Tag Archives: LGBT History

The Orlando Sentinel reports: The Orlando shooting at Pulse Nightclub on June 12 will be memorialized with an “iconic, meaningful, national” memorial and eventually a museum, where Orlando’s millions of visitors will learn about the club, the tragedy and the victims. Leaders of the not-for-profit onePULSE Foundation officially launched the effort to building the memorial Thursday morning. “Today, I’m able …

People reports: Ellen DeGeneres is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her sitcom’s coming-out episode with a little help from friends like Oprah Winfrey, Laura Dern and Michelle Obama. Winfrey and Dern — both of whom guest starred in the iconic 1997 episode in which DeGeneres’ character came out as gay — stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week to …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: As the one-year anniversary of the Pulse terror attack nears, the nightclub’s owner, Barbara Poma, next week will announce details about plans for a permanent memorial at the scene of the nation’s largest mass shooting. “Pulse has always been a part of me, but after this tragedy which took 49 lives, it became a part of …

DNA Info reports: Just after the 1969 Stonewall riots — largely considered a seminal moment in the quest for LGBT rights — many gay rights groups were still organizing in the shadows, quietly meeting in neighborhoods such as Brooklyn Heights to lay the groundwork for the movement. The historic preservationists working on the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project are now …

Out today is Electric Lines, the new album by 2 Bears and Hot Chip member Joe Goddard, which gives me an excuse to post last month’s single, which serves as an old school disco homage to legendary Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan. Sampled in the single is the 1978 Paradise Garage staple, Brainstorm’s On Our Way Home, and as you’ll …

Via press release: On March 31, 2017, Gilbert Baker the creator of the iconic Rainbow Flag sadly passed away. Mr. Baker was both an LGBTQ activist and artist, and was known for helping friends create banners for protests and marches. To honor the memory of Gilbert Baker, NewFest and NYC Pride partnered with Ogilvy & Mather’s design team and created …

Grammy-winning DJ Frankie Knuckles, known worldwide as “the Godfather of House,” died three years ago this month. But his personal record collection is now on display for the public to actually touch and play. MixMag reports: With the record collection of Frankie Knuckles now at Theaster Gates’s Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, The Frankie Knuckles Foundation has shared a …

Until yesterday, no openly gay person had ever been elected to any public office anywhere in Alaska. Today they have two. Alaska Commons reports: In 2009, the Anchorage Assembly passed an ordinance banning workplace and employment discrimination against LGBTQ residents of the municipality. Then-Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed the measure. In 2012, in an election fraught with voting issues, voters overwhelmingly …

Cleve Jones breaks the news on his Facebook page: “I am heartbroken. My dearest friend in the world is gone. Gilbert gave the world the Rainbow Flag; he gave me forty years of love and friendship. I can’t stop crying. I love you forever Gilbert Baker.” No cause of death has yet been disclosed. Gilbert suffered a stroke about five …

The Associated Press reports: Orlando and Orange County officials want the first anniversary next June of the Pulse nightclub massacre to be marked with acts of love and kindness. Elected officials on Monday said that June 12 officially would be dedicated as “Orlando United Day – A Day of Love and Kindness.” Officials also announced a series of events planned …

The Bubble reports: Today marked the opening of the newly inaugurated Carlos Jaúregui subway station. Located on the corner of Avenida Santa Fe and Pueyrredón, the stop was previously referred to as the “Santa Fe” stop on the H line. Following a measure approved unanimously last year by the Buenos Aires City Legislature, the station was opened under its new …

Playwright David Lee has incorporated my Pulse essay, Their Phones Kept Ringing, into a play selected to run at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Such an honor! Via press release: David Lee, recipient of the 2016 Orlando International Fringe Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award has created an original theatrical event that shares stories and experiences from the days, weeks and months following …

Reuters reports: The victims of a mass shooting at a Florida nightclub in June 2016 will receive nearly $8.5 million for emotional and financial support for victims’ families, those wounded in the attack and responders, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday. In a statement, the department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) said the funds would be granted …

The New York Times reports: The National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park here is a somber glen of plants, trees, walks, grass and cairn, with thousands of names etched in stones and pavement. Visitors’ emotions run high, but the details of exactly how AIDS devastated and transformed the world are not found here. “The story of AIDS is …

BillyPenn.com reports: Little Pete’s is disappearing from Center City sooner than anyone thought. Although developers for the hotel that will replace the iconic diner at 17th and Chancellor had set August 31 as the deadline for vacating the space, owner Pete Koutroubas has decided to shut down earlier. He’s also throwing a farewell party. As reported by Philly Chit Chat, …

I’ve been waiting in vain all day for an updated trailer so let’s go with the original one below. The A.V. Club sets up the mini-series that launches tonight: “Each generation has its own epic confrontations it must deal with,” narrates Cleve Jones (Guy Pearce) over the opening scenes of Dustin Lance Black’s When We Rise. When he makes this …

Calling all gay graphics designers. Via press release: Why a new flag? A flag is more than just a symbol, it is a source of civic pride that makes people feel more connected to their city. As the City of Orlando’s story continues to evolve, so does the need for a visual identity that is unique to Orlando. The contest …

The BBC reports: A Church of England theological college has expressed regret after trainee priests held a service in the antiquated gay slang language Polari. The service at the chapel of Westcott House in Cambridge was to commemorate LGBT history month. The congregation was told the use of the lexicon was an attempt to “queer the liturgy of evening prayer”. …

The Guardian reports: Thousands of men convicted of offences that once criminalised homosexuality but are no longer on the statute book have been posthumously pardoned under a new law. A clause in the policing and crime bill, which received royal assent on Tuesday, extends to those who are dead the existing process of purging past criminal records. The general pardon …

Entertainment Weekly reports: On the day his presidency is handed over to Donald Trump, Barack Obama is getting one last “Thanks, Obama.” Following her own personal tribute, Ellen DeGeneres reached out to famous LGBT faces for help compiling a heartwarming video of thank yous set to Katy Perry’s “Roar,” which she played on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Friday morning. “President …