This Day in Queer History

On this day in 1859, Lucy Elmina Anthony was born. Niece of Susan B. Anthony and longtime companion of suffrage leader Anna Howard Shaw, she dedicated her life to the fight for women's rights.

On this day, the New York Times reviewed The Doctor Looks at Love and Life, in which Dr. Joseph Collins declared homosexuality not a vice but 'an endowment,' a radical statement for 1926.

On this day, B. D. Wong was born. The Tony-winning actor and openly gay father starred in M. Butterfly and Law & Order: SVU, and wrote a memoir about his groundbreaking surrogacy journey.

On this day in 1966, Paul Lynde made his first appearance on Hollywood Squares. A comedic icon whose campy, snarky wit barely concealed his homosexuality, he became one of TV's most beloved and quotable personalities.

On this day, the first National Conference on Lesbian and Gay Aging was held in California, seeking to dispel myths about older queer people and advance research on LGBTQ+ elder care.

On this day, pioneering gay activist Harry Hay died at 90. A founder of the Mattachine Society and the Radical Faeries, he spent over fifty years building the modern gay rights movement from the ground up.