LGBT History

Earlier this week the Obama administration signaled its intention to declare the Stonewall Inn a national monument to LGBT rights. Franklin Graham is ever so pissed: A monument to sin? That’s unbelievable. War heroes deserve a monument, our nation’s founding fathers deserve a monument, people who have helped to make America strong deserve a monument — but a monument to …

From the Washington Post: President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of America’s modern gay liberation movement. While most national monuments have highlighted iconic wild landscapes or historic sites from centuries ago, this …

Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate reports: In a unanimous vote, the city council voted to rename 900 South as “Harvey Milk Boulevard” after the murdered gay rights leader. The vote came after about an hour of public comment on Tuesday night, with members of the community split over the idea. Some who testified against the measure said they would support …

UPDATE: False alarm. Despite tons of media interest, the announcement has to do with an appointment to a state law enforcement group. From Raleigh’s CBS affiliate: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory will make a special announcement Wednesday morning, a day after he issued an executive order on House Bill 2. The announcement will take place Wednesday at 9 a.m. at …

Watch Van Zandt’s thoughtful interview below. Rolling Stone reports: Hours after Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band canceled their Greensboro, North Carolina concert Sunday to protest the state’s controversial, discriminatory “bathroom bill,” guitarist Steven “Little Stevie” Van Zandt defended Springsteen’s decision while backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday. “We just felt the issue …

In a ruling that was widely anticipated, today the Colombian Constitution Court issued a landmark 6-3 ruling which legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide. Today’s ruling follows a 2011 decision which declared that unions between same-sex couples fall under the government’s definition of families. You can find Spanish-language reporting on today’s ruling here and here. I’ll update this post shortly when we …

Late last night Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff posted the below gorgeous clip in thanks for the veto of Georgia’s anti-LGBT bill. The video features audio from Harvey Milk’s legendary “you gotta give ’em hope” speech as scenes of gay pride parades, the San Francisco skyline, and a diverse collection of people go by. JMG reader Cuberly tells us that the …

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Minutes after Gov. Nathan Deal said he would veto the ‘religious liberty’ bill that reached his desk less than two weeks ago, state Sen. Mike Crane [photo] called on his fellow lawmakers to overturn the governor’s decision. Crane, a Newnan Republican running for Congress, said Deal’s announcement Monday “is another example of how the political class …

Via press release from New York Sen. Brad Hoylman: “LGBT history is American history. An important part of that history is Julius’ Bar, one of the oldest gay bars in the city. By including Julius’ on the state and national historic registries, we’ll help ensure that future generations can be inspired by the events that occurred at Julius’ Bar and …

DOMA champion Edith Windsor and Irish activist Brendan Fay were among the LGBT luminaries marching today behind the own banner for the first time in the 255 year history of New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. NBC New York reports: Security was tight as 200,000 marchers strode up Fifth Avenue beginning at about 11 a.m., bagpipes and horns blaring. …

Minutes ago Hillary Clinton issued the above apology for her earlier claim that Nancy Reagan’s “low-key advocacy” had spurred action on AIDS during the Reagan administration. Kudos to the Clinton camp for acting so quickly. Now let’s see if this story continues to have legs. I’ll update this post with reactions as they arrive.

The internet is in a furor this afternoon due to Hillary Clinton’s words about Nancy Reagan and AIDS. Via New Republic: Hillary Clinton is dead wrong about Nancy Reagan and AIDS. In an appearance on MSBC, Clinton praised the Reagans’ efforts to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. “Because of both President and Mrs. Reagan, in particular Mrs. Reagan, we started a …

JMG reader Ken Schwencke has compiled a listing of current and demised Eagle bars around the world. He writes: In at least nine countries and 15 U.S. states, you can find the Eagle. In Montreal, it’s called L’Aigle Noir; in Minneapolis, it’s the Eagle Bolt Bar; in New Orleans, it’s a room above another bird bar. But all of these …

From People Magazine: For years, transgender voices have been pushed to the background. But for Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two transgender women who participated in the Stonewall Riots in 1969, keeping quiet was not an option. From the director of Emmy-nominated Transparent, Rhys Ernst, and Focus Features, the film company behind Oscar-nominated The Danish Girl, comes a new …

From the Sydney Morning Herald: After a wait of nearly 40 years, “78er” Julie McCrossin​ says she was thrilled and emotional to learn that the NSW [New South Wales] government is to apologise for the discrimination and mistreatment that she and other gay rights activists suffered in 1978. The commentator and broadcaster said she understood that she and a group …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: President Obama and lesbian comedian Ellen DeGeneres exchanged praise with each other for advancing gay rights — DeGeneres saying Obama changed laws, Obama saying DeGeneres changed hearts and minds — in an interview on her TV show set to air Friday. During an appearance by Obama on her show, DeGeneres initiated the exchange …

The Iceland Monitor reports: Icelandic water company Icelandic Water Holdings has released a new advert for its Icelandic Glacial water, giving a modern, positive, inclusive spin on an advertising classic from the 90s. Speaking to gayiceland.is, Chairman and co-founder of the company Jón Ólafsson says that “it felt like the right thing to do, just very natural, to include a …

From the American Bar Association: Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, was a recipient of the 2016 Stonewall Award from the ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity during an award ceremony on Feb. 6 at the ABA Midyear Meeting in San Diego. Wolfson is considered by many as the father of the same-sex marriage movement. …

Mattel yesterday announced the release of a short-haired Barbie modeled after out lesbian soccer star Abby Wambach. Via Gay Star News: If you thought Barbie dolls were all one shape and image, the new Abby Wambach doll goes some way to confronting stereotypes and showing young girls (and boys), that female role models don’t all come in one mold. Wambach, …

As longtime readers know, there are four or five JMG entries that I repost every year. This is one of them. My dear friend Daniel Johnson, who threw the most kickass Groundhog Day birthday parties for himself, would have been 59 years old today. His was a life that burned brightly and I am illuminated still. Daniel Johnson, 1957-1997. I …