LGBTQ Experiences in US History

This image is from Family Equality Council’s annual fundraising gala in New York City. Initially called the Gay Fathers Coalition when founded in 1979, the now known Family Equality Council changed its name to include all types of families and started as a volunteer grassroots chapter-based organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ parents and their children. Each year at the Night at the Pier gala FEQ chooses people and organizations to honor for the work they have done for the LGBTQ+ community. This image is from last year’s event (May 2017) which I attended with my family. They honored ABC’s mini-series “When We Rise,” and a mental health counselor, Dr. David Baker-Hargrove, who was largely influential in responding to the Pulse shooting and is the co-founder of Two-Spirit Health Services in Florida. Among the honored guests were performances from Broadway cast members from Dear Evan Hansen, Miss Saigon, and Come From Away. In addition to the musical performances, Rosie O’Donnell (whom I met) and Edie Windsor attended the event as guest speakers. The gala also includes an auction which helps to raise money for the organization.

Information and image courtesy of FEQ website:  https://www.familyequality.org/get_involved/events/annual_events/night_at_the_pier/

#FamilyEqualityCouncil #FEC #NightattthePier #ChelseaPiersNYC #lgbtqexperiencesusa

-MF

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SYLVIA RIVERA (1951-2002)

Y’ALL BETTER QUIET DOWN

She was a trans activist and a fighter for Gay Liberation. History has long tried to forget her name but REMEMBER HER NAME for Trans Day of Visibility and onwards. She was there for Stonewall during the riots. She founded S.T.A.R. with Marsha P. Johnson. She dedicated her life to activism and lived in poverty. Gay white men left her and other trans activists behind in the name of gay liberation, but the strides made should be devoted to the trans community. We cannot rest until trans rights are fully recognized and the violence enacted against our trans family members cease. “I will not put up with this shit. I have been beaten. I have had my nose broken. I have been thrown in jail. I have lost my job. I have lost my apartment for gay liberation and you all treat me this way? What the fuck’s wrong with you all? Think about that!” #lgbtqexperiencesusa#transgender #trans #transdayofvisibility#activism #sylviarivera #transwoman#gayliberation #STAR #gay #lgbt

I chose to focus my infographic on the LGBTQ+ individuals within the prison system.

I chose to focus on people who are UndocuQueer and their struggles with health care and workforce discrimination.

In recent years, numerous commentators have claimed that being transgender is a “fad” or a “trend.” Others say that it is a recent phenomenon, despite centuries of evidence to the contrary. And still others conflate documented cases of women cross-dressing in order to access opportunities the patriarchy denied them with trans men just trying to be themselves.

Dr. Alan L. Hart was a pioneer in the field of tuberculosis research and treatment, an author, and a transgender man. He was born in 1890, and medically transitioned in the late 1910’s, before the advent of any cohesive transgender rights movement or culture like anything we see today. Transgender people have always existed, whether they’ve received their dues in the annals of history or not.

#LGBTQexperiencesUSA #transhistory #medicalhistory

This week I decided to focus on the film “Prayers for Bobby” that is based on the book of the same name written by Leroy F. Aarons. The film is based on a true story about Bobby Griffith, a gay man that killed himself in 1983 because of his own mother’s homophobia. The story follows how Bobby’s mother starts to question her beliefs after Bobby commits suicide and ultimately delivers a speech that ends with “before you echo amen in your home and place of worship, think, think and remember a child is listening” as a reminder that bigotry and hate towards people can have dire consequences.
#LGBTQExperiencesUSA #LGBTQExperiencesWithFaith #LGBTQandReligion

Gay bath houses were places that men could meet and hookup, in an environment that permitted such activity. That is not to say that bath houses were safe from police raids, because such instances were known to occur. Bath houses were also places that STD transmission was common, due to frequent unprotected sex. This particular ad from The Empty Closet advertises a bath house in Rochester that offers different amenities, including a sauna, private rooms, and refreshments and movies. I chose this image because I thought it was interesting how the bath houses were alternative meeting spots for gay men, as opposed to just bars.

#LGBTQexperiencesUSA #Bathhouse #Gay #STDS #Hookup

Source: The Empty Closet, January 1976

-ML