Day in Gay History
Friday, May 9, 2008
1726-In England, Gabriel Lawrence, William Griffin and Thomas Wright were hanged after a trial of five men arrested during a raid on Margaret Brown's molly house, a meeting place for gay men. George Kedger, another man who had been sentenced to death, was spared when a judge overturned his conviction.
1969-The Scottish Minorities Group was founded by 25 men and women.
1970-In Phoenix Arizona, teacher Ingrid Montano was pressured to resign after being condemned for inviting a homosexual to speak to her sociology class.
1970-An all-women's dance, organized by Radicalesbians, was held in New York City. The organization was formed by a group of women who were frustrated with the predominantly male events of the Gay Liberation Front.
1971-Andy Warhol's play "Pork" opened. The cast included a sixteen-year-old drag queen named Harvey Fierstein.
1978-Voters in Wichita Kansas repealed a gay rights ordinance by a margin of five to one.
1989-Nancy Schafer, president of Citizens for Public Awareness in Atlanta Georgia, announced the group would raise $160,000 to sponsor a ballot initiative to remove Atlanta's gay rights ordinance.
1996-The British Parliament rejected a move to lift the nation's ban on gays in the military.