Gay/Bi Men and Mtach, a History Photos

Contents:

• DISVERG THE “GAY LIFTYLE” THROUGH 1970S MAGAZ
• DICK LESCH’S GUI TO SEVENTI GAY SLANG
• THE FOTTEN SECRET LANGUAGE OF GAY MEN
• A GLIMPSE INTO 1970S GAY ACTIVISM
• THE LAVENR MENACE FORMSCREATED 1970, "THE WOMAN INTIFIED WOMAN" WAS A MANIFTO OUTLG THE RE PRCIPL OF RADIL LBIANS THAT THE LAVENR MENACE HAND OUT AT THEIR "ZAP" OF THE SEND CONGRS TO UNE WOMEN 1970. THE LAVENR MENACE WAS THE PEJORATIVE NAME GIVEN TO LBIANS BY FEMIST BETTY FRIEDAN. FRIEDAN ARGUED THAT CREASGLY POLICIZED LBIANS WERE A THREAT TO THE FEMIST MOVEMENT AND ULD HURT THE NATNAL MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL EQUY FOR WOMEN. FRIEDAN WAS A MEMBER OF THE NATNAL ORGANIZATN FOR WOMEN (NOW) AND THEIR STANCE WAS MOST WOMEN FELT AS IF LBIAN ISSU WERE IRRELEVANT TO THEM AND THAT IF THEY WERE TO PARTNER WH LBIANS, WOULD BE HARR TO PH POLICY MAKERS THE RIGHT DIRECTN.THE TERM WAS RECLAIMED BY LBIANS WH THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT 1970 WHO MAND CLN AND REGNN. SOME STAFF MEMBERS OM NOW RIGNED OM THEIR JOBS TO JO THE GROUP. THAT SAME YEAR MEMBERS OF THE LAVENR MENACE DISPTED THE SEND CONGRS TO UNE WOMEN, A NFERENCE SPONSORED BY NOW BY CUTTG THE LIGHTS AND CHANGG TO SHIRTS WH THE NAME “LAVENR MENACE” ON THEMLBIAN RIGHTS WERE CLUD NOW’S SIX KEY ISSU 1971 AND 1977, BETTY FRIEDAN APOLOGIZED FOR HER PERV REMARKS AND ACTIVELY SUPPORTED A ROLUTN AGAST SEXUAL PREFERENCE DISCRIMATN.‍MARSHA P. JOHNSON AND SYLVIA RIVERA FOUND STARMARSHA P. JOHNSON AND SYLVIA RIVERA AT THE 1973 CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATN DAY PARA NEW YORK CYMARSHA P. JOHNSON, PART OF THE “VANGUARD” DURG THE STONEWALL RTS, WAS A PROMENT FIGURE OF THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT. SHE AND SYLVIA RIVERA CREATED THE STREET TRANSVTE ACTN REVOLUTNARI (STAR) HOE 1970 TO ADVOTE FOR AND PROVI HOG, FOOD, AND CLOTHG TO LGBTQ HOMELS YOUTH. THE TWO WERE PROMPTED TO ADDRS THE ISSU FOLLOWG THE WESTE HALL S-S WHICH WERE SPARKED BY NEW YORK UNIVERSY’S CISN TO NCEL A SERI OF DANC WHICH CID WH THE FIRST PRI PARA 1970. OVER THE URSE OF FIVE DAYS, PROTTERS PLANNED AND WORKED WHEN RIVERA FIRST GOT THE IA FOR THE STAR HOE. BOTH ACTIVISTS FACED THE CHALLENG OF HOMELSNS AND THROUGH A FUNDRAISG EVENT THEY WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE STAR HOE 1970, A 4-BEDROOM APARTMENT THE EAST VILLAGE. THE ANIZATN IS REGNIZED AS THE FIRST SHELTER FOR LGBTQ+ HOMELS YOUTH NORTH AMERI AND ONE OF THE FIRST ANIZATNS LED BY TRANSGENR PEOPLE OF LOR. LBIAN DELEGATE MALE DAVIS BLAZ TRAIL AT DNCIN 1972, MALE DAVIS WAS THE FIRST OUT LBIAN LEGATE ELECTED TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATNAL CONVENTN. DURG THE CONVENTN, SHE LLED FOR THE CLN OF GAY RIGHTS THE PARTY’S PLATFORM FOR THE YEAR. FOLLOWG HER SPEECH, SHE BEME A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC COMMTEE AND WORKED WH THE PARTY FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS AND LBIANS. SHE ALSO TGHT THE FIRST URSE ON LBIANISM THE U.S. AT THE UNIVERSY OF BUFFALO NEW YORK. TWENTY STUNTS SIGNED UP FOR “LBIANISM 101” WHICH WAS TGHT AGA UNR THE NAME “WOMEN + WOMEN.” WORLD’S FIRST OUT GAY JUDGE APPOTED IN CALIFORNIA PHOTO BY KAREN OMBA LAWYER, ACTIVIST AND -FOUNR OF THE NATN’S FIRST GAY POLIL ACTN MTEE, STEPHEN LACHS WAS APPOTED BY CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN FOR AN OPEN POSN ON THE LOS ANGEL COUNTY SUPERR COURT 1979. HE MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ JUDGE THE WORLD AS WELL AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ APPOTMENT BY GOV. BROWN. IN THE EY OF THOSE WHO SENT HIM ATH THREATS, A CRIMAL WAS ADJUDITG THE LAW. NOHELS, LACHS WAS ELECTED 1980 AND THRICE MORE TIM BEFORE RETIRG 1999 AS A WELL-RPECTED JUDGE AND EXPERT FAY LAW. “I BELIEVE THAT MY BEG A JUDGE CHANGED MANY PERCEPTNS WH THE CALIFORNIA JUDICIARY. JUDG ALL OVER THE STATE HAD TO AL WH A LLEAGUE WHO WAS OPENLY GAY, WHICH IS QUE DIFFERENT THAN READG ABOUT A MAGAZE,” LACHS WROTE AN SAY FOR THE “OUT AND ELECTED THE USA: 1974–2004” PROJECT FOR “I NNOT WRE ABOUT MY REER WHOUT REMEMBERG THE MANY MEN AND WOMEN, MUCH MORE URAGEO THAN I, UNSELFISH, IALISTIC AND WILLG TO RISK EVERYTHG FOR THEIR E, WHO LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR MY APPOTMENT AND MY SUBSEQUENT FOUR ELECTNS. THEY HAVE BEEN MY SUPPORT AND MY FORT FOR MANY YEARS AND THEY HAVE CHANGED THE HISTORY OF OUR UNTRY.”KATHY KOZACHENKO BE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ CANDIDATE TO W PUBLIC OFFICE THE U.S.KATHY KOZACHENKO ENTERED LLEGE AT THE UNIVERSY OF MICHIGAN AS A SOCIAL JTICE ADVOTE AND JOED THE HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY – A PRO-FEMIST, PRO-RACIAL JTICE AND PRO-LGBTQ+ PARTY. PARTY OFFICIALS ENURAGED HER TO N FOR ANN ARBOR CY COUNCIL AND TO DO SO AS AN OUT LBIAN. BOTH GERRY DEGRIECK AND NANCY WECHSLER HAD BEEN ELECTED TO THE UNCIL AS HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY MEMBERS BEFORE HER, AND BOTH ME OUT WHILE OFFICE, BEG THE FIRST ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO SO. BUT KOZACHENKO CID TO TAKE THE PARTY OFFICIALS’ ADVICE AND N HER MPAIGN WHILE OUT – ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT MAKE HER SEXUAL ORIENTATN CENTRAL TO HER MPAIGN.ON APRIL 2, 1974, A LIBERAL DISTRICT LIBERAL ANN ARBOR, KOZACHENKO FEATED HER OPPONENT BY 52 POTS AND BEME THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ PERSON EVER ELECTED THE UNED STAT. THE MICHIGAN DAILY REPORTS ON KATHY KOZACHENKO'S UPSET VICTORY.SHE SPOKE TO HER SEXUAL ORIENTATN HER VICTORY SPEECH:“THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. THAT SOMEONE HAS N OPENLY AS A GAY PERSON AND BEEN ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE. GAY LIBERATN WAS NOT A MAJOR ISSUE THE MPAIGN — BOTH NDIDAT THIS WARD SAID THEY SUPPORTED GAY RIGHTS, BUT 10 YEARS AGO, OR EVEN THREE YEARS AGO, LBIANISM WOULD HAVE MEANT TOMATIC FEAT. THIS YEAR WE TALKED ABOUT RENT NTROL. WE TALKED ABOUT THE CY’S BUDGET. WE TALKED ABOUT POLICE PRRI, AND WE HAD A RERD OF ACTN TO N ON. MANY PEOPLE’S ATTUS ABOUT GAYNS ARE STILL FAR OM HEALTHY, BUT MY MPAIGN FORCED SOME PEOPLE AT LEAST TO RE-EXAME THEIR PREJUDIC AND STEREOTYP.”HER MPAIGN WAS THE FIRST SUCCS WHAT WOULD BEE A POLIL MOVEMENT TO BUILD LGBTQ POWER. ON APRIL 2, 2019, WH KOZACHENKO’S BLSG, LGBTQ+ VICTORY INSTUTE LNCHED S ANNUAL NATNAL OUT TO W DAY, TO HONOR HER ACHIEVEMENT AND TO ENURAGE MORE LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO N FOR OFFICE.‍FIRST OUT STATE LEGISLATOR ELECTED THE U.S.EDUTOR ELAE NOBLE WAS ENURAGED TO N FOR THE MASSACHETTS HOE OF REPRENTATIV 1974 BY FORMER CONGRS MEMBER BARNEY FRANK’S SISTER, ANN WEXLER. THE TWO WOMEN HAD FORMED THE WOMEN’S POLIL CC, AND WEXLER THOUGHT NOBLE WOULD REPRENT HER IRISH CATHOLIC BOSTON DISTRICT WELL, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS LGBTQ+.IT WAS THE HEIGHT OF SEGREGATN, SO NOBLE RO B WH CHILDREN OF LOR AND HAD MPAIGN WORKERS MONOR SCHOOL B STOPS TO MONSTRATE HER EP BELIEF EQUALY. A GAY NEWSPAPER REPORTER TOLD HER, “YOU SHOULD STICK TO YOUR OWN KD, OR WE’RE GOG TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO REPRENT .” NOBLE RPOND, “WELL, I BELIEVE, DAVID, I AM STICKG WH MY OWN KD,” ACRDG TO AN TERVIEW NOBLE GAVE RON SCHLTLER FOR HIS “OUT AND ELECTED THE USA: 1974–2004” PROJECT FOR “YOU N’T SAY THAT YOU WANT PROGRS OR CHANGE FOR ONE GROUP AND NOT FOR ANOTHER. IT DON’T HAPPEN THAT WAY.”NOBLE EXPERIENCED SUCH HARASSMENT—OM BOMB THREATS TO BEG SPAT UPON BY AN EIGHTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD MAN—THAT AT ONE POT SHE MPAIGNED PROTECTED BY STATE TROOPERS. “IT WAS A VERY UGLY MPAIGN. UGLY,” SHE TOLD SCHLTLER. “THERE WAS A LOT OF SHOOTG THROUGH MY WDOWS, STROYG MY R, BREAKG WDOWS AT MY MPAIGN HEADQUARTERS, SER HARASSMENT OF PEOPLE VISG MY HOE AND MPAIGN OFFICE— WAS REALLY BAD.”NOHELS, NOBLE PREVAILED, WNG WH 59 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. THE HARASSMENT, HOWEVER, NTUED AS SHE FOUND HUMAN FEC ON HER SK AND FEND OFF OBSCENE PROFANI. “I JT TRIED TO MATA WH WHAT LEVEL OF DIGNY THAT I ULD,” SHE SAID.EVENTUALLY, MOST OF THE UGLS DIED DOWN, AND NOBLE WON A SEND TERM WH ALMOST 90 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. NOBLE’S DIGNIFIED PERSEVERANCE SPIRED MANY CLOSETED AND POTENTIAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO E OUT DURG A DIFFICULT TIME, A LEGACY EVEN MORE LASTG THAN HER TWO TERMS OFFICE.HARVEY MILK ELECTEDHARVEY MILK ON THE MPAIGN TRAIL 1976HARVEY MILK IS TERNATNALLY RENOWNED AS AN LGBTQ+ HERO, HAVG ED HIS POSN AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ ELECTED OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA TO LOUDLY FIGHT BACK AGAST THE TORNADO OF ANTI-LGBTQ+ DISCRIMATN FURLY WHIPPG THE UNTRY TO A ENZY WH THE RISE OF THE MORAL MAJORY AND ANA BRYANT’S CSA TO “SAVE OUR CHILDREN” 1977. EFFECTIVELY G HIS BULLHORN ON THE SAN FRANCIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, MILK HELPED LEAD THE NAIL-BG SUCCSFUL MPAIGN TO STOP THE BRIGGS INIATIVE, WHICH WOULD HAVE PERMTED THE FIRG OF GAY TEACHERS AND THEIR ALLI 1978.AS THE OSR-WNG FICTNALIZED FILM BGRAPHY MILK DITED, HE DID NOT HAVE AN EASY ROAD TO ELECTORAL VICTORY. BUT GLOSSED OVER MILK HISTORI IS THAT AFTER HIS SEND FAILED MPAIGN, HIS CLOSE IEND AND ALLY MAYOR GEE MOSNE APPOTED HIM TO THE BOARD OF PERM APPEALS, MAKG HIM THE FIRST OUT GAY CY MISSNER AMERI. AFTER HIS THIRD FAILED MPAIGN, MILK, HIS MPAIGN MANAGER ANNE KRONENBERG, AND MOSNE ENGEERED A L CHANGE ENABLG NDIDAT TO N OM THEIR DISTRICTS STEAD OF SEEKG AN “AT-LARGE” SEAT. BY 1977, AS GAY SAN FRANCIS CHRONICLE REPORTER RANDY SHILTS LATER WROTE, MILK WAS BOTH A ALN-BUILR AND “THE MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET.” HE WAS ELECTED ON NOVEMBER 8, 1977.SUPERVISOR HARVEY MILK AT MAYOR GEE MOSNE'S SK.MILK BEME NATNALLY FAMO FOR HIS “G OUT” SPEECH. “GAY PEOPLE, WE WILL NOT W OUR RIGHTS BY STAYG QUIETLY OUR CLOSETS,” MILK SAID DURG ONE RALLY AGAST THE ANTI-GAY BRIGGS INIATIVE. AFTER RECEIVG DAILY ATH THREATS, MILK SAID HIS DTAPED WILL: “IF A BULLET SHOULD ENTER MY BRA, LET THAT BULLET STROY EVERY CLOSET DOOR.”ON NOVEMBER 27, 1978, MILK AND MOSNE WERE ASSASSATED BY DISGNTLED FORMER SUPERVISOR DAN WHE, PROMPTG MANY TO E OUT, CLUDG MILK’S TEENAGE NEPHEW STUART MILK, WHO NOW NS THE MILK FOUNDATN. ON AUGT 12, 2009, STUART MILK ACCEPTED THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM, THE NATN’S HIGHT CIVILIAN HONOR, POSTHUMOLY AWARD BY PRINT BARACK OBAMA TO HARVEY MILK FOR HIS “VISNARY URAGE AND NVICTN” FIGHTG DISCRIMATN.ACTIVIST FRANK KAMENY RUNS FOR U.S. CONGRS
• WHY BEG “GAY THE ’70S NEW YORK AND L.A. WAS MAGIC” — AND HOW HOLLYWOOD HAS CHANGED (GUT COLUMN)

DISVERG THE “GAY LIFTYLE” THROUGH 1970S MAGAZ

But when one particular look cropped up the post-Stonewall gay scene of the 1970s, was so popular—and so distct—that the guys who sported were dismissed as “clon. )And while the nickname was ially pejorative, the clone perd marked perhaps the first time that gay men prented themselv wh a queer-signalg uniform that was a direct rponse to societal stereotyp.

“The clone was a reactn to thgs you would see movi of gay men beg flty and nelly, ” says John Calendo, a wrer who lived LA and New York Cy throughout the 70s and 80s, and worked as an edor at the clone-cubatg sk mags Blueboy and In Touch for Men. He pots to the gay mstrel stereotyp the 1967 film The Producers, along wh the timid-lookg guys on the illtrated vers of gay pulp books wh nam like All the Sad Young Men. (Not to mentn the 1964 article Life magaze lled “Homosexualy Ameri, ” which scribed a “sad and often sordid world.

”) “That’s the kd of imagery”—backwards stereotyp that basilly villaized queer people—“that a lot of my generatn who beme the clone people grew up wh the ccible of the 60s, ” Calendo ntu, when the civil rights and gay liberatn movements were expandg ias of equaly and eedom. Drsg like a clone, he says, was a rejectn of those olr gay ’s not so easy to ppot precisely who origated the clone ial, guys who were alive at the time ually brg up Al Parker, an adult film star turned producer and director who worked om the 70s to the early 90s.

DICK LESCH’S GUI TO SEVENTI GAY SLANG

(Parker would eventually bee an advote for gay rights and safe sex, producg only safe-sex films before he passed away om plitns due to AIDS 1992. It was like, Oh that’s somethg wh a ltle work I uld atta, and I thk that’s why beme so quickly absorbed to the gay muny.

“When I thk back on havg lived through the time, was like gay guys were pg om this stereotype that was jt culted to the culture of sissi and faggots, ” says Woodff. “The clone look was certaly about a whe gay man’s rponse and engagement wh those archetyp, ” says Ben Barry, the an of the school of fashn at the New School’s Parsons School of Dign, whose rearch foc on fashn’s relatnship to masculy, sexualy, and the body. ”)Prentg as mascule public was physilly safer for gay guys, but the clone stume pulled double duty, Barry says, tweakg tradnal masculy while also signalg to other queer folks.

THE FOTTEN SECRET LANGUAGE OF GAY MEN

“There’s this munal thg happeng right now where people are more open that they’re trans and non-bary or bisexual and not jt on the spectm of beg straight, gay, male, female. Today, we remember the creasgly outspoken polil movement for gay and lbian rights. Lnched the sprg of 1969 wh the slogan “For Gay Guys Who Have No Hangups, ” QQ was a glossy nsumer magaze.

A GLIMPSE INTO 1970S GAY ACTIVISM

” But unlike gay liberatn magaz and newspapers of the time, voted ltle space to polics or activism. Hilrbrand wr that gay travel guis were not a wholly new ia.

In the 1950s and ’60s, some gay men turned word-of-mouth scriptns of lol scen to guis nsistg of the nam and addrs of bars, wh d scriptns. “The turn toward liftyle, straight and gay, volved a turn toward nsumptn as a form of self-ventn, yet the gay liftyle media stcted s rearshp not only how to bee ‘themselv, ’ as the straight publitns, but also how to bee gay, ” Hilrbrand wr. ’s photos reflected more racial and ethnic diversy than many other gay publitns of the time, that uld be seen more as a reflectn of fetishizatn than cln.

“Although the young studs may do everythg bed, except perhaps kiss, there is still one le a gay mt never fet, ” the thor wr. Embraced a gay inty, if not necsarily one that was particularly polil.

THE LAVENR MENACE FORMSCREATED 1970, "THE WOMAN INTIFIED WOMAN" WAS A MANIFTO OUTLG THE RE PRCIPL OF RADIL LBIANS THAT THE LAVENR MENACE HAND OUT AT THEIR "ZAP" OF THE SEND CONGRS TO UNE WOMEN 1970. THE LAVENR MENACE WAS THE PEJORATIVE NAME GIVEN TO LBIANS BY FEMIST BETTY FRIEDAN. FRIEDAN ARGUED THAT CREASGLY POLICIZED LBIANS WERE A THREAT TO THE FEMIST MOVEMENT AND ULD HURT THE NATNAL MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL EQUY FOR WOMEN. FRIEDAN WAS A MEMBER OF THE NATNAL ORGANIZATN FOR WOMEN (NOW) AND THEIR STANCE WAS MOST WOMEN FELT AS IF LBIAN ISSU WERE IRRELEVANT TO THEM AND THAT IF THEY WERE TO PARTNER WH LBIANS, WOULD BE HARR TO PH POLICY MAKERS THE RIGHT DIRECTN.THE TERM WAS RECLAIMED BY LBIANS WH THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT 1970 WHO MAND CLN AND REGNN. SOME STAFF MEMBERS OM NOW RIGNED OM THEIR JOBS TO JO THE GROUP. THAT SAME YEAR MEMBERS OF THE LAVENR MENACE DISPTED THE SEND CONGRS TO UNE WOMEN, A NFERENCE SPONSORED BY NOW BY CUTTG THE LIGHTS AND CHANGG TO SHIRTS WH THE NAME “LAVENR MENACE” ON THEMLBIAN RIGHTS WERE CLUD NOW’S SIX KEY ISSU 1971 AND 1977, BETTY FRIEDAN APOLOGIZED FOR HER PERV REMARKS AND ACTIVELY SUPPORTED A ROLUTN AGAST SEXUAL PREFERENCE DISCRIMATN.‍MARSHA P. JOHNSON AND SYLVIA RIVERA FOUND STARMARSHA P. JOHNSON AND SYLVIA RIVERA AT THE 1973 CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATN DAY PARA NEW YORK CYMARSHA P. JOHNSON, PART OF THE “VANGUARD” DURG THE STONEWALL RTS, WAS A PROMENT FIGURE OF THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT. SHE AND SYLVIA RIVERA CREATED THE STREET TRANSVTE ACTN REVOLUTNARI (STAR) HOE 1970 TO ADVOTE FOR AND PROVI HOG, FOOD, AND CLOTHG TO LGBTQ HOMELS YOUTH. THE TWO WERE PROMPTED TO ADDRS THE ISSU FOLLOWG THE WESTE HALL S-S WHICH WERE SPARKED BY NEW YORK UNIVERSY’S CISN TO NCEL A SERI OF DANC WHICH CID WH THE FIRST PRI PARA 1970. OVER THE URSE OF FIVE DAYS, PROTTERS PLANNED AND WORKED WHEN RIVERA FIRST GOT THE IA FOR THE STAR HOE. BOTH ACTIVISTS FACED THE CHALLENG OF HOMELSNS AND THROUGH A FUNDRAISG EVENT THEY WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE STAR HOE 1970, A 4-BEDROOM APARTMENT THE EAST VILLAGE. THE ANIZATN IS REGNIZED AS THE FIRST SHELTER FOR LGBTQ+ HOMELS YOUTH NORTH AMERI AND ONE OF THE FIRST ANIZATNS LED BY TRANSGENR PEOPLE OF LOR. LBIAN DELEGATE MALE DAVIS BLAZ TRAIL AT DNCIN 1972, MALE DAVIS WAS THE FIRST OUT LBIAN LEGATE ELECTED TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATNAL CONVENTN. DURG THE CONVENTN, SHE LLED FOR THE CLN OF GAY RIGHTS THE PARTY’S PLATFORM FOR THE YEAR. FOLLOWG HER SPEECH, SHE BEME A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC COMMTEE AND WORKED WH THE PARTY FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS AND LBIANS. SHE ALSO TGHT THE FIRST URSE ON LBIANISM THE U.S. AT THE UNIVERSY OF BUFFALO NEW YORK. TWENTY STUNTS SIGNED UP FOR “LBIANISM 101” WHICH WAS TGHT AGA UNR THE NAME “WOMEN + WOMEN.” WORLD’S FIRST OUT GAY JUDGE APPOTED IN CALIFORNIA PHOTO BY KAREN OMBA LAWYER, ACTIVIST AND -FOUNR OF THE NATN’S FIRST GAY POLIL ACTN MTEE, STEPHEN LACHS WAS APPOTED BY CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN FOR AN OPEN POSN ON THE LOS ANGEL COUNTY SUPERR COURT 1979. HE MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ JUDGE THE WORLD AS WELL AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ APPOTMENT BY GOV. BROWN. IN THE EY OF THOSE WHO SENT HIM ATH THREATS, A CRIMAL WAS ADJUDITG THE LAW. NOHELS, LACHS WAS ELECTED 1980 AND THRICE MORE TIM BEFORE RETIRG 1999 AS A WELL-RPECTED JUDGE AND EXPERT FAY LAW. “I BELIEVE THAT MY BEG A JUDGE CHANGED MANY PERCEPTNS WH THE CALIFORNIA JUDICIARY. JUDG ALL OVER THE STATE HAD TO AL WH A LLEAGUE WHO WAS OPENLY GAY, WHICH IS QUE DIFFERENT THAN READG ABOUT A MAGAZE,” LACHS WROTE AN SAY FOR THE “OUT AND ELECTED THE USA: 1974–2004” PROJECT FOR “I NNOT WRE ABOUT MY REER WHOUT REMEMBERG THE MANY MEN AND WOMEN, MUCH MORE URAGEO THAN I, UNSELFISH, IALISTIC AND WILLG TO RISK EVERYTHG FOR THEIR E, WHO LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR MY APPOTMENT AND MY SUBSEQUENT FOUR ELECTNS. THEY HAVE BEEN MY SUPPORT AND MY FORT FOR MANY YEARS AND THEY HAVE CHANGED THE HISTORY OF OUR UNTRY.”KATHY KOZACHENKO BE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ CANDIDATE TO W PUBLIC OFFICE THE U.S.KATHY KOZACHENKO ENTERED LLEGE AT THE UNIVERSY OF MICHIGAN AS A SOCIAL JTICE ADVOTE AND JOED THE HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY – A PRO-FEMIST, PRO-RACIAL JTICE AND PRO-LGBTQ+ PARTY. PARTY OFFICIALS ENURAGED HER TO N FOR ANN ARBOR CY COUNCIL AND TO DO SO AS AN OUT LBIAN. BOTH GERRY DEGRIECK AND NANCY WECHSLER HAD BEEN ELECTED TO THE UNCIL AS HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY MEMBERS BEFORE HER, AND BOTH ME OUT WHILE OFFICE, BEG THE FIRST ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO SO. BUT KOZACHENKO CID TO TAKE THE PARTY OFFICIALS’ ADVICE AND N HER MPAIGN WHILE OUT – ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT MAKE HER SEXUAL ORIENTATN CENTRAL TO HER MPAIGN.ON APRIL 2, 1974, A LIBERAL DISTRICT LIBERAL ANN ARBOR, KOZACHENKO FEATED HER OPPONENT BY 52 POTS AND BEME THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ PERSON EVER ELECTED THE UNED STAT. THE MICHIGAN DAILY REPORTS ON KATHY KOZACHENKO'S UPSET VICTORY.SHE SPOKE TO HER SEXUAL ORIENTATN HER VICTORY SPEECH:“THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. THAT SOMEONE HAS N OPENLY AS A GAY PERSON AND BEEN ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE. GAY LIBERATN WAS NOT A MAJOR ISSUE THE MPAIGN — BOTH NDIDAT THIS WARD SAID THEY SUPPORTED GAY RIGHTS, BUT 10 YEARS AGO, OR EVEN THREE YEARS AGO, LBIANISM WOULD HAVE MEANT TOMATIC FEAT. THIS YEAR WE TALKED ABOUT RENT NTROL. WE TALKED ABOUT THE CY’S BUDGET. WE TALKED ABOUT POLICE PRRI, AND WE HAD A RERD OF ACTN TO N ON. MANY PEOPLE’S ATTUS ABOUT GAYNS ARE STILL FAR OM HEALTHY, BUT MY MPAIGN FORCED SOME PEOPLE AT LEAST TO RE-EXAME THEIR PREJUDIC AND STEREOTYP.”HER MPAIGN WAS THE FIRST SUCCS WHAT WOULD BEE A POLIL MOVEMENT TO BUILD LGBTQ POWER. ON APRIL 2, 2019, WH KOZACHENKO’S BLSG, LGBTQ+ VICTORY INSTUTE LNCHED S ANNUAL NATNAL OUT TO W DAY, TO HONOR HER ACHIEVEMENT AND TO ENURAGE MORE LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO N FOR OFFICE.‍FIRST OUT STATE LEGISLATOR ELECTED THE U.S.EDUTOR ELAE NOBLE WAS ENURAGED TO N FOR THE MASSACHETTS HOE OF REPRENTATIV 1974 BY FORMER CONGRS MEMBER BARNEY FRANK’S SISTER, ANN WEXLER. THE TWO WOMEN HAD FORMED THE WOMEN’S POLIL CC, AND WEXLER THOUGHT NOBLE WOULD REPRENT HER IRISH CATHOLIC BOSTON DISTRICT WELL, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS LGBTQ+.IT WAS THE HEIGHT OF SEGREGATN, SO NOBLE RO B WH CHILDREN OF LOR AND HAD MPAIGN WORKERS MONOR SCHOOL B STOPS TO MONSTRATE HER EP BELIEF EQUALY. A GAY NEWSPAPER REPORTER TOLD HER, “YOU SHOULD STICK TO YOUR OWN KD, OR WE’RE GOG TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO REPRENT .” NOBLE RPOND, “WELL, I BELIEVE, DAVID, I AM STICKG WH MY OWN KD,” ACRDG TO AN TERVIEW NOBLE GAVE RON SCHLTLER FOR HIS “OUT AND ELECTED THE USA: 1974–2004” PROJECT FOR “YOU N’T SAY THAT YOU WANT PROGRS OR CHANGE FOR ONE GROUP AND NOT FOR ANOTHER. IT DON’T HAPPEN THAT WAY.”NOBLE EXPERIENCED SUCH HARASSMENT—OM BOMB THREATS TO BEG SPAT UPON BY AN EIGHTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD MAN—THAT AT ONE POT SHE MPAIGNED PROTECTED BY STATE TROOPERS. “IT WAS A VERY UGLY MPAIGN. UGLY,” SHE TOLD SCHLTLER. “THERE WAS A LOT OF SHOOTG THROUGH MY WDOWS, STROYG MY R, BREAKG WDOWS AT MY MPAIGN HEADQUARTERS, SER HARASSMENT OF PEOPLE VISG MY HOE AND MPAIGN OFFICE— WAS REALLY BAD.”NOHELS, NOBLE PREVAILED, WNG WH 59 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. THE HARASSMENT, HOWEVER, NTUED AS SHE FOUND HUMAN FEC ON HER SK AND FEND OFF OBSCENE PROFANI. “I JT TRIED TO MATA WH WHAT LEVEL OF DIGNY THAT I ULD,” SHE SAID.EVENTUALLY, MOST OF THE UGLS DIED DOWN, AND NOBLE WON A SEND TERM WH ALMOST 90 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. NOBLE’S DIGNIFIED PERSEVERANCE SPIRED MANY CLOSETED AND POTENTIAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO E OUT DURG A DIFFICULT TIME, A LEGACY EVEN MORE LASTG THAN HER TWO TERMS OFFICE.HARVEY MILK ELECTEDHARVEY MILK ON THE MPAIGN TRAIL 1976HARVEY MILK IS TERNATNALLY RENOWNED AS AN LGBTQ+ HERO, HAVG ED HIS POSN AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ ELECTED OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA TO LOUDLY FIGHT BACK AGAST THE TORNADO OF ANTI-LGBTQ+ DISCRIMATN FURLY WHIPPG THE UNTRY TO A ENZY WH THE RISE OF THE MORAL MAJORY AND ANA BRYANT’S CSA TO “SAVE OUR CHILDREN” 1977. EFFECTIVELY G HIS BULLHORN ON THE SAN FRANCIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, MILK HELPED LEAD THE NAIL-BG SUCCSFUL MPAIGN TO STOP THE BRIGGS INIATIVE, WHICH WOULD HAVE PERMTED THE FIRG OF GAY TEACHERS AND THEIR ALLI 1978.AS THE OSR-WNG FICTNALIZED FILM BGRAPHY MILK DITED, HE DID NOT HAVE AN EASY ROAD TO ELECTORAL VICTORY. BUT GLOSSED OVER MILK HISTORI IS THAT AFTER HIS SEND FAILED MPAIGN, HIS CLOSE IEND AND ALLY MAYOR GEE MOSNE APPOTED HIM TO THE BOARD OF PERM APPEALS, MAKG HIM THE FIRST OUT GAY CY MISSNER AMERI. AFTER HIS THIRD FAILED MPAIGN, MILK, HIS MPAIGN MANAGER ANNE KRONENBERG, AND MOSNE ENGEERED A L CHANGE ENABLG NDIDAT TO N OM THEIR DISTRICTS STEAD OF SEEKG AN “AT-LARGE” SEAT. BY 1977, AS GAY SAN FRANCIS CHRONICLE REPORTER RANDY SHILTS LATER WROTE, MILK WAS BOTH A ALN-BUILR AND “THE MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET.” HE WAS ELECTED ON NOVEMBER 8, 1977.SUPERVISOR HARVEY MILK AT MAYOR GEE MOSNE'S SK.MILK BEME NATNALLY FAMO FOR HIS “G OUT” SPEECH. “GAY PEOPLE, WE WILL NOT W OUR RIGHTS BY STAYG QUIETLY OUR CLOSETS,” MILK SAID DURG ONE RALLY AGAST THE ANTI-GAY BRIGGS INIATIVE. AFTER RECEIVG DAILY ATH THREATS, MILK SAID HIS DTAPED WILL: “IF A BULLET SHOULD ENTER MY BRA, LET THAT BULLET STROY EVERY CLOSET DOOR.”ON NOVEMBER 27, 1978, MILK AND MOSNE WERE ASSASSATED BY DISGNTLED FORMER SUPERVISOR DAN WHE, PROMPTG MANY TO E OUT, CLUDG MILK’S TEENAGE NEPHEW STUART MILK, WHO NOW NS THE MILK FOUNDATN. ON AUGT 12, 2009, STUART MILK ACCEPTED THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM, THE NATN’S HIGHT CIVILIAN HONOR, POSTHUMOLY AWARD BY PRINT BARACK OBAMA TO HARVEY MILK FOR HIS “VISNARY URAGE AND NVICTN” FIGHTG DISCRIMATN.ACTIVIST FRANK KAMENY RUNS FOR U.S. CONGRS

Amid the flurry of rabow-lan rporate logos, sponsored events and news ems about gay pengus, is difficult to turn on a televisn or set foot public durg June whout the remr that is Pri Month for LGBT and queer people. Gee Dudley, a photographer and artist who also served as the first director of New York Cy’s Llie-Lohman Mm of Gay and Lbian Art, documented scen om pri paras New York Cy om the late 1970s through the early ‘90s.

The years saw Ana Bryant’s homophobic csa through the “Save Our Children” mpaign 1977, the electn and assassatn of Harvey Milk 1978, and the Whe Night rts the followg summer after the lenient sentencg of Milk’s murrer, Dan Whe. And October 1979, the Natnal March on Washgton for Gay and Lbian Rights took place wh roughly 100, 000 participants. “It was, a sense, the year we buted on the larger public stage, ” says Jim Saslow, a profsor of art history at the Cy Universy of New York and an early gay activist.

WHY BEG “GAY THE ’70S NEW YORK AND L.A. WAS MAGIC” — AND HOW HOLLYWOOD HAS CHANGED (GUT COLUMN)

“We were beg acceptable enough that a gay person uld have a signifint polil reer, but we also beme very aware of how much of a nerve that was touchg for nservative people. Saslow, who was also a iend of Dudley’s, marks this era as a shift the gay liberatn movement. But as the number of out gay people grew, says Saslow, the paras transned om timate gathergs of like-md people to events attend by a broar array of participants.