June is Pride Month
Pride Month is celebrated each year in June, to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on our history - locally, nationally, and internationally. Learn more from the Library of Congress.
Progress is not always simple, and often the same battles must be revisited again and again. In 2019, ongoing legal cases continue to inform evolving equal rights legislation that currently affect the LGBTQIA+ community. In reflection of this month's celebration, we remember how far we've come in the 50 years since the Stonewall Riots, confident that we will keep moving forward.
A note about LGBTQIA+ These letters stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual. The + sign in this context recognizes that our understanding of labels and vocabulary is personal, and continues to evolve.
June 1
On this day in 2003, Belgium became the second country in the world (after the Netherlands) to legalize gay marriage. In the Belgian House of Representatives, the bill prevailed in a 91-22 vote with nine abstentions. The bill passed in January 2003 and took effect on June 1.
Learn more from Proquest Newspapers, Simons, M. (2003, Jan 31). World briefing Europe: Belgium: Parliament approves gay marriages. New York Times.
June 2
On this day in 1951, Gilbert Baker, designer of the rainbow pride flag, was born. The original rainbow flag was unveiled at San Francisco Pride in 1978, with colors intended to reflect the diversity of the LGBT community. In 2015, the Museum of Modern Art ranked the rainbow flag as an internationally recognized symbol as important as the recycling symbol.
Learn more in "Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag."
June 3
On this day in 1926, beat generation poet and counterculture figure Allen Ginsberg was born. Ginsberg’s poem "Howl" was the subject of a landmark obscenity trial for its explicit reference to homosexuality (among other things), which at the time was illegal throughout the United States. After a widely publicized trial, the obscenity charge was dismissed as "Howl" was deemed to have "redeeming social importance."
June 4
On this day in 2008, California’s Supreme Court rejected challenges to its historic decision permitting same-sex couples to wed. By rejecting petitions asking for reconsideration of the May 15 ruling, the court's 4-3 vote removed the final obstacle to same-sex marriages in California. The first same-sex marriages in California took place on June 16.
Learn more in:
"From the Closet to the Altar: Courts, Backlash, and the Struggle for Same-Sex Marriage.”
"Making it Legal: a Guide to Same-Sex Marriage, Domestic Partnerships & Civil Unions"
June 5
On this day in 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) described cases of a rare lung infection in five young, previously healthy, gay men in Los Angeles, the first official reporting of what became known as the AIDS epidemic. Throughout the 1980s, HIV and AIDS disproportionately affected the LGBT community, and the stigma surrounding gay identity often made it more difficult for AIDS patients to access adequate healthcare and information about their condition. But through persistent advocacy by healthcare professionals, educators and community activists, and advances in medical technology, life expectancy and quality of life have improved dramatically for those living with AIDS in the US.
Learn more in "How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed Aids"
June 6
On this day in 1875, German author Thomas Mann was born. Mann’s work, most notably the 1912 novella “Death in Venice,” was pivotal in introducing the discourse of same-sex desire into general culture. Mann was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929, and is one of the best-known contributors to Exilliteratur, the body of anti-Nazi literature produced by German exiles. He fled the Nazis, first to Switzerland, then to the United States, where he remained from 1939 until the increased surveillance and censorship of the McCarthy era forced him to return to Europe.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Death in Venice and Other Stories"
"Thomas Mann: A Collection of Critical Essays"
June 7
On this day in 1954, computer scientist, mathematician and legendary World War II codebreaker Alan Turing died of self-inflicted cyanide poisoning. Turing was instrumental in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis and thus win World War II. In 1952, Turing had been convicted of indecency for conducting a romantic relationship with a man, and was sentenced to chemical castration. Turing committed suicide three years later. In 2009, 55 years after his death, the British government released a statement apologizing for the “appalling” treatment Turing had received, and in 2011, Turing was officially pardoned of the charge of indecency.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Alan Turing: The Enigma"
"The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded"
June 8
On this day in 2015, Jamie Lee Henry, a doctor and Major in the Army’s Medical Corps, became the first openly transgender active duty U.S. Army officer. Department of Defense regulations that banned transgender individuals from US military service were officially repealed on June 30, 2016.
On April 12, 2019, the Trump administration's policy prohibiting most transgender individuals from entering the military went into effect. The new policy grandfathers in transgender troops and those diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and any person with the diagnosis already under contract to enter the military.
Learn more in the Library collection: "Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution"
Learn more in the news: "The First Out Transgender Active Duty U.S. Army Officer: ‘My Story Is Not Unique’,” Buzzfeed News, June 8, 2015
June 9
On this day in 1891, composer and lyricist Cole Porter was born. Known for his musical scores and lavish lifestyle, Porter was one of the most famous American gay figures of the 20th century.
Learn more in the film, "De-Lovely," based on Porter's life, and the book, "Cole Porter: a biography."
June 10
On this day in 1997, Jay Fisette became the first openly gay candidate to win a primary election in the state of Virginia. He went on to be elected to Arlington County Board, where he served for two decades, making him one of the longest-serving local politicians in the region. Fisette retired from Arlington County Board on January 2, 2018.
Learn more in the Center for Local History's Oral History "Jay Fisette Interview."
June 11
In 2017, DC’s Capital Pride Parade drew an estimated 400,000 attendees.
Learn more about the Pride Parade by reading "This Day in June."
June 12
On this day in 2016, a lone gunman opened fire at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. It was the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history.
Related item in the Library collection: "Love is Love: A Comic Book Anthology to Benefit the Survivors of the Orlando Pulse Shooting"
June 13
On this day in 1958, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed three lower court rulings that an issue of ONE magazine, the first U.S. pro-gay publication, based in Los Angeles, was obscene. This ruling defended the free expression of the LGBT community and paved the way for wider distribution of LGBT writing.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Censored: A Literary History of Subversion and Control"
"Obscenity Rules: Roth v. United States and the Long Struggle over Sexual Expression"
June 14
On this day in 1950, the U.S. Senate authorized the investigation and eventual purge of homosexuals from the federal government which would become known as the “Lavender Scare,” a reference to the better known Red Scare which motivated the government’s actions. Members of the LGBT community were viewed as communist sympathizers, and were thus deemed risks to national security during the McCarthy era. Hundreds of people lost their jobs as a result of this campaign.
Learn more in the Library collection:
“The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI”
“Reds: McCarthyism in 20th Century America”
June 15
On this day in 2014 the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. re-ordained minister Allyson Robinson, who had previously been ordained as a man. This gesture symbolized the church’s acceptance of transgender individuals in the clergy.
Learn more in the Library collection:
Transgender Lives and Stories Book List
“Transgender History: The Roots of Today’s Revolution”
June 16
On this day in 2008, Lesbian rights pioneers, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyons made headlines as the first same-sex couple to wed in the city of San Francisco. Today, the GLBT History Museum in San Francisco, California honors their legacy by displaying their wedding pantsuits in a permanent museum exhibit.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"The L Life :Extraordinary Lesbians Making a Difference"
"Wide-Open Town: A History of Queer San Francisco to 1965"
June 17
On this day in 1968, the documentary film "The Queen" was released, directed by Frank Simon. It tells the story of the 1967 “Miss All American Camp Beauty Pageant,” and follows Jack (AKA Sabrina, the mistress of ceremony for the contest) and the pageant contestants, recording rehearsals and behind the scenes conversations about draft boards, sexual identity and sex change operations. "The Queen" paved the way for later classic drag films such as "Paris is Burning" and "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar."
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Hiding My Candy"
June 18
On this day in 1994, the opening ceremony for the fourth Gay Games - an international sporting and cultural event promoting inclusion, participation and personal growth - was held in New York City, and timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Power games: A Political History of the Olympics"
June 19
On this day in 2014, The US Presbyterian Church voted to allow pastors to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.
Learn more in "Sex and the Constitution: Sex, Religion and Law from America’s Origins to the Twenty-First Century"
June 20
On this day in 2003, an Israeli tourist was arrested in Egypt, on charges of homosexuality.
Learn more in "Handbook of International Law."
June 21
On this day in 1977, San Francisco city employee Robert Hillsborough was brutally murdered. His murder sparked an official investigation into the growing violence being perpetrated against homosexuals in that city.
Learn more from Proquest Historical Newspapers, in the 1977 New York Times article by Les Ledbetter, "40,000 Join Peaceful March for Homosexual Rights in San Francisco."
June 22
On this day in 2008, “All My Life,” a film by Maher Sabry, became the first Egyptian film to present a positive portrayal of gay men.
Learn more in "The Bent Lens: A World Guide to Gay and Lesbian Film ."
June 23
On this day in 1912, Alan Turing - father of theoretical computer science, mathematician and legendary World War II codebreaker - was born in Wimslow, Chesire, England.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Queer, There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World"
"Fall of Man in Wimslow"
June 24
On this day in 2016, President Obama designated The Stonewall Inn, the site of the Stonewall Uprising, a National Historic Landmark. It would be the first United States monument established to tell the story of LGBT Americans.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Complete National Parks of the United States: Featuring 400+ parks, Monuments, Battlefields, Historic Sites, Scenic Trails, Recreation Areas and Seashores"
"Stonewall Uprising"
"Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights"
June 25
On this day in 2005, Greece held its first Pride Parade in Athens.
Learn more in the picture book "This Day in June."
June 26
On this day in 2015, the US Supreme Court officially declared same-sex marriage a Constitutional right nationwide, thus requiring all states to allow Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, the right to marry.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Charity and Sylvia: A Same Sex Marriage in Early America"
"When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage"
June 27
On this day in 2017, District of Columbia residents became the first in the US with the option to select a gender-neutral identifier on their driver’s license.
Learn more in "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?"
June 28
This day in 1969 marked the first in a six day series of demonstrations, civil disobedience and resistance against law enforcement, provoked by the raid of The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City. This conflict, which would later be known as “The Stonewall Uprising,” is regarded by many as the single most important catalyst for the expansion of the LGBT equal rights movement.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Stonewall Uprising"
"Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights"
June 29
On this day in 1626, Catalina de Erauso was granted permission by Pope Urban the 8th to wear male clothing and continue her life as a man named Conquistador Francisco de Loyola.
Learn more in "The Lieutenant Nun: Transgenderism, Lesbian Desire & Catalina de Erauso."
June 30
On this day in 2016, The Pentagon lifted its ban against openly transgender soldiers serving in the United States military.
On April 12, 2019, the Trump administration's policy prohibiting most transgender individuals from entering the military went into effect. The new policy grandfathers in transgender troops and those diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and any person with the diagnosis already under contract to enter the military.
Learn more in the Library collection:
"Tell: Love, Defiance, and the Military Trial at the Tipping Point for Gay Rights"
"Victory: The Triumphant Gay Revolution"
