July 9 - Kansas
Shawnee county (Topeka) commissioners unanimously approve a measure that prohibits discrimination against county employees based on sexual orientation. Shawnee County joins Lawrence as the second jurisdiction in Kansas prohibiting this type of discrimination.
January 1 - Michigan
“OutCenter” The mission of the Out Center is to provide support and advocacy for respect, understanding and nondiscrimination for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied persons and their families in Southwestern Michigan.
July 23 - Indiana
Nireah Johnson and Brandie Coleman were shot to death by Paul Moore, when Moore learned after a sexual encounter that Johnson was transgender. Moore then burned his victims' bodies. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 120 years in prison.
November 18 - Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that barring gays and lesbians from marrying violates the state constitution. The Massachusetts Chief Justice concluded that to “deny the protections, benefits, and obligations conferred by civil marriage” to gay couples was unconstitutional because it denied “the dignity and equality of all individuals” and made them “second-class citizens.” Strong opposition followed the ruling.
September 19 - National
“Thirteen”. A thirteen-year-old girl's relationship with her mother is put to the test as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime in the company of her cool but troubled best friend.
August 10 - National
“200 American”. A young hustler from Australia finds more than the same old tricks in America. When Conrad (handsome newcomer Matt Walton) hires Ian (played by unbelievably hunky Sean Matic) for a night of sex, he can't understand why this nice guy sells himself.
May 11 - New Jersey
Sakia Gunn, a black 15-year-old lesbian, was murdered in Newark, New Jersey. While waiting for a bus, Gunn and her friends were propositioned by two men. When the girls rejected their advances, declaring themselves to be lesbians, the men attacked them. One of the men, Richard McCullough, fatally stabbed Gunn. In exchange for his pleading guilty to several lesser crimes including aggravated manslaughter, prosecutors dropped murder charges against McCullough, who was sentenced to 20 years.
April 9 - Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania founds the first student-athlete group focused on eliminating homophobia in athletics, Penn Athletes Against Homophobia (PATH).
July 25 - National
“Camp”. After a series of Broadway flops, songwriter Bert Hanley (Dixon) goes to work at a musical camp for young performers. Inspired by the kids, he finds an opportunity to regain success by staging an altogether new production.
October 28 - Washington D.C.
US President Bush Announces He Wants Marriage Reserved for Heterosexuals
April 1 - California
Lambda Alumni Association, GLBTA and the LGBT Resource Center works together to coordinate Lavender Celebration and a Lambda Scholarship Award Ceremony.
January 1 - National
Stefan May’s miniature version of Men, is a compilation of male nudes, containing all of the energy, vitality and thrill of its precursor. Part of the appealing new Erotic Library series.
April 1 - National
In a five-issue mini-series, Ron Zimmerman writes the first gay lead character in non-super-hero mass-market comics in the comedic western The Rawhide Kid (v. 3) (Marvel, beginning April 2003). A second Rawhide Kid miniseries, “The Sensational Seven” is published starting June 2010.
July 1 - National
“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” debuts on television and is the first makeover show with gay hosts.
July 7 - National
“Robin’s Hood”. Robin is a social worker in Oakland on the verge of losing her job for getting too close to her clients; she's African-American and grew up in the neighborhood. She falls for Brooklyn, a White Frenchwoman, who's a thief with dreams of running a motorcycle repair shop. Robin is not only willing to be Brooklyn's lover, she's willing to join in the robberies because she sees community projects that need money: she becomes an anonymous Robin Hood. When her personal life takes a sharp turn and she wants to do one last job, Brooklyn's jealousy flares. Is there any way to resolve these conflicts of love, family, finance, and violence?
January 1 – National
In an extended storyline beginning in Gotham Central #6 (DC, June 2003) written by Greg Rucka, Gotham City police officer Renee Montoya is outed to her co-workers and family by a vengeful enemy.
January 1 - National
North American Conference on Bisexuality hosts Bi Health Summit organized by Cheryl Dobinson, Luigi Ferrer and Ron Fox , and the first Bi People of Color Summit is coordinated by Angel Fabian and Penelope Williams.
Glenn Kopitske
Oregon couple express concerns regarding LGBT elderly care.
Emonie Spaulding
July 31 - New York
Jeff Whitty opens the theatrical version of his book “Avenue Q” a musical in two acts. The book is an "autobiographical and biographical" coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood.
July 9 - National
CNBC host Michael Savage is fired after making homophobic remarks to a man who called into his television show.
March 1 - National
“Intentions”. A coming of age piece: an exploration of love, relationships, and sexuality. The story revolves around a married college Professor who unexpectedly falls in love with one of her female students. They awaken things in each other that they had been trying to suppress creatively and emotionally. Through their love, they are forced to examine these passions and find the strength and courage to pursue their dreams. Intentions is a character driven, actors showcase that takes the audience on an emotional journey of sacrifice, love, heartbreak, desire, and eventual resolve.
January 1 - Florida
At the Florida International University, Beta Delta was founded on the Mosdesto Modique Campus
Clay Aiken
J.T. Tepnapa
February 7 - National
The NCAA initiates “sexual orientation issues in sports” training available to member schools at no cost.
Nireah Johnson & Brandie Coleman
July 28 - National
Mark Weigle a musician is recognized at the Outmusic Awards and received an unprecedented five Outmusic nominations and won in three categories, including: "Outsong of the Year", "Outstanding New Recording", and "Outstanding Producer". Weigle presents a successful yet positive orientation as a gay writer and musician
October 24 - National
“Elephant”. Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.
December 1 - Kansas
Lawrence men form NetworQ, an lgbt group that includes older men and women and focuses on social and political issues.
September 26 - National
“Under the Tuscan Sun”. A writer impulsively buys a villa in Tuscany in order to change her life. While living in Tuscany she consoles a lesbian friend and her newborn baby.
June 8 - Ohio
Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at Hoffner Park (Ken Colegrove and independent committee - organizers)
January 1 - Vermont
“Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club” The Virginia Vapartisans Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club, a nonprofit organization, serves as a channel for the participation and involvement of gays and lesbians in the Democratic Party in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
June 26 - Washington D.C.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Texas sodomy law in a highly publicized case (Lawrence et al. v. Texas). The Court determined the law was unconstitutional based on infringement of citizens’ privacy in their home.
January 1 - Ohio
“Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamber of Commerce” Plexus, an affiliate of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, was founded to promote networking and business development within Northeast Ohio’s LGBT business community and its allies.
January 1 – National
Jacques Servin is one of the leading members of an activist group called “The Yes Men”
June 26 - National
“Testosterone”. Dean has been stumped for some time in his attempt to produce a follow-up to "I was a Teenage Speed Freak," his incredibly successful graphic novel. His fans expect great things from him and his editor, Louise, is hounding him. Instead of working, however, Dean spends his time searching for his Argentine lover Pablo, who went out one night for cigarettes and never came back.
United States LGBT History for 2003
January 1 – National
J. T. Tepnapa starts his role as the first openly gay character, Lieutenant Commander Corey Aster, on the fan series Star Trek: Hidden Frontier created by Rob Caves.
August 28 - Washington D.C.
Emonie Spaulding, a black 25-year-old trans woman, was shot to death by Derrick Antwan Lewis after he discovered she was trans.
January 1 – National
Victory Fund board member Chuck Wolfe is named executive director of Victor Fund, and under his leadership the revenue of the organization triples. With support from Victory Fund, endorsed candidate Ron Oden of Palm Springs becomes the first openly gay African-American mayor in the U.S.
March 1 - National
"True Adult Fantasy" an erotic sketchbook collecting previously published work by Brad Rader, is released (Flaming Artist, Spring 2003).
Gene Robinson
May 27 - Texas
Texas Governor Rick Perry signs the state’s version of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), denying same-sex couples the right to marry or receive any benefits of marriage.
August 15 - Oregon
Rives Kistler is appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court, becoming the first openly gay Supreme Court Justice in the United States.
January 1 – National
Joe Kort publishes “10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to Improve Their Lives”
October 9 - National
“Gone, But Not Forgotten”. Questions about the identity of an amnesiac (Matthew Montgomery) threaten his romance with the park ranger (Aaron Orr) who rescued him.
October 7 - Vermont
Ryan Patrick Halligan, age 13, was a student from Essex Junction, Vermont, who died by suicide at the age of 13 after being bullied by his classmates in person and online.
According to the Associated Press, Halligan was allegedly repeatedly sent homophobic instant messages, and was "threatened, taunted and insulted incessantly". Halligan's case has been cited by legislators in various states proposing legislation to curb cyber-bullying. In Vermont, laws were subsequently enacted to address the cyberbullying problem and the risk of teen suicides, in response. In 2008, his suicide and its causes were examined in a segment of the PBS Frontline television program entitled "Growing Up Online."
January 17 - National
“The Mudge Boy”. Sensitive, somewhat effeminate farm-boy Duncan Mudge can barely cope with grim, since Ma's death even gloomier father Edgar's manly expectations, and seeks comfort in petting a chicken he associates with his late Ma. Macho mate Perry Foley, who has it physically even harder on his dad's farm, usually comforts Duncan and defends his 'wimpiness' to their cocky ruffian mates Travis, Scotty and Brent. But although clearly attracted to gentle gentile Ducan himself, the socially unacceptable suggestion of 'sissy' homosexuality makes Perry over-react and turn on his friend.
April 15 - Washington D.C.
108th Congress - The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is reintroduced in the House and the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is reintroduced in the Senate.
February 13 - New York
Evan Wolfson an attorney and activist founds “Freedom to Marry” to help build a case for equal rights to marry in the United States.
September 1 - National
Kirk Snyder the author publishes “Lavender Road to Success: The Career Guide for the Gay Community”
August 1 - California
University of California Press publishes Same-Sex Affairs, Constructing and Controlling Homosexuality in the Pacific Northwest by historian and Professor Peter Boag. Same-Sex presents extensive research and analysis of male homosexuality in the Pacific Northwest during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Boag documents two distinct and sometimes overlapping male same-sex sexual subcultures in the region, one primarily urban and middle-class and the other rural, sometimes transient, working class.
June 1 - National
“A Boy’s Life 4” a compilation of short gay films is released.
September 19 - California
Governor Davis signed AB 205, The Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, at the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender] Center in San Francisco. This historic legislation, authored by Assembly member Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by EQCA [Equality California], provides domestic partners with almost all of the same rights and responsibilities as spouses in a civil marriage
January 1 - National
The Center for Sex and Culture, founded by Carol Queen and Robert Lawrence in 1994, opened its archive and sexuality research library, becoming the first public non-profit community-based space designed for adult sex education, including continuing professional education
Theresa Sparks
March 1 - National
"How Loathsome", a four-issue miniseries written by Tristan Crane, featuring tales from the lives of gender outlaw Catherine Gore and her queer collection of friends and associates debuts.
Senator Marilyn Musgrave
January 1 - Indiana
“joyful noise” 100% of net profits will be donated to Freedom Indiana, the ACLU of Indiana, and Indy Pride. These organizations are actively fighting for LGBT rights and culture throughout Indiana.
January 1 - Maryland
“Baltimore OUTloud” is the premiere independent voice of the queer community of Baltimore, Maryland, Delaware, and Southern Pennsylvania.
December 10 - National
“Aberrations in Black” The sociology of race relations in America typically describes an intersection of poverty, race, and economic discrimination. But what is missing from the picture--sexual difference--can be as instructive as what is present. In this ambitious work, Roderick A. Ferguson reveals how the discourses of sexuality are used to articulate theories of racial difference in the field of sociology. He shows how canonical sociology--Gunnar Myrdal, Ernest Burgess, Robert Park, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and William Julius Wilson--has measured African Americans' unsuitability for a liberal capitalist order in terms of their adherence to the norms of a heterosexual and patriarchal nuclear family model. In short, to the extent that African Americans' culture and behavior deviated from those norms, they would not achieve economic and racial equality. Aberrations in Black tells the story of canonical sociology's regulation of sexual difference as part of its general regulation of African American culture. Ferguson places this story within other stories--the narrative of capital's emergence and development, the histories of Marxism and revolutionary nationalism, and the novels that depict the gendered and sexual idiosyncrasies of African American culture--works by Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and Toni Morrison. In turn, this book tries to present another story--one in which people who presumably manifest the dysfunctions of capitalism are reconsidered as indictments of the norms of state, capital, and social science. Ferguson includes the first-ever discussion of a new archival discovery--a never-published chapter of Invisible Man that deals with a gay character in a way that complicates and illuminates Ellison's project. Unique in the way it situates critiques of race, gender, and sexuality within analyses of cultural, economic, and epistemological formations, Ferguson's work introduces a new mode of discourse--which Ferguson calls queer of color analysis--that helps to lay bare the mutual distortions of racial, economic, and sexual portrayals within sociology. A hard-hitting look at the regulation of sexual difference and its role in circumscribing African American culture.
January 30 - National
“Latter Days”. Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), a young Mormon, arrives in Los Angeles with three fellow missionaries to evangelize. The group's promiscuous gay neighbor, Christian (Wes Ramsey), makes a bet he can seduce and sleep with one of them, and his flirtatious ways help Aaron realize he is actually gay. Returning home to small-town Idaho in shame, Aaron is sent to a faith-based center to be cured of his homosexuality -- while Christian, who's fallen in love with him, desperately tries to find him.
January 1 - Vermont
“Pride Pages Cape Cod” Pride pages is a state-by-state LGBT Travel, Wedding, Business and Relocation Guide. We publish print and online versions of our guide as a resource, not only for the LGBT community but those wishing to support and connect with our community as well.
Rick Perry
Sakia Gunn
April 4 - California
Theresa Sparks was the first openly transgender woman ever named "Woman of the Year" by the California State Assembly, and in 2007 she was elected president of the San Francisco Police Commission by a single vote, making her the first openly transgender person ever to be elected president of any San Francisco commission, as well as San Francisco's highest ranking openly transgender official.
May 19 - Delaware
Openly gay commissioner Mark Aguirre introduces, and commissioner Richard Sargent expands a sexual orientation anti-discrimination ordinance (housing, employment, public works contracting and public accommodations) for Rehoboth Beach. It is passed unanimously.
May 15 - Delaware
Gov. Minner calls an unprecedented and very well attended press conference declaring her 100% support for a new version of H.B. 99, which would outlaw sexual orientation discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, insurance and public works contracting. Primary sponsor Rep. William Oberle is present and reveals House passage is only one or two votes away.
September 24 - Virginia
In Richmond, Virginia, the PRIDE festival is nearly canceled after Hurricane Isabel, but goes on amid the fallen trees.
August 20 - National
“Wasabi Tuna”. A group of friends who take Halloween way too seriously kidnap Anna Nicole Smith's beloved pet Sugar-Pie. It's up to a bunch of drag queens dressed as Anna to bring Sugar-Pie back. (1 cover on file)
April 1 - National
“Happy 2gether” Part of the new Hot Shots series, offering, high-quality, modern photographs and an innovative design, all at a beginner's price. In this collection of boys-next-door, Underhill, author of several other renowned collections, showcases a series of young California models alone, in couples, or in threesomes. These are boys in love with life. Carefree and self-confident, they are proud of their bodies and sexuality in a way which will appeal to readers of all ages. Features full- colour photos throughout.
April 21 - National
A scene in The Crossovers #7 (Crossgen, August, 2003) by Robert Rodi depicts the domestic
life of gay couple WAYNE and KENT.
April 23 - National
ABC airs the first lesbian kiss on daytime TV when Bianca kisses Lena on All My Children.
January 1 - Arkansas
“National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)” The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS. NBJC’s mission is to end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ/SGL bias and stigma. As America’s leading national Black LGBTQ/SGL civil rights organization focused on federal public policy, NBJC has accepted the charge to lead Black families in strengthening the bonds and bridging the gaps between the movements for racial justice and LGBTQ/SGL equality.
May 1 - National
"Rainbow Boys" Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can't stop dreaming about sex...with other guys. Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone, especially his parents. Nelson Glassman is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends. Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the closet. In a revealing debut novel that percolates with passion and wit, Alex Sanchez follows these very different high-school seniors as their struggles with sexuality and intolerance draw them into a triangle of love, betrayal, and ultimately, friendship.
January 8 - National
“Scandal” Infamous Gay Controversies of the Twentieth Century is a compelling and thorough examination of same-sex controversies that range from accusations of obscenity and libel to espionage, treason, murder, and political dissent, with penalties that included censorship, imprisonment, deportation, and death. In each case, scandal brought the subject of homosexuality into public view in an explosive, sensational manner, stalling (and sometimes reversing) any progress made by the gay and lesbian community in mainstream society. Author Marc E. Vargo details the dignity, courage, and wisdom displayed by the gay men and women under attack in the face of public judgment. A unique blend of biography and gay political history, Scandal: Infamous Gay Controversies of the Twentieth Century recounts seven international incidents that tally the cost of being homosexual in a heterosexual society. In each episode, gay men or lesbians are targeted for legal persecution, subjected to sensationalized media coverage, and publicly condemned. The book examines the short- and long-term consequences of each controversy for those involved and the impact each scandal had on gay and mainstream society.
May 21 - Colorado
Clay Aiken a contestant, came in second on American Idol.
November 1 - National
"Quickies 3" The third installment of the bestselling international gay men’s erotica series, consisting of stories of one thousand words or fewer that articulate desire between men. Previous books in the series have made bestseller lists and feature many award-winning writers and anthologists among their contributors, including Doug Ferguson, Shaun Levin, George Isley, Sean Meriwether, Shaun Proulx, John Watson, Michael Wilde, Matt Bernstein Sycamore, Bob Vickery, Simon Shepard, Sandip Roy, Clayton Delery, Andy Quan, and Daniel Curzon. James C. Johnstone edited the first two Quickies books and co-edited Queer View Mirror and 2: Lesbian and Gay Short Short Fiction.
February 17 - National
“Killer Drag Queens on Dope”. Ginger and Coco have a secret. The drag queens are really contract killers who work for Uncle A. Half the gangsters in town are trying to kill them, the other half want to sleep with them! Ginger is hell on heels and Coco never met a drug she didn't like - they're killer drag queens on dope!
July 15 - National
The book The Homosexual Agenda co-authored by Alan Sears, head of the Alliance Defense Fund, is published. The book asserts gay activists’ ultimate goal is “silencing” conservative Christians. Sears also accuses cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants of being gay.
September 30 - National
“Documents of the LGBT Movement” The movement for gay and lesbian rights in America is a response to long-held beliefs that have, at times throughout the history of the United States, made homosexuality legally, politically, and socially unacceptable. This collection of primary documents explores those beliefs and their counter-arguments, providing varying viewpoints on the complex issue of gay and lesbian rights. Personal testimonies, laws, opinion pieces, court cases, and other documents, dating from colonial times to the present day, encourage students to challenge their assumptions and strengthen critical thinking skills. The struggle for gay and lesbian rights in the United States is founded on the idea that feelings of love and sexual attraction between persons of the same sex are natural, moral, normal, psychologically healthy, and deserving of full equality in all aspects of society. The documents presented in this unique collection clearly portray the arguments that have been used to refute this idea, and how homosexuals in U.S. society have fought for acceptance as people worthy of equal rights. The struggle is traced chronologically, providing a multifaceted overview of the issues for anyone studying the history and volatility of this movement.
January 21 - National
David Weissman an Bill Weber release a documentary about Hibiscus and forming psychedelic gay liberation theater collective known as “The Crockettes”
November 13 - National
“Blue Citrus Hearts”. Documentary presenting the realities of coming out in lesser developed countries.
President George W. Bush
December 30 - Oregon
The Medford Mail Tribune publishes an article about two older gay men concerned about how they will be cared for in old age. The issue is addressed in later years with a variety of services meant to deal with the issue.
George Kotsiopoulos
October 1 - National
Wayne Besen was nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards for writing “Anything but Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth”. He wrote the book after discovering the founder of Exodus International, an “ex-gay” Christian organization that believed that people could be turned into heterosexuals, in a gay bar in Washington D.C.
June 28 - Kansas
In Kansas the U.S. Supreme Court orders the Kansas Court of Appeals to reconsider the conviction of gay teenager Matthew Limon. He had consensual sex with a younger boy just after turning 18. The boys went to the same school. The state, that enforced strict penalties for LGBT "crimes" sentenced Matthew to 17 years in the state penitentiary. The Supreme Court challenged local officials on the sentencing because if it had been a girl the sentence would have been no more than 15 months. Which demonstrated a clear double standard in processing and convictions. His conviction was overturned.
July 25 - National
Robin de Jesús stars in a role in “Camp” which is a musical comedy-drama film about an upstate New York performing arts summer camp.
June 1 - Michigan
Melissa Sue Robinson becomes the first out transgender woman to run for elective office in Lansing.
August 5 - National
Rev. Gene Robinson is confirmed as the first openly gay man to become bishop in the Episcopal Church USA.
Melissa Sue Robinson
January 1 - Arkansas
“Center for Artistic Revolution” CAR is an inclusive, intergenerational Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) centric organization working with our Allies to build and sustain a progressive movement in Arkansas that connects people, communities and issues for the purpose of ending discrimination, securing equal rights, protections and fair treatment for ALL Arkansans.
September 2 - National
David Levithan publishes his first gay novel “Boy Meets Boy”
Chuck Wolfe
January 1 - National
“Friends” Adam Raphael is an award-winning journalist and a former political editor of The Economist turned photographer.
January 1 - New York
“Cinekink NYC” recognizes and encourages the positive depiction of sexuality and kink in film and television, most visibly through its annual film festival, CineKink NYC. Featuring a carefully-curated program of films and videos that celebrate and explore the wide diversity of sexuality, with offerings drawn from both Hollywood and beyond, works presented by CineKink range from documentary to drama, camp comedy to artsy experimental, mildly spicy to quite explicit — and everything in between.
Rives Kistler
Oregon Supreme Court Justice
January 30 - National
“Monster”. Based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.
Richie Phillips
January 1 - Pennsylvania
“Greater Erie Alliance for Equality” The Greater Erie Alliance for Equality, Inc. (GEAE) is a non- profit organization dedicated to support the region’s LGBT community and its straight allies through educational programs, social events, and opportunities for service, which are designed to strengthen our voice and enhance our image in the region.
January 1 - Oregon
“Q Center” The Q Center provides a safe space to support and celebrate LGBTQ diversity, equity, visibility and community building.
March 1 - National
“Fake ID”. Fake ID is the hysterical satire of a young man coming ot terms with his heterosexuality in a gay world.
May 1 - National
Andy Mangels founds Prism Comics serving gay comic fans and professionals.
July 1 - National
The 24th General Synod of the UCC also passed "The United Church of Christ and the Boy Scouts of America” resolution. This resolution encouraged the Collegium and other settings of the church to urge the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to adopt a membership policy that does not discriminate based on sexual orientation, and that allows for the reactivation of membership of persons who were previously excluded solely on that basis.
June 17 - Kentucky
Richie Phillips of Elizabethtown, Kentucky was killed by Joseph Cottrell. His body was later found in a suitcase in Rough River Lake. During his trial, two of Cottrell's relatives testified that he lured Phillips to his death, and killed him because he was gay. Cottrell was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
January 1 - National
The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is a nonprofit social equality organization, founded by transgender activist Mara Keisling. NCTE is dedicated to advancing the equality of transgender people by providing a voice for advocacy in Washington, D.C.
May 1 - National
William J. Mann publishes “Where the Boys Are”
December 17 - National
Marshall Moore publishes his novel “The Concrete Sky”
January 1 - Indiana
“Pride Lafayette” Our mission is to continually educate and promote awareness of diversity, health, culture and acceptance of individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
May 15 - Delaware
H.B. 99 is again passed by the House. Senate President Pro Tempore Thurman Adams receives it and promises that he will not assign it to a “killer” committee, but that it will receive a full-Senate vote in 2004. (He will go back on his word in January 2004 by deliberately assigning the bill to the Judiciary Committee chaired by the extremely anti-gay Sen. James Vaughn.)
May 31 - National
“Soldier’s Girl” The true story of the price a young soldier paid for falling in love with a transsexual night-club performer.
Ryan Patrick Halligan
September 8 - National
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a daytime talk show, begins airing on NBC
June 12 - National
Mike Connolly died in 1966 but his legacy lives on. The book “Mike Connolly and the Manly Art of Hollywood Gossip” is released about the activism and his fight against the Hollywood Black List and the governments attack on the Hollywood community and the hunt for communists.
January 1 – National
George Kotsiopoulos co-founded the annual "Bag Lunch" charity event for P.S. ARTS, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring arts education to the public-school system of which he is on the Board of Directors. More than 200 designer handbags are donated to and auctioned at this event with one hundred percent of the proceeds going to P.S. ARTS.
December 1 - National
James McCourt publishes “Queer Street: Rise and Fall of an American Culture” which covers American culture from 1947 – 1985.
April 16 - National
Weird Comic Book Fantasy, a play that posits what would happen if the Archie gang grew up to be gay written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, opens in Atlanta.
March 24 - National
“An Unexpected Love”. An unhappily married housewife and mother of two children (Leslie Hope) seperates from her husband and gets a new job where she developes a mutual attraction to her female boss (Wendy Crewson).
June 7 - National
“Dangerous Living”. After a series of Broadway flops, songwriter Bert Hanley (Dixon) goes to work at a musical camp for young performers. Inspired by the kids, he finds an opportunity to regain success by staging an altogether new production.
January 1 – National
"Keeping You A Secret" With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland Jaeger. At least, it seems to be. But when Cece Goddard comes to school, everything changes. Cece and Holland have undeniable feelings for each other, but how will others react to their developing relationship?
January 17 - National
Miss Coco Peru a drag personality and activist said that when Showtime passed on the Girls Will Be Girls concept as a situation comedy, it was instead produced as a film "hoping that the new gay networks would be interested. "They were not, about which Leupp commented, "I think that drag is scary, even in our own community. They would rather play it safe. People want to be really politically correct, which I think is very dangerous. I’ve heard from various people in the business that these stations are appealing to Middle America, and I find that very disturbing because I always felt that we as gay people were the leaders we decided what was funny, what was hot in fashion. Now we are trying to figure out what Middle America accepts. I’m not interested in that. I’m not trying to appeal to Middle America, and that gay people are doing so only makes me angry."
May 15 - National
"GLBTQ The Survival Guide" The teen years are full of challenges. For gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning teens, these challenges can include prejudice, discrimination, rejection, reprisals, insensitive remarks (even among friends and families) and, sometimes, violence. But being a GLBTQ teen can also be fun and enlightening—when you are comfortable with who you are. Author Kelly Huegel understands what GLBT teens want and need to know. As a teen, she struggled to realize and accept her own identity. Her frank, sensitive book is written for teens who are beginning to question their sexual or gender identity, those who interested in GLBT issues and rights, and those who need guidance, reassurance, or reminders that they aren’t alone. Kelly offers practical advice, knowing encouragement, accessible resources, and real-life testimonials from teens who’ve "been there." Topics include coming out (the pluses and minuses), facing prejudice and pressure, getting support, navigating relationships, staying safe, making healthy choices, surviving and thriving in high school, and more. The message throughout is strong and clear: By accepting yourself, you take charge of your own future. Created with feedback and suggestions from individuals at PFLAG (Parents, families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), GLAAD (the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and other organizations, this book is for any GLBTQ teen—and any straight friend, parent, teacher, counselor, youth leader, or other adult who cares and wants to understand.
November 10 - National
“Tarnation”. Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more -- culled from 19 years of his life.
May 21 - Colorado
Marilyn Musgrave, U.S. congresswoman from Colorado, introduces the Federal Marriage Amendment in the country’s House of Representatives with 108 co-sponsors.
February 12 - National
In Nightwing #78 written by Devin Grayson, police officer Dick Grayson learns that his partner, Gannon Malloy, is gay. Dick claims to be Gannon’s boyfriend in an attempt to stop anti-gay harassment from their fellow officers.
State equality and discrimination bills
October 18 - National
"He’s the One" Something s gotta give for Adam Wilson. The hunky, sweet Midwestern entrepreneur might have a dream job, but his love life is anything but picture-perfect. The guys he dates usually turn out to have criminal records, bankruptcy histories, personality disorders, or wives. And for the first time in his life, Adam is ready to look for Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right-Out-the-Door. But where to look is more the question. It’s not like bucolic, sleepy Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is exactly crawling with adorable, uncloseted gay men. Taking a job in New York City is awfully tempting, and when a computer company makes Adam an offer he can’t refuse, he packs his flannel shirts and heads east in a hurry. Like lots of driven, career-focused people before him (Think Marlo; think Mary Richards; rethink the flannel shirts...) Adam tackles the big city with farm-fresh enthusiasm, but the most breathtaking attraction of all is Jeremy, the blond, brown-eyed beauty Adam catches sight of in a Chelsea coffee shop. In addition to a buff bod and a to-die-for face, Jeremy s got a few other attributes like a heart, a soul, and a conscience. Trouble is, he may also have an annoying boyfriend bent on turning the sexy TV actor into the yoga-practicing equivalent of Mother Teresa with better shoes. Now that Adam s sure he s met the love of his life; how can he get Jeremy to fall in love with him? Catching Jeremy is going to take more than Adam s sweet-natured country enthusiasm.
December 1 - National
"Comfort & Joy" Ford McKinney leads a charmed life: he's a young doctor possessing good looks, good breeding, and money. He comes from an old Savannah family where his parents, attentive to his future, focus their energies on finding their son--their golden boy--a girl to marry. But how charmed is this life when Ford's own heart suspects that he is not meant to spend his life with a woman? His suspicions are confirmed when he meets Dan Crell.
Dan is a quiet man with a great voice. Behind the tempered facade of the shy hospital administrator is a singer who can transform a room with his soaring voice, leaving his listeners in awe and reverence. Ford catches one such Christmas concert and his life is never quite the same; he is touched in a place he keeps hidden, forbidden. When Ford and Dan begin to explore the limits of their relationship, Dan's own secrets are exposed--and his mysterious and painful childhood returns to haunt him. In Comfort and Joy Jim Grimsley finds a marriage between the stark and stunning pain of his prize-winning Winter Birds and the passion of critically acclaimed Dream Boy. In this, his fourth novel, he considers pressing questions. How does a man reconcile the child he was raised to be with the man that he truly is? What happens when an adult has to choose between his parents and a lover?
May 13 - National
B. D. Wong writes “Following Foo: the Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man” about his experiences of surrogate birth. In 2000 he and his husband had twins.
August 18 - National
More than half of Americans favor a law barring gay marriage and specifying wedlock be between a man and a woman, an Associated Press poll found. The survey also found presidential candidates could face a backlash if they support gay marriage or civil unions
January 1 - National
Women of Reform Judaism issued a statement describing their support for human and civil rights and the struggles of the bisexual and transgender communities, and saying, "Women of Reform Judaism accordingly: Calls for civil rights protections from all forms of discrimination against bisexual and transgender individuals; Urges that such legislation allows transgender individuals to be seen under the law as the gender by which they identify; and Calls upon sisterhoods to hold informative programs about the transgender and bisexual communities."
The Union for Reform Judaism retroactively applied its pro-rights policy on gays and lesbians to the bisexual and transgender communities, issuing a resolution titled, "SUPPORT FOR THE INCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE TRANSGENDER AND BISEXUAL COMMUNITIES."
July 31 - Wisconsin
37-year-old Glenn Kopitske was shot and stabbed in the back by 17-year-old Gary Hirte, a straight-A student, star athlete and Eagle Scout, in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Prosecutors contended that Hirte murdered Kopitske to see if he could get away with it. Hirte pleaded insanity, claiming he killed Kopitske in a murderous rage after a consensual sexual encounter with the victim, because he felt a homosexual act was "worse than murder". The 'temporary insanity' mitigation plea was not upheld, he was found guilty, and received a life sentence.
July 1 - National
Toby Johnson publishes “Gay Perspective: Things Our Homosexuality Tells Us about the Nature of God and the Universe”
January 1 - Texas
“GALA North Texas – Gay and Lesbian Alliance” CCGLA was a 501(C)(4) nonprofit and by merging with its own foundation, North Texas Equality Foundation, we have created GALA North Texas, a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to educate our elected officials, our business leaders, and our neighbors. Your donations to GALA NTX will be tax deductible.
November 1 - National
“The Perfect Boy” Howard Roffman has a talent for capturing the attractive power of young men in photographs. His images depict ethereal beauty and candid authenticity. This volume is a celebration of the natural erotic aura of his young subjects, presented in a series of nine sensual photo essays.
March 28 - Massachusetts
The Gay and Lesbian Athletic Foundation holds the first national conference on lesbian and gay issues in sport in Boston, MA.
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