Before the 1900s to The Suffragettes
1676 – Governor Edmond Andros of New York issues an order extending the 1665 sodomy law of New York into what is now Pennsylvania and Delaware
1928 – The Chicago Defender, one of the pre-eminent African American newspapers, runs an ad for a new record by Ma Rainey (1886-1939) called Prove It on Me Blues. The lyrics are unmistakably about women-loving-women
The Friends of Dorothy Era and The Hayes Code
1950s The Decade the public learned heterosexual women wanted sex
September 22, 1956
Billboard magazine prints an article which says, “With new experiences to their credit, such as calling in riot squads, and with scars such as damaged seats, some arena and stadium officials have turned their thumbs down to Rock and Roll.”
The Civil Rights 60s: When the Boomers were under 30
September 22, 1964
“Fiddler on the Roof” opened on Broadway. It was the beginning of a run of 3,242 performances. The classic musical became the first play in history to record 3,000 performances on Broadway.
September 22, 1969
A new weekly TV show ‘The Music Scene’ aired on ABC in the US for the first time. Stevie Wonder, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Tom Jones, Cass Elliot, James Brown, Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone were all booked to appear on the show. A promotional film of “Ballad Of John And Yoko”/”Give Peace A Chance” by the Beatles was also shown.
Feminist, Gay Liberation and Lesbian Separatists: Civil Rights
September 22, 1972
David Bowie kicked of the North American leg of his Ziggy Stardust world tour at the Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio.
1975, Canada – Doug Wilson, a graduate student in education at University of Saskatchewan, is prevented from practice teaching in Saskatoon because he was publicly active in the gay movement. The president of the university calls it a “managerial decision.”
1975 – Oliver Sipple (November 20, 1941 – February 2, 1989), a gay man and former Marine and Vietnam veteran, prevents a gunshot fired by Sara Jane Moore from hitting President Gerald Ford, in San Francisco. The subsequent public revelation that Sipple was gay turned the news story into a cause célèbre for LGBT rights activists, leading Sipple to unsuccessfully sue several publishers for invasion of privacy.
The Genderfuck Apathetics vs Yuppies : Aids the new STD on the list
1980
Geffen Records was formed. David Geffen is a gay man who may be an inspiration for Carely Simons ‘Your so vain”
1984
Queen‘s Freddie Mercury makes a mis-step at the Europhalle in Hanover, Germany and falls down some stairs. Despite badly injuring his knee, he finishes the rest of the show.
1989
Irving Berlin died at the age of 101. Irving Berlin, one of the greatest songwriters in American history, whose “White Christmas” is one of the top-selling singles of all-time, died in his sleep at the age of 101 in New York City. Berlin wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores of 19 Broadway shows and 18 motion pictures. Among the other great Berlin songs: “God Bless America”, “Always”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “Puttin’ On The Ritz” and “Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep)”. Berlin’s songs were recorded by Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Cher, Dean Martin, Doris Day, Eddie Fisher, Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong and Al Jolson, just to name a few.
90s: Listserves and Email distribution replaces telephone trees for activism
1990
George Michael moved from 18-8 with “Praying For Time” on the USA Song charts
Post 9/11 – From “gay and lesbian” to “lesbigay” to “Lgbt/Lgbtq/Lgbtq2”
2000 – The Backstreet Café in Roanoke, V.A. was attacked by a man named Ronald Gay who specifically said he was on a mission to kill gay people. The 55-year-old drifter opened fire at the bar killing one man, Danny Lee Overstreet, and wounding six others.
2011
Research conducted by car maker SEAT found that Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was the song most likely to be found on British iPods, with more than 40% of owners having the hit on their players. The Beatles had four songs in the list, a feat also matched by Coldplay. Other favourites included U2, The Killers and Rihanna.
2019 –
Billy Porter becomes the first openly gay Black man to win the Emmy for best lead actor in a drama series.
2021
Willie Garson, Carrie’s Gay Bestie on ‘Sex and the City,’ Has DiedThe straight actor portrayed a beloved character, Stanford Blatch.www.advocate.com
Family Demands Accountability After Gay Man’s Death at RikersThe family of a gay 24-year-old who died at Rikers earlier this month is seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding his death after they said jail officials ignored his pleas for medical care when other inmates heard him “screaming” for help. Esias “Izzy” Johnson, a Massachusetts native remembered by his parents as an intelligent, kindhearted […]www.gaycitynews.com
Doctor admits bombarding colleague with homophobic messages telling him staff ‘didn’t want a gay’ | Daily Mail OnlineDr Lydia Krexi sent the medic a string of texts and WhatsApp messages during telling him other doctors were gossiping about his sexuality and wanted him to leave the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.www.dailymail.co.uk
Bisexual stars and activists share their advice for coming out and ‘finding your community’Philip Baldwin speaks with six prominent bisexual stars and activists about their experiences coming out and their advice for bisexual youth. www.gaytimes.co.uk
First Look: HBO’s Nuclear Family Explores Lesbian Couple’s Journey | PEOPLE.comThe three-part docuseries — directed and produced by filmmaker Ry Russo-Young — premieres Sep. 26 on HBOpeople.comhttps://nypost.com/2021/09/21/elvira-reveals-sexuality-wilt-chamberlain-encounter-more/
cited sources
Today in LGBT History by Ronni Sanlo
Nineties Dyke 