Comments on: DC pride festival honors gay rights pioneer Kameny

By: Prof. Donald Gaudard

Prof. Donald Gaudard — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:53:59 +0000

In 1970 Frank Kameny came to Michigan State University to speak to the newly formed Gay Liberation Movement. I was so inspired by meeting him and listening to him that I drafted an ordinance for the East Lansing City Council to protect the employment rights of gays and lesbians. It took two years to get it passed bya the City Council, but it was the first gay rights law to pass in the US, and it was all due to Frank Kameny.

By: equalnotspecial

equalnotspecial — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:23:18 +0000

The first public gay rights organization in the U.S. was the Society for Human Rights (SHR) in 1924, organized by Henry Gerber, who was soon arrested. Organization attempts continued and the Mattachine Society emerged in 1950, followed by Daughters of Bilitis organized by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon (the first couple married in California) in San Francisco in 1955. In August of 1966, the Compton Cafeteria riot in San Francisco, helped set the precedent for Stonewall. By 1969 gay and lesbian organizations existed all over the country. Stonewall was an important milestone because it was the first time the national media paid attention, but it was not the birth of the gay equal rights movement in the U.S. The hard work and sacrifice of those who preceded Stonewall should not be forgotten.

By: LOrion

LOrion — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:46:55 +0000

Wow! Just wow…yes we need to honor him ALL OVER the country!

By: Wayne

Wayne — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:44:13 +0000

Frank Kameny deserves the honour. Let us never forget that we have rights today only because of the courage of men and women like Frank Kameny, Barbara Ghittings and Jim Egan (Canada) who spoke out when doing so put one at risk of negative legal actions– even criminal persecution.