51 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1972, the National Coalition of Gay Organizations held a Gay Pride rally at Lafayette Park in Washington D.C. This event marked an important moment in the modern LGBTQ rights movement, helping to solidify the community's visibility and strength in fighting for their rights.

#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #LGBTQ #Pride #GayHistory #BiHistory #LesbianHistory #QueerHistory #TransHistory

51 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1972, the Gay Activists Alliance and Gay Liberation Party demonstrated at the Statue of Liberty. I was not able to find more details on the purpose of the demonstration (yet), but the FBI and National Park Service surveilled it leaving this fragment of information to follow.

#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #LGBTQHistory #GayHistory #LesbianHistory #BiHistory #QueerHistory #OTD

69 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1954, the FBI considered paying to attend a Mattachine convention after their informant declined over the expenses. Under J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI was intensely involved in surveilling LGBTQ groups and organizations, an extension of the fear and paranoia that existed in this period known as the Lavender Scare.

#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #GayHistory #BiHistory #LesbianHistory #QueerHistory #OTD

69 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1954, Senator Wiley of Wisconsin reported the public sales and use of the postal service by "One" magazine, a gay publication, to the FBI. Obscenity laws at the time were used against LGBTQ publishers, prohibiting them from using the service for their media. Over the next decade, publishers would fight these laws in courts which would overturn many of these restrictions.

#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #LGBTQHistory #GayHistory #QueerHistory #BiHistory #LesbianHistory #OTD

33 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Hate Crime Statistics Act which requires the Attorney General to collect data on hate crimes. This law was the first in U.S. history to explicitly name lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities.

#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #LesbianHistory #GayHistory #BiHistory #QueerHistory #OTD

94 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1929, a U.S. court declared Radcliffe Hall's novel "The Well of Loneliness" not to be obscene. There were numerous attempts by censorship organizations to suppress its publication. The novel, which featured lesbian themes. Historical artifacts like this show victories even in the past as we face an ongoing need to combat censorship and promote free expression for marginalized voices today. #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #LGBTQHistory #LesbianHistory #GayHistory #BiHistory #OTD

51 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1972, members of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) disrupted a ballroom event at a hotel to protest against the handling of LGBTQ stories by the media. During the third intermission, a group of approximately 25 individuals identified themselves as members of the GAA, invaded the ballroom, and began distributing fliers; one member even attempted to take the event mic.

#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #LGBTQHistory #GayHistory #LesbianHistory #BiHistory #Queerstory #QueerHistory

76 years ago, #OnThisDay in 1947, newspapers began publishing clarifications on "blue discharges," a practice that denied GI benefits for veterans, sometimes on discriminatory grounds. Thousands of LGBTQ individuals were given blue discharges, which Congress recognized as a bar to benefits. Let's remember and honor the sacrifices made by LGBTQ+ veterans, and continue to fight for justice and equality for all.

#LGBTQHistory #GayHistory #LesbianHistory #BiHistory #QueerHistory #Queerstory #OTD