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Earliest known gay rights organization
The society for Human Rights in Chicago -
Alfred Kinsey Publishes Sexual Behavior in the Human Male
this book informed the public that homosexuality was more widespread than what everyone thought -
The First national gay rights organization
Was formed by Harry Hay, he was believed to be the founder of the gay rights movement -
Daughters of Bilitis
The first lesbian-rights organization in the US was established in San Francisco -
Caffe Cino opens
Joe Cino, an Italian-American theater producer opens the theater that is credited with starting the Off-Off-Broadway theater movement. 6 years after it opens, it hosts the first gay plays, the Madness of Lady Bright and the Haunted Host -
Illinois
becomes the first state in the US to decriminalize homosexual acts between consenting adults in private -
The world's first transgender Organization
The National Transsexual Counseling Unit was established in San Francisco -
The Stonewall riots
These riots transform the gay rights movement from one limited to a small number of activists into a whide spread protest for equal rights and acceptance. Patrons at a gay bar in NY, the Stonewall Inn, fought back during a police raid and started a riot that lasted 3 days -
Harvey Milk runs for city supervisor in San Francisco
He runs on a socially liberal platform and opposes government involvement in personal sexual matters.
The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its official list of mental disorders -
Harvey Milk appointed to the Board of Permit Appeals
This made Milk the first opeanly gay city commissioner in the US. Milk decides to run for the California State Assembly and Moscone, the Mayor of San Francisco, is forced to fire him after 5 weeks. He believed the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club would never support him politically so he co-founded the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club. -
Activists in Miami, Floriday pass a civial rights ordinance
Making sexual orientation discrimination illegal in Dade County. In the largest special election of any in Dade County history, 70% vote to overturn the ordinance. This was a crushing loss for the gay activists -
Harvey Milk makes national news when he is sworn in
as a member of the San Francisco Board of supervisors. he wins by 30% againist 16 other candidates. He sponsored a civil rights bill that outlaws sexual orientation discrimination. the mayor signed it into law -
Proposition 6/Briggs Initiative
This was a proposal to fire any teacher or school employee who publicly supports gay rights. Voters rejected the proposition by more than a million votes. President Jimmy Carter, former Governor Ronald reagan, and Governor Jerry Brown spoke out against the proposition -
Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone are assassinated by Dan White
The San Francisco Gay Democratic Club changes its name to the Harvey Milk Memorial Gay Democratic Club -
LGBT March on Washington
75,000 people participated in the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington D.C. It ws the largest political gathering in support of LGBT rights to date. -
At the Democratic Convention
Held at NY City's Madison Square Garden, Democrats took a stance supporting gay rights -
Wisconsin
Becomes the first state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation -
Berkeley, California
Becomes the first city to offer its employees domestic-partnership benefits -
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is instituted for the US military
This permitted gays to serve in the military but banning homosexual activity. President Clinton's original iintention to revoke the prohibition against gays in the military was met with stiff opposition -
800,000 to on million people participate in the March on Washington
the march was for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Famous people spoke and performed to rally after the march in response to "Don't Ask Don't Tell", Amendmet 2 in Colorado, as well as the rising hate crimes and ongoing discrimination against the LGBT community. they included, Jesse Jackson, RuPaul, Martina Navratilova, and Eartha Kitt -
Romer v. Evans
the Supreme Court strikes down Colorado's Amendment 2, which denied gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, calling them "special rights" -
Vermont
Becomes the first state in the contry to legally recognize civil unions between gay or lesbian couples. The law states that these "couples would be entitled to the same benefits, privileges, and responsibilities as spouses." -
The US Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas
That sodomy laws in the US are unconstitutional. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, "Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct." -
the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
ruled that barring gays and lesbians from marrying violates the state constitution. -
Same-sex marriages become legal in Massachusetts
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Civil unions become legal in Connecticut
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Civil unions become legal in New Jersey
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House of Representatives
approves a bill ensuring equal rights in the workplace for gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals -
New York State appeals court unanimously votes
that valid same-sex marriages performed in other states must be recognized by employers in NY, granting same-sex couples the same rights as other couples -
California Supreme Court rules
same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry -
Supreme Court of Connecticut rules
same-sex couples have the right to marry. the second state to do so after Massachusetts -
California, Arizona, and Florida
approved the passage of measures that ban same-sex marriage. Arkansas passed a measure intended to bar gay men and lesbians from adopting children. -
same-sex marriages begin to be offically performed in Connecticut
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the Iowa Supreme Court
Unanimously rejects the state law banning same-sex marriage.
21 days later, county recorders are required to issue marrigae licenses to same-sex couples -
the Vermont Legislature votes to override Gov. Jim Douglas's veto
of a ill allowing gays and lesbians to marry, legalizing same-sex marriage. The first state to legalize gay marriage throught the legislature. -
Maine legalized same-sex marriage then later banned it
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New Hampshire governor John Lynch
signs legislation allowing same-sex marriage. The law stipulates tht religious organizations and their employees will not be required to participate in the ceremonies. They are the 6th state to allow same-sex marriage -
President Obama signs a referendum
allowing the same-sex partners of federal employees to receive benefits. Obama promised to improve gay rights in his campaign -
President Obama awards Harvey Milk the Presidential Medal of Freedom
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Congress approves a law signed December 2009 that legalizes same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia
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Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker
rules that Proposition 8, violates the 14th amendment's equal protection clause. Proposition 8 singles out gays and lesbians and legitimates their unequal treatment -
the US Senate Votes 65 to 31 in favor of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell
President Obama officially repeals the "Dont Ask, Don't Tell" military policy -
NY passes a law to allow same-sex marriage
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the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California rules 2-1
that Proposition 8, is unconstitutional because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. -
Washington becomes the 7th state to legalize gay marriage
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Maryland passes legislation to legalize gay marriage
the 8th state to do so -
President Barack Obama endorses same-sex marriage
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1st openly gay politcian, Tammy Baldwin elected to the Senate
On election day, gay marriage is approved in a popular vote for the first time -
Republicans back a legal brief asking the Supreme Court to rule same-sex marriage is a constitutional right
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the Supreme Court begins 2 days of historical debate over gay marriage
Considered overturning Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act -
Json Collins of the NBA's Washington Wizards announces he's gay
1st professional active sports player to publicly come out -
same-sex marriage legislation passes in both houses of Rhode Island's legislature and was signed into law
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Governor Jack Markell signs the Civil Marriage Equality and Religious Freedom Act in Delaware
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Minnesota State Senae votes 37 to 30 in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage
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the Supreme Court rules that the 1996 DOMA is unconstitutional
Defense of Marriage Act - 5 to 4 vote, the court rules that it violates the rights of gays and lesbians. -
Queen Elizabeth II approves a same-sex marriage bill for England and Wales
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Minnesota and Rhode Island begin issuing marriage licencses to same-sex couples
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New Jersey becomes the 14th state to recognize same-sex marriages
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Illinois becomes the 15th state to recognize same-sex marriages
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Hawaii becomes the 16th state to recognize same-sex marriage
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the US Supreme Court blocks any further same sex marriages in Uth
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the Obama administration announces that the federal government will recognize the marriage of the 1300 same-sex couples in Utah
this decision was made even though the state government had decided not to do so. -
Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Oregon
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A judge strikes down the same-sex marriage ban in Pennsylvania
the 18th state to legalize gay marriage -
the US Supreme Court declines to hear appeals of rulings in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin that allowed same-sex marriage
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the US Supreme Court denies a request to block same-sex marriage in Kansas
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A federal judge strikes down Montana's ban that same-sex marriage is unconstitutional
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The US Supreme Court denies a request to block same-sex marriage in South Carolina
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The US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges
that same-sex couples have the fundamental right to marry and that states cannot say that marriage is reserved for hetosexual couples -
The Boy Scouts of America ended its ban on gay adult leaders
