This Day in Queer History

On this day in 1791, France became the first country to decriminalize sex between men, creating a legal system where consensual sodomy was no longer a crime. Revolutionary in every sense.

On this day in 1908, Swiss writer Annemarie Schwarzenbach was born. She dressed as a boy from childhood, traveled the world, and had relationships with women including actress Erika Mann, living boldly and freely.

On this day, the Mattachine Society reconvened but refused to seat delegates with Communist ties, including co-founder Chuck Rowland, shifting the group toward a cautious, assimilationist approach for the rest of the decade.

On this day in 1969, Jack Nichols and Lige Clarke used the term "homophobia" in Screw magazine. Their column was the first LGBT-interest column in a non-LGBT publication, and they became known as America's most famous gay couple.

On this day, gay rights activist Prescott Townsend died. From the 1930s through the 1970s, he hosted what he called the first social discussions of homosexuality in Boston and founded a local Mattachine chapter.

On this day in 2013, the Boy Scouts of America voted to end its ban on gay scouts, a landmark shift that sparked conflict with some faith-based supporters but opened scouting to LGBTQ+ youth.