Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
10 historical photos that capture turning points of gay liberation in America
10 historical photos that capture turning points of gay liberation in America
Myron CaringalJul 13, 2024, 02:42 IST
<p class="ingestion featured-caption">The Gay Liberation Front march down Hollywood Boulevard carrying signs in a call to end homosexual discrimination during the 1970 Los Angeles Christopher Street West pride parade in Hollywood, California. Uncredited / AP Photo</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Through the years, LGBTQ+ people have been in the background of history. </li><li>There have been many turning points on the road to liberation, including trans athletes in sports.</li></ul><p>Queer people have long existed in the background of history. Still, LGBTQ+ activities have long been criminalized — often rooted in religion, science, or socio-political factors, leaving <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pride-meet-typical-gay-lesbian-trans-queer-bisexual-lgbtq-american-2024-6">queer individuals</a> largely estranged.</p><p>And while erasure is prevalent in marginalized communities, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lgbtq-figures-you-should-know-2020-5">LGBTQ+ people</a> in the US have experienced some important turning points in history.</p><p>These photos show landmark events in the fight for freedom of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gay-lesbian-asexual-what-are-all-the-sexualities">sexuality, identity</a>, and love.</p>
Advertisement
Despite their pivotal role in queer liberation, transgender people are often written out of LGBTQ+ history.
Christine Jorgensen was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgeryBill Meurer for New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images
While the inclusion of transgender people in sports has been a hot topic in recent years, the conversation dates back to 1976.
Renee Richards in action at the 1976 Tennis Week Open.Manny Millan for Sports Illustrated / Getty Images
Advertisement
One of the most famed moments of LGBTQ+ liberation was the Stonewall Riots.
Stonewall Inn nightclub raid. Crowd attempts to impede police arrests outside the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village.New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images
The first Pride marches were held in the '70s.
Gilbert Baker, who designed the most internationally known symbol for the gay culture, the rainbow coloured flag, 25 years ago, heads the 2003 Stockholm Pride Parade.Fredrik Persson for AFP / Getty Images
Advertisement
The 'unspoken' epidemic began in the '80s, killing many LGBTQ+ people.
AIDS activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) protest at the headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Catherine McGann / Getty Images
The AIDS Memorial Quilt honored the lives that were lost.
The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt is shown for the first time on the Mall in Washington DC.Lee Snider / Getty Images
Advertisement
LGBTQ+ people slowly started making their way into politics.
Kathy Kozachenko.Courtesy of the Human Rights Party (Ann Arbor, Mich.) records / Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.
Kozachenko's win is lesser known than Harvey Milk's.
Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.Bettmann / Getty Images
Advertisement
Fast forward to the 21st century, the LGBTQ+ community witnessed many wins.
Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case that legalized same sex marriage nationwide.Eric Gay / AP Photo