This Day in Queer History

On this day, Randy Wicker became the first openly gay person to appear on national television as a guest on The Les Crane Show, sparking hundreds of letters from isolated LGBTQ+ people across the country.

On this day in 1970, the London Gay Liberation Front attended a demonstration supporting the National Union of Students. From its earliest days, the GLF linked queer liberation to broader solidarity movements.

On this day, Gay Activist Alliance leader Bruce Voeller questioned Sen. Ted Kennedy, who pledged to support efforts ending policies that denied homosexuals the right to work in their professions.

On this day in 1979, Martin Sherman's play Bent began Broadway previews starring Richard Gere, bringing the Nazi persecution of gay men to mainstream American theater for the first time.

On this day in 1989, Berlin established Germany's first public office dedicated to LGBTQ+ concerns. The Center for Homosexual Lifestyles worked to eliminate discrimination and promote understanding of queer lives.

On this day, the Canadian government issued a directive allowing workers in same-sex relationships to take time off for a partner's illness or death. The policy acknowledged that queer families grieve and care for each other too.