LGBT history in the United States

LGBT history in the United States
Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Title	LGBT history in the United States
Period	Precolonial–Present

LGBT history in the United States charts the social, legal, and cultural experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people across centuries, highlighting activism, persecution, and shifting public policy. This history intersects with Indigenous nations, colonial powers, reform movements, wartime mobilizations, landmark protests, public health crises, court decisions, and contemporary politics.

Precolonial and Colonial Periods

Indigenous nations such as the Navajo Nation, Lakota, Cherokee Nation, Iroquois Confederacy, and Ojibwe recorded diverse gender roles like the Two-Spirit tradition, while contact with the Spanish Empire, British Empire, and French colonial empire brought Christian doctrines enforced by institutions such as the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion. Colonial legal codes in Jamestown, Virginia, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and New Amsterdam borrowed from English common law and imposed punishments seen in statutes influenced by the Church of England and Puritanism, affecting people prosecuted under sodomy laws modeled on Buggery Act 1533. Explorers and settlers including Christopher Columbus and administrators in the Thirteen Colonies encountered and often suppressed Indigenous gender-diverse practices documented by observers affiliated with the Royal Society and colonial administrations.

19th Century and Early 20th Century

During the antebellum era and the American Civil War, individuals such as Albert Cashier and communities in San Francisco and New York City developed early networks of same-sex intimacy amid movements like Abolitionism and institutions such as the Underground Railroad and Harper's Weekly reportage. The rise of urban centers in the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era saw establishments in neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and SoHo alongside policing by municipal forces such as the New York City Police Department and legal cases in courts including the New York Court of Appeals. Sexology emerged through figures like Magnus Hirschfeld and Havelock Ellis, while reformers in organizations such as the American Medical Association and publications like The New York Times influenced public attitudes. Early advocacy in the 1920s and 1930s involved groups including the Society for Human Rights and the later Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis precursors in underground networks.

Mid-20th Century: World Wars to McCarthyism

World War I and World War II mobilizations saw LGBT people serve within units such as the United States Navy and the United States Army, with medical and security screenings shaped by policies from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Strategic Services. Postwar institutions including the Department of Defense implemented bans culminating in policies leading to events like the Lavender Scare, paralleling the Red Scare and investigations by congressional committees such as the House Un-American Activities Committee. Pioneering activists like Frank Kameny and organizations including the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis challenged dismissals via litigation in courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, while magazines like ONE, Inc. sought press protections litigated before the United States Supreme Court.

Stonewall, Gay Liberation, and the 1970s

The Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village sparked a wave of activism leading to organizations including the Gay Liberation Front, Gay Activists Alliance, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and publications like The Advocate. Cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. hosted pride marches inspired by the first anniversary commemorations, while cultural figures like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Harvey Milk, Larry Kramer, and Audre Lorde shaped political and artistic movements. Legislative battles unfolded in statehouses in California, New York, and Minnesota, with legal confrontations in courts including the California Supreme Court and municipal governments such as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

AIDS Crisis and 1980s–1990s Activism

The emergence of HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s prompted responses from institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitals such as San Francisco General Hospital, and activists forming groups including ACT UP, Gay Men's Health Crisis, and the National Association of People with AIDS. Public figures like Rudolf Nureyev and politicians including Bill Clinton engaged with policy while organizations including the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health navigated research and treatment debates. Landmark events such as the AIDS Memorial Quilt and protests at venues like the St. Patrick's Cathedral pressured elected bodies including the United States Congress and local governments to allocate funds and revise discriminatory practices.

Legal Recognition and Marriage Equality (2000s–2015)

Legal contests centered on laws and decisions including Defense of Marriage Act, United States v. Windsor, Hollingsworth v. Perry, and Obergefell v. Hodges reshaped marriage rights, with advocacy from organizations such as Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, and Equality Federation. State-level events in Massachusetts, California, New York, and Iowa produced legislative and judicial milestones, while presidencies from George W. Bush to Barack Obama saw policy shifts affecting military service in the Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal and executive actions via the Department of Justice and the White House. Courts including the United States Supreme Court and lower federal circuits adjudicated disputes over recognition, benefits, and constitutional protections.

Contemporary Issues and Recent Developments (2016–Present)

Recent years encompass debates involving administrations such as Donald Trump and Joe Biden, federal agencies including the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, and rulings in cases like Bostock v. Clayton County and Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. Transgender rights in states such as Texas, Idaho, Florida, and California have prompted legislation and litigation involving organizations like ACLU and GLAAD and actions in courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Cultural visibility has expanded through artists and public figures like Laverne Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Lil Nas X, Rachel Maddow, and institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Netflix, while movements addressing intersectionality cite thinkers like bell hooks and activists from groups including Black Lives Matter and SAGE USA.

Category:LGBT history