List of LGBT firsts by year

See also: List of the first LGBT holders of political offices for a listing of office-holders by country.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is the Prime Minister of Iceland and the first openly gay head of government in modern times.

This list of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) firsts by year denotes pioneers in various endeavors organized chronologically. Openly LGBT people remain a demographic minority in most cultures. In areas that historically are not known for having (or being friendly to) LGBT people who do not remain closeted, a "first" can make it easier for other openly LGBT persons to enter the field or for those who are closeted to come out. Openly LGBT people being visible in society affects societal attitudes toward homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgenderism on a wider level.

One commonly cited example is Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to political office in California, becoming the most visible LGBT politician in the world in the 1970s after decades of resistance to LGBT people by mainstream culture. Milk encouraged LGBT people to come out during his speeches. As a result of his work and assassination along with San Francisco mayor George Moscone, thousands of ordinary people did. In 2002, Milk was called "the most famous and most significantly open LGBT official ever elected in the United States".

1800s

• The earliest published studies of lesbian activity were written in the early 19th century.

1856

• The first known reference to lesbians in Mormon history occurred in 1856, when a Salt Lake man noted in his diary that a Mormon woman was "trying to seduce a young girl ."

1897

• Scientific-Humanitarian Committee — first gay rights organization

1912

• The first explicit reference to lesbianism in a Mormon magazine occurred when the "Young Woman's Journal" paid tribute to "Sappho of Lesbos ."

1923

• Lesbian Elsa Gidlow, born in England, published the first volume of openly lesbian love poetry in the United States, titled "On A Grey Thread."

1924

• Society for Human Rights — First gay rights organization in the United States. Published Friendship and Freedom, the first American gay publication.

1936

• Mona's 440 Club, the first lesbian bar in America, opened in San Francisco in 1936 . Mona's waitresses and female performers wore tuxedos and patrons dressed their roles .

1939

• Frances V. Rummell, an educator and a teacher of French at Stephens College, published an autobiography under the title Diana: A Strange Autobiography; it was the first explicitly lesbian autobiography in which two women end up happily together . This autobiography was published with a note saying, "The publishers wish it expressly understood that this is a true story, the first of its kind ever offered to the general reading public" .

1947

• Vice Versa — First lesbian-interest publication in the United States.

1952

• Christine Jorgensen (born in 1926 named George William Jorgensen, Jr.) became the first widely known person to have sex reassignment surgery.
• "Spring Fire," the first lesbian paperback novel, and the beginning of the lesbian pulp fiction genre, was published in 1952 and sold 1.5 million copies . It was written by

lesbian Marijane Meaker under the false name Vin Packer , and ended unhappily .

1955

• The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was founded in San Francisco in 1955 by four lesbian couples (including Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon) and was the first national lesbian political and social organization in the United States .

1961

• José Sarria — first openly gay person to run for public office in the United States (San Francisco city supervisor).

1964

• The first photograph of lesbians on the cover of lesbian magazine The Ladder appeared in September 1964, showing two women from the back, on a beach looking out to sea.

1966

• The first lesbian to appear on the cover of lesbian magazine The Ladder with her face showing was Lilli Vincenz in January 1966. .

1967

• Craig Rodwell opens the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore, the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors.

1970s

1972

• Nancy Wechsler became the first openly gay or lesbian person in political office in America; she was elected to the Ann Arbor City Council in 1972 as a member of the Human Rights Party and came out as a lesbian during her first and only term there .
• Camille Mitchell became the first open lesbian to be awarded custody of her children in a divorce case, although the judge restricted the arrangement by precluding Ms. Mitchell's lover from moving in with her and the children .
• Freda Smith became the first openly lesbian minister in the Metropolitan Community Church (she was also their first female minister).
• Madeline Davis became the first openly lesbian delegate elected to a major political convention when she was elected to the Democratic National Convention in Miami, Florida. She addressed the convention in support of the inclusion of a gay rights plank in the Democratic Party platform. In 1972 she also, along with Margaret Small, taught the first course on lesbianism in the United States (Lesbianism 101 at the University at Buffalo.) That year she also wrote and recorded "Stonewall Nation," the first gay pride anthem, which was produced on 45 rpm record by the Mattachine Society of the Niagara Frontier.

1973

• Sally Miller Gearhart became the first open lesbian to obtain a tenure-track faculty position when she was hired by San Francisco State University, where she helped establish one of the first women and gender study programs in the country .

1974

• Kathy Kozachenko — first openly gay or lesbian candidate to win public office in the United States (won a seat on the Ann Arbor, Michigan, city council)
• Elaine Noble became the first openly gay or lesbian candidate ever elected to a state-level office in America when she was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives . She had come out as a lesbian during her campaign .
• Allan Spear - served almost thirty years in the Minnesota Senate, including nearly a decade as President of the Senate.

1975

• Elaine Noble — first openly gay or lesbian candidate elected to a state legislature in the United States (Massachusetts commonwealth legislature)
• Minneapolis became the first city in the United States to pass trans-inclusive civil rights protection legislation.

1976

In 1976 the first case in the United States which found that post-operative transsexuals could marry in their post-operative sex was decided. It was the New Jersey case M.T. v. J.T., 140 N.J. Super. 77, 355 A.2d 204, cert. denied 71 N.J. 345 (1976). Here the court expressly considered the English Corbett v. Corbett decision, but rejected its reasoning.

1977

• Anne Holmes became the first openly lesbian minister ordained by the United Church of Christ .
• Ellen Barrett became the first openly lesbian priest ordained by the Episcopal Church of the United States (serving the Diocese of New York) .
• The first lesbian mystery novel in America was published; it was Angel Dance, by Mary F. Beal.

1978

Harvey Milk in 1978. Milk was the first openly gay elected politician in California

• Harvey Milk — first openly gay or lesbian candidate elected to political office in California; first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States
• San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corp — world's first openly-gay musical group
• Samois, the first lesbian S/M group in the United States, was founded.
• Robin Tyler became the first out lesbian on U.S. national television, appearing on a Showtime comedy special hosted by Phyllis Diller. The same year she released her comedy album, Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Groom, the first comedy album by an out lesbian.

1979

• Stephen Lachs — first openly gay judge appointed in the United States (Los Angeles County Superior Court)

1980s

1980

• David McReynolds — first openly gay man to run for president of the United States

1981

• Mary C. Morgan became the first openly gay or lesbian judge when she was appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to the San Francisco Municipal Court.
• Ien Dales - first lesbian member of the cabinet of the Netherlands
• Tennis player Billie Jean King became the first prominent professional athlete to come out as a lesbian, when her relationship with her secretary Marilyn Barnett became public in a May 1981 "palimony" lawsuit filed by Barnett. Due to this she lost all of her endorsements.

1983

• Gerry Studds — first openly gay member of the United States House of Representatives. Admitted a past relationship with a page when confronted in Congress.

1984

• Chris Smith — first openly gay MP in the United Kingdom.
• Reconstructionist Judaism became the first Jewish denomination to allow openly lesbian rabbis and cantors.

1985

• The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ordained Deborah Brin as the first openly gay or lesbian rabbi in Judaism.

1986

Becky Smith and Annie Afleck became the first openly lesbian couple in America granted legal, joint adoption of a child .

1987

• Barney Frank — first U.S. congressman to come out as gay of his own volition.
• David Norris — first openly gay elected senator in the Republic of Ireland.

1988

• Svend Robinson — first Canadian Member of Parliament to come out.
• Stacy Offner became the first openly lesbian rabbi hired by a mainstream Jewish congregation, Shir Tikvah Congregation of Minneapolis (a Reform Jewish congregation) .

1989

• Glen Murray — first out gay man elected to a City Council in Canada having not previously held office. Fort Rouge Ward Winnipeg, Canada
• Denmark — first country to legally recognize same-sex registered partnership.

1990s

1990

• Justin Fashanu — first professional Football (Soccer) player ever to identify himself publicly as gay (Swedish footballer Anton Hysén recently [2011] became the second).

1991

• An episode of Fox's Roc (TV series) airing on October 20th ("Can't Help Loving That Man") depicted the first same-sex marriage on U.S. prime time television.
• Dale McCormick became the first open lesbian elected to a state Senate (she was elected to the Maine Senate).
• Sherry Harris was elected to the City Council in Seattle, Washington, making her the first openly lesbian African-American elected official.
• The first lesbian kiss on television occurred; it was on L.A. Law between the fictional characters of C.J. Lamb (played by Amanda Donohoe) and Abby (Michele Greene) .

1992

Althea Garrison was elected as the first transgender state legislator in America, and served one term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives; however, it was not publicly known she was transgender when she was elected.

• The first Dyke March (a march for lesbians and their straight female allies, planned by the Lesbian Avengers) was held in Washington, D.C., with 20,000 women marching .
• The Triangle Ball was held; it was the first inaugural ball in America to ever be held in honor of gays and lesbians.
• Roberta Achtenberg became the first openly gay or lesbian person to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate when she was appointed to the position of Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity by President Bill Clinton.

1994

• Deborah Batts — first openly gay or lesbian United States federal judge (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)

1995

• Georgina Beyer — world's first transgender mayor (Carterton District, New Zealand)
• Rachel Maddow — first openly gay or lesbian American to win an international Rhodes scholarship.
• Harvey Brownstone — first openly gay or lesbian judge appointed in Canada (Ontario Court of Justice)
• Ian Roberts — first openly gay rugby league player in Australia

1996

• Michael Kirby — first openly gay judge of the High Court of Australia (appointed February 1996; named his male partner in his 1999 entry in "Who's Who in Australia")
• Bob Brown — first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia (elected March, his term started July)
• South Africa — first country to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in its constitution.
• The first lesbian wedding on television occurred, held for fictional characters Carol (played by Jane Sibbett) and Susan (played by Jessica Hecht) on the TV show Friends .

1997

• Ellen DeGeneres — first openly gay star of a prime-time television series in the United States. DeGeneres was star of the situation comedy Ellen. In 1997, she came out as a lesbian on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Shortly afterwards, her TV series character Ellen Morgan also came out as gay in the fourth-season episode "The Puppy Episode".

1998

• Dana International — first transsexual to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
• Glen Murray — first out gay man to be elected mayor of a major city in the world. Winnipeg 700,000 people capital of Manitoba.
• Gender identity was added to the mission of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays after a vote at their annual meeting in San Francisco. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is the first national LGBT organization to officially adopt a transgender-inclusion policy for its work.
• Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay or lesbian non-incumbent ever elected to Congress, and the first open lesbian ever elected to Congress, winning Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district seat over

Josephine Musser .

1999

• Georgina Beyer — first transsexual Member of Parliament (elected in 27 November New Zealand general election; representing the Wairarapa electorate)
• Stephen Brady and his partner Peter Stephens – world's first openly gay ambassadorial couple; accompanied by Stephens, Brady presented his credentials as Australian Ambassador to Denmark, to Queen Margrethe II on 15 February 1999
• James Hormel — first openly gay United States ambassador (sworn in June 1999)

2000

• The Transgender Pride flag was first shown, at a pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona.
• Civil unions were legalized in Vermont (the first state to do so) and Carolyn Conrad and Kathleen Peterson became the first couple in the United States to be civilly united.

2001

Pim Fortuyn

• Libby Davies — first female Canadian Member of Parliament to come out as a member of the LGBT community
• Klaus Wowereit — first elected mayor of Berlin as an openly gay German
• Bertrand Delanoë — first openly gay person to be elected mayor of Paris
• Netherlands — first country to legally recognize same-sex marriage.

2002

• Pim Fortuyn — the first openly gay candidate for Prime Minister of the Netherlands, assassinated nine days before election day.
• Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays established its Transgender Network, also known as TNET, as its first official "Special Affiliate," recognized with the same privileges and responsibilities as its regular chapters.

2003

• Ang Ladlad — the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) political party
• David Cicilline — first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital (Providence, Rhode Island)
• Gene Robinson — first openly gay person to be ordained bishop in a major Christian denomination

2004

• Bill Siksay — first openly gay Canadian elected to a first term as Member of Parliament
• Felipe "Alejandra" González Pino — First transgender councilman in Chile (Lampa commune)
• Oras Tynkkynen — first openly gay member of parliament in Finland. Initially appointed as a replacement for an MP who stepped down, was elected to his seat in 2007.
• The first all-transgender performance of the Vagina Monologues was held. The monologues were read by eighteen notable transgender women, and a new monologue revolving around the experiences and struggles of transgender women was included.
• Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon became the first same-sex couple to be legally married in the United States , when San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom allowed city hall to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples . However, all same-sex marriages done in 2004 in California were annulled . After the California Supreme Court decision in 2008 that granted same-sex couples in California the right to marry, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon remarried, and were again the first same-sex couple in the state to marry . Later in 2008 Prop 8illegalized same-sex marriage in California , but the marriages that occurred between the California Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage and the approval of Prop 8 illegalizing it are still considered valid, including the marriage of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon . However, Del Martin died in 2008 .
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in the state of Massachusetts, and Marcia Hams and Sue Shepard became the first same-sex couple to marry in Massachusetts ,.
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in part of Oregon, as after researching the issue and getting two legal opinions, the commissioners decided Oregon's Constitution would not allow them to discriminate against same-sex couples. The Chairwoman of the Board of Commissioners ordered the clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses. Mary Li of Portland and her partner, 42-year-old Becky Kennedy, became the first same-sex couple to marry in Oregon. However, later that year, Oregon voters passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as involving one man and one woman. The same-sex marriages from 2004 were ruled void by the Oregon Supreme Court.

2005

• Bonnie Bleskachek — first openly lesbian fire chief of a major metropolitan area in the United States (Minneapolis)

2006

• Chaya Gusfield and Rabbi Lori Klein, both ordained in America, became the first openly lesbian rabbis ordained by the Jewish Renewal movement.

2007

• Jenny Bailey — the first transgender mayor in the United Kingdom.
• Theresa Sparks — first transgender police commissioner (San Francisco). In 2003 Theresa Sparks had been the first transgender woman ever named "Woman of the Year" by the California State Assembly.
• Jalda Rebling, a German woman born in Holland and ordained in America, became the first openly lesbian cantor ordained by the Jewish Renewal movement.
• From 2007 to 2008 actress Candis Cayne played Carmelita Rainer, a transgender woman having an affair with married New York Attorney General Patrick Darling (played by William Baldwin), on the ABC prime time drama Dirty Sexy Money. The role made Cayne the first openly transgender actress to play a recurring transgender character in prime time.

2008

Rachel Maddow in August 2008

• Rachel Maddow — first openly gay or lesbian anchor of a major prime-time news program in the United States, hosting The Rachel Maddow Show on U.S. cable network MSNBC.
• Silverton, Oregon elected Stu Rasmussen as the first openly transgender mayor in America.
• Angie Zapata, a transgender woman, was murdered in Greeley, Colorado. Allen Andrade was convicted of first-degree murder and committing a bias-motivated crime, because he killed her after he learned that she was transgender. This case was the first in the nation to get a conviction for a hate crime involving a transgender victim. Angie Zapata's story and murder were featured on Univision's "Aqui y Ahora" television show on November 1, 2009.
• The first ever U.S. Congressional hearing on discrimination against transgender people in the workplace was held, by the the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
• At the request of a lesbian couple (Kitzen and Jeni Branting), the Coquille Indian Tribe on the southern Oregon coast adopted a law recognizing same-sex marriage. Tribal law specialists said the Coquille may be the first tribe to sanction such marriages.
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in Connecticut, and state Rep. Beth Bye and her girlfriend Tracey Wilson became the first same-sex couple to marry in Connecticut .

2009

• Lesbian and Gay Band Association — first LGBT-represented contingent marching in a U.S. presidential inaugural parade. The parade on January 20 was in celebration of Barack Obama's incoming administration.
• Jared Polis — first male U.S. congressperson to be openly gay when first elected to office
• Stu Rasmussen — first openly transgender elected mayor in the United States (Silverton, Oregon)
• Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir — Prime Minister of Iceland, and the first openly gay head of government in modern times
• Carol Ann Duffy — first openly gay Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom
• Alejandro Freyre and José María di Bello — first gay marriage in Latin America.
• Gareth Thomas — first openly gay professional rugby player still playing the game.
• Annise Parker was elected as the first openly gay or lesbian mayor of Houston, Texas.
• Diego Sanchez became the first openly transgender person to work on Capitol Hill; he was hired as a legislative assistant for Barney Frank. Sanchez was also the first transgender person on the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) Platform Committee in 2008.
• Barbra “Babs” Siperstein was nominated and confirmed as an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee, becoming its first openly transgender member.
• Kitzen and Jeni Branting married in the Coquille Indian tribe's Coos Bay plankhouse, a 3-year-old meeting hall built in traditional Coquille style with cedar plank walls. They were the first same-sex couple to have their marriage recognized by the tribe, of which Kitzen was a member.
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in Iowa, and Shelley Wolfe and Melisa Keeton became the first lesbian couple (and the second same-sex couple) to marry in Iowa .
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in Vermont , and Claire Williams and Cori Giroux became one of the first same-sex couples to marry in Vermont (others including them married the moment same-sex marriage was legalized).

2010s

2010

• Annise Parker — first openly gay mayor of a major (population over 1 million) U.S. city (Houston)
• Sharon Lubinski — first openly gay United States Marshal
• Steven Davies - first openly gay international cricketer
• Guinness World Records recognized transgender man Thomas Beatie as the world's "First Married Man to Give Birth."
• Amanda Simpson became the first openly transgender presidential appointee in America when she was appointed as senior technical adviser in the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security.
• Kye Allums became the first openly transgender athlete to play in NCAA basketball. He was a transgender man who played on George Washington University's women's team.
• Victoria Kolakowski became the first openly transgender judge in America.
• Mary Glasspool became the first openly lesbian bishop ordained by the Episcopal Church of the United States (serving the Diocese of Los Angeles) .
• Mary Albing became the first openly lesbian minister ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving the Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer on the south side of Minneapolis .
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in the District of Columbia, and Sinjoyla Townsend and Angelisa Young became the first same-sex couple to marry in the District of Columbia .
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in New Hampshire , and Linda Murphy and Donna Swartwout became one of the first same-sex couples to marry in New Hampshire (others including them married the moment same-sex marriage was legalized) .

2011

• Dominic Hannigan and John Lyons — first openly gay members of Dáil Éireann.
• Anna Grodzka - first transgender member of Polish Parliament and European history.
• Ruth Davidson - first openly gay leader of a major British political party
• Elio Di Rupo - first openly gay Prime Minister of Belgium, second openly gay head of government in Europe (besides Jóhanna_Sigurðardóttir, the prime minister of Iceland)
• Chaz Bono appeared on the 13th season of the US version of Dancing with the Stars in 2011. This was the first time an openly transgender man starred on a major network television show for something unrelated to being transgender.
• Harmony Santana became the first openly transgender actress to receive a major acting award nomination; she was nominated by the Independent Spirit Awards as Best Supporting Actress for the movie Gun Hill Road.
• Courtney Mitchell and Sarah Welton, both from Colorado, were married in Nepal's first public lesbian wedding ceremony, although the marriage was not legally recognized in Nepal.
• Same-sex marriage was legalized in New York state, and Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd became the first same-sex couple to be married in New York state.

2012

Katie Ricks became the first open lesbian ordained by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Bibliography

• Tobin, Kay and Wicker, Randy. The Gay Crusaders. New York: Paperback Library, 1972; Arno, 1975 ISBN 0-405-07374-7

See also

• Timeline of LGBT history
• List of the first LGBT holders of political offices
• List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender sportspeople
• List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people
• List of transgender people
• List of LGBT rights activists