#25. First Person To Come Out
In 1867, German lawyer and author Karl Heinrich Ulrichs became the first person in history to publicly come out as gay after publishing a few essays on human sexuality. He also became the first person to stand up for the repeal of homophobic laws at the Congress of German jurists.
Only 2 years after publishing his essays, Austrian writer Karl-Maria Kertbeny minted the term “sexual orientation”, which helped put the topic of sexual diversity in the spotlight. It’s because of this that Ulrich is considered a pioneer of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movements.
#24. First Homosexual Depiction In Film
Films with LGBT characters are commonplace nowadays, but this was far from true 2 or 3 decades ago. However, as crazy as it sounds, the first movie to include a gay scene was The Dickson Experimental Sound Film, released in 1897.
Sometimes referred to as The Gay Brothers, this 2-minute silent film featured two men dancing, in a time where that was extremely frowned upon. However, historians and film critics can’t seem to agree on whether the film really meant to portray a homosexual couple, or whether the director just chose two random assistants before shooting the scene and both happened to be men.
#23. First LGBTQ+ Rights Group
Nowadays, almost each of the world’s 194 countries has at least one LGBTQ+ organization, but back in the 19th century, the situation was contrastingly different. Given that being gay was illegal in all the world back then, it comes as a shock that the first gay group was formed as far back as 1897!
The person behind this was Magnus Hirschfeld, a German doctor who carried out studies on homosexuality and traveled the world to divulge his findings. He then turned to activism and founded the first organized group to advocate for LGBT rights, the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee.
#22. First Male-To-Female Transition
Born in 1891, Dora Richter was the first documented person to go through male-to-female gender reassignment surgery. He was born a man under the name Rudolph, but he never felt comfortable with his biologically assigned gender.
After being ostracized from her hometown and fired from her jobs, she was welcomed by Hirschfeld and began living and working at his research center. She chose to be castrated in 1922 and underwent vaginoplasty in 1931, thus becoming the first person in history to transition from male to female. This is the only recorded photograph that we know of.
#21. First Pro-Gay Movie
As we’ve said, historians haven’t agreed whether the male dancers on The Dickson Experimental Sound Film were meant to be gay or not. Bearing this in mind, Different from the Others is often regarded as the first authentically pro-gay film in history. It was starred by Conrad Veidt, who plays a violin teacher who falls in love with his male student.
Released in 1919, this silent film meant to be a critique of Germany’s homophobic laws. Not only does the plot involve a gay love story, but many scenes were shot in drag clubs, becoming the first feature-length film to depict gays and lesbians. There is only one copy of this film left and it is conserved at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
#20. First American Gay Rights Organization
While Magnus Hirschfeld founded the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee in Germany back in the late 19th century, it was not until 1924 that the first gay rights organization was finally launched in the U.S.
That year, writer and activist Henry Gerber founded the Society for Human Rights in Chicago, Illinois. Not only was it the first official homosexual organization, but it also released the first American homosexual publication, called Friendship and Freedom.
#19. First Gay Kiss On Screen
In 1928, the German war drama film Wings became the first movie to feature a same-sex kiss. In one of the ending scenes, a dying soldier lies in the arms of one of his mates, who kisses him just moments before he dies.
Even though Wings can hardly be defined as a gay film (since the characters weren’t gay and the kiss was rather a display of affection rather than a manifestation of sexual desire), we shouldn’t overlook the fact that it featured not only a gay kiss but also the first display of nudity onscreen.
#18. First Lesbian Bar
Ever wondered how queer people met each other in times when homosexuality was criminalized? Well, 1936 will always be remembered as the year when the world’s first gay club was founded. Can you guess in which city this happened?
Yeah, you’ve guessed it! The famous Mona’s 440 Club was the first lesbian bar in the world and it opened in San Francisco, California. It featured drag and cross-dressing female dancers, which was not so common back then. Ever heard of Gladys Bentley? She was a famous blues singer who took her first steps in the art world as a dancer at Mona’s 440 Club.
#17. First Openly Gay Hollywood Star
Hollywood may be a gay-friendly workplace today, but this was far from reality back in the early 20th century. Can you guess who was the first openly gay Hollywood star?
In 1932, word came out that the A-list star William Haines was gay and was living with another man. Even though he was one of the top box office stars of the moment, he was given an ultimatum: either to marry a woman or lose his contract with MGM. You know what they say, true love always wins, so even though the company fired him, he went on to live happily ever after with his boyfriend.
#16. First LGBTQ+ Magazine
1953 was a turning point in LGBTQ+ history, as this was the year when the first gay magazine was released. Established in the U.S., One, Inc. became the first gay organization to have its own office and to publish the first gay magazine for men.
The magazine kept on being published for nearly 16 years and it is now part of ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, which happens to be the world’s most important depository of LGBTQ+ material. If you ever visit LA, you can see these publications for yourself at the USC Libraries.
#15. First National Lesbian Rights Group
Ever heard of the Daughters of Bilitis? Founded by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon in 1955, it became the first lesbian rights group to reach a national scale in the U.S. (and in the world). The organization’s mission was to educate and empower other women and it has played a major role in the formation of dozens of researchers as well as mental health professionals.
But Daughters of Billitis was also meant to offer an area of socialization for lesbians in a time where homosexuality was still prohibited by law. In 1956, the organization released its own publication known as The Ladder, the first lesbian publication in the country.
#14. First Gay TV Drama
While the first gay film was released in 1919, it was not until the late 50s that a TV drama featured gay characters and a gay love story. Do you know which show we’re talking about and where it was aired?
The first gay TV movie was South. Released in the United Kingdom in 1959, it revolved around a gay soldier who was torn between his love towards a young beautiful woman and a sturdy army officer.
#13. First Televised Documentary On Homosexuality
In 1961, shortly after the release of South, San Francisco’s public media outlet KQED aired The Rejected the first documentary about homosexuality in history. Produced by John W. Reavis and directed by Richard Christian, the TV documentary was critically acclaimed.
The documentary film shed light on the way society treated gay men, thus putting the traditional sexist values at stake. The fact that they interviewed gay men and not only heterosexual “experts” was also a novelty.
#12. First Major Uprising Of The Gay Liberation Movement
All of you have heard of the Stonewall riots, haven’t you? These riots represented a turning point in LGBTQ+ history, as they constituted the first major uprising in the history of the Gay Liberation Movement worldwide. Here’s what happened.
Back in the 50s and 60s, very few bars and nightclubs welcomed gay people and NYC’s Stonewall Inn was one of the few exceptions. Such bars were usually subject to violent police raids, and this is what happened on the night of June 28, 1969. While they were being harassed by the local police, the people decided not to turn the other cheek but to fight back, triggering a massive riot that lasted for days.
#11. First Gay Couple To Apply For A Marriage License
As we all know, gay marriage has been legalized in some countries just recently. Therefore, when Michael McConnell and Jack Baker applied for a marriage license back in 1970 in Minnesota, the gay couple became a trending topic in the tabloids.
It’s needless to say that the application was revoked, but the two managed to find an unusual loophole in the state law. Michael adopted Jack and found a way to obtain a marriage license anyways, thus technically becoming the first legal gay marriage.
#10. First LGBTQ+ Pride March In The U.S.
Can you guess when the first LGBTQ+ pride march was held? On June 28, 1970, the Christopher Street Liberation Day was held in New York City in commemoration of the famous Stonewall Riots, which we’ve already talked about.
Thousands of people joined the celebration at Christopher Street, in what was later considered as the first LGBTQ+ Pride march in American history. The Pride March is held annually in the U.S. and most countries in the world, and an estimate of 4 million people were part of the 50th Pride parade in New York last year.
#9. First Openly Gay Person Elected To Public Office
You’ve probably heard of Harvey Milk and his tragic fate, right? If you haven’t watched the famous biopic starred Sean Penn, then please do! Although many people believe Milk was the first gay person elected to public office, this title is actually held by Kathy Kozachenko.
In 1974, 3 years before Milk was elected San Francisco City Supervisor, Kozachenko was elected member of Michigan’s Ann Arbor City Council. She ran for office on the ticket of the Human Rights Party, a local left-winged party from Michigan that existed during the early 70s.
#8. First Rainbow Flag
Did you know that the pink triangle used to be the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community before the rainbow flag was created? However, the pink triangle has a rather negative connotation, as it was used by the Nazis to mark homosexuals in concentration camps.
Therefore, the openly gay politician Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a more positive symbol for the community… and that’s how our beloved rainbow flag was born! The violet is meant to stand for spirit, indigo for harmony, blue for art, green for nature, orange for health and healing, red for life, and pink for sexuality.
#7. First Professional Gay Athlete To Come Out
Even though lots of progress has been made in terms of LGBTQ+ acceptance, the sports world has always been more hesitant regarding these changes. Therefore, when the famous NFL player Dave Kopay came out publicly, the world was shaken.
Kopay came out as gay in 1975, exactly two years after his retirement, becoming the first professional player to do so. While he had initially planned on pursuing a career as a coach, he chose to retire instead, raising the suspicion that he had actually been rejected by all the NFL clubs due to his sexual orientation.
#6. First Famous Gay TV Character
Year after year, more and more LGBTQ+ characters are included in the scripts of both TV shows and movies. However, back in the 70s, this wasn’t as common as you’d think. Can you guess who the first famous gay TV character was?
You’ve probably seen actor Billy Crystal playing a drag in the rom-com When Harry Met Sally, right? Well, years before Meg Ryan’s classic film was released, Crystal played Jodie Dallas in the 1977 TV show Soap. Jodie became the first recurring gay character in a mainstream TV show.
#5. First National LGBTQ+ Rights March
In 1979, the National March or Lesbian and Gay Rights was held in Washington DC, becoming the first nationwide LGBTQ+ rights mark in American history. It is estimated that from 100,000 to 125,000 people attended the demonstration.
This demonstration was an important step towards the unification of the gay rights movement, as most of the previous marches had been organized at a local scale. This was the first political rally of its kind and it received widespread media coverage.
#4. First Actress To Come Out During Prime Time
We all love Ellen DeGeneres, right? Not only is she one of the funniest TV hosts in American history, but also one of the bravest women out there. In 1997, she became the first star to come out during prime time.
In an episode of the famous sitcom Ellen, DeGeneres came out as a lesbian to Laura Dern’s character, by saying the words “Susan, I’m gay“. The episode had an audience of nearly 45 million and it lost the show a few important advertisers. 2 decades later, Ellen became the first lesbian to host the Oscars.
#3. First Lesbian Senator
In 1998, Democrat politician Tammy Baldwin left her mark in history after becoming not only the first woman to represent Wisconsin in the National Congress but the first openly lesbian woman ever to be elected to the Senate.
20 years later, Baldwin became the first LGBTQ+ person to be elected for a second term, winning her seat by a landslide victory. You go, girl!
#2. First Same-Sex Marriage In The U.S.
In the wake of the century, Vermont became the first state to legalize same-sex civil unions, but it was not until 2015 that same-sex marriage became legal nationwide. On June 26 that year, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in all 50 states, banning all state bans on that issue.
But even though gay marriage was legalized on a national scale in 2015, some states passed similar laws years before. Massachusetts was the first American state to allow same-sex marriages, and in 2004, Marcia Kadish and Tanya McCloskey became the first LGBTQ+ couple to get legally married.
#1. First Transgender Person Elected To A State Legislature
January 10, 2018, was a very significant date for the LGBTQ+ community, as it was the day when the Democrat candidate Danica Roem was elected to office. She became the first transgender person elected to a state legislature in U.S. history.
But not only this! Roem defeated a male Republican candidate who had already been elected 13 times for office. Beat that! Let’s just hope that more gay, lesbian, and trans people start making a name for themselves in both local and national politics!