May 8
On This Day In LGBTQ+ History:
1805: King George III of England pardons sailor Bartlett Ambler of a sodomy conviction.
1917: The North Dakota Supreme Court sustains a conviction for cunnilingus under its sodomy law.
1968: Bucks County Community College student demonstration against cancellation of Mattachine Society speaker in Newtown, Pennsylvania (200 participants)
1970: GLF-Ann Arbor demonstration at University of Michigan alumni tea.
1970: GLF-NY participation in antiwar demonstration in Washington, D.C. (25-30 participants).
1972: GAA-NY demonstrations at home of district attorney (75-100 participants).
1975: The Florida Supreme Court dismissed charges against a group of men who were arrested in a Miami bathhouse.
1978: The trial begins of those in the Montreal Truxx Bar raid, charged with being keepers of a common bawdyhouse (house of prostitution).
1981: Billie Jean King comes out as a lesbian following the palimony suit brought by Marilyn Barnett.
1987: The Danish Parliament in Copenhagen voted to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
1990: Fitness trainer and former model Paul Barresi “outs” actor John Travolta in an interview in the National Enquirer.
1992: Deb Price began writing for the Detroit News.
1994: The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Deborah Batts, the first African-American openly lesbian US Federal District Court Judge.
1996: South Africa becomes the first country in the world to adopt language in its constitution protecting the civil rights of lesbians and gay men.
1998: The South African High Court repealed laws criminalizing gay and lesbian sex, saying such laws violated the new constitution of South Africa.
2001: Arizona repeals its sodomy law.
2002: Suffolk Superior Court judge rules against granting marriage licenses to seven gay couples.
2007: United States Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Senator Patrick Leahy reintroduce the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) in the U.S. Congress which would change the anti-Gay discriminatory practices of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
2010: A Lithuanian Gay Pride parade takes place amid violence by anti-gay protestors.
2010: Chaz Bono’s new name is legally recognized by the court.
2012: North Carolina bans same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships.
Born On This Day:
Tom of Finland, Touko Laaksonen, (May 8, 1920 – November 7, 1991)
Rodolfo Morales (May 8, 1925 – January 30, 2001)
William Wuttunee (May 8, 1928 – October 31, 2015)
Alberto Mauricio Chueque (May 8, 1943 -- January 8, 1979)
André Boulerice (May 8, 1946 – )
Kevin Jennings (May 8, 1963 – )
Darren Hayes (May 8, 1972 – )
Ian "H" Watkins (May 8, 1976 – )
Sarah Vaillancourt (May 8, 1985 – )
Nyle DiMarco (May 8, 1989 – )
Randy Phillips (May 8, 1990 – )
Died On This Day:
Roy Horn (October 3, 1944 – May 8, 2020)
Credit to Dr. Ronni Sanlo, OutHistory, the White Crane Institute and The Lavender Effect for their "On This Day" resources.
This is an ongoing project. If you notice any mistakes or issues, or know of any events, birthdays or deaths I've left off, please don't hesitate to reach out.
