Tag Archives: LGBT History

Acclaimed Gay Poet J.D. McClatchy Dies At 72

The New York Times reports: J. D. McClatchy, an American poet known for work whose cool formal sheen belied the roiling emotion below its surface, died on Tuesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 72. His death, from cancer — an illness that had been grist for poems in recent years — was announced by Random House. The author …

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Judge Who Struck Down Prop 8 Dies At Age 87

The San Jose Mercury News report: Stephen Reinhardt, a judge on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, has died. He was 87. Reinhardt was considered to be one of the most liberal judges on the court. President Jimmy Carter appointed Reinhardt to the federal courts in 1980. One of Reinhardt’s most notable high-profile rulings in recent years was a 2012 …

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SFO Terminal To Be Renamed For Harvey Milk

The San Francisco Examiner reports: San Francisco is preparing to rename a terminal at the San Francisco International Airport after slain LGBT supervisor Harvey Milk and install artwork memorializing the civil rights icon. The name change was first introduced in 2013 by then-Supervisor David Campos, who had initially hoped to name the entire airport after Milk, the first openly gay …

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Kate Kendell Steps Down After 22 Years Heading NCLR

Karen Ocamb reports at the Los Angeles Blade: LGBT politicos nationwide were struck by the March 15 announcement that National Center for Lesbian Rights executive director Kate Kendell was stepping down after more than 22 years of service advancing social and economic justice through the lens of LGBT civil rights. “Kate literally changed the world. Her leadership in advancing the …

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Fashion Legend Hubert De Givenchy Dies At Age 91

The Guardian reports: Hubert de Givenchy, the aristocratic French fashion designer whose understated style represented a golden age of elegance, has died aged 91. Givenchy dressed Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy and is famous for the “little black dress”. He died at the Renaissance chateau near Paris that he shared with his partner and fellow designer Philippe Venet. At 6ft …

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CALIFORNIA: Gavin Newsom Hails His 2004 Move On Same-Sex Marriage In First Gubernatorial Ad [VIDEO]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sits atop most polls and has raised the most money in the 2018 California governor’s race, begins spending some of it Monday with his first campaign ad. It features the then-San Francisco mayor presiding over the first same-sex marriages in the city on this day 14 years ago. “Today, we …

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I Will Hold You Ten Times

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 61 years old today. His was a life that burned brightly and I am illuminated still. Daniel Johnson, 1957-1997. I …

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SAN FRANCISCO: City’s Oldest Gay Bar Closes After 58 Years, Will Become Kung Fu-Themed Laundromat

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: The sun has quietly set on the Gangway, San Francisco’s oldest continuously operating gay bar. Bookending an ownership saga that started two years ago, the transfer of the bar’s liquor license became final on Friday, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. On Sunday, the historic establishment hosted its final night of revelry. …

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Gay Author/Comedian Bob Smith Dies At Age 59

Bob Smith’s partner Michael Zam writes on Facebook: It’s with great sadness, but also a lifetime of happy memories that I’m writing to share that my beloved Bob Smith passed away this morning at age 59 after a remarkable 12-year battle with ALS. He was the funniest and most optimistic person I’ve ever known, as well as the most committed …

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90 Year-Old Lesbian Awarded Honorable Discharge From Air Force 62 Years After Her Expulsion For Being Gay

NBC News reports: A FedEx delivery arrived at Helen Grace James’ door on Wednesday. It was a message from the U.S. Air Force. She called two of her closest friends to come be with her before she opened it, and they arrived 20 minutes later. Once she opened it, she received the good news: The military had upgraded her discharge …

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HIV/AIDS Pioneer Dr. Mathilde Krim Dies At 91

Activist Peter Staley writes on Facebook: My greatest AIDS hero died a few hours ago. Dr. Mathilde Krim, founder of amfAR, warrior against homophobia and AIDS-related stigma, dedicated defender of science and public health, and mother-figure and mentor to countless activists, will leave a deep hole in the continued fight against AIDS — a fight she dedicated her life to. …

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90 Year-Old Lesbian Sues Air Force Over 1955 Ouster

The Air Force Times reports: Airman Second Class Helen Grace James wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father and her great-grandfather and serve in her country’s military. But her service was cut short after she was investigated, interrogated and then given an “undesirable” discharge from the Air Force because she was a lesbian, the Washington Post reported. Now, …

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LDS Head Who Led Prop 8 Battle Dies At Age 90

The Associated Press reports: Thomas S. Monson, the 16th president of the Mormon church, has died after overseeing the religion for nine years. He was 90. Monson died Tuesday night at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. Monson spent more than five decades serving in top church leadership councils — making him a well-known …

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BREAKING: Australia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage!

The Guardian reports: Australia’s parliament has legislated for marriage equality, passing a bill almost unanimously to allow two people, regardless of sex, to marry. On Thursday the House of Representatives passed a cross-party bill after an unprecedented national postal survey gave unstoppable momentum to legislate the historic social reform. Australia, which changed the law in 2004 to say that marriage …

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Membership

ABOVE: At the 1985 Xmas party described below: Me, Michael, and Barney. Originally posted May 2004. Reposted for World AIDS Day. Michael didn’t look good. We were at his annual Christmas luau party. Tons and tons of people in the house and the backyard. Standing in his kitchen, wearing a grass skirt and a ridiculous Santa hat covered in sequins, …

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CANADA: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Issues Formal Apology For Abuses Of LGBT Citizens [VIDEO]

The CBC reports: The Canadian government has tabled [introduced] a bill that will allow people convicted of historical same-sex offences to have their criminal records expunged. Proposed legislation aims to correct a “historical injustice” now recognized as the criminalization of same-sex activity by consenting adults, effectively removing from the record convictions that would today be inconsistent with the Charter of …

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CANADA: Government Earmarks $100M To Compensate Military And Federal Employees Ejected For Being Gay

CBC news reports: The Trudeau government has earmarked more than $100 million to compensate members of the military and other federal agencies whose careers were sidelined or ended due to their sexual orientation, The Canadian Press has learned. The money will be paid out as part of a class-action lawsuit settlement to employees who were investigated, sanctioned and sometimes fired …

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BREAKING: Australia Votes YES In Marriage Survey

Moments ago the top officer in Australia’s federal statistics bureau revealed that the result of the non-binding postal survey on same-sex marriage is a landslide WIN for the YES side by 24 points. Members of Parliament are expected to quickly introduce a marriage bill that could see legalization in place as soon as Christmas. But…as always…the haters will try every …

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Scotland Apologizes For Gay Sex Convictions

Reuters reports: Scotland’s devolved government issued an apology on Tuesday to men convicted in the past for same-sex activity and passed a new law which will allow them to clear their names. “It is only right that we address this historic wrong,” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament. Discriminatory laws, although abolished, continue to have implications for people …

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Deep Dive: 25 Years Of Madonna’s Erotica And Sex

This week it’s been 25 years since the simultaneous release of Madonna’s Erotica album and her still controversial S&M-filled coffee table book, Sex. Legendary Rolling Stone critic (and longtime JMG reader) Barry Walters has written a deep dive into their legacy and how they addressed the then-raging AIDS pandemic, which tore through Madonna’s inner circle. Walters unpacks quite a bit, …

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