Vintage photos of the first LGBT marches in U.S.

[Little Star]

It's one of the most colorful weekends on the calendar with Gay Pride events taking place around the world, but less than 45 years ago there were few celebrations of the LGBT community at all.

There were no openly gay politicians. No TV show had any identifiably gay characters. It was legal to fire gay men or women, and deny them housing.

When Hollywood made a film with a major homosexual character, the character was either killed or killed himself.

There were no openly gay policemen, public school teachers, doctors, or lawyers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2351896/When-gay-pride-wore-shirt-tie-barely-rainbow-colored-feather-sight.html

There's more at the link!

[William769]

1. Thanks!

Just a FYI: It still is legal to fire gay men or women, and deny them housing in the majority of the United States.

[stevenleser]

5. I mentioned that during my show last week when I discussed the SCOTUS ruling

It starts at 14:18 here http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lesersense/2013/06/30/making-sense-with-steve-leser--issa-supreme-court-more

and I discuss ENDA and related topics starting at 17:40

[xchrom]

2. awesome. i shudder to think how long i've attended pride marches. nt

[Fearless]

3. Hi mom guess what!

[skydive forever]

4. Loved the striped pants

on the guy holding the big sign. To think I used to wear things just like that.

[Amimnoch]

6. K&R Some real pioneers

Those who marched when there was real danger to their person in doing so. Changing more and more each year!

[marginlized]

7. Great photos!

I remember Pride Parade in 1972, driving around downtown SF trying to FIND THE PARADE!

And "Mom, Guess What" became the masthead for a local newsmagazine in '78:
http://mgwnews.angelfire.com/innerfront.html

Maybe one of the original publishers had seen this photo or was there.

[AZ Progressive]

8. True heroes, and a great demonstration of bravery

To do a gay pride march back then when gay people were treated as pests by the government, when gay people were "exposed" on newspapers after a bar arrest and subsequently fired from their jobs, when police departments had a "Public Morals Squad" and actively oppressed the gay community, when being outed could lead to being ostracized from mainstream society, when one could be institutionalized for being gay, when it was illegal to do any act deemed homosexual (including dance together and wear opposite sex clothing) in even New York City, when the FBI was keeping lists of "known homosexuals", when the general atmosphere toward lgbt people was extreme hostility and a gay / lesbian person who outed them self was taking extreme risks.

[pinto]

9. +1 Thanks for the snag.