Decades Of Pride in the Nation’s Capital!

Timeline of Triumph, Struggle and Resilience

Our Mission Our Team Our Community

  • Late 1940s

    PROSECUTE IN THE CAPITAL

    US Park Police launch Pervert Elimination Campaign to arrest, investigate, and prosecute gay men cruising the city’s parks

  • LAWS TARGETING GAYS


    Congress passes a sodomy law for DC. The law, introduced by Rep. Arthur Miller (R-Neb.), established a penalty of up to 10 years in prison or a fine up to $1,000 and remained in effect and unaltered until it was repealed in 1995.

    1948

  • 1950

    EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION


    Employment of Homosexuals and Other Perverts in Government, Senate report This report allowed job discrimination and denial of security clearances and launched a lengthy campaign to clean the “perverts” out of government employment.

  • CAREERS DESTROYED

    State Department announces purge of 91 homosexuals, the start of a government-wide campaign that would claim more than 10,000 careers – and some lives.

    1950

  • 1953

    FEDERAL EMPLOYEES FIRED

    President Eisenhower signs executive order that allows firing of federal employees for “sexual perversion.”

  • DR. FRANKLIN KAMENY APPEALS TO SUPREME COURT

    Kameny was fired from his job with the U.S. Army Map Service for being a homosexual, and barred from future federal employment. He appeals the firing all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    1957

  • 1957

    NOB HILL OPENS

    Nob Hill became the longest continuously operating gay club in DC and one of the oldest black gay clubs in the US. It closed in 2004.

  • MATTACHINE SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON FORMED

    The first DC gay activist group, Mattachine fought for civil rights on security clearances and job discrimination. Founded by Dr. Franklin E Kameny with Paul Kuntzler, Eva Freund, Jack Nichols, Lilli Vincenz and others.

    1961

  • 1961

    OSCARS/ACADEMY AWARDS OF WASHINGTON FORMED

    ‘Liz Taylor’ started the first ‘safe haven’ for female impersonators in the DC area.

  • MARCH ON WASHINGTON HAS OPENLY GAY LEADER

    Openly gay Bayard Rustin organizes the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a seminal event in the civil rights movement.

    1963

  • 1965

    FIRST GAY PICKETING OF WHITE HOUSE

    Early supporters of gay rights protest openly in front of the White House.

  • THE HOMOSEXUAL CITIZEN PUBLISHED

    DC’s first local civil rights magazine, The Homosexual Citizen, published by the Mattachine Society.

    1966

  • 1968

    PLUS ONE OPENS

    DC’s first gay disco drew mixed male and female crowds. Its opening was the first opportunity for same-sex dancing in DC.

  • RIOTS AT THE STONEWALL INN

    Violent confrontations, between police and gay rights activists outside the Stonewall Inn, in NYC.

    June 28, 1969

  • 1969

    WASHINGTON GAY BLADE

    Later renamed the Washington Blade. The local paper has been in continuous operation since its founding, focusing on civil rights, news and events.

    Photo sourced from Washington Blade.

  • PHASE 1 OPENS

    Phase 1 is the oldest continually operating lesbian bar in the U.S. and the oldest operating LGBT bar in DC.

    1970

  • 1971

    KAMENY FOR CONGRESS CAMPAIGN

    Kameny was the first openly gay man to run in a political campaign in DC (for DC Delegate to Congress).

  • GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE DC FOUNDED

    GAA (later GLAA) is the oldest continuously active gay activist group in DC.

    1971

  • 1971

    EARTHWORKS OPENS

    Deacon Maccubbin opened the first openly gay non-bar business in DC, site of the first gay hotline and first gay bookstore.

  • DC EAGLE OPENS

    1971

  • 1971

    METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH FORMED

  • DIGNITY DC

    The Dignity DC chapter is organized.

    1972

  • 1972

    DC SCHOOL BOARD RESOLUTION BANS DISCRIMINATION

    In a landmark decision, the School Board extended the first civil rights protection to homosexuals.

  • FIRST GAY PRIDE CELEBRATED IN DC

    The first celebration took place as perceptions began to change, but it does not yet become an annual event.

    1972

  • 1973

    WASHINGTON FREE CLINIC OPENS

    Known as the Gay Men’s VD Clinic, the first gay and lesbian community medical support organization began in the basement of Georgetown Lutheran Church.

  • TITLE 34 RIGHTS PROTECTION ADOPTED

    This first citywide human rights ordinance provided protection to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered men and women.

    1973

  • 1974

    LAMBDA RISING OPENS

    Lambda Rising became the leading gay bookstore in DC

  • LAMMAS WOMEN’S BOOKSTORE & MORE OPENS

    Lammas catered to the women’s community until it closed in 2000.

    1974

  • 1975

    ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL GAY PRIDE IN DC

    The first annual Pride celebration was organized in June by Deacon Maccubbin and held on 20th St between R and S NW. Photo Credit – The Washington Blade

  • BET MISHPACHAH FOUNDED

    Bet Mishpachah is a Jewish congregation welcoming gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews.

    1975

  • 1976

    GERTRUDE STEIN DEMOCRATIC CLUB FORMED

  • CINEMA FOLLIES FIRE

    A tragic fire at a gay adult theater killed – and outed – nine men.

    1977

  • 1978

    WALT WHITMAN REPUBLICAN CLUB FORMED

    The Walt Whitman Club was one of the first gay Republican groups in the nation and became the Capital Area Log Cabin Club.

  • BROTHER, HELP THYSELF ORGANIZED

    BHT funds many fledgling community groups, AIDS support organizations and community institutions.

    1978

  • 1978

    WHITMAN-WALKER CLINIC FOUNDED

    The earliest and most widely based LGBT health organization opens. In 2011, it would change its name to Whitman-Walker Health.

  • FIRST MARCH ON WASHINGTON

    1979

  • 1981

    GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON FORMED

  • FIRST HIV/AIDS SUPPORT SERVICES OFFERED AT WHITMAN-WALKER

    1981

  • 1981

    ARLINGTON GAY AND LESBIAN ALLIANCE FOUNDED

  • DC DECRIMINALIZES SODOMY, UNSUCCESSFULLY

    Congress overrules the DC City Council and keeps the law in place.

    1981

  • 1981

    FIRST REPORT OF AIDS IN DC

  • MAJOR AIDS FORUM HELD AT LISNER AUDITORIUM

    This public forum organized by Whitman-Walker Clinic drew 1,200 men.

    Photo courtesy of Metro Weekly

    1983

  • 1983

    THE ALEXANDRIA GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED

  • SEXUAL MINORITY YOUTH ASSISTANCE LEAGUE FOUNDED

    1984

  • 1984

    AIDS EVALUATION UNIT

    Whitman-Walker opens the first gay, community-based medical unit devoted to evaluation/diagnosis of AIDS symptoms.

  • US HELPING US FORMED

    1985

  • 1986

    FIRST HIGH HEEL DRAG RACE

  • JR’S BAR & GRILL OPENS

    1986

  • 1987

    FIRST AIDS QUILT DISPLAY ON THE NATIONAL MALL

  • SECOND MARCH ON WASHINGTON

    1987

  • 1987

    1ST DC AIDS WALK

  • METRO TEEN AIDS FORMED

    1988

  • 1989

    MAUTNER PROJECT FORMED

    The medical and social support group was formed in honor of Mary-Helen Mautner to help lesbians living with cancer. It merged with Whitman-Walker in 2013.

  • BIWOMEN’S AND BIMEN’S NETWORK FOUNDED

    1989

  • 1990

    ACT UP DEMONSTRATIONS AT NIH

    ACT UP organized protests over AIDS research priorities at NIH, more than 1,000 demonstrators participated.

  • FIRST DC BLACK PRIDE HELD

    1991

  • 1993

    THIRD MARCH ON WASHINGTON

  • “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL”

    The controversial policy for LGBT military personnel becomes law.

    1993

  • 1993

    DC COUNCIL LEGALIZES PRIVATE CONSENSUAL SODOMY

    Congress overrules the DC City Council and keeps the law in place.

  • METROWEEKLY MAGAZINE DEBUTED

    1994

  • 1995

    TYRA HUNTER DEATH PROTESTS

    Tyra Hunter, transgendered victim in a traffic accident, was neglected by EMS paramedics, sparking protests and investigations of DC Fire Department and EMS handling of transgendered people.

  • TRANSGENDER HEALTH EMPOWERMENT OPENS

    1996

  • 1996

    DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT BECOMES LAW

  • DAVID CATANIA ELECTED FIRST GAY DC COUNCIL MEMBER

    1997

  • 1997

    JAY FISETTE BECOMES FIRST OPENLY GAY ELECTED OFFICIAL IN VIRGINIA

  • GAY MUSLIM GROUP AL-FATIHAH ORGANIZED

    1999

  • 2000

    PRIDE IN THE METROPOLITAN POLICE

    DC Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit Formed

  • MILLENNIUM MARCH (FOURTH MARCH ON WASHINGTON)

    2000

  • 2001

    DC DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS BEGIN

  • SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS STATE SODOMY LAWS

    2003

  • 2003

    NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY FOUNDED

  • GENDER IDENTITY PROTECTIONS

    DC City Council adds gender identity protections to the DC Human Rights Act.

    2005

  • 2009

    MATTHEW SHEPARD AND JAMES C. BYRD HATE CRIMES LAW PASSED

  • NATIONAL EQUALITY MARCH (FIFTH MARCH ON WASHINGTON)

    2009

  • 2009

    DC MARRIAGE EQUALITY LAW PASSES, SIGNED INTO LAW

  • “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” LAW REPEALED

    2011

  • 2012

    CASA RUBY OPENS

    Casa Ruby is a multicultural LGBT organization providing educational, health, housing, and social services to individuals facing poverty in the nation’s capital.

  • PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, GAY ALLY

    President Obama becomes first sitting President to openly support marriage equality.

    2012

  • 2012

    TAGG MAGAZINE LAUNCHES

    Tagg magazine launched to serve lesbians, bisexual women and the transgender community.

  • SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS PART OF DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT

    2013

  • 2015

    SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LEGALIZED IN ALL 50 STATES

  • SUPREME COURT OBERGFELL VS HODGES 2015

    2015