Palmyre’s Belle Époque Lesbian Bar
By providing sexualized entertainment to tourists, the bar owners of Montmartre made visible and even celebrated the quarter’s queer culture.
The Battle over Drag in 1960s San Francisco
The organized struggle for rights has been shaped by debates over the relationship between gender presentation and sexuality.
Can Fan Hashtag Campaigns Stop the “Bury Your Gays” Trope?
Organized fan hashtag campaigns put pressure on the entertainment industry to improve their writing for and treatment of LGBTQ+ characters.
The Lesbian As Villain or Victim
In Oregon in the 1960s, the debate over capital punishment hinged on shifting interpretations of the gendered female body.
Harvey Milk’s Gay Freedom Day Speech: Annotated
Five months before his assassination in 1978, Harvey Milk called on the president of the United States to defend the rights of gay and lesbian Americans.
How Queer Jews Reclaimed Yiddish
Queer Yiddishkeit challenges the notion that Yiddish is inherently heteronormative or conservative.
The Long History of Same-Sex Marriage
Same-sex marriages, in all possible configurations and with all possible motivations, have taken place throughout the history of the United States.
How LGBTQ Groups Supported Striking Miners vs. Thatcher
During a national miners strike, LGBT activists became unexpected allies, united against the Thatcher government.
Queer YA: The Early Decades
While queer YA has exploded over the past decade, it began in the middle of the 20th century, with the first kiss in 1969.
Gay Bars and Gay Rights
One of the flash points in the LGBTQ+ movement was liquor licenses, which were the subject of important legal cases.