Timeline of African and diasporic LGBT history

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a timeline of notable events in the history of non-heterosexual conforming people of African ancestry, who may identify as LGBTIQGNC (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, third gender, gender nonconforming), men who have sex with men, or related culturally specific identities. This timeline includes events both in Africa, the Americas and Europe and in the global African diaspora, as the histories are very deeply linked.

1700s[]

1800s[]

1830[]

1880s[]

  • The Kabaka of Buganda, Mwanga II, assumes the throne of his country at age 16. He sets about to drive out Christianity, Islam and European influence from the kingdom, and executes several of his Christian-converted male pages who refuse his sexual advances.[1]

1920s[]

1924[]

  • December 24 – The Society for Human Rights, an advocacy organization for gay men, is chartered in Chicago; an African American clergyman named John T. Graves serves as the first and only president of the organization, and the organization publishes Friendship and Freedom, the first gay-interest publication in the United States. The Society collapses by the following summer.

1960s[]

1960[]

1962[]

1963[]

  • At the behest of Asa Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin co-organizes the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, despite Senator Strom Thurmond railing against him as a "Communist, draft-dodger, and homosexual" and having his entire Pasadena arrest file entered in the record.[3] Despite his preference for behind-the-scenes work, Rustin becomes famous for his work. On September 6, 1963, a photograph of Rustin and Randolph appeared on the cover of Life magazine, identifying them as "the leaders" of the March.[4]

1969[]

  • Black and Latino queer people are among the majority of patrons at the Stonewall Inn who riot against a police raid, resulting in the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement in the United States.

1970s[]

1970[]

1972[]

  • Johnson and Rivera establish the S.T.A.R. house, the first shelter for gay and trans street kids, and paid the rent for it with money they made themselves as sex workers.[6]

1974[]

1976[]

  • Glenn Burke becomes the first (and only) openly gay Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coming out as gay to teammates and team owners during his professional career and later acknowledging it in public.[10][11]

1978[]

  • Sylvester releases his well-received disco album Step II.

1979[]

1980s[]

1980[]

1983[]

  • In 1983, after a battle over LGB participation in the 20th anniversary March on Washington, a group of African American leaders endorsed a national gay rights bill and put Audre Lorde from the National Coalition of Black Gays as speaker on the agenda.

1984[]

1987[]

  • The Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum was founded in 1987 in Los Angeles by Phill Wilson and Ruth Waters.

1988[]

  • 4 March – South Africa passes the Immorality Amendment Act, 1988 imposes an age of consent of 19 for lesbian sex, which had previously been unregulated by the law. This was higher than the age of 16 applying to heterosexual sex.

1990s[]

1990[]

  • 13 October – The first pride parade in South Africa was held in Johannesburg.[13]
  • Sherry Harris was elected to the City Council in Seattle, Washington, making her the first openly lesbian African-American elected official.[14]
  • (GALZ) is founded.

1991[]

  • November 7 – NBA player Magic Johnson, who is straight, holds a press conference to reveal that he is HIV-positive and retiring from the NBA. His announcement and subsequent activism helps to dispel public perceptions of HIV/AIDS as a "gay" or "drug addict" disease.

1993[]

1994[]

  • Anti-discrimination legislation: South Africa (sexual orientation, interim constitution)
  • Bermuda decriminalizes homosexuality.
  • National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality is founded in South Africa.
  • Deborah Batts became the first Black, openly lesbian federal judge in U.S. history, nominated by President Bill Clinton and later confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

1995[]

  • The Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum organizes an historic Black gay contingent in the Million Man March.

1996[]

  • Burkina Faso equalizes age of consent.

1997[]

  • Sexual orientation-inclusive Anti-discrimination is added to the constitution of South Africa.

1998[]

1999[]

  • 12 February – In the case of National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v Minister of Home Affairs, three judges of the Cape Provincial Division of the High Court rule that it is unconstitutional for the government to provide immigration benefits to the foreign spouses of South Africans but not to the foreign same-sex partners of South Africans. The declaration of invalidity is suspended for one year to allow Parliament to correct the law.
  • May – Black AIDS Institute is founded by Phill Wilson.
  • 2 December – The Constitutional Court unanimously confirms the judgment of the High Court in the second National Coalition case, but removes the suspension of the order and instead "reads in" words to the law to immediately extend immigration benefits to same-sex partners.

2000s[]

2000[]

  • South Africa passes PEPUDA, which prohibits discrimination, hate speech and harassment on numerous bases, including sexual orientation.

2001[]

  • 25 September – In the case of Satchwell v President of the Republic of South Africa, a judge of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the High Court rules that financial benefits provided to the spouses of judges must also be provided to the same-sex life partners of judges.
  • 28 September – In the case of Du Toit v Minister of Welfare and Population Development, a judge of the Transvaal Provincial Division rules that same-sex partners must be allowed to jointly adopt children and to adopt each other's children, a right which was previously limited to married spouses.

2003[]

2004[]

  • In an interview on New Dawn with Funmi, LGBT activist Bisi Alimi discloses his homosexuality, becoming the first person to voluntarily out themselves on Nigerian television.
  • Gordon Fox comes out as first openly gay African-American member of a state legislature, as well as the first openly gay member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
  • NBJC is extended an invitation by NAACP Chairman Julian Bond to attend the 2004 NAACP National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Sexual Minorities Uganda, an umbrella advocacy organization for LGBT Ugandans, is founded.
  • Cape Verde amends their penal code and became the second African country to legalize same-sex sexual acts. At the time of decriminalization, the legal age of consent was 16 years old, the same age for consensual heterosexual acts.[21]

2005[]

  • 11 March – The Chief Justice instructs that the Equality Project case will be heard by the Constitutional Court simultaneously with the Fourie case.
  • October 27 – WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes comes out as lesbian.
  • 1 December – The Constitutional Court delivers its judgment in the Fourie and Equality Project cases (now known as Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie). The court rules that the common-law definition of marriage and the Marriage Act are unconstitutional because they do not allow same-sex couples to marry. The court suspends its order for one year to allow Parliament to rectify the discrimination.

2006[]

  • January 1 – Texas transgender activist Monica Roberts launches her blog TransGriot, which focuses on transgender women of color.

2008[]

  • California Proposition 8 passes a ban on same-sex marriages. The fallout from the ban includes criticism of African-American voters for voting for the ban.
  • Discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace is banned in Cape Verde by articles 45(2) and 406(3) of the Labour Code.

2009[]

2010s[]

2010[]

  • February 11 – Gordon Fox is elected as the first openly gay African-American man to hold the speakership of a U.S. state legislature.[26]
  • NBJC holds first "Out On The Hill" (OOTH) Conference.
  • 2 November – A lawsuit by four Ugandan activists, including David Kato, Kasha Nabagesera, Nabirye Mariam and Pepe Julian Onziema, against the Ugandan tabloid newspaper Rolling Stone is granted by the High Court to force the paper to cease distribution of an article inciting violence against them and many others.

2011[]

  • A resolution submitted by South Africa requesting a study on discrimination and sexual orientation (A/HRC/17/L.9/Rev.1) passed, 23 to 19 with 3 abstentions, in the UN Human Rights Council on 17 June 2011.[27] This is the first time that any United Nations body approved a resolution affirming the rights of LGBT people.[28]
  • Rashad Taylor comes out as the first openly gay male to serve in the Georgia General Assembly and the second openly gay African American male state legislator in the United States.
  • Marcus Brandon becomes first gay African-American male state legislator to be elected to office (North Carolina General Assembly).[29]
  • The Bahamas decriminalizes homosexuality.
  • June 5 – Minneapolis woman CeCe McDonald is arrested for the stabbing death of a man in purported self-defense after McDonald and her friends were assaulted outside a bar. Her case becomes a cause celebre for LGBT and African American civil rights activists.
  • September 20 – President Barack Obama signs repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

2012[]

  • Barack Obama, the first U.S. president of African descent, becomes the first sitting president to endorse same-sex marriage as a civil right.[30]
  • The NAACP passed a resolution in support of same-sex marriage.[31]
  • In June 2012, Diana King becomes first Jamaican reggae singer to come out as a lesbian.[32][33]
  • Kylar Broadus, a board member of the National Black Justice Coalition and founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC), becomes the first openly transgender person to testify before the U.S. Senate. He testifies in support of Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
  • Frank Ocean comes out as bisexual.
  • Lesotho decriminalizes male homosexuality; female homosexuality is already legal.

2013[]

  • Jason Collins on 29 April 2013, became the first active male professional athlete in a major North American team sport to publicly come out as gay.
  • Fallon Fox came out as transgender, thus becoming the first openly transgender athlete in mixed martial arts history.[34]
  • Darren Young (real name: Fred Rosser) became the first active professional wrestler to come out as gay.[35]
  • The Directors Guild Of America elected Paris Barclay as its first black and first openly gay president.[36]
  • Brittney Griner, WNBA Draft Pick, comes out as lesbian.
  • NBJC Executive Director & CEO, speaks at 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March On Washington.
  • Bayard Rustin posthumously receives Presidential Medal of Freedom.
  • Robin Roberts, ABC's Good Morning America news anchor, comes out as lesbian.

2014[]

  • February 9 – NFL prospect Michael Sam, defensive lineman for the University of Missouri and the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, comes out as gay.
  • 24 February – The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 is signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni. The law is immediately appealed to the Constitutional Court.
  • 29 April – The National Intervention Strategy for the LGBTI Sector of South Africa developed by the NTT is launched by then Minister of Justice Jeff Radebe.[37][38][39]
  • 25 May – Lynne Brown becomes the first openly gay person to be appointed to a cabinet post in any African government.[40][41]
  • Zakhele Mbhele became the first openly gay person to serve in South Africa's parliament, which also makes him the first openly gay black member of parliament in any African nation.[42]
  • Tona Brown became the first African-American openly transgender woman to perform at Carnegie Hall.[43]
  • May – Michael Sam is drafted to the St. Louis Rams, becoming the first openly gay player to be drafted.
  • June 17 – Darrin P. Gayles becomes the first openly gay African-American man to be confirmed as a United States federal judge.[44]
  • July 13 – Laverne Cox becomes the first transgender actress to be nominated for an Emmy Award, for her role in Orange Is the New Black.
  • 1 August – The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 is annulled by the Constitutional Court of Uganda on procedural grounds.[45][46][47]
  • Laverne Cox becomes the first transgender person to cover TIME magazine.
  • Janet Mock's memoir Redefining Realness is published, reaching the New York Times Best Sellers List, ranking #19 for Hardcover Nonfiction.
  • Derrick Gordon, shooting guard for the University of Massachusetts, becomes the first openly gay men's basketball player in NCAA Division I history.

2015[]

2016[]

  • March – the Gaborone City Council unanimously approves a motion calling for the repeal of Botswana's criminalisation of same-sex sexual acts.[52]
  • November – Barbados Pride is held for the first time in Bridgetown[53][54]

2017[]

  • Moonlight, a drama film directed by Barry Jenkins, becomes the first film with an all-black cast and first LGBT-centered film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
  • In August 2017, the first West Africa LGBT-Inclusive religious gathering occurred. Over 30 participants indigenous to ten West African countries, including Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Togo participated in an interfaith diversity event hosted by Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa with the theme of "Building Bridges, Sharing Stories, Creating Hope"[55]
  • September – the rules that the refusal of the Registrar of National Registration to change a transgender man's gender marker was "unreasonable and violated his constitutional rights to dignity, privacy, freedom of expression, equal protection of the law, freedom from discrimination and freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment".[56][57]
  • December – Tshepo Ricki Kgositau, 30, wins Botswana court case to legally recognise her gender change as a trans woman and receive a new identity card marking her as female before 2018.[58]

2018[]

  • 18 January – A court case is filed by the of Kenya to challenge the constitutionality of Kenya's sodomy law as contained in sections 162, 163 and 165 of the Penal Code.
  • 21 September – The High Court of Kenya rules that the film Rafiki be allowed to screen in Kenyan theaters for one week in order to be eligible as Kenya's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, temporarily lifting the ban imposed on it by the Kenya Film Classification Board for same-sex content. This results in Rafiki becoming one of the highest-grossing films ever screened in Kenyan theaters.

2019[]

  • 23 January – Decriminalisation of homosexuality: Angola[59]
  • 11 June – Decriminalisation of homosexuality: Botswana[60]
  • Nigeria’s first lesbian-focused documentary film premiered; it is called Under the Rainbow, and largely focuses on the life of Pamela Adie, an out Nigerian lesbian.[61]

References[]

  1. ^ "Long-Distance Trade and Foreign Contact". Uganda. Library of Congress Country Studies. December 1990. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  2. ^ Lewis 1978, p. 131.
  3. ^ Hendrix, Steve (August 21, 2011). "Bayard Rustin, organizer of the March on Washington, was crucial to the movement". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  4. ^ Life Magazine Archived November 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, 6 September 1963.
  5. ^ Giffney, Noreen (December 28, 2012). Queering the Non/Human. p. 252. ISBN 9781409491408. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  6. ^ "Rapping With a Street Transvestite Revolutionary" in Out of the closets : voices of gay liberation. Douglas, c1972
  7. ^ The full text of the Combahee River Collective Statement is available here.
  8. ^ Hawkesworth, M. E.; Maurice Kogan. Encyclopedia of Government and Politics, 2nd edn Routledge, 2004, ISBN 0-415-27623-3, p. 577.
  9. ^ Sigerman, Harriet. The Columbia Documentary History of American Women Since 1941, Columbia University Press, 2003, ISBN 0-231-11698-5, p. 316.
  10. ^ "Glenn Burke, 42, A Major League Baseball Player". New York Times. June 2, 1995. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  11. ^ Barra, Allen (May 12, 2013). "Actually, Jason Collins Isn't the First Openly Gay Man in a Major Pro Sport". The Atlantic.
  12. ^ Dynes, Wayne R. (22 March 2016). Encyclopedia of Homosexuality. Routledge. ISBN 9781317368151 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ de Waal, Shaun; Manion, Anthony, eds. (2006). Pride: Protest and Celebration. Jacana Media. ISBN 9781770092617. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  14. ^ Bonnie Zimmerman. Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1.
  15. ^ Smith, Nadine (23 May 2012). "NAACP's Long History on LGBT Equality".
  16. ^ Eaklor, Vicki L. (2008). Queer America: A GLBT History of the 20th Century. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-313-33749-9. Retrieved 2010-10-20. The nineties also saw the first openly transgender person in a state office, Althea Garrison, elected in 1992 but serving only one term in Massachusetts' House.
  17. ^ Haider-Markel, Donald P. (2010). Out and Running: Gay and Lesbian Candidates, Elections, and Policy Representation. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-58901-699-6. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  18. ^ Reilly, Adam (2005-09-23). "The compulsive candidate: What makes Althea Garrison run?". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  19. ^ Schweitzer, Sarah (2001-09-21). "Garrison Undeterred by Long Odds". The Boston Globe. p. B1. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  20. ^ "Previous conferences". Retrieved 22 February 2016.
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  23. ^ "SF Pride at 40 - Oakland Local". 6 July 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013.
  24. ^ Adrienne Williams, 19 October 2009. Interview with Amy Andre: New Bisexual Executive Director of SF Pride, BiSocial Network.
  25. ^ Bagby, Dyana (March 17, 2010). "Georgia lesbian lawmaker brings power to the people from within the Gold Dome". The Georgia Voice. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  26. ^ "Gordon Fox elected first openly gay RI House speaker". Boston Herald. Associated Press. February 11, 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
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  28. ^ Jordans, Frank (2011-05-17). "UN group backs gay rights for the 1st time ever". Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  29. ^ "Marcus Brandon elected to House District 60, becomes second openly gay member in N.C. General Assembly history". The American Independent. November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  30. ^ Wallsten, Peter; Wilson, Scott (9 May 2012). "Obama endorses gay marriage, says same-sex couples should have right to wed" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  31. ^ Castellanos, Dalina (19 May 2012). "NAACP endorses same-sex marriage, says it's a civil right" – via LA Times.
  32. ^ Jarchow, Boo (29 June 2012). "Jamaican Singer Diana King Comes Out". SheWired. Here Media. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
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  34. ^ Hunt, Loretta (7 March 2013). "How Fallon Fox became the first known transgender athlete in MMA". SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. Time Inc. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
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  36. ^ Matthew, Jacobs (26 June 2013). "DGA Elects First Black, Openly Gay President". Huffington Post.
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  38. ^ "Radebe launches LGBTI violence programme". IOL. SAPA. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  39. ^ Diale, Lerato (30 April 2014). "Plan to combat gender violence". The New Age. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  40. ^ Smith, David (26 May 2014). "South Africa appoints first lesbian to cabinet". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  41. ^ Thelwell, Emma (6 June 2014). "SA's first gay minister: why it matters". News24. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  42. ^ Thom Senzee (2014-05-31). "South Africa Gets Its First Openly Gay Parliamentarian". Advocate.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
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  44. ^ Weaver, Jay (June 17, 2014). "Miami's Gayles confirmed as first openly gay black male judge on federal bench". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
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  47. ^ "Uganda constitutional court annuls new anti-gay law". Times LIVE. AFP. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  48. ^ Bruce Wright (2 June 2015). "Mozambique To Decriminalize Homosexuality June 29: Southeast African Nation Is Latest Country In Africa To Legalize Being Gay". International Business Times.
  49. ^ "Tracey Africa and Geena Rocero Cover Harper's Bazaar". Nymag.com. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  50. ^ "STATEMENT ON DECISION OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS TO GRANT OBSERVER STATUS TO THE COALITION OF AFRICAN LESBIANS [CAL]". Coalition of African Lesbians. April 26, 2015.
  51. ^ "Jamaica's first LGBT Pride celebrations signal turning tides". Antillean.org. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
  52. ^ "City of Gaborone calls for an end to gay ban in Botswana". MambaOnline. 1 April 2016.
  53. ^ LGBTIs: Treat us as equals, John Sealy, NationNews
  54. ^ Barbados Pride combats nation's anti-LGBT hatred, Alexa D. V. Hoffmann, 76crimes.com
  55. ^ "First West Africa LGBT-inclusive religious gathering takes place". 6 September 2017.
  56. ^ "Botswana: Activists Celebrate Botswana's Transgender Court Victory". AllAfrica. October 4, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  57. ^ "Press Release: Botswana High Court Rules in Landmark Gender Identity Case". Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  58. ^ Darin, Graham (18 December 2017). "Botswana to recognise a transgender woman's identity for first time after historic High Court ruling". The Independent. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  59. ^ "Angola Decriminalizes Same-Sex Conduct | Human Rights Watch". Hrw.org. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  60. ^ Powys Maurice, Emma (11 June 2019). "Botswana LGBT activists present arguments to decriminalise gay sex". Pink News. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  61. ^ "Nigeria's first lesbian documentary film is finally here – Rights Africa – Equal Rights, One Voice!". Rightsafrica.com. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
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