This Day in Queer History

Today in queer history, Bryher was born. The feminist writer and patron used her fortune to support struggling artists, launched a film magazine with lover H.D., and helped evacuate Jews from Nazi Germany.

On this day, Evelyn Hooker was born. Her 1957 research proved that gay men are no less mentally healthy than straight men, demolishing the pathology myth and changing psychology forever.

Today in queer history, Harvey Levin was born. The TMZ founder and legal analyst came out publicly, discussing how fear of career loss led him to compartmentalize his personal and professional lives for years.

On this day in 1956, Elizabeth Birch was born. She led the Human Rights Campaign for nearly a decade and became the first LGBT organization leader to address a national political convention.

On this day in 1967, the first issue of The Advocate was published in Los Angeles. It remains the oldest and largest LGBT publication in the U.S., predating even the Stonewall Riots.

On this day in 2005, Brokeback Mountain premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Ang Lee's neo-western starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal brought same-sex love to mainstream cinema, earning eight Oscar nominations and winning three.

On this day, out lesbian Diana Nyad became the first person to swim 110 miles from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. On her fifth attempt, at age 64, she made history.