This Day in Queer History

On this day, Patricia Highsmith was born. Under a pseudonym, she wrote the first lesbian novel with a happy ending, The Price of Salt, later republished under her own name as Carol.

On this day in 1943, Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. The bisexual rock icon lived with ferocious intensity, becoming one of the biggest female rock stars of her era before her death at 27.

On this day in 1946, Dolly Parton was born. The country music icon became one of the LGBTQ+ community's most beloved allies, championing love, acceptance, and equality with her signature warmth and grace.

On this day, a Lesbian Conference organized by the Gay Women's Collective was held at the Montreal Women's Center, planting the seeds for a major North American lesbian conference the following year.

On this day in 1976, former Vice President Hubert Humphrey endorsed gay and lesbian rights while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming one of the first major national politicians to do so.