This Day in Queer History

On this day, the Russian Empire annexed the Crimean Khanate, inadvertently legalizing same-sex intercourse in the newly acquired territory under Russian law.

On this day in 1942, Robin Tyler was born. She became the first out lesbian on U.S. national TV, produced three Marches on Washington, and was the first lesbian plaintiff to sue California over its marriage ban.

On this day, Theresa Sparks was born. In 2007, she became San Francisco's first openly transgender person elected president of any city commission, leading the Police Commission with trailblazing visibility.

On this day in 1974, the American Psychiatric Association officially removed its sickness definition of homosexuality, a landmark victory that declared what queer people had always known: there was never anything wrong with them.

On this day in 2013, Zambian activist Paul Kasonkomona was arrested after appearing on live TV calling for same-sex relations to be decriminalized, punished for speaking truth to power.

On this day in 2014, the Galician Parliament passed an LGBT anti-discrimination law. The legislation extended protections to queer people in Spain's northwestern region, adding another victory to the march for European equality.