This Day in Queer History

On this day in 1891, John Vernou Bouvier III was born. Jackie Kennedy's father was a famed womanizer who also took male lovers, including composer Cole Porter. Desire defied convention.

On this day in 1897, Oscar Wilde walked free from prison. He soon left England for good, spending his final three years in self-imposed exile across France and Italy.

On this day in 1923, Peter Wildeblood was born. An Anglo-Canadian journalist and novelist, he became one of the first men in Britain to publicly declare his homosexuality, blazing a trail for gay rights.

On this day in 1927, Wings premiered in Texas, featuring the first male-male kiss in a feature film. It went on to win the very first Academy Award for Best Picture.

On this day, Lorraine Hansberry was born. The groundbreaking playwright of A Raisin in the Sun also wrote about feminism and homophobia, contributing to The Ladder under her initials as a quiet act of queer solidarity.

On this day, a Bi-national Lesbian Conference was held at the University of Toronto, bringing together lesbian activists from across North America.

On this day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officially recognized May 19th as the National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

On this day, Judge Robin Cauthron ruled that Oklahoma must recognize adoptions from other states, including those by same-sex couples, under the Constitution's full faith and credit clause.

On this day, Glee premiered on television, bringing LGBT characters and themes into millions of living rooms and reshaping how a generation understood queer identity and belonging.

On this day, Rachel Isaacs became the first openly LGBT person ordained in the Jewish Conservative movement. She went on to deliver the Hanukkah benediction at the White House and was named one of America's Most Inspiring Rabbis.