Gay Rights

Gladys Bentley’s powerful voice, fiery energy on the piano and bold lyrics made her a star of New York City nightclubs.

The Great Blues Singer Gladys Bentley Broke All the Rules

For the Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast, host Haleema Shah tells the story of an unapologetically gay African-American performer in 1920s and 30s

For Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Ángeles, their dual mission of being a respected musical group and advocating for social equality for the LGBTQ community has won the hearts and minds of many.

How the First LGBTQ Mariachi Became an Outlet for Advocacy

LA musicians Carlos Samaniego and Natalia Melendez do traditional Mexican music their way

LGBTQ students are five times more likely than straight peers to miss school because they feel unsafe.

How a Little Yellow Bus Came to the Rescue of a Persecuted Schoolboy

LGBTQ activist and journalist Bil Browning reminisces about the importance of a simple toy

Gay rights activists march in San Francisco in 1978,

How Gay Activists Challenged the Politics of Civility

From pie-throwing to shouting down public figures, these groups disturbed the establishment to effect change

The new series "A Very English Scandal" stars Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe, a British politician embroiled in a murder scandal.

The True Story of 'A Very English Scandal' and the Trials of a Closeted Gay Politician

The new series about 1970s British MP Jeremy Thorpe traces his rise to power, then dramatic fall, complete with charges of a conspiracy to murder

The King and Queen of Hearts wave from their parade float to crowds gathered for D.C. Capital Pride 2014. The next year, the Academy of Washington waved farewell after 54 years of service to the D.C. community.

These Newly Donated Artifacts Capture the Spirit of Washington, D.C. Drag

Mementos from the Academy of Washington drag organization add a valuable thread to the tapestry of American LGBTQ history

Figure skater Adam Rippon will be one of two openly gay Americans competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics, a first for the U.S.

A Brief History of Openly Gay Olympians

Americans Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the latest LGBTQ athletes to go for the gold

Members of parliament react to the passage of the Marriage Amendment Bill, from left to right, Cathy McGowan, Adam Brandt and Andrew Wilkie.

Australia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in Jubilant Vote

The first same-sex weddings will be able to take place as early as January 9

Five Things You Didn't Know About the Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts will begin admitting girls next year, just one of many changes the organization has undergone over the years

Mercury wrote or cowrote a number of Queen's biggest hits.

Freddie Mercury, Musical Genius and Stamp Collector

The singer-songwriter's childhood stamp album offers an insight to his character

The new monument designed by Anthony Goicolea will honor the LGBT community and victims of the Orlando massacre.

NYC Unveils Design for New Monument to the LGBT Community

The monument will be built in the Hudson River Park, a historic LGBT site

Chas. Kendrick made this caricature of Oscar Wilde and sunflower.

LGBTQ History Comes Out of the Shadows in New U.K. Exhibition

<i>Gay UK</i> tells the stories of people once subject to oppressive anti-gay laws

Ona Louise has a tale to tell.

Drag Queens Are Public Libraries’ Newest Storytellers

Early reading just got a lot more glamorous

From the outside, the James Beard House is easy to miss. But as they say, it's what's inside that counts.

This Unassuming NYC Home is the Legacy of America's First Foodie

James Beard’s culinary philosophy helped shape American cuisine

Sylvia Townsend Warner, the author whose first book was chosen as the first Book of the Month selection in 1926, was openly involved in relationships with both men and women, a fact that scandalized readers.

Don't Judge the Book-of-the-Month Club By Its Cover

Although today you might associate its name with staid offerings, the club’s first book was by an openly queer author

The replica club will be open through the end of the month.

This Short-Lived 1930s Speakeasy Was a Sanctuary for Gay Londoners

And now you can visit a recreation

Senators Kenneth Wherry (pictured at left) and J. Lister Hill conducted the first congressional investigation into homosexuality in the federal workforce.

State Department Apologizes for the 'Lavender Scare'

For decades, the agency purged gay and lesbian workers believing their sexual orientation made them security risks

Memorials cropped up outside of Orlando's Pulse Nightclub after the gay club turned into the site of America's largest mass shooting.

Orlando Will Buy Pulse Nightclub and Create a Permanent Memorial

The city announced plans to take over the now-vacant nightclub where 49 guest were gunned down

Scientists are using genetic sequencing to reconstruct how AIDS hit the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.

Genetic Sleuthing Clears 'Patient Zero' of Blame for U.S. AIDS Epidemic

Scientists debunk the myth of the man once thought to have brought the virus to the states

Christopher Isherwood and poet W.H. Auden (right) were romantic partners, but their sexual relationship in the 1930s was punishable by criminal prosecution in England.

New U.K. Law That Would Pardon Gay Men Once Convicted of Sex Crimes Fails in Parliament

The private member's bill will not go ahead

Page 3 of 4