This Day in Queer History

On this day in 1626, Christina, Queen of Sweden, was born. Mistaken for a boy at birth, she wanted to be one. She shared an intimate companionship with Ebba Sparre and wrote her passionate letters for life.

On this day in 1879, stagecoach driver Charley Parkhurst died and was discovered to be female-assigned at birth. Known as 'One-eyed Charley,' he may have been the first trans citizen to vote in California.

During this year, Joe Carstairs was born. An openly lesbian power boat racer, she bought an island in the Bahamas, romanced Garbo and Dietrich, and lived exactly as she pleased until age 93.

On this day in 1902, Dr. William S. Barker presented a paper in St. Louis about two men showing "unnatural fondness" for each other. Medicine pathologized love it could not understand.

On this day, Dr. Harry Benjamin conducted a symposium on transsexuals for the New York Academy of Medicine. His clinical work became the foundation for modern transgender healthcare, and the standards of care that bear his legacy still guide practitioners today.

On this day in 1961, figure skater Brian Orser was born. An Olympic silver medalist and World champion, he was outed in 1998 through a palimony lawsuit but ultimately embraced his identity with public support.

On this day in 1974, the first International Gay Rights Conference began. It led to the formation of the International Lesbian and Gay Association, now representing over 750 LGBTI groups across 110+ countries.

On this day in 1980, New York became the 24th state to legalize homosexuality when its highest court struck down the consensual sodomy law, ruling it violated rights to privacy and equal protection.

On this day in 1982, Quebec's parliament became the first legislative body in North America to authorize domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples, a landmark in LGBTQ+ legal recognition.

On this day, Rob Epstein's The Times of Harvey Milk won the New York Critics' Award for Best Documentary. Later preserved in the National Film Registry, the film ensured Milk's legacy would endure for generations.

On this day in 1990, Dr. Stanley Biber won a city council seat in Trinidad, Colorado. A pioneer in sex reassignment surgery, he changed countless lives and built a lasting legacy of care.

On this day in 1998, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled that a parent's access to children cannot be restricted solely because of sexual orientation. Being queer does not make you less of a parent.

On this day in 2009, Germany's Bundesrat approved same-sex marriages set to take effect January 1, 2010, marking a major step forward for LGBTQ+ equality in Europe's largest nation.

On this day, Real Housewives of Orange County star Braunwyn Windham-Burke came out as a lesbian in a GLAAD interview, bringing queer visibility to one of reality TV's biggest franchises.