This Day in Queer History

On this day, Marcel Proust was born. Perhaps the greatest French writer of the 20th century, his manuscript was once rejected by a publisher who wrote: 'One has no idea what it's all about.'

On this day in 1909, The Road to Oz was published. In it, Polychrome says "You have some queer friends, Dorothy," and she replies, "The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends."

On this day in 1931, composer Jerry Herman was born. He created Broadway classics Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles, and thrived for decades after his 1985 HIV diagnosis.

Today in queer history, actor Nick Adams was born. Known for roles alongside Andy Griffith and friendships with James Dean and Elvis, his private life and reported relationships remain subjects of debate.

On this day, Neil Tennant was born. The co-founder of the Pet Shop Boys came out in a 1994 interview with Attitude magazine. A patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, he turned pop music into a platform for queer visibility.

On this day, Alec Mapa was born. The Filipino-American actor replaced B.D. Wong in Broadway's M. Butterfly, then became a beloved TV presence on Half & Half and Ugly Betty. He married his husband Jamie Hebert in 2008.

On this day in 1970, the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian civil rights organization in the United States, officially disbanded after 14 years. Founded by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, it had been an act of courage from the start.

On this day in 1970, the Austrian Parliament decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults, joining a growing wave of European nations choosing freedom over persecution.

On this day in 1972, Ann Arbor, Michigan became the first U.S. city to pass a broad gay civil rights law, making discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation illegal. A college town led the nation.

On this day, Jim Foster and Madeleine Davis became the first openly gay and lesbian speakers at a major party convention, addressing the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach and calling for a gay rights plank.

On this day, rapper and singer Angel Haze was born. Pansexual and agender, Haze became a visible force for queer people of color, proudly representing queerness and fluid identity in the spotlight.