Academy Award-winning movie Wings, which premiered May 19, 1927 in San Antonio, Texas, has one of the first on-screen same-sex kiss between two men. Charles 'Buddy' Rogers played Jack Powell, and Richard Arlen played David Armstrong, two fighter pilots in WWI. During David's death scene, Jack kisses David on the cheek before David passes away.
Although the two characters are not gay and spend the movie fighting over the same women, the scene is touching with the two men caressing and holding each other in their arms.
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.
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.
