9 events documented
On this day, Willem Arondeus was born. The openly gay Dutch artist joined the anti-Nazi resistance, bombed the Amsterdam records office to protect Jews, and before his execution declared: "Let it be known that homosexuals are not cowards!"
On this day, László Almásy was born. The Hungarian explorer inspired The English Patient, but unlike the film's character, letters discovered in 2010 revealed he was gay, with lovers including a Wehrmacht officer killed by a landmine.
On this day, actor Hugh Paddick was born. Best known for playing Julian in BBC's Round the Horne, he lived with his partner Francis for over thirty years and was distantly related to Britain's first openly gay police commander.
On this day, playwright James Kirkwood Jr. was born. Openly gay, he co-wrote the book for A Chorus Line, winning a Tony, a Drama Desk Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
On this day in 1972, John Wojtowicz attempted to rob a Brooklyn bank to pay for his lover's sex-change operation. The heist inspired Dog Day Afternoon starring Al Pacino.
On this day in 1979, Steve Kornacki was born. The NBC political journalist publicly came out as gay in 2011 through a Salon column and became beloved for his enthusiastic big board election coverage.
On this day in 1996, openly gay Rep. Barney Frank declared that outing political hypocrites was justified. Those who legislated against queer lives while living closeted ones deserved exposure.
On this day, hundreds picketed Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale to protest its 'Truth in Love' campaign claiming gays could be 'cured' through Christianity. The community refused to let conversion rhetoric go unchallenged.
On this day, U.S. Census figures revealed that same-sex couples headed nearly 600,000 households, with at least one couple in almost every county. Queer families were everywhere.
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