January 1 - Oregon
“Lotus Rising Project”. We envision a world without oppression, where respect and compassionate activism create a climate in which people can freely express their sexual orientation and gender identity without fear of retribution. In this world, everyone creatively contributes to social change and youth are empowered to actively build the world in which they want to live.
December 26 - Indiana
Taysia Elzy, a 34-year-old trans woman, and her partner, 22-year-old Michael Hunt, were shot to death and left for dead in their apartment by 20-year-old Chris Conwell.
May 28 - Colorado
Governor Bill Ritter signs the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, providing protections for LGBT people in the areas of housing and public accommodations.
March 16 - New York
Police say Lance Neve was beaten unconscious in Rochester, New York because Neve was gay. A man attacked Neve at a bar leaving him with a fractured skull, and a broken nose.
September 15 - National
"Sweet Tea" Giving voice to a population too rarely acknowledged, Sweet Tea collects more than sixty life stories from black gay men who were born, raised, and continue to live in the South. E. Patrick Johnson challenges stereotypes of the South as "backward" or "repressive" and offers a window into the ways black gay men negotiate their identities, build community, maintain friendship networks, and find sexual and life partners--often in spaces and activities that appear to be antigay. Ultimately, Sweet Tea validates the lives of these black gay men and reinforces the role of storytelling in both African American and southern cultures.
January 8 - Florida
Stacey Brown, a black 30-year-old trans woman, was found dead in her apartment. She had been shot in the head.
June 26 - National
Chris Freeman who help to establish the queercore genre of punk rock helped film a documentary Pansy Division: Life In a Gay Rock Band.
January 1 – Ohio
The Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA) was introduced into both chambers of the Ohio Legislature (SB 305 and HB 402) with bi-partisan support.
January 1 - Kentucky
“Kentuckians Pride” The mission of this organization is to provide a forum for creative expression and education related to the LGBT community and to give back through charitable and in-kind donations.
January 1 – Massachusetts
E. Denise Simmons was the mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts during the 2008-2009 term. She was the first openly lesbian African-American ever elected mayor in the U.S. She’s currently serving her seventh two-year term on the Cambridge City Council.
December 4 - National
Neil Patrick Harris stars in “Prop 8: The Musical” a short film presented on the web.
Nahkia Williams
February 4 - Michigan
Ashley Sweeney was a young transgender woman living in Detroit. She died from a fatal shot to the head. The National Center for Transgender Equality accused the Detroit Police Department of mishandling the case, as the department did not release the pertinent information involved in the case.
January 1 - Massachusetts
“LGBT Asylum” The Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Asylum Support Task Force is a community-based organization of volunteers dedicated to supporting and empowering LGBT individuals who are seeking asylum or refuge in the United States.
January 1 - Georgia
“The Phillip Rush Center” The mission of the Phillip Rush Center is to promote community through a multi-tenant, mixed-use facility that models community in its design and practice. By providing long-term and short-term, affordable rental space, the Center brings together LGBT and allied nonprofit organizations under one roof, leveraging their unique strengths.
Simmie Williams Jr.
June 18 - Tennessee
Duanna Johnson, a trans woman, was beaten by a police officer while she was held in the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center in Tennessee. Johnson said the officers reportedly called her a "faggot" and "he-she," before and during the incident. She was found dead in the street, reportedly gunned down by three unknown individuals.
Stu Rasmussen
January 1 - Pennsylvania
“Equality Pennsylvania” Equality Pennsylvania Educational Fund provides educational programming on LGBT issues, conducts research to understand public opinions, and develops campaigns to build awareness of LGBT people and support for fairness and equality.
July 17 - Colorado
Eighteen-year-old Angie Zapata, a trans woman, was beaten to death in Colorado two days after meeting Allen Ray Andrade. The case was prosecuted as a hate crime, and Andrade was found guilty of first degree murder on April 22, 2009.
January 22 - National
“Misconceptions” The story centers on a religiously conservative, married southern woman who receives a message from God instructing her to act as a surrogate mother and carry a child for two married gay men who live in Boston - a Jewish doctor and and African-American dance choreographer. All Hell breaks loose when the African American man comes to her home down south to micro-manage her pregnancy, and he won't leave.
Nima Daivari
June 10 - Washington State
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association enacts the first statewide policy enabling the participation of transgender athletes in high school sports according to their identified gender
November 7 - North Carolina
The home of openly gay Melvin Whistlehunt in Newton, North Carolina was destroyed by arsonists. Investigators found homophobic graffiti spray-painted on the back of the house.
Phillis Lyon and Del Martin
State equality and discrimination bills
November 14 - New York
22-year-old Lateisha Green, a trans woman, was shot and killed by Dwight DeLee in Syracuse, NY because he thought she was gay. Local news media reported the incident with her legal name, Moses "Teish" Cannon. DeLee was convicted of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime on July 17, 2009, and received the maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison. This was only the second time in the nation’s history that a person was prosecuted for a hate crime against a transgender person and the first hate crime conviction in New York state.
January 1 - California
“The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Religious Archives Network”. The LGBT Religious Archives Network (LGBT-RAN) is an innovative venture in preserving history and encouraging scholarly study of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) religious movements around the world. LGBT-RAN has a two-fold basic purpose. First it assists LGBT religious leaders and groups in determining how best to preserve their records and papers in appropriate repositories. Secondly, LGBT-RAN provides an electronic information clearinghouse for these archival collections and other historical data about LGBT religious history for the use of historians, researchers and other interested persons. LGBT-RAN can best be understood as a "virtual" archive. It is not a physical repository that collects and preserves papers and records. Instead, LGBT-RAN is a resource center that enables the preservation of history and makes historical information easily accessible through this web site.
June 7 - National
Tye Olson’s film debut was in the film “Watercolors”. The actor was honored with multiple best actor awards for his role as a closeted artist.
January 1 – National
Bill Konigsberg publishes his first young adult novel “Out of the Pocket”
January 1 - National
“Join the Impact” Join the Impact was an American LGBT political organization started in reaction to the passage of Proposition 8 in California which rapidly developed into a national coalition of local LGBT rights groups.
July 25 - National
Taylor Negron wrote “The Unbearable Lightness of Being Taylor Negron – A Fusion of Story and Song” which was turned into a live show and gained critical acclaim.
December 31 - National
Richard Berkowitz is the subject of the documentary “Sex Positive” directed by Daryl Wein and winner of the Outfest Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary.
June 28 - National
"The Transgender Child for Families" This comprehensive first of its kind guidebook explores the unique challenges that thousands of families face every day raising their children in every city and state. Through extensive research and interviews, as well as years of experience working in the field, the authors cover gender variance from birth through college. What do you do when your toddler daughter's first sentence is that she's a boy? What will happen when your preschool son insists on wearing a dress to school? Is this ever just a phase? How can you explain this to your neighbors and family? How can parents advocate for their children in elementary schools? What are the current laws on the rights of transgender children? What do doctors specializing in gender variant children recommend? What do the therapists say? What advice do other families who have trans kids have? What about hormone blockers and surgery? What issues should your college-bound trans child be thinking about when selecting a school? How can I best raise my gender variant or transgender child with love and compassion, even when I barely understand the issues ahead of us? And what is gender, anyway? These questions and more are answered in this book offering a deeper understanding of gender variant and transgender children and teens.
November 1 - Oregon
Sam Adams is elected Mayor of Portland, becoming the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city.
September 27 - National
“Watch Out”. A narcissistic man sexually fascinated with his own body finds himself heading down a path of disturbed behavior.
Nathan Runkle
June 9 - National
“Gay and Lesbians in Atlanta” For much of the 20th century, Atlanta was a magnet drawing newcomers from around the nation. Atlanta’s growth from a small Southern town to a Sunbelt colossus in many ways parallels the changes that shaped America during those 100 years: industrialization, technological innovation, suburbanization, and battles over racial equality. Largely overlooked in the Atlanta story, however, are the experiences of lesbians and gay men. In a city governed by powerful business interests and an ethos of Christian conservatism, gays and lesbians maneuvered in ways both large and small, public and private, to find personal happiness, professional fulfillment, and, eventually, a political voice. Until recently, Atlanta’s gay and lesbian history survived and perished with the memories of the men and women who lived it. Now a small part of that history has been preserved in this collection of unforgettable images.
May 5 - National
Scott Pomfret and activist and writer published “Since My Last Confession: A Gay Catholic Memoir”
September 12 - National
Christian singer Ray Boltz publicly comes out.
Lateisha Green
Deval Patrick
Massachusetts Governor
October 10 - Connecticut
Connecticut Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Couples Can Marry, The [4-3] ruling was groundbreaking in various respects. In addition to establishing Connecticut as the third state to sanction same-sex marriage, it was the first state high court ruling to hold that civil union statutes specifically violated the equal protection clause of a state constitution
July 4 - New York
Thomas M. Disch 68, died by suicide
November 4 - California
California voters turn out to vote on Proposition 8, the hot-ticket issue on the California ballot that would rewrite the California Constitution to add a clause prohibiting marriage between same-sex couples and defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Volunteers for and against Proposition 8 both campaign furiously. "Yes on 8" earns the support of Presidential nominee Senator John McCain, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, while President-elect Barack Obama, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California Council of Churches and the League of Women Voters all come out against Proposition 8. The night of November 4, Proposition 8 passes, 52% supporting to 47% opposed. The state of California stops issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples the next day but continues to recognize all same-sex marriages performed between June 16 and November 4.
August 15 - National
Steve Berman is a novelist that wrote “Best Gay Stories”
Stacey Brown
January 1 - National
“Antarctica”. In two days, Omer will hit a milestone; his 30th birthday. Like many his age, he hasn't found himself. But then Omer is hardly looking. Instead he chooses to loose himself among the stacks of books at the local library, where he works. It is a respite from real life. From time to time he goes on blind dates. He meets Danny on one of his dates. 20 years old and full of enthusiasm, Danny dreams of becoming a dancer. Shirley, Omer's little sister, has her own problems. Aside from being Omer's greatest annoyance, she is in an unconventional relationship with, Michal, owner of the city's hippest coffeehouse and her boss. Just when it seems that Omer has completely lost his spark and all seems lost, Enter Ronen, the handsome journalist who ignites the flame Omer has been seeking. Everyone is hoping for a change. They are waiting for the light. The light that will thaw their frozen hearts. But only one person has the answer, Matilda Rose, the alien loving best-selling novelist can solve the issue; Is love dead or are we just looking in all the wrong places?
January 1 – National
John J. McNeill a Jesuit priest publishes “Sex as God Intended”
August 15 - National
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.
Romel Sucuzhanya
October 31 - National
“Were the World Mine”. A gay teen (Tanner Cohen) uses a love potion to turn close-minded townspeople into homosexuals, including the handsome jock with whom he is secretly in love.
November 12 - Connecticut
Same-sex marriages begin to be officially performed in Connecticut.
January 30 - National
“Between Love & Goodbye”. A modern gay drama about falling in and out of love, and the rocky road in between.
April 11 - California
Governor Schwarzenegger officially announced his opposition to the Initiative at LCR's National Convention.
January 1 – National
Francisco Aragón a California born Latino poet publishes “Mariposa: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry”
March 26 - National
Cheyenne Jackson was named "Entertainer of the Year" by Out Magazine. In addition to his active career he is also an international ambassador for amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) and the national spokesperson for the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to serving the needs of LGBT youth.
Larry King
January 1 - California
“Gender Health Center” Gender Health Center is a non-profit organization meeting the counseling needs of the WHOLE community in Sacramento and the surrounding areas by making our services accessible to the most underserved communities, including the LGBTQQI community and focusing on the “T” or transgender.
December 8 - Washington D.C.
25-year-old gay man Nathaniel Salerno was attacked by four men on a Metro train in Washington, DC. The men called him "faggot" while they beat him.
October 1 - National
“Beatific Vision”. What does Michael (Michael Vega) do when his lover of fourteen, years, Chad, dies from brain cancer? Michael does not have much time to grieve when Chad as an angel immediately comes back to him. Chad has seen Michael's future and now takes it upon himself to guide and nudge Michael along his path.
February 22 - Florida
Simmie Williams Jr. was a black gender-nonconforming 17-year-old, who was shot dead on a street corner in Broward County, Florida.
July 19 - National
Shawn Stewart Ruff a writer, from Cincinnati Ohio, published “Finlater”
November 4 - National
Similar Constitutional amendments, as California, pass in Arizona (Proposition 102) and Florida (Florida Amendment 2).
The passing of the ballot garners national attention from gay-rights supporters across the U.S. Prop 8 inspires the NOH8 campaign, a photo project that uses celebrities to promote marriage equality.
January 1 - Arizona
“One Community” We’re a member-based coalition of businesses, organizations and individuals who support and promote diversity, inclusion and equality for all Arizonans. We are committed to reshaping Arizona’s image through educating, empowering and connecting our diverse LGBT and allied communities on the benefits of inclusion and its direct impact on attracting and retaining top talent and businesses.
Lance Neve
January 1 - California
“Empowering Spirits Foundation” The Empowering Spirits Foundation (ESF) is national grassroots based civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. ESF members engage in service-oriented activities in communities typically opposed to equal rights to foster positive dialogue and change toward equality. Additionally, the ESF sponsors legislation, lobbies legislators, develops community awareness, collaborates with coalitions, and empowers individuals and organizations to engage in the political process for equality.
November 5 - California
The day after passage of California’s Proposition 8, NCLR files a legal challenge with the California Supreme Court
November 15 - Delaware
Delaware sees its first ever gay rights demonstration, when 30 Delawareans picket in front of Dover City Hall in protest of California's "Prop 8" and in favor of same-gender marriage. Passersby are overwhelmingly supportive during the two-and-a-half-hour demonstration.
January 1 - National
The True Colors Fund was founded by Cindi Lauper to combat LGBT Homelessness across the nation.
E. Denise Simmons
January 1 - National
“NOH8 Campaign” On November 4, 2008 Proposition 8 passed in California, amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The defeat provoked a groundswell of initiative within the GLBT community at a grassroots level, with many new political and protest organizations being formed in response.
The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with "NOH8" painted on one cheek in protest.
September 13 - Colorado
26-year-old Nima Daivari was attacked in Denver, Colorado by a man who called him "faggot". The police that arrived on the scene refused to make a report of the attack.
Lawrence Webb
January 1 - New York
“In Our Own Voices” In Our Own Voices (IOOV) is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of color (LGBT POC) organization whose purpose is to “develop the leadership of LGBT POC; strengthen the voices of LGBT POC in order to effectively communicate our perspectives within the larger community; strengthen our capacity as LGBT POC to combat oppression and marginalization.
January 8 - Oregon
The state of Oregon passes a law that allows same-sex couples to register as domestic partners allowing them some spousal rights of married couples.
Neil Parick Harris
April 26 - National
“Ask Not”. A film that reveals the personal stories of Americans willing to risk their lives for a country that criminalizes the act of coming out. Current and veteran gay soldiers reveal how "don't ask don't tell" affects them during their tours of duty, as they struggle to maintain a double life. The film also follows gay veterans and young organizers turning to forms of personal activism to overturn the policy.
February 28 - National
"Becoming A Woman" Discover the remarkable woman behind the legend.
Discover Christine Jorgensen's remarkable, inspirational journey to become the woman she always knew she should have been. Becoming a Woman: A Biography of Christine Jorgensen provides fascinating insights about the woman who opened doors and minds on behalf of sexual minorities. This book chronicles Christine's drive, ability to solve problems, immense determination, and just plain luck as she transformed herself into her true gender and reveals facets of her personality previously undisclosed by other biographies of her life. Christine Jorgensen was a major contributor to the unfolding of the so-called sexual revolution in America. Becoming a Woman: A Biography of Christine Jorgensen is the story of one courageous individual overcoming personal and social barriers, enduring the difficult compromises that needed to be made, and the ultimate realization of goals. This revealing warts-and-all biography tells Christine's real story while examining the history of transsexuality in western societies, the medical intervention provided to her, and insightful profiles of Alfred C. Kinsey, Georges Burou, Harry Benjamin, and Christian Hamburger. The appearance and characteristics of cross dressers are also discussed, as well as their lifestyles are contrasted with transsexual persons. This biography serves to illustrate the challenge to lessen discrimination against all LGBT persons and the struggle that still lies ahead.
August 12 - National
Martin Wilson publishes his award-winning debut novel “What They Always Tell Us” which tells the story of the relationship between two high school age brothers as one begins to embrace his homosexuality.
October 17 - National
“Mulligans”. Two college friends take a journey home. One of them makes a mistake that may tear a family apart. Sometimes there are no second chances, sometimes there are no mulligans.
April 16 - Florida
Lloyd Nixon, 45, was beaten to death with a brick in West Palm Beach.
May 15 - California
Supreme Court in the state of California overrules ban on same-sex couple marriage, legalizing the marriage between same-sex couples, but soon after public votes to approve a constitutional amendment (Prop 8) to end gay marriage.
Judge Judy
October 17 - California
Michael Feinstein a multi-platinum-selling, five-time Grammy-nominated recording artist is married to his longtime partner by Judge Judy.
October 24 - National
“Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom” As Noah and Wade prepare to marry in Martha's Vineyard, the personal problems of their friends - and the unexpected arrival of rapper Baby Gat - threatens to permanently end their relationship.
August 21 - National
Clint Crisher is believed to be the first American R&B or pop singer to be openly gay from the beginning of his career. He has released a series of albums called The Hot Boys World
November 4 - Arizona
Voters Approve a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriages. Proposition 102 proposed a 20-word amendment to the state Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. It's an attempt to do what backers couldn't do in 2006: ensure that Arizona's existing law banning same-sex marriages will not be overturned by a judge..."
July 29 - Massachusetts
The Massachusetts legislature, passed, and Governor Deval Patrick signs a law that upholds the freedom of same-sex couples from outside Massachusetts to get married in the state. This legislation repeals a discriminatory law from 1913 that had blocked such marriages.
August 13 - National
Trebor Healey publishes “Queer and Catholic”
December 27 - Ohio
24-year-old Nathan Runkle was brutally assaulted in Dayton, Ohio outside a gay nightclub.
Vote Yes on Prop 8 for a Marriage Ban
May 1 - National
“Dishonorable Passions” A history of the government's regulation of sexual behavior traces the historical purposes behind the prohibition against sodomy in early America and continues with a discussion of how the law was referenced in different contexts in later years, covering such topics as the McCarthy era, the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and the 2003 Supreme Court decision to decriminalize private sex between consenting adults. 20,000 first printing.
November 18 - National
“Arizona Sky”. Jake and Kyle are two boys who grew up together in rural Arizona. They are best friends, and they begin to take their relationship to the next level when Jake's father moves him and his family away to California. Jake and Kyle can never forget their strong emotional bond, and Jake, overworked and unattached, goes back to his hometown for the first time in 15 years to see Kyle and renew their special friendship.
November 4 - Oregon
Kate Brown becomes the first openly LGBTQ candidate in U.S. history to be elected to a Secretary of State.
Rachel Maddow
MSNBC Co-anchor
Ruby Molina
June 15 - Ohio
Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2 days) at Hoffner Park (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Community Center - organizer)
January 21 - South Carolina
Adolphus Simmons wore gender non-conforming clothing and was embraced as a dear friend by his neighbors in the North Carolina apartment building where he lived. Family and friends described Adolphus as "jovial" and "a jokester". Adolphus had recently begun a career as a hairdresser. He was shot dead while taking the trash out by a 15-year-old male. Adolphus was only 18 years old.
Duanna Johnson
October 25 - Virginia
Central Virginia Rainbow Partnership formed. It is the first formal ongoing collaborative effort among Virginia LGBT and allied groups.
December 26 - National
“Pageant”. A portrait of five men competing in the Miss Gay America pageant.
United States LGBT History for 2008
May 13 - National
Joel Derfner publishes “Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever and What Ended Up Happening Instead”
Sanesha Stewart
January 1 – National
Craig Chester stars a role in “Pedro” a film about the HIV activist that gained awareness through MTV’s “The Real World”.
Cheyenne Jackson
June 11 - National
“Between Something & Nothing”. With the impressive "Between Something & Nothing," Todd Verow (Vacationland, Bulldog in the Whitehouse) once again revisits his own past, recounting the life of a freshman art school student whose relationship with a mysterious hustler leads him to work the streets himself. Joe arrives at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and immediately befriends like-minded Jennifer. Together they tackle seemingly endless and outlandish art assignments while also exploring the music and drugs of the local scene. Alone, however, the outwardly innocent Joe secretly pursues local hustler Ramon, finding liberation and inspiration for his artwork while exploring his darker side. It seems that nothing better than hot sex and working the streets for money brings out the true artist in Joe.
November 1 - Texas
In the spring of 2008, Russel van Kraayenburg and Joe Nathan Anderson Jr. individually inquired to the National office of Delta Lambda Phi Fraternity their interest in creating a Colony at the University of Texas. Little did they know this was the beginning of a great adventure that would lead to the founding of a brotherhood unlike any other at UT. By May 2008, Ryan James Yezak, Mike Jules LaCour, David Jimenez III, and Charles Jordan Edmonson, had offered their efforts and inspirations to the founding of such a brotherhood. In July, Armando Sanchez joined the interest group, and the founding class of our colony was set. The journey was ready to begin. In September the founders were assigned two colony Mentors: Cade Furnas of the Omega Chapter and Danny Soto of the Rho Chapter, who were enthusiastic about our Alpha Pledge Class Induction. On November 1st, 2008, with Danny and Cade, brothers Dusty Garner, Jefferson Patton, and Eric Anderson of the Kansas State Beta Mu Chapter, and Rob Grau of the Fraternity Office, flew to our grand University for our very first Ritual and the Alpha Pledge Class Induction took place.
January 11 - Utah
Utah Legislation passes the Mutual Commitment Registry requiring all domestic partners to register, allowing businesses, should they choose, to use the registry to determine eligibility for benefits.
July 1 - National
“Stripped” The unbelievable success of the first anthology Stripped. The Illustrated Male proofs that there is market for high class collections of gay erotica. Stripped Uncensored will fill the gap.
October 2 - Ohio
Sladjana Vidovic, age 16, from Mentor, hanged herself by jumping from a window with a sheet around her neck. Students called her names like "Slutty Jana" and "Slut-Jana-Vagina."
August 20 - Kentucky
Nahkia Williams, a black trans woman, was shot to death in Louisville, Kentucky. Damon Malone was charged with her murder, robbery, and burglary, and sentenced to 35 years in prison.
April 17 - National
“Ready? OK!”. In this poignant comedy, a single mom struggles to understand her young son's obsession with dresses, dolls and girls' cheerleading. With the recent death of her absent father and her wayward brother returning home, they must all learn to face reality and what it truly means to be a family.
June 7 - National
Jack Wrangler was a writer and director that worked in the gay and straight porn industry. He is hailed as in icon in the gay liberation that started in the 1960’s. A feature-length documentary film, “Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon”, was released documenting his careers both off and on the stage.
Diego Sanchez
Senior Policy Advisor
Massachusetts
November 4 - Oregon
Stu Rasmussen, who is transgender, is elected mayor of Silverton, Oregon.
September 4 - National
Denis O'Hare started his path in “True Blood” as they developed a story line in the deep south and gay vampire villain in their stories of vampires and werewolves.
June 20 - National
“The Art of Being Straight”. A sexy, comedic drama about two college friends questioning their careers and sexuality in east Los Angeles.
May 29 - Maryland
Eighteen-year-old Steven Parrish, a member of the 92 Family Swans subgroup of the Bloods, was murdered by Steven T. Hollis III and Juan L. Flythe on orders from gang leader Timothy Rawlings Jr., in Baltimore County, Maryland after they found "gay messages" on his cell phone. The felt having a gay member would make their gang appear weak. Hollis III pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison; Flythe was given a life sentence with all but 30 years suspended; and Rawlings was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A fourth man, Benedict Wureh, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to time served, about 17 months.
Adolphus Simmons
Taysia Elzy
July 25 - Massachusetts
Afdhere Jama a writer publishes “Illegal Citizens: Queer Lives in the Muslim World”
August 16 - California
After the overturn of the same-sex marriage ban in California, Ellen DeGeneres marries actress Portia de Rossi at their home.
September 7 - Washington D.C.
Tony Randolph Hunter, 27, and his partner were attacked and beaten near a gay bar in Washington, D.C. Hunter later died from his injuries on September 18. Police are investigating it as a possible hate crime.
July 5 - National
Johnny Diaz publishes “Miami Manhunt”
June 1 - National
James L. White a successful writer was memorialized as a gay writer by the White Crane Institute by establishment of a biennial gay men's poetry prize in honor of White. The White Crane/James White Poetry Prize is a manuscript prize honoring excellence in Gay Male Poetry.
January 1 - National
Cole Escola met fellow comedian Jeffery Self in New York; bonding over a shared love of theater and 1990s sitcoms, they began creating surreal, semi-scripted YouTube videos under the moniker "Very Good Looking (VGL) Gay Boys.” The sketches, in which Escola often played the demented comic foil to Self's straight man, received over 100,000 views, prompting coverage in New York magazine and a development deal from Logo TV
October 28 - National
“Milk”. In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in his life. Settling in the Castro District, he opens a camera shop and helps transform the area into a mecca for gays and lesbians. In 1977 he becomes the nation's first openly gay man elected to a notable public office when he wins a seat on the Board of Supervisors. The following year, Dan White (Josh Brolin) kills Milk in cold blood.
January 1 - National
“Cali Boys” Cali Boys showcases Joe Phillips' trademark art, which depicts boys on the verge of becoming men - but also contains new and exciting work. Individual drawings come together to form scenes and short stories, set among beaches, surf-spots and Californian landscapes. A reissue of a Bruno Gmunder classic title, now available in a handy format.
November 6 - National
“Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!”. Andy, Nico, Jarod and Griff reunite in Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break and participate in a contest called "Gays Gone Wild" to determine who can attain the most "buttlove" over the course of the vacation.
October 8 - Virginia
The first-ever LGBT forum for Richmond, Virginia, mayoral candidates is held.
July 7 - National
“Lesbian and Gay Richmond” The history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Richmond, Virginia, invokes a rich but uncelebrated past. From the first recorded sodomy prosecution in America in 1624 to the fight to repeal the crimes against nature laws, LGBTs have left their imprint on almost 400 years of history in the Old Dominion's capital. Lesbian and Gay Richmond presents a photographic showcase of the events, people, and places that have been a part of this history. There are snapshots from the 1920s and 1930s when avant-garde and gay authors caroused and shared ideas in private homes. Previously untold stories from the post-World War II era tell of the rise of the gay cafés in Richmond and the subsequent attempts by the authorities to shut their doors. Much like larger cities to the north and west of Richmond, the attempts to close these bars led to the first public protests in the late 1960s. Other images show how Richmond has a unique story to lend to the larger national LGBT history.
January 1 - National
"Barely Working" Adam Raphael, photographer of the widely praised Room Service, now offers Barely Working, a delicious, racially diverse collection of the finest faces and bodies in working situations that include construction, landscaping, and boiler repair. Of course, work soon gives way to play, and the unique combination of laughter, competition, and youthful energy converge to create a sensual tension that can only be captured by a photographer who has the skill and talent to work closely with his models without ever overshadowing or crowding them.
President George W. Bush
August 3 - National
LGBT Resource Center hosts Campaign Boot Camp with Christine Pelosi, daughter of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It is a collection of seminars and workshops that educated students on civil rights activism and political campaigning.
December 12 - National
“Horror in the Wind”. Two bio geneticists invent an airborne formula that changes the sexual orientation of anyone it reaches.
November 3 - Colorado
Aimee Wilcoxson was a transgender woman living in Aurora. She was found dead in her home. She was 34 years old.
September 21 - California
22-year-old trans woman Ruby Molina's nude body was found facedown on the bank of a river in isolated and undeveloped area in Sacramento, California.
Ebony Whitaker
May 13 - National
Blair Mastbaum a writer publishes his book “Us Ones In Between”
November 18 - Washington D.C.
President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team releases its vision of support for the civil rights and LGBTQ community in a straightforward and timely plan. It details a plan to expand hate crimes statutes.
March 1 - National
“Loving Ourselves” First published in 1999, this thoroughly revised and updated edition now presents the issues and concerns relating to self-esteem in the LGBT world to a new generation of men and women. This compassionate guide delves into the unique problems of self-esteem in the gay community, and how understanding your own self-worth can allow you to function better in this complex world. With advice for every demographic, this is the most comprehensive book for building a better you. Dr. Kimeron Hardin is a licensed clinical psychologist and director of the Bay Area Pain & Wellness Center.
August 22 - Oregon
Coquille Indian Tribe Becomes First Native American Tribe to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage, Tribal law specialists say the Coquille appear to be the first tribe to sanction such marriages. Most tribal law doesn't address the issue. The Navajo and Cherokee tribes prohibit same-sex marriages.
January 8 - New Mexico
Patricia Murphy was a drag performer in the Albuquerque's LGBT community. She had won the title of Miss New Mexico Gay Rodeo Association in 2008. Patricia was working towards a nursing degree and was the caretaker to an elderly man. She was shot multiple times. Patricia was 39 years old.
November 4 - Florida
Florida Voters Approve a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriages, The marriage protection amendment defines marriage as a bond between straight couples and renders invalid any other union that is 'treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent.
November 4 - Arkansas
Arkansas passed a measure intended to bar gay men and lesbians from adopting children.
January 1 - California
“Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival”. The Palm Springs Cultural Center incubates, produces and encourages arts and cultural programs in order to leverage the unique power of creativity to open minds, bridge what divides us, and discover what connects us. Our programs include film festivals, farmers’ markets, live performances, art installations and lecture series – all of which act as creative inspiration points – expanding our learning and building meaningful relationships with the people and the natural environment around us. As an organization, The Palm Springs Cultural Center is also at the forefront of recognizing the interconnection between the cultural arts and food culture, and their combined importance to the vitality, collective consciousness and sustainability of the community.
June 15 - National
Long-time partners and co-founders of Daughters of Bilitus, Phillis Lyon and Del Martin, marry.
January 28 - Utah
Winston Wilde publishes fourteen years of research with the release of “Legacies of Love: A Heritage of Queer Bonding” chronicling famous queer relationships with pictures and texts.
February 1 - National
"A Really Nice Prom Mess" In his first novel for young adults, filmmaker Sloan creates a bold, sassy comedy of errors starring Cameron Hayes, a gay high-school senior in Washington, D.C., who makes the mistake of trying to play "straight" man on the night of his high-school prom. Plans for the evening are simple in principle: Cameron and his boyfriend, Shane, will take two "fake" dates to the dance and meet up afterwards. However, little goes as planned. Cameron's date turns out to be a hot-tempered lush, who is none too pleased to discover her escort's sexual preference, and Cameron makes a pass at Shane's date, which brings the males to blows. Both guys get in trouble with the vice principal and Cameron narrowly escapes punishment by making a daring getaway with a drug dealer he meets in the restroom. Any prom disasters readers may have experienced will pale in comparison to the fiascoes recorded here. The remainder of Cameron's evening is a thrilling but unsettling roller-coaster ride as he speeds from one location to another, linking up with some unlikely companions, including a deaf male stripper, a burly football player and a gay cop who eventually rescues Cameron from his nightmare. In a mere 12 hours, Cameron's world has turned completely upside-down but somewhere along the way he gains some insight into his doomed relationship with Shane and into himself. The author's impeccable sense of comedic timing and cast of offbeat characters will keep laughs coming and make larger-than-life events easy to swallow.
August 1 - National
Rachel Maddow becomes the first open lesbian to host a prime-time network news program.
January 1 - California
“Rights Equal Rights” Our opponents have every right to contribute vast sums of money to take away our equal rights, and we have every right to fight back, and we will. We do not want to spend our money at any business owned by individuals who supported California’s Prop 8 initiative. We want to make sure that our millions of friends and allies throughout the United States know exactly who contributed vast sums of money against us, so we have posted over 800 names of those who gave $5,000 and up to the Prop 8 Campaign.
June 1 - National
Brian McNaught releases his bibliography “Are You Guys Brothers?”
June 17 - National
Craig Seymour published “All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C.”
Roman Catholics
Church of Jesus Christ of LDS
January 1 - New Mexico
“Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico” TGRCNM is dedicated to serving the transgender communities in the state of New Mexico and strives to exist as a clearing house for resources which can support, assist, educate, and advocate for the transgender and gender non-conforming population of this state and their families and loved ones.
May 1 - National
“On the Other Hand, Death”. A mysterious client of private eye Don Strachey pays him cash to tail a woman who turns out to be an undercover officer; an older lesbian couple are victims of threats and vandalism; an old flame of his lover Tim shows up to support the older couple; neighbors are angry at the couple for refusing to sell out to a developer; and, parents are angry at one of the couple, Dorothy, for being a good guidance counselor to gay teens. Her partner, Edith, wants to move away; Dorothy is adamant about staying. When someone dies in a fire in their barn, the stakes get higher. Don, who does not believe in coincidence, gives the police enough information to stay on their good side as he pursues the truth.
February 28 - National
“Tru Loved”. Recently relocated from San Francisco to conservative suburbia by her lesbian mothers, Tru struggles like all teens to fit in and find love, but her quest is complicated by sexual politics, closed minds, and closeted friends as she seeks to establish her school's first Gay-Straight Alliance.
April 10 - National
“Dog Tags”. Abandoned by his father and raised by a single mother, Nate Merritt joins the Marines to support his soon-to-be fiancée. While on leave in Palm Springs, Nate meets a seemingly free spirited young gay man, who leads him on a path of discovery--and to the surprising identity of the father he never knew.
January 1 - North Carolina
“Blue Ridge Pride Center” Blue Ridge Pride is a weekend event featuring a day long outdoor festival including main stage music and entertainers, community talents, educational workshops, regional vendors, and participation from state-wide and local LGHTB and non-profit organizations.
October 1 - Oklahoma
During his campaign for re-election as county commissioner of Oklahoma County, Brent Rinehart produces an amateur comic book in which he demonizes “homosexuals,” whom he terms “pedophiles”.
July 17 - Hawaii
Jaylynn L. Namauu was a 35-year old transgender woman living in Makiki Honolulu. She was stabbed to death by Joel Allen, who has been arrested by police.
November 5 - Florida
The UCC Florida Conference passed a resolution at its annual meeting in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
March 17 - National
Joe Kort publishes “Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy for the Straight Clinician”
Tony Randolph Hunter
February 12 - National
“Bookends”. A group of old friends reunite at a birthday party.
Ray Boltz
February 12 - California
15-year-old Lawrence King was shot and killed, a day after a verbal exchange with 14-year-old Brandon McInerney and his friends. King, an eighth-grader who identified as gay and occasionally wore makeup, high heels and other feminine attire to E. O. Green Junior High School, was shot in the head while in class at school.
June 22 - National
“Trinidad”. Documentary: A transsexual surgeon and two of her patients work to transform their small Colorado town into a haven for individuals seeking gender reassignment surgery.
Vote No on Prop 8 for Marriage Equality
June 1 - California
The City of Los Angeles issues four proclamations to the USC LGBT Resource Center, Lambda Gay and Lesbian Alumni Association, GLBTA and the collective Trojan family for commitment to the LGBT community.
January 1 - South Dakota
“Black Hills Center for Equality” The goal of Black Hills Center for Equality is to provide the resources, education and networking necessary to enhance the lives of diverse groups of people, with special outreach services to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Intergender, Asexual, Ally, Pansexual, +etc…, 2S Two-Spirited (LGBTQQIIAAP+2S) community here there after (LGBTQ+), and their friends and families.
January 1 - Tennessee
“OutCentral” mission is to connect, educate, empower, and build a positive, energy- filled space for greater Nashville’s diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Mayor Sam Adams
June 26 - Washington D.C.
The first ever U.S. Congressional hearing on discrimination against transgender people in the workplace is held, by the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
May 14 - Virginia
Lawrence Webb is elected to the Falls Church City Council, becoming the first openly gay African- American elected in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
April 1 - Washington D.C.
Sen. Edward Kennedy speaks at HRC's spring board meeting and reaffirms his commitment to passing inclusive federal hate crimes legislation.
July 1 - Tennessee
Ebony (Rodney) Whitaker was a transgender woman living in Memphis. She was found shot to death and the police have yet to arrest any suspects. Ebony was only 20 years old.
January 1 - Florida
“Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival”. TIGLFF showcases a selection of compelling film and video by, for or about the LGBT community that Entertains, Enlightens & Empowers. TIGLFF is made possible in part by the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and with the support of the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners.
November 5 - National
Victory Fund endorses a record 111 candidates and 70 percent win their races.
June 3 - National
“3 Day Weekend”. Long-term couple Simon and Jason, along with daddy-ish Cooper and his boy du jour, escape to a mountain cabin for a three-day weekend away from their hectic city lives. Looking to spice up this long-standing tradition, they add a special twist to this year’s retreat each of them must invite one attractive single friend to their mountain getaway. Arriving are a frisky former college roommate, a constantly naked yoga instructor, Jason's uptight co-worker and a high-priced rent boy who do indeed stir up the weekend. But this combination of new and old friends creates more tension than anyone ever anticipated. After 72 hours and multiple sexual couplings, new relationships form while others are cast onto shaky ground.
Kate Brown
Oregon Secretary of State
December 19 - Massachusetts
Diego Sanchez is hired as senior policy adviser by openly gay U.S. Representative Barney Frank (Mass.), making him the first transgender staffer on Capitol Hill
November 1 - National
Marcus Ewert publishes “10,000 Dresses,” the first children’s book to show a clearly transgender child.
December 11 - National
“Dream Boy”. Chronicles the relationship between two gay teenagers in the rural south in the late '70s.
January 1 - National
"Christopher And the Boys" A collection of photo stories from Howard Roffman, continuing his tradition of striking images that are at once innocent and highly sensual. Images include Christopher, a small-town boy on holiday in San Francisco; Tolga, a German exchange student, frolicking nude at the Grand Canyon; J.C., an aspiring English actor, becoming a boy at play on a deserted beach; Brian and Tyler making passionate love; and more.
December 4 - New York
Romel Sucuzhanya, a 31-year-old straight Ecuadorean and his brother Jose, were attacked on a Brooklyn street for appearing to be gay and for being Latino; they were walking arm-in-arm, which is normal for brothers in their culture. Romel later died from his injuries.
March 23 - National
“CIAO”. Jeff is taking care of everything Mark left behind when he died in an accident. Mark was about to have a visitor, Andrea, an Italian guy he met online. Jeff and Andrea have the chance to share memories of the Mark they knew while getting to know each other.
June 9 - Michigan
Jeremy Waggoner, an openly gay hairstylist from Royal Oak, Michigan, was brutally murdered in Detroit. His murder is still unsolved.
February 1 - New York
A New York State appeals court unanimously votes that valid same-sex marriages performed in other states must be recognized by employers in New York, granting same-sex couples the same rights as other couples.
April 14 - Washington D.C.
Rally at the National Center for Transgender Equality Lobby Day to end transgender discrimination.
December 12 - California
A 28-year-old lesbian in Richmond, California was kidnapped and gang raped by four men who made homophobic remarks during the attack.
July 1 - National
Cleveland native Linas Alsenas is a picture book illustrator and writer that produces “Gay America: Struggle For Equality”
Angie Zapata
February 10 - New York
Sanesha Stewart, a 25-year-old black trans woman was stabbed to death in Bronx, New York.
November 15 - National
Protests against the outcome of Proposition 8 break out across the country in hundreds of cities. The protests are coordinated by Join the Impact, a group created by Amy Baillett and Willow Witte in light of the passage of Proposition 8. In December, Join the Impact organizes Day Without a Gay, in which supporters of same-sex marriage were advised to "call in 'gay' to work" and take the day off to perform volunteer work in their community.
June 29 - National
Conservative Anglicans indicate that they plan to split from liberal Anglicans in “The Jerusalem Declaration”.
August 29 - National
“Prodigal Sons”. Filmmaker Kimberly Reed returns home for her high school reunion, ready to reintroduce herself to the small town as a transgender woman and hoping for reconciliation with her long estranged adopted brother Marc. Things are complicated by the shocking revelation that Marc may be the grandson of Orson Wells and Rita Hayworth, forcing Kim and her family to explore questions of sexual orientation, identity, severe trauma and love.
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