This Day in Queer History

On this day in 1954, Violet Ellen Katherine Jones posed as a man to marry Joan Lee in a Catholic church ceremony. When the priest grew suspicious, the couple was caught and fined £25 for false statements on their marriage license.

On this day in 1969, Unitarian minister James Stoll became the first ordained minister in the U.S. or Canada to publicly come out. He then led efforts to pass the first-ever gay rights resolution by a major religious denomination in 1970.

On this day in 1970, Colombia "decriminalized" homosexuality by downgrading it from a felony to a misdemeanor. The maximum penalty dropped to "only" three years. Progress measured in degrees of punishment.

On this day in 1987, the Homomonument was dedicated in Amsterdam, becoming the world's first memorial to gay and lesbian victims of the Nazis. Three pink granite triangles sit along the Keizersgracht canal as a permanent testament to persecution and resilience.

On this day in 1991, ACT UP activists unfurled a giant condom over Senator Jesse Helms' home, protesting his opposition to sex education and AIDS research funding. The law he wrote barring HIV+ entry was repealed in 2012.

On this day in 2007, transgender principal Genna Suraci started the school year in Port Ewen, New York after transitioning over the summer. Her students and school community took her transition in stride.