BCE to The Suffragettes
1784 — Georgia passes a new law adopting English statutes and common law. A survey of what statutes had been adopted by this law revealed that it did not include the buggery statute, making sodomy legal in Georgia.
Clara Smith (1894 – 02-02-1935) – Born in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. She was an African American blues singer. She was billed as the
“Queen of the Moaners.” In 1923 she settled in New York, appearing at cabarets and speakeasies. The same year she made her first successful gramophone recordings for Columbia Records. Smith took a fancy to Josephine Baker and insisted that the manager, Bob Russell, of the Booker T. Washington Theatre hire her. According to an associate of Russell’s, Baker was Smith’s “lady lover.” Smith also played a significant role in Baker’s career by introducing her to “black glamour.” Smith died of heart disease in 1935.
1914 — The North Carolina Supreme Court rules that fellatio violates the state’s “crime against nature” law.
.Richard Wattis(b Feb 25 1912 – 1975) UK
English character actor, best known for his appearances in British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s, typically as the “Man from the Ministry” or similar character, with trademark thick-rimmed round spectacles. He was an openly gay man in an era when this was a taboo subject.
Severo Sarduy(b Feb 25 1937 – 1993), Cuban
Poet, author, playwright, and critic of Cuban literature and art. Along with José Lezama Lima, Virgilio Piñera, and Reinaldo Arenas, Sarduy is one of the most famous Cuban writers of the twentieth century; some of his works deal explicitly with male homosexuality and transvestism.
He died due to complications from AIDS just after finishing his autobiographical work Los pájaros de la playa.
The Friends of Dorothy Era and The Hayes Code
02-25-1941 Jutta Oesterle-Schwerin – Born in Jerusalem, Israel. She
was a German politician and a lesbian pioneer in the Bundestag (German constitutional and legislative body). She served in office four years, from 1987 to the end of 1990. In those years, her name was among 137 parliamentary initiatives on gender equality for women with men and on LGBT rights. She now lives in Berlin and is a spokeswoman for the Lesbian Ring. The Lesbian Ring is a member of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). She is the sister of Israeli historian Tom Segev.
John Saul( b Feb 25 1942 – ) US
Author of suspense and horror novels. Most of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List. Saul, who is openly gay, lives with his partner of 32 years, who has collaborated on several of his novels.
Mario de Andrade (1893 – d Feb 25 1945 ), Brazilian
Poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian and critic, and photographer. One of the founders of Brazilian modernism, he virtually created modern Brazilian poetry with the publication of his Paulicéia Desvairada (Hallucinated City) in 1922.
Jorge Donn( b Feb 25 1947 – 1992), Argentine
An internationally-known ballet dancer, he was best known for his work with the Maurice Béjart’s Ballet company, and his participation as lead dancer in Claude Lelouch’s film Les Uns et les Autres. He died of AIDS on 30 November 1992
1950s The Decade the public learned heterosexual women wanted sex
1952
The first musical choreography score was copyrighted. It was Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me Kate”.
1953
The musical “Wonderful Town” opened. It ran for 559 performances
Gregory Woods (1953) – Born in Egypt. He is a British poet that grew up in Ghana. Since 1990 he has taught at Nottingham Trent University, wherein
1998 he was appointed Professor of Gay and Lesbian Studies, the first such appointment in the United Kingdom. On retirement, he was appointed Emeritus Professor of Gay and Lesbian Studies. His main areas of interest are twentieth-century gay and lesbian literature; post-war gay and lesbian films, cultural studies and the AIDS epidemic. In addition to his poetry collections, he is the author of a number of books. According to poet Sinéad Morrissey, “Probably, the finest gay poet in the United Kingdom.”
Rodger McFarlane (b Feb 25 1955 – 2009), US
Gay rights activist who served as the first paid executive director of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and later served in leadership positions with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Bailey House and the Gill Foundation.
The character of “Tommy” in Larry Kramer’s play, The Normal Heart, is based on McFarlane. At the age of 54 in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, McFarlane committed suicide. He left a letter stating he could no longer deal with heart and back problems, which followed a broken back in 2002. In an interview with The Advocate, Kramer said, “He did more for the gay world than any person has ever done. I don’t think the gay world knew or knows how great he was and how much he did for us and how much we need him still and how much we will miss him.”
The Civil Rights 60s: When the Boomers were under 30
Pauline Park (1960) – Born in Korea and adopted by European American parents. She is an activist for transgender rights. In 1997, Park co-founded Queens Pride House, a center for the LGBT communities of Queens, and Iban/Queer Koreans of New York. In 1998, Park co-founded the NY Assoc.
for Gender Rights Advocacy, the first statewide transgender advocacy organization in New York. She negotiated the inclusion of gender identity and expression in the Dignity for All Students Ace, a safe schools bill enacted by the New York State Legislature in 2010. Park was adopted by European American parents and raised in the United States. In an interview, she said, “I think I knew when I was four or so before I even knew the word. It’s a funny story. When I went to kindergarten, the first day all the girls were wearing stretch pants with stirrups, remember those? I thought they were so cute and I wanted some. I remember when I came home and asked for some my mother was shocked. That was when I began to understand that certain things were for girls and certain things were for boys. And I began to recognize that as a child I couldn’t be who I was until I was an adult.”
Nina Jacobson (1965) – Born in Los Angeles, California. She is an American
film executive who, until July 2006, was president of the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. She was one of the last women to head a Hollywood film studio since the 1980s. She established her own production company called Color Force in 2007 and is the producer of The Hunger Games. In 1995, she and film director Bruce Cohen formed Out There, a collection of gay and lesbian entertainment industry activists.
1967
on the usa LP charts the durable Soundtrack to “The Sound of Music” was #7 after 102 weeks of release,
Feminist, Gay Liberation and Lesbian Separatists: Civil Rights
1976 — Indiana passes a new criminal code that repeals its sodomy law.
1978
The album that knocked Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours out of #1 after a then-record 31 weeks–the Soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever” remained at #1 for a sixth week. Queen’s News of the World third on the USA LP charts
The Genderfuck Apathetics vs Yuppies : Aids the new STD on the list
1982
– Wisconsin Governor Lee Dreyfus [Republican] signs the bill which added the prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation to the state’s civil rights statute, making Wisconsin the first state in the country to do so!
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After a 15-year movement, Wisconsin became the first state to pass legislation to protect LGBTQ people from workplace and housing discrimination. In 1967, black lawyer, legislator and activist Lloyd Barbee introduced the first bill to decriminalize homosexuality. Barbee’s fellow members of the Wisconsin State Assembly had nicknamed him “the outrageous Mr. Barbee” because he often promoted radical legislation that favored women’s rights, drug legalization, prison reform and more. Perhaps his views were too progressive for the assembly, because they vetoed his proposals in 1967 and again in 1977. Barbee left his position that same year.
Shortly after, renowned singer Anita Bryant allied with Christian fundamentalists to spread anti-gay rhetoric across the United States. The homophobic campaign motivated Leon Rouse, a Milwaukee college student, to find a way to unify religion with gay rights. Rouse invited Christian and Jewish religious leaders to the board of a new human rights committee. He argued that all religious denominations shared a responsibility to protect marginalized individuals and re-introduced one of Barbee’s failed bills: a bill which would prevent employers from making employment decisions on the basis of sexual orientation. The members agreed with Rouse’s message of equality and urged their religious constituents to support the anti-discrimination bill, lobbied their political representatives and traveled to Wisconsin’s capital to testify in the bill’s favor. David Clarenbach, a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, campaigned on the bill’s behalf when he heard Rouse’s platform. The bill finally passed in 1982. It led to another bill which legalized homosexual sexual relations a year later, which empowered legislator Clarenbach to come out as gay after he left political office. The 1982 bill was a small but significant step in the road to equality in the state. Its incremental but steady progress reminds us not to give up hope, even when our accomplishments initially appear small.
1983
The Rhode Island Supreme Court rules that the enactment of a comprehensive sexual assault reform law did not impliedly repeal the crime against nature law.
Official died of an accidental choking, but the police report suggested his use of drugs and alcohol contributed to the death: Tennessee Williams at the age of 71 in his suite at the Hotel Elysee in New York City. Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright whose works include A Streetcar Named Desireand Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.Williams and his partner, actor Frank Marlo (1922-1963), were together for more than 10 years. Their relationship ended when Marlo died of cancer in 1963. Although Williams enjoyed his success, his life was fraught with alcoholism and several love affairs. He struggled to resolve his homosexuality with his strict upbringing, and the conflict between guilt and desire became a theme of his controversial plays. Some critics of Williams point out he did not come out as gay until late in his life, and his homosexual characters often die in his work. Despite the discord that has always surrounded Williams’s life, he remains a man who turned his painful upbringing into fine art. His death is the ultimate symbol of his duality. He died of asphyxiation in the presidential suite of the fine hotel where he had been living, likely due to drugs. Yet every aspiring young actor still wishes to act in a Tennessee Williams play as their rite of passage into “serious” theater. The man from a quiet southern town is forever remembered as the “poet of lost souls” for those in need of hope
1984
on the USAS charts Van Halen landed the new #1 song with “Jump”, knocking Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon” out of the top spot. and Cyndi Lauper’s first hit–“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” moved from 9 to 4
Culture Club was LP Charts #2 with Colour By Numbers
1985
Sade released the single “Smooth Operator”.
Madonna released the single “Crazy for You”.
02-25-1986 Jameela Jamil – Born in Hampstead, London, England. She is a British actress, radio presenter, model, writer, and activist. In 2016, Jamil
moved to the United States. She is known for her role as Tahani Al-Jamil in the NBC fantasy comedy series The Good Place. Jamil is also known as the host of the TBS game show The Misery Index and as one of the judges of the reality show Legendary. She considers herself to be bisexual. Since 2015, she has been in a relationship with musician James Blake.
1987
London newspaper The Sun begins printing a series of articles in which Elton John’s personal life comes into question. After lawyers got involved, The Sun would end up paying 1 million Pounds ($1.9 million) and issuing a printed apology which consisted of simply “Sorry, Elton.”
James Coco (1930 – d feb 25 1987), US
Character actor, who won awards for his work on Broadway, television and film
1989
USA song charts #7 New Kids on the Block had “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”
90s: Listserves and Email distribution replaces telephone trees for activism
1993, Canada – The Supreme Court of Canada rules that a gay man who was denied bereavement leave to attend the funeral of his companion’s father could not claim discrimination. This is Canada’s first gay right’s case: Canada Federal Government Employee: Brian Mossop and his partner Ken Popert of the Body Politic, Xtra! Pink Triangle Press.
1995
Madonna started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Take A Bow’, the track which was co-written with Babyface became a No.16 hit in the UK.
1999
Prince filed a copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit against nine Web sites, with allegations that included selling bootlegged recordings and offering unauthorized song downloads.
Post 9/11 – The Shock Decade From “gay and lesbian” to “lesbigay” to “Lgbt/Lgbtq/Lgbtq2”
2000
“Britney Spears CD Bubble Gum”, was announced and released in March of 2000.
The five original Spice Girls were facing a bill of up to £1 million ($1.7 million) after losing a legal battle against the sponsors of their 1988 world tour. The Aprilia Scoter Company had claimed the girls knew of Geri’s impending departure.
2006
George Michael was found slumped over in a car in Hyde Park, London. A concerned person spotted the singer and called police who after being checked by paramedics was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and then released on bail. Michael made a public statement about the incident and said “I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offense and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout.” He also said that the event was “my own stupid fault, as usual.”
Human Rights in global conflict: Trans/Pans vs LGB/ vs Heterosexual women
2010
Marie Osmond’s teenage son Michael Blosil was found dead on the ground below an apartment balcony in Los Angeles after committing suicide. Resulting in a public feud with Donny over the Mormon Church vs Queer Sexuality.
2022
https://www.advocate.com/film/2022/2/25/cloris-leachmans-last-film-jump-darling-queer-tale-family
Cloris Leachman’s Last Film ‘Jump, Darling’ Is a Queer Tale of Family
The film, written and directed by Phil Connell, premieres in theaters March 11.www.advocate.com
Gays and Lesbians do not have procreative sex, so are not the mommies and daddies of every identity.
The Queer Young Comics Redefining American Humor – The New York Times
For years, gay male performers were left out of the comedy landscape or tokenized within it. Now, a new wave of entertainers are succeeding by playing to themselves.www.nytimes.com
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/02/florida-dont-say-gay-bill-lgbtq
Florida’s Bigoted “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Is on Its Way to Becoming Law | Vanity Fair
It’s on its way to the Republican-controlled senate and before hitting Governor Ron DeSantis’s desk.www.vanityfair.com
“Don’t Say Gay” Passes In Florida And Russia Advances In Ukraine | Crooked Mediacrooked.com
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-lgbtq-fear-human-rights-abuses-if-russia-invades/
Some LGBTQ Ukrainians fear human rights abuses if Russia invades: “We will fight” – CBS News
Russia "won't allow us to exist peacefully and to fight for our rights as we are able to do that in Ukraine right now," an 18-year-old law student said.www.cbsnews.com
Russian citizens risk arrest to protest Putin’s war in Ukraine
Risking arrest and intimidation, Russian citizens took to the streets to protest Putin’s invasion, while some celebrities also spoke out.www.usatoday.com
cited sources
Today in LGBT History by Ronni Sanlo
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https://lgbtdailyspotlight.com/
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LGBTQ2 Blogger Nina Notes:
Most of the above is copied from one of the sites cited as sources in the daily post and as linked at the end of every post.
the history of nonheterosexuals and different historical eras views are such that there is a there is a danger to apply current decadish of time, in 2021 to past decades and centuries; particularly without application of complete history.
There is a difference between adopting male attire in the era when clothing was spelled out in law, and lesbians who passed in public, differ from those who only change clothing for personal sexual gratification, in private “cross dressors” in the language of this same era.
Laws regarding clothing exist in many nations, including capitol punishment, this is why sexual orientation is a demographic, That heterosexual women continue to be denied reproductive rights, education and professions, even where won at court; that women are a demographic. That male and female persons who are ethnically different from the majority population and with differing experiences being merged into colour blind visible minorities are differing demographics.
the farther back in time the given individual is, and why on this blog, there is a under theme of Elvis Presley, as the most prominent modern era person of the 1900s Current Era; who was photographed almost every day of his adult life., and who’s number of days on this planet have resulted in his being one of the most recognizable individuals across all cultures on the planet, which in 1950s was 1 billion people, and by his death almost 4 billion, to the 8 billion currently existing on earth.
We’wha – He was a Zuni Native American from New Mexico. He was a famous Lhamana, a traditional Zuni gender role, now described as mixed-gender or Two-Spirit. Lhamana were men who lived in part as women, wearing a mixture of women’s and men’s clothing and doing a great deal of women’s work, as well as serving as mediators. We’wha is known historically mainly for the fact that she was a man but chose to live out his life as a woman. He/she was well respected in the tribe.
Nineties Dyke 