Some terms you might hear this month include:Īsexual - A word that describes people who do not feel sexual desire toward any group of people. And that same year, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that workplace discrimination against LGBT+ employees was an unconstitutional form of gender discrimination - but the ruling lies on shaky ground, because LGBT+ people are still not considered their own protected class in many states.Ī couple is seen during the New York City Pride March, Jin New York City. In 2017, Washington, DC, residents became able to choose a gender-neutral option on their driver's licenses. In 2015, the US Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in every state. A year later, the US issued a regulation that prohibits LGBT+ discrimination in federally-assisted housing programs. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the ban on gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the military, was repealed in 2011. In 2009, Congress passed the Matthew Shepard Act, which expanded the definition of hate crimes to include gender, sexual orientation, gender-identity, and disability. In 1975, the US introduced the first federal gay-rights bill to address discrimination based on sexual orientation. Under the Clinton administration, federal funding for HIV/AIDS research, prevention, and treatment more than doubled. Over the past five decades, LGBT+ rights have significantly improved. The last states to decriminalize same-sex sexual intercourse were Texas, Idaho, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Michigan, in 2003.
The rainbow is so perfect because it really fits our diversity in terms of race, gender, ages, all of those things," Baker told MOMA two years before his death in 2017.Ī parade goer poses for a portrait during the 2016 LGBT Pride March on Jin New York City.Īt the time of the Stonewall Riots, many states still criminalized same-sex relationships. "We needed something beautiful, something from us. In recent years, the flag has been adapted to include black and brown, for racial inclusivity and HIV/AIDS awareness.Īs Forrest Wickman wrote in Slate, c loseted queer people have historically used bright colors to signal their homosexuality to each other. In 1979, the palette was condensed to six colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet). The original flag had eight colors, each carrying a specific meaning. He created the flag for the 1978 Gay Freedom Pride Parade in San Francisco, at the request of Harvey Milk, a gay local politician who was assassinated later that year. The LGBT pride flag was invented in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a gay rights activist, army veteran, artist, and self-declared "gay Betsy Ross."
A spectator holds up a flag during the New York City Pride March, Jin New York City.