| August 21, 2004 |
New Orleans, LA - State judge rules proposed
constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages and civil unions
unconstitutional and must be taken off the September 18 ballot.
|
| August 13, 2004 |
CA - California Supreme Court rules San
Francisco mayor overstepped his authority by issuing licenses to
gay and lesbian couples voiding thousands of marriages sanctioned
in San Francisco earlier this year. |
| May 17, 2004 |
Boston, MA - Same-sex couples began exchanging
wedding vows, marking the first time a state has granted gays and
lesbians the right to marry.
|
| April 8, 2004 |
Albany, NY - American Civil Liberties Union
files lawsuit seeking marriage equality for 13 same-sex couples
in attempt to end gay and lesbian "stigma of inferiority."
The couples, including State Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell, are
urging the State of New York and the New York Department of Health
to ensure "that the basic rights of being a New Yorker and
an American are extended to all, and to do so most particularly
when the political branches lack the will to act."
The complaint states that a denial of same-sex marriage violates
the New York State Constitution's guarantee of equal treatment.
However, it falls short of criticizing the state for a history
of discrimination against gays and lesbians.
|
| March 3, 2004 |
Portland, OR - Multnomah County, Oregon's
most populous county, grants marriage licenses to gay and lesbian
couples after county attorney said refusing to do so is unconstitutional.
|
| February 24, 2004 |
Washington, DC - Top Democrats excoriate
President Bush for announcing support for a constitutional amendment
banning same-sex marriage, accusing him of using the issue for political
gain and trying to draw attention away from his record.
|
| January 30, 2004 |
New York, NY - "The L Word",
a weekly cable series spotlighting the lives of LA lesbians, has
already received a renewal from Showtime for a second season only
11 days after its premier. |
| January 21, 2004 |
Washington DC - President Bush states:
"our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage" thus
opposing gay and lesbian marriage during state of union address. |
| January 7, 2004 |
San Francisco, CA - San Jose school district
to pay $1.1 million settling lawsuit of six gay students subjected
to beatings, death threats and other harassment. |
| |
|
| November 18, 2003 |
Boston, MA - Boston Supreme Court rules
in lawsuit brought by gay and lesbian couples seeking the right
to marry in Massachusetts that the state of Massachusetts may not
"deny the protections, benefits and obligations conferred by
civil marriage to two individuals of the same sex who wish to marry."
|
| July 26, 2003 |
LONDON, England - Europe's largest GLBT
pride festival led by uniformed police officers for the first time. |
| June 29, 2003 |
Kolkata, India - 35 Gay men, many wearing
earrings and bright lipstick, marched in a rare rally they called
"Walk on the Rainbow" to promote rights for sexual minorities
in conservative India. Some held up a large rainbow-colored
flag, a symbol used by international homosexual movements, while
others threw flower petals at bemused bystanders. |
| June 26, 2003 |
Washington, DC - The Supreme Court, in
a 6-3 decision reversing ruling 17 years ago, strikes down Texas
state law banning private consensual sex between adults of the same
sex in a decision gay rights groups hailed as historic. |
| June 20, 2003 |
NY, NY- New York teenager, 14-year-old
Natalie Young is openly lesbian, alleges school violated her civil
rights when they suspended her from school for wearing a "Barbie
is a Lesbian" T-shirt. |
| June 12, 2003 |
Philadelphia, PA - Philadelphia's Boy Scout
council, which defied the national organization last month by promising
not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, has ousted
a Scout, Gregory Lattera, 18, for publicly announcing he is gay.
The same council, the nation's third largest, voted May 28 to add
sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policy. |
| June 11, 2003 |
Toronto, Canada - An appeals court ruled
that Canada's ban on homosexual marriage was unconstitutional and
hours later Michael Leshner and Michael Stark wed Tuesday in a civil
ceremony observed by Leshner's 90-year-old mother and about 50 friends
in the country's first legal same-sex wedding. |
| June 7, 2003 |
Concord, NH - New Hampshire Episcopalians
elected first openly gay bishop, the Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson,
receiving 58 of 77 votes from members of the clergy and 96 of 165
votes from laypeople. A majority in each group is needed for election.
|
| May 1, 2003 |
Washington, DC - U.S Senators today compared
hate crimes to terrorist acts and called for laws that would expand
federal penalties for acts of violence against homosexuals. |
| January 10, 2003 |
Nashville, TN - Southern Baptist Convention
threatens moving 2005 annual meeting from hometown Nashville over
city's plan to add sexual orientation to classes protected from
job and housing discrimination. |
| January 8, 2003 |
Key West, FL - Key West City Commission
votes unanimously to amend local nondiscrimination law to include
transgender people. |
| |
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|
| |
| Bibliography: |
|
- Lavender Lists, Fletcher/Saks, Alyson Publications,
(1990) ISBN 1-55583-182-6
- Gay American History, Katz, Meridian / Penguin Books,
(1976) ISBN 0-45-01092-6
- The Gay Book of Lists, Rutledge, Alyson Publications,
(1987) ISBN 1-55583-120-6
- Hidden From History, Duberman / Vicinus / Chauncey,
Meridian / Penguin Books, (1989) ISBN 0-452-01067-5
- Alyson Almanac, Alyson Publications (1989) ISBN 1-55583-019-6
- The Gay Decades, Rutledge, Plume Books, (1992) ISBN
0-452-26810-9
- The Lesbian Almanac, National Museum and Archive of
Lesbian and Gay History, Berkley Books, (1996) ISBN 0-425-15301-0
- Lesbian Lists, Richards, Alyson Publications, (1990)
ISBN 1-55583-163-X
- The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Walker,
Harper and Row, (1983) ISBN 0-06-250926-8
- Wild Women: Crusaders, Curmudgeons and Completely
Corsetless Ladies in the Otherwise Virtuous Victorian Era,
Stephens, Autumn, Berkeley, CA: Conari Press, p.
193.
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Related Links:
ONE Institute
International Gay & Lesbian Archives
Gerber/Hart Library
The Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Library/Archives of Philadelphia
Women's
History: A Todd Library Research Guide
Diotima:
Women & Gender in the Ancient World
Richard's
Gay History, Culture, Writings
Gays,
Lesbians and Bisexuals in History
History/Herstory
GLAAD's
Lesbian & Gay History Month Test
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