This Day in Queer History

On this day, Life magazine published a twelve-page feature titled "Sordid World of Homosexuality in America," exposing gay men's culture to a mainstream audience through a sensationalized, hostile lens.

On this day, New York drag queens organized a memorial for Judy Garland, who had died days earlier. The gathering turned into a riot at the Stonewall Inn, igniting the modern gay liberation movement.

On this day, Gay Pride celebrations across the country drew record crowds, including the original Stonewall-inspired New York City march. The massive turnout was a direct response to Anita Bryant's anti-gay campaign.

On this day, Art Agnos became the first San Francisco mayor to ride in a Gay Pride celebration parade, putting city leadership visibly alongside its queer community.

On this day, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas, overturning Bowers v. Hardwick. Justice Kennedy wrote that the state cannot demean people's existence by criminalizing private intimacy.

On this day, Athens held its first LGBT Pride parade, bringing queer visibility to the birthplace of democracy.

On this day, longtime gay activist Eric Rofes died of a heart attack in Provincetown. The author of 12 books on HIV/AIDS and former director of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center left a legacy honored by Humboldt State University.

On this day, the U.S. Supreme Court declared DOMA unconstitutional, striking down the federal ban on recognizing same-sex marriages. The ruling also let stand lower court decisions against California's Prop 8.

On this day in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The United States became the 17th country to legalize marriage equality nationwide.