The Fotten Secret Language of Gay Men - Atlas Obscura

Contents:

• 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
• A GLIMPSE INTO 1970S GAY ACTIVISM
• WHY BEG “GAY THE ’70S NEW YORK AND L.A. WAS MAGIC” — AND HOW HOLLYWOOD HAS CHANGED (GUT COLUMN)
• THIS IS WHAT GAY LIBERATN LOOKED LIKE IN THE '70S
• POIGNANT, EXUBERANT PHOTOS OF GAY LIFE THE ’70S — JT TIME FOR PRI
• DISVERG THE “GAY LIFTYLE” THROUGH 1970S MAGAZ
• THE FOTTEN SECRET LANGUAGE OF GAY MEN

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

A gay-rights monstratn New York's Greenwich Village, June 8, 1977 (AP)This article is the 11th a seri featurg clips om the Amerin Archive of Public Broadstg, which is workg to digize televisn and rad piec so that they may be prerved for years to e.

For more about the project, see our troductn to the seri, where you'll also fd a handy list of all the seri' piec so 1960s me to a close wh what is still perhaps the most nsequential event recent Amerin gay history: the Stonewall rts of June 28, Charl Kaiser put his history of gay New York, "No other civil rights movement Ameri ever had such an improbable unveilg: an urban rt sparked by drag queens. That's not to say that progrs followed a clear urse: The 1970s also saw Ana Bryant's succsful mpaign Miami to repeal a gay-rights legislatn and the assassatn of Harvey Milk, one of Ameri's greatt advot for gays and lbians and one of the first openly gay men elected to public office.

A GLIMPSE INTO 1970S GAY ACTIVISM

There was a powerful work of olr succsful gay men like theatril agent Milton Goldman and entertament attorney Arnold Weissberger who troduced younger gay men to succsful showbiz typ at their betiful apartment on Sutton Place overlookg the East River.

Tommy Nutter, who was known for the betiful pipg on the cloth he signed for Mick and Bian Jagger, picked me up at a dis New York one night and I end up at Stigwood’s offic at 135 Central Park Wt, n by Peter Brown, who ed to be Tommy’s boyiend and who had worked for the very gay Beatl manager Brian Epste. Charl Piece 1926-1999 was what might be lled a female impersonator (he lled himself a Male Actrs) who found favor wh dienc both straight and gay wh his knowg imprsns of Bette Davis, Mae Wt, Tallulah Bankhead and Carol Channg, Such impersonatns were que tradnal for a ic performer of this sort.

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

I’ve heard gay people speak of Pl Lyn as a gay in of the time, but he was not out by FencgGal at 5:07 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [1 favore] Not an actual celebry but Billy Crystal's character Joey on the TV show Soap was probably the first time an out gay person was portrayed pop culture as an admirable or even relatable human by bonobothegreat at 5:39 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [29 favor] Wh given that Capote was a celebry and obvly gay, I don't thk anyone will argue that he was nsired "ol" 1970s North Amerin popular by bonobothegreat at 6:13 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [3 favor] Capote was fely out the 1970s. I don't know if he was ol per se, but he was the one who popped to my by bgirl at 6:35 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [5 favor] Ra Mae Brown, who published “Ruby F Jungle” the early 70’s, might have qualified as a ol gay in at the by baseballpajamas at 6:35 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [6 favor] Jam Beard me out publicly his memoir 1981 but was openly gay long before that, had a partner of 30 years, by HotToddy at 7:06 AM on Febary 9, 2020 Oh, sorry, I lost track of the pot that you’re lookg for people who ma ol to be gay.

I'd fd difficult to thk of anyone else by Vortisr at 7:23 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [4 favor] I agree wh the majory of posters re: “actually out, actually ol, and actually popular the 70s: pick two”, but offer jobrah as my choice, although he barely meets creria 3 (no sha, ’s jt not really generally popular) by holyrood at 9:42 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [1 favore] Mental illns and homosexualy were so nflated those days that mak the qutn really hard to answer. I remember beg told at the time that the pot was that eventually straight people wouldn’t nsir beg thought gay a terrible thg and would jt wear jeans like they did every by FencgGal at 10:33 AM on Febary 9, 2020 [5 favor] Derek Jarman was, I thk, out virtually his entire reer, but the US you'd have to be pretty avant-gar to know of him, so not a hoehold name. Army service World War I, Gerber was spired to create his anizatn by the Scientific-Humanarian Commtee, a “homosexual emancipatn” group Germany.Gerber’s small group published a few issu of s newsletter “Friendship and Freedom,” the untry’s first gay-tert newsletter.

THIS IS WHAT GAY LIBERATN LOOKED LIKE IN THE '70S

Ernment signated Gerber’s Chigo hoe a Natnal Historic Landmark.The Pk TriangleCorbis/Getty ImagHomosexual prisoners at the ncentratn mp at Sachsenhsen, Germany, wearg pk triangl on their uniforms on December 19, 1938.The gay rights movement stagnated for the next few s, though LGBT dividuals around the world did e to the spotlight a few tim.For example, English poet and thor Radclyffe Hall stirred up ntroversy 1928 when she published her lbian-themed novel, The Well of Lonels. And durg World War II, the Nazis held homosexual men ncentratn mps, brandg them wh the famo pk triangle badge, which was also given to sexual predators.Addnally, 1948, his book Sexual Behavr the Human Male, Aled Ksey proposed that male sexual orientatn li on a ntuum between exclively homosexual to exclively heterosexual.The Homophile Years In 1950, Harry Hay found the Mattache Foundatn, one of the natn’s first gay rights group.

The Los Angel anizatn ed the term “homophile,” which was nsired ls clil and foced on sexual activy than “homosexual.”Though started off small, the foundatn, which sought to improve the liv of gay men through discsn groups and related activi, expand after foundg member Dale Jenngs was arrted 1952 for solicatn and then later set ee due to a adlocked jury.At the end of the year, Jenngs formed another anizatn lled One, Inc., which weled women and published ONE, the untry’s first pro-gay magaze.

POIGNANT, EXUBERANT PHOTOS OF GAY LIFE THE ’70S — JT TIME FOR PRI

Post Office, which 1954 clared the magaze “obscene” and refed to liver .The Mattache Society Mattache Foundatn members rtctured the anizatn to form the Mattache Society, which had lol chapters other parts of the untry and 1955 began publishg the untry’s send gay publitn, The Mattache Review.

DISVERG THE “GAY LIFTYLE” THROUGH 1970S MAGAZ

That same year, four lbian upl San Francis found an anizatn lled the Dghters of Bilis, which soon began publishg a newsletter lled The Ladr, the first lbian publitn of any kd.The early years of the movement also faced some notable setbacks: the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn listed homosexualy as a form of mental disorr 1952.The followg year, Print Dwight D. In fact, gay men and women New York Cy uld not be served alhol public due to liquor laws that nsired the gatherg of homosexuals to be “disorrly.”In fear of beg shut down by thori, bartenrs would ny drks to patrons spected of beg gay or kick them out altogether; others would serve them drks but force them to s facg away om other ctomers to prevent them om socializg.In 1966, members of the Mattache Society New York Cy staged a “sip-”—a twist on the “s-” protts of the 1960s— which they vised taverns, clared themselv gay, and waed to be turned away so they uld sue. They were nied service at the Greenwich Village tavern Juli, rultg much publicy and the quick reversal of the anti-gay liquor laws.The Stonewall Inn A few years later, 1969, a now-famo event talyzed the gay rights movement: The Stonewall Rts.The clanste gay club Stonewall Inn was an stutn Greenwich Village bee was large, cheap, allowed dancg and weled drag queens and homels youths.But the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York Cy police raid the Stonewall Inn.

After the Stonewall Rts, a msage was pated on the outsi of the board-up bar readg, "We homosexuals plead wh out people to please help mata peaceful and quiet nduct on the streets of the village." This sign was wrten by the Mattache Society–an early anizatn dited to fightg for gay rights.In reportg the events, The New York Daily News rorted to homophobic slurs s tailed verage, nng the headle: “Homo Nt Raid, Queen Be Are Stgg Mad.” The amed newspaper article hangs near the entrance of Stonewall Inn to this day.An unintified group of young people celebrate outsi the board-up Stonewall Inn after the rts.

More and more supporters gathered outsi the bar, chantg slogans like “gay power” and “we shall overe.”Over the next several nights, gay activists ntued to gather near the Stonewall, takg advantage of the moment to spread rmatn and build the muny that would fuel the growth of the gay rights movement. 1 / 12: NY Daily News Archive/Getty ImagChristopher Street Liberatn Day Shortly after the Stonewall uprisg, members of the Mattache Society spl off to form the Gay Liberatn Front, a radil group that lnched public monstratns, protts and nontatns wh polil officials.Siar groups followed, cludg the Gay Activists Alliance, Radilbians, and Street Transvt Actn Revolutnari (STAR).In 1970, at the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Rts, New York Cy muny members marched through lol streets memoratn of the event. In 1977, for stance, the New York Supreme Court led that transgenr woman Renée Richards uld play at the Uned Stat Open tennis tournament as a woman.Addnally, several openly LGBTQ dividuals secured public office posns: Kathy Kozachenko won a seat to the Ann Harbor, Michigan, Cy Council 1974, beg the first out Amerin to be elected to public office.Harvey Milk, who mpaigned on a pro-gay rights platform, beme the San Francis cy supervisor 1978, beg the first openly gay man elected to a polil office California.Milk asked Gilbert Baker, an artist and gay rights activist, to create an emblem that reprents the movement and would be seen as a symbol of pri.

THE FOTTEN SECRET LANGUAGE OF GAY MEN

Baker signed and stched together the first rabow flag, which he unveiled at a pri para 1978.The followg year, 1979, more than 100,000 people took part the first Natnal March on Washgton for Lbian and Gay Rights.Outbreak of AIDS The outbreak of AIDS the Uned Stat domated the stggle for gay rights the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventn published a report about five prevly healthy homosexual men beg fected wh a rare type of pnmonia.By 1984, rearchers had intified the e of AIDS—the human immunoficiency vis, or HIV—and the Food and Dg Admistratn licensed the first mercial blood tt for HIV 1985. But after failg to garner enough support for such an open policy, Print Clton 1993 passed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, which allowed gay men and women to serve the ary as long as they kept their sexualy a secret.Gay rights advot cried the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, as did ltle to stop people om beg discharged on the grounds of their sexualy.In 2011, Print Obama fulfilled a mpaign promise to repeal DADT; by that time, more than 12,000 officers had been discharged om the ary unr DADT for refg to hi their sexualy.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was officially repealed on September 20, 2011.Gay Marriage and Beyond In 1992, the District of Columbia passed a law that allowed gay and lbian upl to register as domtic partners, grantg them some of the rights of marriage (the cy of San Francis passed a siar ordance three years prr and California would later extend those rights to the entire state 1999).In 1993, the hight urt  Hawaii led that a ban on gay marriage may go agast the state’s nstutn.