This Day in Queer History

On this day in 1870, Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas was born near London. Forever known as Oscar Wilde's great love, their passionate affair would ultimately lead to Wilde's destruction.

On this day in 1963, Brian Boitano was born. The Olympic gold medalist figure skater came out publicly in 2013 when named to the U.S. delegation to the Sochi Olympics, standing against Russia's anti-gay laws.

On this day in 1981, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Northern Ireland violated basic human rights by criminalizing gay male sex, in a landmark case brought by activist Jeff Dudgeon.

On this day in 1986, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued the first federal AIDS report after four years of political silence, calling for condom use and honest sex education.

On this day in 1999, Boeing announced domestic partner benefits for gay and lesbian employees, pointedly noting that unmarried opposite-sex couples were excluded because marriage was already an option for them.

On this day, the Church of Sweden voted to allow same-sex marriages, making one of the world's oldest Christian institutions a place of welcome for all.

On this day in 2013, the Australian Capital Territory voted to legalize same-sex marriage, making Canberra a beacon of equality in the fight for marriage rights down under.