This Day in Queer History

On this day, Red Cross founder Jean-Henri Dunant was born. He won the first Nobel Peace Prize and changed the world. After his death, his family burned his papers to hide that he was bisexual.

On this day in 1920, artist Touko Laaksonen, known as Tom of Finland, was born. His bold, hypermasculine drawings challenged stereotypes and reshaped how gay men saw themselves.

On this day, chef Susan Feniger was born. A trailblazer in Los Angeles dining with Border Grill and Too Hot Tamales, she built a culinary empire alongside her partner, writer and director Liz Lachman.

On this day in 1978, the trial began for those arrested in Montreal's Truxx bar raid. The 1977 machine-gun raid arrested 146 men, but the backlash led 3,000 to protest, and Quebec soon passed the world's first LGBTQ+ human rights law.

On this day, tennis great Billie Jean King became the first prominent professional athlete outed as a lesbian when a palimony lawsuit went public. She lost all her endorsements but never stopped fighting for gender equality and social justice.

On this day, South Africa became the first country to constitutionally protect LGBTQ+ civil rights. That same day, Edwin Cameron became the world's first openly gay Supreme Court judge.

On this day in 2010, Riga hosted its most peaceful Gay Pride parade yet, as 300 to 400 marchers walked cobblestone streets under heavy police protection while religious groups and Neo-Nazis stayed away.

On this day in 2010, Chaz Bono's legal name change was recognized by the court, marking a milestone in his public transition that brought transgender visibility to mainstream America through fearless advocacy.