowing lower court rulings to stand. Therefore allowing same-sex marriage in Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana, and Wisconsin. This opens doors for Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming to allow for the right of same-sex couples to marry. FINALLY, on June 26th, exactly five years ago in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage. This 5-4 ruling made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. On June 24th, 2016, President Obama announces the designation of The Stonewall National Monument, which is the first national monument for LGBTQ+ rights. June 30, 2016, Secretary of Defense Carter announces the Pentagon will be lifting the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military. And a year later in 2017, the District of Columbia allows their residents to choose a gender-neutral option on their driver's license or identification cards. It looked for a second that things were getting better, but we all know what happened in 2016: the Era of Trump began. On June 30th, 2017, the US department of Defense announced a 6 month delay in allowing transgender people to serve in the military and a month later, Donald Trump took to Twitter to announce that the "United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US Military..." February 26, 2018, the Pentagon announced that the first transgender person has signed a contract to join the US military. In March of that same year, the Trump administration announces a new policy that bans most transgender people from serving in the military. The Supreme Court allowed the policy to go into effect in January of 2019. June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that federal law protects LGBTQ+ workers from discrimination. A big slap to the face to the Trump administration who argued that discrimination based on sex did not extend to claims of gender identity and sexual orientation. As you can see, the LGBTQ+ history is filled with 2 steps forward, 1 step back or even 1 step forward, 2 steps back. Do not give up. Keep fighting for your rights. Happy Pride Month, everyone.
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About my blog:This blog is not a weekly or bi weekly blog, I enjoy writing about things when I actually have something to write about! Throughout the posts you will see many different categories! Such as history, photoshoots, and popular topics. You can keep up with my blog by following my social media pages. Which can easily be found at the bottom of the "Home", "About", "Resume", and "Gallery" page!
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