Celebrating Pride Month: Gaysweek, first gay and lesbian weekly publication

 

In 1977, Alan Bell, a black gay publisher, began publishing Gaysweek, the first gay and lesbian newspaper in the US.  It started as an 8-page weekly tabloid, and when it ended in 1979 after 104 issues, it was a 24-page, two-color publication.  

At the time, it was one of only three gay weeklies in the world. 

A portion of the Gaysweek archives are kept at Cornell University Library, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. 

Alan Bell short

Celebrating Pride Month: Carl Nassib, first active NFL player to come out

Carl Nassib, April 12, 1993 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.  Nassib played football at Pennsylvania State University where he was voted All-American in 2015.  

He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 2016 NFL draft in the third round, as the 65th pick.  He was waived by the Browns in 2018. 

In September 2018, he was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played two seasons.  He signed a three-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2020. 

During the 2021 season opener, the Raiders defeated the Ravens on Monday Night Football and became the first openly gay player in the NFL.  He was released by the Raiders in March 2022.

He signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers and in September 2023, announced his retirement.

Celebrating Pride Month: Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, first out military service member

Leonard Matlovich, born July 6, 1943 in Savannah, Georgia, was the first service member to out himself to the military to fight their ban on gay people.  He enlisted at the age of 19, and served three tours of duty in Vietnam.  He was seriously wounded when he stepped on a landmine. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

He taught Air Force Race Relations to fight discrimination in the military after several racial incidents.  He came to realize that gays faced similar discrimination as African Americans.

On March 6, 1975, Matlovich hand-delivered a letter to his commanding officer at Langley AFB, officially professing to be gay.  He was discharged, despite his exemplary military record and tours of duty in Vietnam, he was ruled unfit for service.  He was given an Honorable discharge in October 1975.  

He sued for reinstatement and in September 1980, US District Court Judge Gerhard Gesell stated the Air Force had failed to provide an explanation why Matlovich did not meets its criteria for exception and ordered him to be reinstated.  Matlovich accepted a financial settlement instead, convinced that the military would find some other reason to discharge him.  

He continued to fight for gay rights until his death in 1988. His tombstone reads: 

"A Gay Vietnam Veteran. When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."

Celebrating Pride Month: Gina Ortiz Jones, first gay mayor of San Antonio

Gina Ortiz Jones won a runoff election on June 7, 2025 and became the first gay mayor of San Antonio.  She is also the first Asian-American female mayor of a major city in Texas, and the first female mayor in Texas to have served in a war.

Jones is a former Air Force officer, and Iraq War veteran, and served as Under Secretary of the Air Force during the Biden Administration.  She defeated a hatemonger Rolando Pablos, an anti-gay advocate.

Celebrating Pride Month: Harvey Milk, first openly gay man elected to public office

Harvey Milk, born May 22, 1930 in Woodmere, New York, graduated from New York State College for Teachers in Albany, majoring in mathematics.  He joined the US Navy as a diving officer during the Korean War. He left the Navy in 1955, accepting an "other than honorable" discharge rather than being court-martialed for being gay.

He moved to the Castro area of San Francisco, where many gay men who had been expelled from the military had congregated.  

Amid many scandals and trials, Milk was elected mayor of San Francisco November 8, 1977, winning over 16 other candidates.  His swearing-in made national headlines since he was the first non-incumbent openly gay man in the US to win an election for public office.  

He sponsored a bill that passed by a vote of 11-1 that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing, and employment.  Mayor George Moscone signed it into law.

On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, a disgruntled former city supervisor who cast the only vote against Milk's bill.

Celebrating Pride Month: Mona's 440 Club, first lesbian bar in US

Mona's opened on Union Street in San Francisco in 1934 to take advantage of the end of prohibition and the city's liberal attitude.  Mona and Jimmie Sargeant moved the bar in 1936 to Columbus Avenue in North Beach and promoted it as a bohemian hangout for writers and artists.

They hired singing waitresses and some of the waitresses dressed in male drag.  It was described as 'bohemian' in the San Francisco Chronicle's 'Cocktailing, Dancing, and Dining' guide, which at the time meant sexually unconventional.  It became the first openly lesbian club and geared toward the local gay community.  Mona's advertised itself as a place 'where girls can be boys'. 

As it grew in popularity, the owners moved the bar to 440 Broadway Street and renamed it Mona's 440 Club.  

In 1941, Babe Scott took control of the club and booked performers that kept the bar popular and popular.  

Ann Dee took over Mona's 440 Club in the mid 1950s and changed the name to Ann's 440 Club.  Although she still employed a lesbian waitstaff and lesbian clientele, its focus was on entertainment and not gay culture.

Celebrating Pride Month: Hot l Baltimore, first show to feature gay couple

Hot l Baltimore (a neon sign Hotel Baltimore with "e" burnt out) premiered January 24, 1975 on ABC.  It was produced by Norman Lear and became the first series to feature a gay couple in a recurring role.  It also included primary characters who were prostitutes, one of whom was an illegal immigrant.  

It starred Lee Bergere and Henry Calvert as a middled-aged gay couple.  James Cromwell was the desk clerk and Conchata Ferrell as a prostitute.  Charlotte Rae appeared as Mrs. Bellotti.

Unfortunately, the series never gained an audience and was canceled after just 13 episodes. 

Celebrating Pride Month: Frank Kameny, grandfather of the Queer Liberation Movement

Frank Kameny, born May 21, 1925 in New York City, was an early gay advocate and one of the most significant figures in the history of the American gay rights movement. He enlisted in the US Army in May 1943 and, after finishing basic training, sent to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study mechanical engineering. Kameny was withdrawn from the program to prepare for an invasion of France.  He was sent to the frontlines where he served as an infantry private.

After the war, he enrolled at Harvard University and graduated with a Master's degree in 1949 and a doctorate in 1956 in astronomy.  In August 1956, he was "detained" in San Francisco after being accused of "lewd and indecent acts".

A year later, Kameny was hired by the US Army Map Service, but when they heard of his arrest in San Francisco he was fired. He appealed his firing through the courts and even the US Supreme Court, but never won a case.  He devoted himself to activism.

Kameny's pushback against the government's policy on gay employees was the first of its kind, arguing that discrimination on the basis of sexuality is no different from discrimination based on race or religion.  

In 1961, he co-founded the Washington DC branch of the Mattachine Society. He campaigned to overturn DC sodomy laws in 1963, and was finally successful in 1993. He also worked to remove the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder from the American Psychiatric Association.

He represented and defended government employees who had their security revoked or suspended due to allegations of "perversion" or immoral acts". 

Kameny ran for US Congress in 1971 in DC's first election for a non-voting Congressional delegate, the first gay to run for Congress, but lost unfortunately.  After his defeat, he created the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Washington, DC, which still lobbies the government and pushes for equal rights.

Kameny passed away in October 2011.

Celebrating Pride Month: Les Mouches Fantastiques, first LGBT magazine in North America

 

Les Mouches fantastiques (The Fantastic Flies) was the first LGBT publication in North American history, being published between 1918-1920. It was an underground magazine based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It started from a writing circle established by Elsa Gidlow (poet) and Roswell George Mills as its primary contributors. It included poetry and non-fiction about gay and lesbian issues, such as identity, politics, and editorials.

Only five issues of Les Mouches fantastiques were ever published, but it had a wide distribution, receiving correspondence as far away as Havana, Cuba. It was discontinued when Gidlow and Mills moved to New York City in 1920.

Celebrating Pride Month: Jim Foster, early LGBT rights activist

James "Jim" Foster, born November 19, 1934, was an LGBT rights advocate in the early years of the gay rights movement.  He had been discharged from the US Army for being gay in 1959, and moved to San Francisco.  In 1974, he co-founded the Society for Individual Rights (SIR), which helped Dianne Feinstein be elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969.

In 1974, SIR was changed to the Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club, the first gay Democratic club in the US.  Foster helped Richard Hongisto win his run for sheriff in 1971 by delivering the gay votes. 

In 1972, the Toklas club delivered one-third of signatures needed to secure George McGovern on the California Democratic Ballot.  Foster and Madeline Davis (lesbian activist) were asked to speak at the 1972 Democratic National Convention, becoming the first LGBT people to address a national party convention.

In 1980, Foster was the coordinator for northern California for Ted Kennedy's presidential campaign, helping him win the 1980 California primary.

Jim Foster died from an AIDS-related illness in October 1990.

Celebrating Pride Month: "South", first gay television drama 1959

ITV Play of the Week was a British anthology series which ran from 1955-1974, airing about 500 hundred 90-minute episodes.  The thirteenth episode of the fifth season, South, is considered to be the first gay drama on television.  It is the story of a Polish Army lieutenant Jan Wicziewsky, played by Peter Wyngarde, exiled to the deep South prior to the Civil War.  He meets and falls in love with a tall, handsome, blond officer Eric MacClure, played by Graydon Gould.

Of course, reviews were mixed, with one reviewer describing it as "the agonies and ecstasies of a pervert".  However, others were more objective in their criticism.  The Stage reported that the "dialogue was so full of compassion, understanding and tenderness that his subject didn't seem distasteful". 

The episode was based on a play by Julien Green, who is gay.  The play was set to be performed in London in 1955, but the Lord Chamberlain banned it because of its gay themes, but he had mellowed out by 1959, and Gerald Savory adapted it for television.

Celebrating Pride Month: Neil Patrick Harris, first gay man to host the Academy Awards 2015

Although gay men have always been a part of Hollywood, they were still forced into the closet, made to marry women, and play 'butch' roles.  Same-sex relationships were usually poorly kept secrets, but still very few acknowledged being gay.  

So it was significant that Neil Patrick Harris, who celebrates his birthday today, became the first gay man to host the Academy Awards, when he hosted the 87th annual ceremony in 2015.

Harris has been in a committed relationship with David Burtka, a stage and screen actor, since 2004.  In 2010, their twins Gideon Scott and daughter Harper Grace were born via a surrogate.  They announced their engagement in October 2011, when same-sex marriages became legal. 

The Trevor Life Award, which honors an individual who, through his or her example, support, volunteerism and/or occupation, is an inspiration to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning youth" was presented to Harris in 2009.  The organization representing the award is the Trevor Project, which helps LGBT youth considering suicide or facing rejection from their families.

Celebrating Pride Month: Adam Graham, gay mayor, terrorized out of office

Adam Graham, the youngest and first gay mayor of The Village, Oklahoma, resigned after only two months in office because he become the target of threats that were getting more violent.  Graham, elected in May 2022, sent a letter to the city manager that he had been followed home from meetings, threatened while walking his dog, and his tires had been slashed.

He said it had been a "great privilege to break boundaries", but he no longer felt safe to serve as mayor.

Terrorism and hate win again.

Celebrating Pride Month: Jim Roth, first openly gay person to hold a statewide elected office in Oklahoma

Jim Roth, born December 24, 1968 in Prairie Village, Kansas near Kansas City, was elected as Oklahoma County Commissioner in 2002, and re-elected in 2006. He became the first ever openly gay person to hold a statewide elected office in Oklahoma.

He served as one of three members of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission from June 2007-January 2009.   He is now a professor of law at OCU's School of Law. 

Celebrating Pride Month: First Los Angeles Pride Parade 1970

The first gay pride parade in Los Angeles was held June 28, 1970, the day after the first pride parade was held in Chicago.  The parades were started to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots which occurred in New York City in 1969.

Celebrating Pride Month: Ahmad Zahra, first openly gay Muslim to be elected to office in US

Ahmad Zahra, born and raised in Syria, is the first openly gay Muslim to be elected to office in the United States.  He was a tight race to win a seat on the Fullerton City Council, representing District 5 November 2018.  He ran on a platform of eliminating child poverty.  Other issues were environmental preservation and revitalizing Fullerton's economy.

He lives with Miguel, his partner of 15 years (probably 17 now)

"Number 96", Aussie television drama, first to feature an openly gay regular character

Number 96, an Australian soap opera, was the first television series to feature an openly gay character as a regular.  The show ran from 1972 to 1977 and covered many controversial topics.  Actor Joe Hasham played Don Finlayson, a lawyer who had a partner Dudley Butterfield, played Chard Hayward.  It also featured the first transgender character portrayed by a transfender actress, Carlotta.  The show also featured an interracial romance.

Celebrating Pride Month: Alan G. Rogers, first openly gay casualty of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Major Alan Greg Rogers, born September 21, 1967, was the first known gay combat fatality of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He was an ordained pastor, an intelligence officer and an activist in the LGBT military community.  He was killed by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on January 27, 2008.

It was only after his death when it was revealed that he was and had worked to end the military's "Don't Ask. Don't Tell." policy.

Celebrating Pride Month: James Cooper, first openly gay OKC Councilman

James Cooper was sworn in April 2019 as Oklahoma City's first openly gay city councilman.  He had previously served on OKC's transportation board and campaigned to expand public transit.  Mayor David Holt welcomed Cooper who was 37 at the time as bringing in "new energy". 

Celebrating Pride Month: Jackie Biskupski, first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake City

Jackie Biskupski is the first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, a Democratic politician, and the second female mayor of the city.  She served from 2016-2020.  was a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 1999-2011.  She lives in Salt Lake City with her wife Betty Iverson and their sons, Archie and Jack.

She did not seek a second term, citing a "serious and complex family situation".