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LGBTQ+ History ‑ Stories

LGBTQ+ history includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Key moments in LGBTQ+ history include the trial of Oscar Wilde, the Stonewall Riots, the assassination of Harvey Milk and marriage equality.

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 1992: L-R: Drag queen RuPaul pose for a portrait in November 1992 in Times Square in New York City, New York. (Photo by Catherine McGann/Getty Images).

9 Drag Queens Who Made History

There is a long history of performers using clothing, makeup and hairstyles to express gender. These were among the first to make waves.

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Zdeněk Koubek

The 1930s Athlete Who Broke the Gender Barrier

Czech track star Zdeněk Koubek had already set a world record when he announced in 1935 that he was going to be living as a man.

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Le Chevalier d'Éon

The French Diplomat Who Lived as Both a Man and a Woman

The Chevalier d’Éon (1728‑1810) served as a French soldier, diplomat and spy—while living both as ‘Charles’ and ‘Charlotte.’

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6 Key Figures of the Harlem Renaissance’s Queer Scene

Harlem in the 1920s and ’30s offered the Black creative class a sense of pride and possibility. It also had cross‑dressing blues singers, extravagant drag balls and literary and artistic salons.

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Christine Jorgensen

7 Early Pioneers of the Gay Rights Movement

Before the Stonewall Riots, these individuals helped set the stage for advances in the LGBTQ civil rights movement.

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AIDS activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) protest at the headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration on October 11, 1988 in Rockville, Maryland.

How AIDS Activists Fought for Patients’ Rights

ACT UP pressured the government, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies for more patient‑centered care during the worst years of the AIDS epidemic.

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Exterior of Supreme Court of the United States on First Street in Washington, D.C., with statue by James Earle Fraser titled Authority of Law.

8 Landmark Supreme Court Cases That Were Overturned

U.S. Supreme Court justices have generally deferred to precedent, but there have been notable exceptions.

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Protestors in the "Flower Power" protest camp out at the police department following a raid at the gay bar The Patch

7 LGBTQ Uprisings Before Stonewall

The 1969 Stonewall Riots marked a historic turning point for gay rights, but several smaller uprisings preceded Stonewall as LGBTQ communities pushed back against harassment and inequality.

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Jim Obergefell was married to his husband John Arthur on a medical jet in Maryland shortly before Arthur died of ALS. Obergefell holds his wedding band that has been fused together with Arthur's ashes and wedding ring. (Credit: Maddie McGarvey/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

5 Historic Supreme Court Rulings Based on the 14th Amendment

The 14th Amendment’s guarantee to “due process” provided a basis for these five Supreme Court rulings that have impacted Americans’ lives.

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Why the First Gay Olympics Was a Watershed Moment in Sports

The organizers of the San Francisco event faced major challenges, including a lawsuit by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

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From left, vogue dancers Cesar Valentino (white shirt), Derrick Xtravaganza Huggins, and Fidel perform at the Copacabana nightclub, New York, New York, May 25, 1989. (Photo by Rita Barros/Getty Images)

How 19th‑Century Drag Balls Evolved into House Balls, Birthplace of Voguing

Harlem drag balls thrived during the post‑Civil War era, creating a space where trans and queer people of color later broke out to develop House Ballroom.

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The Queer Victorian Doctors Who Paved the Way for Women in Medicine

In an era when women were discouraged from entering the work force, these women forged ahead in a profession normally exclusive to men.

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