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History is Queer

History is Queer is an Advocate series examining key LGBTQ+ moments, events, and people in history and their ongoing impact. Is there a piece of LGBTQ+ history we should write about? Email us at history@advocate.com.

News

Safe/Haven: Gay Life in 1950s Cherry Grove

These photos from the Cherry Grove Archives Collection show queer joy at one of the oldest LGBTQ+ havens in the country.

History is Queer

Let the good times roll: the queer history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans

New Orleans knows how to have fun, and so does our community, intricately intertwined with Mardi Gras.

History is Queer

When feminists feared the 'lavender menace' of lesbians — and how those lesbians fought back

Lesbians fought homophobia in the feminist movement with humor and heart.

Activists (from left) Jimmy Gruender, Meg Sneed, Paul Roark, Mandee Rowley, and Marilee Cornelius protest DADT at a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting, September 16, 2010.

History is Queer

How 'don't ask, don't tell' came to be, what it did, and how it ended

It was supposed to make life better for queer service members. But it was a compromise that didn't work.

The first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights 1979

History is Queer

All about the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights

The 1979 event marked a unifying of the community. Some of its goals remain unrealized, but there was no going back.

Mattachine Steps, leading to Harry Hay's former home in Los Angeles

History is Queer

What is the Mattachine Society, the first enduring U.S. gay rights group?

The organization thrived from the 1950s into the 1970s.

Demonstrators at the Black Cat anniversary rally in 2017

History is Queer

How a police raid sparked L.A.'s Black Cat protests — which predated Stonewall and birthed The Advocate

Angelenos rose up against police brutality at a gay bar in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighborhood.

Politics

How this Minnesota city redefined LGBTQ+ rights 50 years ago

On December 30, 1975, Minneapolis became the first city to adopt this trans-inclusive policy.

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History is Queer

How Black communities protected each other during the early days of the AIDS crisis

The 50 Biggest Homophobes of the Last 50 Years

The LGBT rights movement has had its share of villains. These are some of the worst.

Safe/Haven: Gay Life in 1950s Cherry Grove

These photos from the Cherry Grove Archives Collection show queer joy at one of the oldest LGBTQ+ havens in the country.

90 Photos to Celebrate the Return of Physique Pictorial

Bob Mizer's magazine introduced mid-century America to the homoerotics of home-grown muscle boys. Now it's back and better than ever.

Let the good times roll: the queer history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans

New Orleans knows how to have fun, and so does our community, intricately intertwined with Mardi Gras.

The lush life of Billy Strayhorn, the gay Black man who was Duke Ellington's 'right arm'

Strayhorn wrote many of Ellington's big hits and lived as an out gay man in mid-century America.

When feminists feared the 'lavender menace' of lesbians — and how those lesbians fought back

Lesbians fought homophobia in the feminist movement with humor and heart.

How 'don't ask, don't tell' came to be, what it did, and how it ended

It was supposed to make life better for queer service members. But it was a compromise that didn't work.

How a 'Mary Tyler Moore' episode and a gay actor broke new ground 53 years ago this month

Mary's landlady, Phyllis, was upset when her brother bonded with Rhoda instead of Mary. But there was something Phyllis didn't know.

All about the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights

The 1979 event marked a unifying of the community. Some of its goals remain unrealized, but there was no going back.

What is the Mattachine Society, the first enduring U.S. gay rights group?

The organization thrived from the 1950s into the 1970s.

How a police raid sparked L.A.'s Black Cat protests — which predated Stonewall and birthed The Advocate

Angelenos rose up against police brutality at a gay bar in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighborhood.

How this Minnesota city redefined LGBTQ+ rights 50 years ago

On December 30, 1975, Minneapolis became the first city to adopt this trans-inclusive policy.

AIDS activist group ACT UP changed the world. Here's why its work still matters today

The direct action group ACT UP was key to the fight against AIDS at the epidemic's height, and its legacy informs present-day activism.

Years before Stonewall, a cafeteria riot became a breakthrough for trans rights

All about the Compton's Cafeteria riot, when drag queens and trans women rose up against police at a diner in San Francisco.

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History is Queer

The LGBT rights movement has had its share of villains. These are some of the worst.

These photos from the Cherry Grove Archives Collection show queer joy at one of the oldest LGBTQ+ havens in the country.

Bob Mizer's magazine introduced mid-century America to the homoerotics of home-grown muscle boys. Now it's back and better than ever.

New Orleans knows how to have fun, and so does our community, intricately intertwined with Mardi Gras.

Strayhorn wrote many of Ellington's big hits and lived as an out gay man in mid-century America.

Lesbians fought homophobia in the feminist movement with humor and heart.

It was supposed to make life better for queer service members. But it was a compromise that didn't work.

Mary's landlady, Phyllis, was upset when her brother bonded with Rhoda instead of Mary. But there was something Phyllis didn't know.

The 1979 event marked a unifying of the community. Some of its goals remain unrealized, but there was no going back.

The organization thrived from the 1950s into the 1970s.

Angelenos rose up against police brutality at a gay bar in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighborhood.

On December 30, 1975, Minneapolis became the first city to adopt this trans-inclusive policy.

The direct action group ACT UP was key to the fight against AIDS at the epidemic's height, and its legacy informs present-day activism.

All about the Compton's Cafeteria riot, when drag queens and trans women rose up against police at a diner in San Francisco.