Tag Archives: LGBT History

Courtesy of the event’s producers, today’s Swag Tuesday prize is two tickets to Trippin’ On The Moon: Remembering Dancing Under The Dome, a reunion of the members and performers of NYC’s legendary Saint disco, which closed 21 years ago this month. Trippin’ On The Moon takes place this Sunday, May 31st at Soho’s Santos House Party. Original Saint DJs Michael …

Thirty years ago last night, in the largest violent disturbance in the history of the LGBT movement, thousands of gay people rioted in the streets of San Francisco after Supervisor Dan White was given only a 7-year sentence for the murder of Harvey Milk. After the crowd burned more than a dozen police cruisers in front of City Hall, dozens …

UPDATE: Well…shit. That was disappointing. Tonight’s American Idol final isn’t slated to end until about 10:15pm EST, so no update here until at least 1:15am Gotham time. Even if you have no interest in the competition, you must allow that the pitting of a devout Christian folk singer against a glam, guylinered and GAY rocker is a fascinating window onto …

Rodger McFarlane, the noted activist and author whose work ranged from ACT-UP to Gay Men’s Health Crisis to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, has taken his own life in New Mexico due to failing health. McFarlane had been suffering great pain caused by heart and back problems. Most recently McFarlane was executive director of the Gill Foundation, a group which funds …

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the New York Public Library will host the special exhibition, 1969: The Year of Gay Liberation, for the month of June. The exhibition features original photographs, pamphlets, police reports, newspapers, and letters. Included are materials relating to activist groups formed between 1969-1970 such as Gay Liberation Front, the Radicalesbians, Gay Activists …

Boy Culture is reporting that Mavety Media Group is ceasing the publication their lengthy stable of gay porn magazines, some of which have been around for decades. Among the titles gone are one-time one-handed standards such as Mandate, Honcho, Torso, and Inches. Boy Culture author Matthew used to work for Mavety and has some fascinating memories of his time there. …

Today the Stonewall Library and Archives had its official opening in Fort Lauderdale. Via press release: Stonewall Library & Archives (SLA), the largest independent circulating library of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) materials in the US, officially opened its new facility in downtown Fort Lauderdale today with a cadre of city and county elected officials and dignitaries on hand. …

Jon Gilbert Leavitt and Kevin Hannan provide a We Didn’t Start The Fire-style gay pride history lesson in this documentary/music video made to mark the 40th anniversary of Pride in NYC. Fantastic! (Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

This week in 1985, Smalltown Boy, the debut single from UK gay dance trio Bronski Beat, hit #1 on the Billboard dance chart for its only week. The tortured lyrics, haunting melody and heartbreaking video (which depicts a gay bashing) made the song an immediate gay anthem worldwide and it remains a staple of gay nightclubs today. My roommate and …

Noted gay historian and pioneering activist Donn Teal (pictured above in a 1971 photo) has died in NYC at the age of 76. From an obituary written by David Carter: G. Donn Teal, of 304 West 75th Street, New York, died February 3, 2009 after a long illness. He was 76 years old. Born in Columbus, Ohio, on October 26, …

Sad news. The nation’s oldest gay bookstore, the West Village’s Oscar Wilde Bookshop, will close on March 29th due to the “current economic crisis.” The store was opened in 1967 on Mercer Street by Craig L. Rodwell, who was influential in the gay rights movement. It later moved to 15 Christopher Street. Mr. Rodwell, who inspired similar owners of gay …

“To date, I am the first openly gay male elected to Congress as a freshman. One change I will never get used to is that everyone keeps calling me “congressman.” It’s ridiculous to hear someone shout ‘congressman’ and watch each of the 435 members of Congress within earshot turn their heads. Seriously, for my sanity, just call me Jared. [snip] …

The world’s first openly gay leader takes power in Iceland today. Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66, is to become interim leader until new elections are held in May following the fall of the administration of Geir Haarde amid huge public protests about the country’s economic crisis. The country’s social affairs minister, Ms Sigurdardottir has been installed as head of an interim centre-left …

Icelandic pol Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir is poised to become the world’s first openly gay prime minister. The current Minister for Social Affairs, Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir of the Social Democrats, said she is prepared to assume the position of prime minister as long as she senses that her position is backed by sufficient trust. Foreign Minister and chairwoman of the Social Democrats Ingibjörg …

The Lesbian and Gay Band Association received good coverage on C-SPAN last night as they passed the Inaugural Parade presidential reviewing stand. However coverage on other networks was slim to none. CNN mentioned them by name and provided a brief shot, but then cut away. Still, it was a thrilling and historic appearance for the band.

In a historic first, the Washington DC Gay Men’s Chorus just performed at the inaugural concert on the National Mall, backing Josh Groban and Heather Headley. And they were fantastic. I got all toh up, for realz. These are shots I took off my TV, I’ll have video as soon as it’s available.UPDATE: Obama gave gay folks a shout out …

“Bitch, I’ve seen queers more fired up when Bed Bath & Beyond runs out of sale items. Where’s the passion? “Was Van Sant afraid that audiences wouldn’t be sympathetic if 70s-era gay activists were people who suffered, swore, fought back, and fucked like they meant it? If the street kids actually looked like dirty, starving, broke-ass teen hustlers? “Gay history …

Last night the San Francisco GLBT Historical Society held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Passionate Struggle, the new Castro exhibit I mentioned here earlier this week. Go here for my slideshow of the exhibit. Among those at the ribbon are Levi’s vice president Robert Cameron (first man on the left) and openly gay SF Supervisor Bevan Dufty (kneeling with his daughter …

Two weeks ago I visited a new exhibit from the SF GLBT Historical Society called Passionate Struggle: The Dynamics Of San Francisco’s GLBT History, which is housed on the corner of Castro and 18th Streets in a storefront that once was the site of Wolf Camera. This exhibit explores the dynamic tensions between passion and struggle that have forged San …

Veteran gay reporter Rex Wockner gives us a glimpse into Amy Balliett, whom he calls the “architect of Stonewall 2.0.” Yes, she practices what she preaches. JoinTheImpact co-founder and co-coordinator Amy Balliett, right, and wife Jessica Trejo were legally married in Los Angeles on Oct. 18 following their Aug. 9 wedding in Seattle. It took me a while to get …