Browse Exhibits (264 total)
The Marlin Beach Affair: From Homosexual "Presence" to Gay "Community," by Fred Fejes
The 1976 controversy over the Marlin Beach, a beachfront hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that openly sought a gay clientele, demonstrates the social, political, and media dynamics that shaped the emergence of that community. Published originally on OutHistory in 2020 and updated in 2023.
The Midwest's "Queer Mecca": 40 Years of GLBTQ History in Bloomington, Indiana, 1969-2009, by Susan Stryker's Students
This exhibit explores the LGBTQ history of Bloomington, Indiana, especially related to Indiana University. Published originally on OutHistory in 2010. Updated in 2025.
The Pink and the Blue: Lesbian and Gay Life at Yale and in Connecticut, 1642-2004, by Jonathan Ned Katz
Moving chronologically from early colonial laws to twentieth-century movement activism, this exhibit addresses LGBTQ+ people and politics in Connecticut, focusing especially on Yale University. The exhibit was originally presented in May 2004 with the sponsorship of the Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies at Yale; it is now reproduced on OutHistory with no adjustments made to the original contents and only minimal adjustments made to the original design. The original exhibit was curated by Jonathan Ned Katz, with the research assistance of Brad Walkers and the website design work of Andrew Sloat. Republished with the assistance of Zach Greenberg on OutHistory in August 2026.
The Power and Difficulty of Coalition Work: A History of Seattle’s Freedom Day Committee, 1975-2000, by Chris Smith
This exhibit features more than twenty Seattle pride posters and a history of Seattle pride events. An earlier version of the essay was published as Chris Smith, “Organizing Pride in Seattle from 1981 to 2000: A Written History of the Freedom Day Committee,” Seattle Gay News, June 25, 2026, Section 2, 10-14. Published originally on OutHistory in August 2026.
The Queer History of Women's Suffrage: Scholarship and Censorship in 2025, by Wendy Rouse
This exhibit features Wendy Rouse's "The Very Queer History of the Suffrage Movement," which the National Park Service published in 2020 but altered and then deleted in 2025. The exhibit includes an introduction by Rouse and copies of both the original 2020 essay and the altered 2025 version. Published originally on OutHistory in February 2025.
The Standard Model of the Social-Historical Universe, by Jonathan Ned Katz
Two versions of a theoretical essay by OutHistory's founder. See also: Envisioning the World We Make, 2016-2021, by Jonathan Ned Katz
The Subject Speaks: An Interview with Jimmy Paul, by Svetlana Kitto
The subject of a famous Nan Goldin photograph, Jimmy Paul, speaks about his life, and about encountering an inaccurate caption on that photograph in a major queer history art show. Published originally on OutHistory in 2015.
The Three Sapphos of 1900: What Bryn Mawr College Can Teach Us about the Icons Who Put Lesbian Culture on the Map, by Suzanne Stroh and Samantha Pious
This exhibit traces the development of the “Sapho 1900” phenomenon in Paris to three lesbians who came of age in the United States: the performance artist Eva Palmer and the poets Natalie Barney and Renée Vivien. At Bryn Mawr College, they clashed with prominent lesbians who could have been their role models: M. Carey Thomas, the college president, and Mamie Gwinn, the noted literary scholar. But despite their differences, the two generations of women shared an unlikely experience: polyamory. The poetry Barney and Vivien wrote during this period is an early example of queer creatives asking how to live fulfilling lives when pulled in multiple directions by jealousy and desire. The exhibit also shows how they negotiated the reality of blackmail but could not escape its devastating effects. Copyright (c) 2026 by Suzanne Stroh and Samantha Pious. Published originally on OutHistory in May 2026.
Timeline: Abraham Lincoln, Sexuality, and Intimacy, 1809-1865, by Jonathan Ned Katz
A chronology and bibliography addressing President Abraham Lincoln's intimate relationships with men and women. Published originally in 2015; updated in 2024.
Timeline: Activism and Organizing, 1836-2016
OutHistory presents a timeline tracing the actions of LGBTQ activists throughout history. This chronology includes many different types of protest acts, from publishing poetry to rioting, expanding our notions of what should be considered activism over time. Understanding this history of social change activity is important as we act to make changes in today's world. First published on OutHistory July 28, 2016. Last edited October 4, 2016.
Timeline: African American LGBTQ+ U.S. History, 1646-2020
This is a chronological listing, from the earliest to the latest, of historical sources relevant to the search for African American U.S. LGBTQ+ history. In honor of Juneteenth 2020, OutHistory published this African American LGBTQ+ U.S. History Timeline. Juneteenth celebrates the anniversary of June 19, 1865, the day that slaves in Galveston, Texas, heard from a Union army general that the Emancipation Proclamation had ended the slave system.
Timeline: African American LGBTQ+ U.S. History, 1912-2009
In light of the BlackLivesMatter movement, OutHistory presents a timeline chronicling the distinct and important history of LGBTQ people in African American communities. Our aim is to create a representation of black queer and trans history that pays attention to the many conversations about what sexuality and gender have meant in African American communities across time. First published on OutHistory in 2016; updated in 2024.
Timeline: Alberta Lucille Hart/Alan L. Hart, 1890-2009
First published on OutHistory in 2022.
Timeline: Alice Mitchell/Freda Ward Murder, 1892-1992
First published on OutHistory in 2021.
Timeline: Art and the Queer Revolution, 1966-2012
First published on OutHistory in 2021.
Timeline: Asian American and Pacific Islander LGBTQ History, 1873-2023
OutHistory presents a timeline chronicling the history of Asian American and Pacific Islander LGBTQ+ people, noting the ways that intersectional forces have shaped queer lives. We thank Amy Sueyoshi for getting us started, Nayan Shah and Judy Wu for helpful suggestions, and Madeline Lee for major contributions. First published on OutHistory August 7, 2020. Last edit June 27, 2024.
Timeline: Bisexual U.S. History, 1892-2020
A timeline of events, people, and publications on bisexual U.S. history.
Timeline: Buggery, Crime Against Nature, Sodomy Cases Appealed, U.S., 1800-1899, by Jonathan Ned Katz
OutHistory is enlisting researchers in a project to copy and place on OutHistory the published reports and original records of all 19th-century U.S. legal cases (about 150 currently identified) that include the terms “buggery,” “crime against nature,” or “sodomy.”
Origin date: November 10, 2010. Last revision: December 15, 2021.
For a related OutHistory feature see:
Timeline: Sodomy Cases in U.S. Newspapers: 1800-1899
Timeline: FBI and Homosexuality, 1908-2015
This chronology surveys the history of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's surveillance of homosexuals and alleged homosexuals. It includes references to what was considered gender and sexual deviance. It also includes surveillance of the activities of members of homosexual rights groups and anti-homosexual persons and groups.
Timeline: History of Queer History, 1887-2019
A timeline of the development of queer history as a field of inquiry, knowledge, and study. Published originally on OutHistory in 2019. Last updated January 14, 2024.
If you wish to help OutHistory add to this Timeline please email Jonathan Ned Katz at outhistory@gmail.com