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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Where It all Began
Anything I write about the Stonewall Riots, which began 52 years ago today, will pale in comparison to what others have said. Let’s just say that the shot glass heard ’round the world changed millions of lives for the better.
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Before Stonewall
While Stonewall was the event that galvanized the LGBT rights movement, there were many organizations advocating for equality before the first brick was thrown. Two of the most famous are the Mattachine Society, founded in 1950 to support gay men,…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Marriage Equality at Last
Six years ago today, the Supreme Court ruled for marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges. Itโs hard to describe to straight people exactly how momentous this was. This passage is one of the most profound things I have ever read:…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Sickening
In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. Before that watershed decision, LGBTQ people were seen as sick people in need of a cure. Today, the medical community is often at the forefront of…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ The UpStairs Lounge Massacre
Today is the 48th anniversary of the UpStairs Lounge massacre. The UpStairs Lounge was a gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Someone set fire to the bar, and 32 people died from fire or asphyxiation. It is…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Go Back to Political Party City Where You Belong
When people say โboth political parties are essentially the same,โ I just want to cut a bitch. When it comes to LGBTQ people, there is an enormous rift between Democrats and Republicans. In 1980 โ yes, 41 years ago โ…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ 45 Years
The battle for marriage equality goes back to 1970. Richard Baker and James McConnell applied for a marriage license in Minnesota. They were denied, so they sued claiming that state law made no mention of gender as it pertained to…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Alphabet Soup
Someone once asked me, โWhatโs up with all those letters in LGBTQ+, and why are they in that order?โ The answer is actually quite cool, because it takes you through several decades of gay history. By the 1940s and 1950s,…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ A Toast to Gay Bars!
Bars and nightclubs have played an important role in LGBTQ history, and itโs no surprise that the Stonewall Riots started in a bar and not, say, a coffeehouse, store, or library. For many, many years, bars and nightclubs were pretty…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ We Apologize for the Break in our Regularly Scheduled Programming
I forgot to post something yesterday because the Complimentary Spouse were on vacation. Can you guess where we are? FYI, youโll be proud to note that Disney has gone all-in on LGBTQ Pride. Years ago, the company was quick to…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Terms of Endearment
The terminology for LGBTQ people can be a bit confusing. Thatโs because itโs always evolving. Here are some pointers from me. Gay: Use this as an adjective. โThe gay men looked fabulousโ is correct. โThe gays looked fabulousโ is not.…
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๐ณ๏ธโ๐ Sounds Fabulous!
One of the stereotypes about gay men has to do with their speaking voices. (Think David Sedaris, Paul Lynde, Quentin Crisp, Liberace, and a whole bunch of Disney animated villains.) Itโs often called the โgay lisp,โ but I think itโs…