This Day in Queer History

On this day, France became the first Western European country to decriminalize homosexual acts, a revolutionary act of liberation decades ahead of the rest of the continent.

On this day in 1851, Charity Bryant died and was buried beside her partner of 44 years, Sylvia Drake. Their Vermont love story is one of the best-documented same-sex marriages in early America.

On this day, George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells protested the seizure of Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness by English customs agents. Two literary giants stood in defense of a lesbian novel the state wanted silenced.

On this day, Judy Garland sang with Barbra Streisand on Judy's variety show, their one and only performance together. Neither was lesbian, but both became enduring gay icons.

On this day, Rev. Troy Perry founded the Metropolitan Community Church in his Los Angeles living room. Created with a primary outreach to the LGBTQ+ community, it became the first church to welcome queer people as its core mission.

On this day, Antonio Molina and drag queen William 'Billie' Ert married in Houston after Ert obtained a license in drag. The union made international headlines and sparked Texas legislation defining marriage.

On this day in 1973, Quebec City hosted the first pan-Canadian conference of gay organizations, bringing together activists from across the country to build a unified movement.

On this day in 1989, the AIDS Quilt returned to Washington, D.C. with 10,848 panels, up from just 1,920 at its premiere two years earlier. Each panel a life, each stitch an act of love.

On this day in 1989, the Permanent Revolution Circle ZYANYA organized Mexico's first forum of lesbian feminists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The three-day gathering forged new space for queer women's voices in Latin America.

On this day in 1997, Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain was published in The New Yorker. The story of two men's love in the American West became a cultural touchstone and later a groundbreaking film.

On this day in 1998, the Ford Foundation awarded $100,000 to the Metropolitan Community Churches for programs targeting at-risk gay and lesbian youth. Investment in queer young people's survival.

On this day, Donna Brazile became Al Gore's campaign manager, making her the first African American to direct a major presidential campaign. An out lesbian and longtime activist, Brazile also served on the board of the Millennium March.

On this day, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals on bans against same-sex marriage, effectively clearing the way for marriage equality in five more states.