10 events documented
On this day in 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was born. A painter, scientist, and inventor whose genius defined the Renaissance, he was accused of sodomy and acquitted, and surrounded himself with beautiful young male assistants throughout his life.
On this day, Henry James was born in New York City. The literary giant who bridged realism and modernism proclaimed himself a lifelong bachelor, while his affectionate letters to younger men revealed a closeted heart.
On this day in 1894, Bessie Smith was born. The Empress of the Blues lived boldly and bisexually, with lovers of all genders. Janis Joplin later helped pay for her long-unmarked grave.
On this day, Sally Miller Gearhart was born. In 1973 she became the first open lesbian to earn a tenure-track faculty position and helped establish one of the first women and gender studies programs in the country.
On this day, a visible gay contingent joined an Ottawa demonstration protesting President Nixon's visit to Canada, merging queer activism with the broader anti-Vietnam War movement.
On this day in 1979, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were founded in San Francisco by Ken Bunch, Fred Brungard, and Baruch Golden. Their mission: to promulgate universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt.
On this day, ACT UP debuted the iconic Silence = Death pink triangle to thousands waiting in line at New York City's General Post Office to file their taxes. A symbol was born.
On this day, GOProud launched as an organization for conservative LGBT people. Founded by two former Log Cabin Republican staffers, it carved out space for queer voices inside the Republican Party.
On this day, the Supreme Court of India recognized third gender rights as a human rights issue, not a social or medical one, affirming the dignity of transgender and nonbinary people across the nation.
On this day in 2019, Pete Buttigieg launched his presidential campaign. The openly gay mayor of South Bend later became Secretary of Transportation under President Biden, the first openly LGBTQ+ person on a U.S. president's cabinet.
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