This Day in Queer History

On this day, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu was born in Dublin. His 1872 novella Carmilla, about a lesbian vampire who preyed on young women, predated Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years and became a queer gothic classic.

On this day in 1825, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs was born in Germany. A lawyer and early gay rights activist, he described homosexuality as 'a female psyche confined in a male body,' pioneering ideas that shaped queer identity for over a century.

On this day, the Scientific Humanitarian Committee held its first post-WWI meeting and voted to establish connections with homosexual organizations in other countries, planting seeds for an international queer rights movement.

On this day in 1921, Nancy Kulp was born. Beloved as Miss Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies, she lived her life in the closet, only quietly acknowledging her lesbianism in a coded 1989 interview before her death.

On this day in 1957, Phranc was born. A gender-bending lesbian folk/punk singer from the LA punk scene, she carved out space for queer androgyny in music with fearless style and a signature crewcut.

On this day in 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place, where Dr. King gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech. Openly gay Bayard Rustin was the march's prime organizer, a fact history tried to erase.

On this day, Keith Boykin was born. The African American activist co-founded the National Black Justice Coalition, served in the Clinton White House, and authored groundbreaking books bridging Black and LGBTQ+ communities.

On this day, the Gay Liberation Front, Radicalesbians, and other activists protested at NYU after the administration canceled dances because a gay organization was sponsoring them. After confronting the dean, they won the space back.

On this day in 1970, New York police raided The Haven, a private gay club, for the third time in two weeks. Over 300 homosexuals were arrested that August alone. The city was later sued for false arrest.

On this day in 1981, the CDC reported a sudden surge in Kaposi's sarcoma cases, marking the first official recognition of what would become the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a crisis that transformed queer communities forever.

On this day, the first Gay Games opened at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. Over 1,600 athletes competed and 50,000 attended, with Rita Mae Brown hosting the opening ceremonies.

On this day in 1993, actor Keith Douglas Pruitt and another gay man were attacked in Manhattan. Pruitt required 14 stitches. Three men were arrested and charged with the hate-fueled assault.

On this day, Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano came out publicly after threats to expose him for supporting a gay pride festival. Rather than retreating, he spoke his truth and was later named to OUT Magazine's OUT 100.

On this day in 1998, the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado announced nearly $196,000 in grants to 22 organizations, investing directly in the state's queer communities through the Gill Foundation.