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Disabled Gay and Lesbian Activists in the Homophile Movement, 1930s-1980s, by Moira Armstrong
A collection of biographies of disabled gay and lesbian activists in the homophile movement. Published originally on OutHistory in October 2024.
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 2024.
Queering the Titanic, 1912
This exhibit introduces several of the LGBTQ people who sailed on the Titanic and several of the same-sex relationships, possibly intimate, that developed between people on the ship that sank in 1912.…
Archibald Butt: Presidential Aide and Titanic Victim, 1865-1912, by James Gifford
This exhibit introduces Archibald Butt, a journalist and U.S. presidential aide who died on the Titanic. The exhibit includes an interpretation of his life as queer by James Gifford. Published…
Francis Davis Millet and Charles Warren Stoddard, 1874-1912, by Jonathan Ned Katz and Claude M. Gruener
This exhibit introduces and reproduces the correspondence of artist Francis Davis Millet and writer Charles Warren Stoddard. Published originally on OutHistory in 2012. Updated in 2024.
Queer Sources from Queer Newark: Stories of Resistance, Love, and Community, 1870s-2020s, by Moira Armstrong
This exhibit follows up on the recent book Queer Newark: Stories of Resistance, Love, and Community (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2024), which covers themes, figures, and events from the…
Timeline: Sodomy Cases in U.S. Newspapers, 1800-1899, by William Benemann
A database of 230 nineteenth-century sodomy cases mentioned in U.S. newspapers, researched and with an introduction by historian William Benemann. Published originally on OutHistory in 2015. Updated…
Jan Gay: The Lesbian Sex Researcher That History Forgot, by Michael Waters
This essay was first published on March 2, 2022, by Harper’s Bazaar magazine, which retains the copyright. It is reprinted here with the permission of the author and publisher. This reprint includes…
Finding Annette: Uncovering Trans History in Idaho, 1950-70, by Sophie McMahon
An exhibit on Annette, an Idaho transwoman who was featured in Tranvestia magazine and was at the center of a Pacific Northwest trans social network in the 1960s.
The High Risk Project Society: Intracommunity Support in Transgender Vancouver, 1992-2001, by Phoenix Walker
An exhibit on the High Risk Project Society, which supported trans people in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the 1990s and early 2000s.
"I Am Now Well And Strong": Frederik Hammerich, 1868-1918, by Jonathan Ned Katz
An overview of the life of a man who emigrated from Denmark to the United States in the 1890s in the aftermath of scandalous accusations about his same-sex sexual activities. Published originally by…
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: Asian American and Pacific Islander LGBTQ History, 1873-2023
OutHistory presents a timeline chronicling the history of LGBTQ+ people in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, noting the ways that intersectional forces have shaped queer lives. We thank…
"Everything I Learned": A 2023 Interview with Curtis Chin, by Judy Wu
An interview with Curtis Chin, focusing on his 2023 memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. Published originally on OutHistory in 2024.
Urvashi Vaid: The Vassar and Boston Years, 1975-83, by Marc Stein
This exhibit focuses on Urvashi Vaid (1958-2022), a leading LGBTQ activist of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The exhibit includes three components: a roundtable interview…
LGBTQ Controversies at the University of Iowa in the 1990s, by Mickey Eliason
Excerpts of a forthcoming memoir, Airing the Dirty Laundry: Queer in the Academy, by a former faculty member at the University of Iowa. Published originally by OutHistory in 2023.
Kaliflower and the Homosexual Revolution of 1969, by Eric Noble
An exhibit on relationships between the counterculture and the early gay liberation movement in San Francisco, focusing in particular on the Kaliflower commune. Published originally by OutHistory in…
Two U.S. Reviews of Andre Gide's Corydon (1949-50), by Jonathan Ned Katz
An exhibit featuring excerpts of two U.S. responses to the publication, in English translation by Hugh Gibb, of Andre Gide's defense of homosexuality in Corydon, with comments by Frank Beach (New…
State LGBT History Education Laws, 2011-2024, by Marc Stein
An exhibit featuring the texts of state laws, beginning with a California statute adopted in 2011, that mandate LGBT history education in public schools. Published originally, with the research…
The Lafayette College Queer Archives Project Digital Humanities Site, by Mary A. Armstrong
A discussion of the LGBTQ+ digital humanities site “The Queer Archives Project” at Lafayette College (Easton, PA), with links to oral history interviews and examples of archival artifacts. © Mary A.…
A Conversation with Alex Ketchum about the Directory of LGBTQ+ Archives, by Juan Carlos Mezo-González
An edited transcript of a 2023 interview with the creator of a new directory of LGBTQ+ archives. Published originally by OutHistory in 2023.
Curing Psychiatry and Psychology: A 2015 Interview with Charles Silverstein, by Philip Clark
A transcript of a 2015 interview with the author of The Joy of Gay Sex (1977), with comments about the struggle to change the classification of homosexuality as a mental illness in the 1970s.…
Do You Know Jonathan Ned Katz?: A 2023 Interview with Director Philip Harrison, by Joseph Plaster
A 2023 interview about the documentary film-in-progress Do You Know Jonathan Ned Katz?, which focuses on OutHistory's founder.
Documenting the Stonewall Riots: A Bibliography of Primary Sources, by Marc Stein
This online resource is a research supplement to Marc Stein, The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History (New York: New York University Press, 2019). It provides references for primary documents…
Sally: A 2023 Interview with Documentary Filmmaker Deborah Craig, by Julie R. Enszer
A 2023 interview about the documentary film-in-progress Sally, which focuses on lesbian feminist author and activist Sally Gearhart.
When Henry Wrote to Jim: The Letters of Henry Gerber to Jim Egan, 1951, by Donald W. McLeod
An essay and primary source exhibit on the 1951 correspondence between Henry Gerber, an early U.S. gay rights leader, and Jim Egan, an early Canadian gay rights advocate. Published originally on…
Timeline: Terminology (Fairy and Light in the Loafers), 1892-1993
This timeline is a collaborative work-in-progress that has had many contributors over a long period of time. Some of the language used and concepts referenced, influenced by colonialism, imperialism,…
Timeline: The History of Sexuality and Gender History, 1811-1983
A chronological list of research on the history of sexuality and gender with a focus on the United States and England. This timeline is a collaborative work-in-progress. Some of the language used and…
Timeline: Transgender History
This timeline is a collaborative work-in-progress that has had many contributors over a long period of time. Some of the language used and concepts referenced, influenced by colonialism, imperialism,…
Timeline: Transgender U.S. History, 1528-2020
This timeline is a collaborative work-in-progress that has had many contributors over a long period of time. Some of the language used and concepts referenced, influenced by colonialism, imperialism,…
Timeline: Walt Whitman and Same-Sex Sex Intimacy, 1848-2021
A chronology of references to same-sex desire and sexual activity in the life of Walt Whitman and in the works of Whitman's biographers and critics. This timeline is a collaborative work-in-progress.…
Timeline: Working-Class LGBTQ+ U.S. History, 1836-2020
This chronology on U.S. LGBTQ+ working-class history has been created with the help of Miriam Frank's book Out in the Union: A Labor History of Queer America (Philadelphia: Temple University Press,…
William Stringfellow and Anthony Towne, 1962-1985, by Heather White
Two men's life together shows how Christian traditions of spiritual brotherhood could shelter same-sex love from social scrutiny. Originally published on OutHistory in 2020.
Who Was Jennie June (1870-1950)?, by Channing Gerard Joseph
An exhibit that describes the work done to identify the author of groundbreaking memoirs from the early 1900s. Originally published on OutHistory in 2022.
What Are We For? Harry Hay and the Left, 1953-1964, by Ben Miller
OutHistory presents Ben Miller's adaptation of his senior honors thesis, Children of the Brain: The Life, Theory, & Activism of Harry Hay, 1953-1964, written for the New York University Department of…
U.S. Homophile Internationalism: Archive and Exhibit, 1953-1964, by Marc Stein, Tamara de Szegheo Lang, Shlomo Gleibman, Sage Milo, Dasha Serykh, Carly Simpson, and Healy Thompson
An archive and exhibit exploring U.S. homophile magazine references to various regions of the world in the 1950s and 1960s. The regions are (1) Africa; (2) Asia and the Pacific; (3) Canada; (4) Latin…
Transmasculine People in the U.S. Press, 1876-1939, by Emily Skidmore, with Marissa Brameyer
An introduction to approximately sixty individuals who were assigned female at birth and lived as men from the 1870s to the 1930s in the United States. Published originally on OutHistory in 2022 and…
Tish, Female Impersonator: A 2012 Interview by Silvia Sanza
Tish (Joseph Touchette) has had a long career as a professional female impersonator. In 2012 he was interviewed by his Greenwich Village neighbor, Silvia Sanza. OutHistory is grateful to Ms. Sanza for…
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 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…
The Homosexual at Williams College, 1971-2021, by Daniel R. Pinello
On the fiftieth anniversary of Daniel R. Pinello's coming out in an essay on the front page of the Williams College student newspaper, OutHistory republished, with the author's permission, Pinello's…
The Hidden Queer History Behind “A League of Their Own,” 1940-2018, by Frankie de la Cretaz
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League did everything it could to keep lesbians off the diamond. Seventy-five years later, its gay stars finally opened up. OutHistory excerpt, along with…
The Gay Academic Union: The Proceedings of Its First National Conference in New York City, 1973, by John D'Emilio
OutHistory presents the proceedings of the November 25, 1973 Gay Academic Union Conference, with a new introduction by John D'Emilio, who was also a GAU founder. "The Universities and the Gay…
Stepping-Off for the First March, New York City, June 1970, by Fred Sargeant
Remembering the first pride march in New York City. First published on OutHistory in 2019. Updated in 2023.
Society for Human Rights, 1924, by Jonathan Ned Katz
The original charter for the Society for Human Rights in Chicago, Illinois, with information about its founder, Henry Gerber, republished from Jonathan Ned Katz, Gay American History (1976).
Sexuality and Biological Determinism, 1995, by Jonathan Ned Katz
Two 1995 letters to the editor by OutHistory founder Jonathan Ned Katz.
Rose Cleveland and Evangeline Simpson, 1846-1918, by Jonathan Ned Katz
An essay, originally published in The Advocate in 1989, about U.S. President Grover Cleveland's sister Rose and her partner.
Revolution: American Colonial Settlers Make a New Nation, 1775-1860, Jonathan Ned Katz
Links for exhibits on Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens and Moreau de Saint Méry, along with profiles of Frederick von Steuben and Deborah Sampson, published originally on OutHistory in 2020.
Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA] Celebrates the Contributions of All LGBTQ+ Black Americans in U.S. history, February 26, 2021, by Barbara Lee
A resolution introduced by a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Black History Month in February 2021.
Religion and Homosexuality in the United States, by John D'Emilio and His Students
An essay by historian John D'Emilio "On Teaching Religion and Homosexuality in the U.S.," and six chronologies on religion and homosexuality in the United States. First published on OutHistory in…
Queering African American History: A Bibliography, by Kevin J. Mumford
OutHistory is grateful to historian Kevin J. Mumford for creating this bibliography, and for research assistance he sends special thanks to Olivia Hagedorn, a doctoral candidate in history at the…
Queer Workers I Have Known, June 16, 2020, by Anne Balay
An essay by a queer labor historian.
Queer History of Colleges and Universities
A collection of links to OutHistory projects and other materials on LGBT history in higher education, along with a timeline on Columbia University and a bibliography of sources. First published on…
Proud to be Working Class and Queer in 2020, by Anne Balay
Pride month opens in 2020 at a moment of crisis for the USA and for its unions.
Poems by Jonathan Ned Katz
A series of poems written by OutHistory's founder over many years. Published originally in 2023.
Phyllis Lyon (1924-2020): Feminist Lesbian Icon, Human and Civil Rights Advocate, Friend, Mentor, by Marcia Gallo
A historian recalls the life of an early lesbian activist. First published on OutHistory in 2020.
Patricia Highsmith/Jonathan Ned Katz Correspondence, 1980
In June 1980, OutHistory founder Jonathan Ned Katz wrote to Patricia Highsmith, asking her about her book The Price of Salt (1952), perhaps the first novel about lesbians that ended happily. This…
New Preface to Gay American History, 1992, by Jonathan Ned Katz
From the "revised" edition of Gay American History (Meridian/New American Library, a division of Penguin Books, 1992). The only revision was this new preface, written in 1991.
Neil Derrick (1931-2018), by Edward Field
An introduction, by his long-time partner, to the life and work of a gay writer who specialized in "soft-porn." Born in Visalia, California, raised in Exeter, California, and a graduate of the…
My Beloved Friend Carol Joyce (1926-2020), by Jonathan Ned Katz
Forced by the coronavirus pandemic to vacate the safe-house she occupied with her husband, Bob, Carol Joyce moved with him and a beloved cousin, Isabel Soffer, to Soffer’s country home. There, Carol,…
Adam Badeau (1831-1895): Civil War Officer and Presidential Biographer
This exhibit features notes from an anonymous OutHistory contributor about a Civil War officer and biographer of U.S. President Ulysses Grant.
Michelle: San Francisco Drag Performer, 1960s and 1970s
Michelle, also known as Mike Michelle, was a popular and well known drag performer during the late 1960s and early 1970s in San Francisco. First published on OutHistory in 2022.
Memories of the Revolution: A Home For Wayward Girls, 2016, by Holly Hughes
Excerpted from Memories of the Revolution: The First Ten Years of the WOW Cafe Theatre, co-edited by Holly Hughes, Jill S. Dolan, and Carmelita Tropicana (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press,…
Melville's Secret Sex Text: Decoding His 1849 Novel Redburn, by Jonathan Ned Katz
Adapted from an essay about Henry Melville's novel in The Village Voice Literary Supplement, April 1982, pages 10-12. Copyright Jonathan Ned Katz. First published on OutHistory in 2020.
Lucien Price: Homosexual Emancipation Pioneer (1883-1964), by Jonathan Ned Katz
An introduction to Junius Lucien Price, whose series of novels, All Souls, make him a pioneering homosexual author and resistor. Born in Kent, Ohio, Price attended Harvard University, worked as a…
Lillian Winters Lived as Man in St. Louis, 1900-1909, by Jonathan Ned Katz
First published on OutHistory in 2020.
LGBTQ Life in Watauga County, North Carolina, 1969-2009, by Kathryn Staley
This exhibit is adapted from Staley, Kathryn. “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Life at Appalachian State University.” Master’s Thesis, Appalachian State University, 2009.
LGBT Direct Action Bibliography, Chronology, and Inventory, 1965-1975, by Marc Stein
An introduction to more than 1000 LGBT direct action demonstrations and protests in the United States from 1965 to 1975, with an overview report, annotations, bibliographic references, and tags.…
Jonathan Ned Katz: Resumé
A resumé and overview of the works of OutHistory's founder, an independent scholar, self-taught historian and visual artist.
Jonathan Ned Katz on Fruit Punch Radio, March 23, 1977
In 1976, Jonathan Ned Katz published Gay American History: Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A., the first comprehensive book of documents on U.S. homosexual history, drawing on primary sources ranging…
Jennie June/Ralph Werther/Earl Lind, 1874-1950: Researching the Author
An overview of a research project in progress, created by a group effort to identify the birth name and other information about the pioneering author who went by the names Jennie June, Ralph Werther,…
Jim Oleson, 1938-2015, by Yasmin Nair
Jim Oleson, the longtime partner of historian John D'Emilio, passed away April 4, 2015. To honor Oleson, OutHistory republished his obituary by Yasmin Nair. Reprinted with permission of the Windy City…
Homophobia in Mississippi, 1958, by Jonathan Ned Katz
In 2015, OutHistory published this original document discovery, a homophobic 1958 report by the President of Mississippi Southern College (now the University of Southern Mississippi) in Hattiesburg.…
Homophile Movement Oral Histories, 1950-1969, by John D'Emilio
A collection of twenty-three LGBTQ oral histories completed by John D'Emilio in the 1970s.
Herbert Spiers, 1945-2011, by Jonathan Ned Katz
A biography and obituary of an AIDS activist.
Great Moments in Fort Lauderdale LGBT History: The First Gay Cruise, 1974, by Fred Fejes
An introduction to a 300-person gay cruise, organized by the Islanders Club of New York, that set sail from Fort Lauderdale in 1974. Published originally by OutHistory in 2020.
Fraternities, Sex Between Men, The Closet, 1993, by Thomas Glave
Thomas Glave was a student at Bowdoin College when he published what turned out to be an inflamatory essay in the Bowdoin student newspaper, The Bowdoin Orient, on February 19, 1993 (p. 15).…
Founding Google's Gayglers in 2004, by Bennet Marks
An account of the founding of Google's LGBT employee group in 2004 and an article about the founder and his partner. Published originally on OutHistory in 2019.
Eve Adams Archive, by Jonathan Ned Katz
This feature presents the following six sections: Eve Adams Chronology; Eve Adams Corrections; Eve Adams Documents; Eve Adams Pictures; Eve Adams Research Suggestions; Eve Adams Teaching Topics and…
Envisioning the World We Make, 2016-2021, by Jonathan Ned Katz
See also: The Standard Model of the Social-Historical Universe, by Jonathan Ned Katz
“We Were The Movement": Lesbian Activism in the Boston Reproductive Rights Movement, by Sara Slager
A 2023 essay by Sara Slager, a Boston-based researcher who graduated in May 2022 from Simmons University with a BA in Women's and Gender Studies and a double minor in History and Education. In May…
Doctors Treat LGBTQ+ People: A Troubled History, 1866-2020, by Jonathan Ned Katz
An excerpt of Jonathan Ned Katz, Gay American History: Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A. (T.Y. Crowell, 1976), 129-34, along with a bibliography and sample document.
Discovering a Trove of Magnus Hirschfeld Documents, 2009-2012, by Donald W. McLeod
An exhibit on the discovery of documents related to the life and times of German Jewish sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935). Published originally on OutHistory in 2020.
COVID Quarantine Meditation, May 13, 2020, by Anne Balay
Anne Balay, professor, trucker, and union organizer, meditates on Matt Brim's Poor Queer Studies in an original OutHistory feature.
Comrades and Lovers, A Documentary Play, by Jonathan Ned Katz
A theater piece, first performed in 1989-1992 and authored by OutHistory's founder, about love between men in the life of Walt Whitman, adapted from the words of Whitman, John Addington Symonds, and…
Carroll Smith-Rosenberg and "The Female World of Love and Ritual," A 2021 Interview by Matthew Hauptman
An interview with the author of a groundbreaking 1975 essay on lesbian history.
Blue-Collar Queers, an Introduction to Steel Closets, 2014, by Anne Balay
Anne Balay provided OutHistory with an original introduction to her book, Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers, published by the University of North Carolina Press, in…
Atlanta Since Stonewall, 1969-2009, by Wesley Chenault
Atlanta Since Stonewall, 1969-2009: A Local History brings to life a segment of the city’s LGBTQ past, highlighting nationally recognized and little-known personalities, places, and events. Through…
Arthur Kingsley Porter, 1883-1933, by Andrew Houchens
This exhibit addresses the homosexuality of Arthur Kingsley Porter, who chaired Harvard University's Art History Department. An earlier profile of Porter, authored by Jonathan Ned Katz, was published…
Angela Calomiris (1916-1995): A Spy in the Lesbian Herstory Archives, by Lisa E. Davis
An introduction to and overview of the story of Angela Calomiris, a working-class lesbian who was a key informant for the FBI in the 1940s against the Communist Party.
An 18th Century Transsexual, 1788, by Clair Kronk
A brief introduction to an 18th century medical account of a trans person in a Paris hospital.
"Where Perversion Is Taught": The Untold History of a Gay Rights Demonstration at Bucks County Community College, May 9, 1968, by Marc Stein
An exhibit on a 1968 student protest at Bucks County Community College after the college president cancelled an event featuring Mattachine Society New York leader Richard Leitsch. Published originally…
"An Understanding...Held Them Together": John Sterling and James Bloss, 1870-1918, by Jonathan Ned Katz
In 1864, John William Sterling graduated from Yale College. About 1870, in his mid-twenties, Sterling met James Orville Bloss, who was three years younger. The two formed a relationship of almost 50…
Gene Pearson: The Canadian Nightingale, 1899-1932, by Donald W. McLeod
An exhibit on the rediscovery of female impersonator and singer Gene Pearson. Published originally on OutHistory in 2020.
Peter Sewally/Mary Jones, June 11, 1836, by Jonathan Ned Katz and Tavia Nyong'o
Two historians, Jonathan Ned Katz and Tavia Nyong’o, present and analyze the story and visual depiction of Peter Sewally/Mary Jones, a Black transgender person in New York City, in 1836. First…
Bars and the Queer Economy, 2017, by Jeffrey Escoffier and Christopher Mitchel
Writing about queer bars and drag culture in the 1972 classic Mother Camp, Esther Newton observed that queer communities had “an economics but no economy.” In this exhibit, Jeffrey Escoffier and…
Boutilier v. Immigration and Naturalization Service (1967), by Marc Stein
This was originally published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1967 ruling in Boutilier v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, which upheld the deportation of Clive…
Sexuality and the Modern American Gossip Magazine, 1879-1950s, by Christopher Michael Elias
The growth of gossip magazines and tabloids during the first half of the twentieth century was partially fueled by the industry's embrace of sensational topics such as murder, violence, crime, and…
Esther Eng (1914-1970): Filmmaker, Restaurateur, Gender Rebel, by Christianne A. Gadd
Esther Eng made a name for herself as the world's first female Chinese American filmmaker, a successful restaurateur, and—rejecting social expectations—a woman who felt little need to hide her…
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…
No Red-Baiting! No Race-Baiting! No Queen-Baiting! by Allan Bérubé
This is a 90-minute illustrated talk narrated by Allan Bérubé (1946-2007) on the Marine Cooks and Stewards Union. Introduced by historians John D'Emilio and Estelle Freedman, the talk tells the…
John Sterling and James Bloss, 1870-1918, by Claude M. Gruener and Rick Wagner
In 1864, John William Sterling graduated from Yale College. About 1870, in his mid-twenties, Sterling met James Orville Bloss, who was three years younger. The two formed a relationship of almost 50…
Horacio N. Roque Ramírez (1969-2015): Presente!, by Nan Alamilla Boyd
Following the death of historian Horacio N. Roque Ramírez in December 2015, OutHistory published a memorial by Nan Alamilla Boyd.
Reed Erickson, Pioneering Transgender Activist and Philanthropist, 1917-1992, by Ada Bello
Reed Erickson used the wealth which his class privilege provided to support public education and activism about transgender lives and issues at a time when very little public attention was focused on…
Zapping the New York Academy of Medicine, April 6, 1976, by John D'Emilio and Jonathan Ned Katz
On April 6, 1976, two gay liberation organizations "zapped" (demonstrated at) the New York Academy of Medicine, in New York City, which was hosting a panel on homosexuality sponsored by the…
Hunting Homosexuals at Southern Miss, 1955-1965, by Jonathan Ned Katz, Douglas Bristol, and Andrew Israel Ross
OutHistory presents 92 pages of previously unpublished documents on the hunt for homosexuals, sex “deviates,” and “perverts,” 1955-1965, by the president and deans of Mississippi Southern College (now…
Alma Routsong, Author of "Patience and Sarah" (1967): A 1975 Interview by Jonathan Ned Katz
For Women's History Month in 2016, OutHistory republished an interview by Jonathan Ned Katz with Alma Routsong. On January 20, 1975, the author of Patience and Sarah spoke to Katz about discovering…
Researching Hoover’s War on Gays: Exposing the FBI’s “Sex Deviates” Program, by Douglas M. Charles
OutHistory is pleased to publish an original essay by historian Douglas M. Charles discussing the research for his 2015 book Hoover’s War on Gays: Exposing the FBI’s “Sex Deviates” Program (University…
Prison Sex and Solitary Confinement in Pennsylvania, 1790-1829, by Jen Manion
On the publication of Jen Manion’s book Liberty's Prisoners: Carceral Culture in Early America (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015), OutHistory featured an original essay by Manion. It discusses…
Jews, Blacks, and Lesbian Teens in the 1940s: Jo Sinclair’s "The Changelings" and “The Long Moment,” by Elly Bulkin
An essay by Elly Bulkin about Jo Sinclair, pen name of Ruth Seid (1913-1995), a working-class Jewish lesbian writer. Sinclair's positive portrayals of 1940s lesbians and norm-breaking teen, her…
The Black Drag Queens Who Fought Before Stonewall, 1880-1900, by Channing G. Joseph
During Black History Month in 2016, OutHistory presented original research discoveries about parties organized by cross-dressed African American men in Washington, D.C., in the 1880s and 1890s.
Picturing a Lesbian Feminist Household: A 2015 Interview with Cathy Cade by Stephen Vider
Cathy Cade is a photographer who has been documenting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since the 1970s. Based in Berkeley, California, she is the author, publisher and…
Miss Willson and Miss Brundage, 1800-1825, by Jonathan Ned Katz
An introduction to artist Mary Ann Willson and her farmer partner Miss Brundage, who lived together in Greenville, New York. Their relationship became the basis of the novel Patience and Sarah by Alma…
Americans in Württemberg Scandal, 1888, by Jonathan Ned Katz
This four-part entry, based on Jonathan Ned Katz's original research, details a scandal that erupted in Württemberg, Germany, in 1888, involving its king and three American men, Richard Mason Jackson,…
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…
Mary Casal, pseudonym of Ruth Fuller Field (1864-1935): The 1930 Autobiography of an American Lesbian, by Jonathan Ned Katz
The Stone Wall, the autobiography of Ruth Fuller Field, was published under the name "Mary Casal" in Chicago in 1930. The text presents the extraordinarily frank sexual and affectional life history of…
Annual Reminders in Philadelphia, July 4, 1965-July 4, 1969, by Marc Stein
This exhibit was originally published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the demonstrations for gay and lesbian rights that began at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall on July 4, 1965, and continued…
TRANSforming Randy Wicker: A Documentary Film, 2015, by Michael Kasino, music by Moby
OutHistory presented the first public showing of a documentary film about long-time gay activist Randy Wicker. The 50 minute film, produced and directed by Michael Kasino, uses interviews, movies, and…
Barbara Gittings: Founding the New York Daughters of Bilitis in 1958, by Jonathan Ned Katz
Barbara Gittings interviewed by Jonathan Ned Katz in 1974 about her development as a Lesbian, and about the founding and early history of the New York Daughters of Bilitis.
Margaret Haig Thomas (1883-1958): Lusitania’s Queer Cargo, by Christianne Anastasia Gadd
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Luisitania on May 7, 1915, OutHistory presented an original research report on one of its fascinating women passengers. First published on…
Almeda Sperry to Emma Goldman, 1912, by Jonathan Ned Katz
A collection of love letters to Emma Goldman, the anarchist leader, vividly conveys the emotions and varied life experience of Almeda Sperry, their complex author. The letters detail and evoke…
Dewey's Sit-in in Philadelphia, 1965, by Marc Stein
In 1965 Drum magazine called it “the first sit-in of its kind in the history of the United States.” To honor the fiftieth anniversary of this major act of LGBT resistance, Marc Stein presented reports…
Scared and Confused to Gay and Elected, 1949-2015, by Gary Miller
A memoir detailing the struggles of Gary Miller's childhood and youth in San Diego and Kansas City before turning to his subsequent political and community service in San Francisco, Sacramento, and…
Larry Kramer's The American People, Vol. 1 (2015): Responses
Larry Kramer's The American People, Volume I, Search for My Heart, A Novel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015) is a fictional meditation on history, especially on gay and lesbian history. Kramer and…
Denver's Battle Against Public Sexual Activity, 1940s-1970s, by Keith L. Moore
An exhibit on sexuality in Denver, focusing on crackdowns on "sexual immorality" and the rise of a flourishing gay culture. First published on OutHistory in 2015.
Edna Thomas ("Mary Jones"): "A Tenderness I Have Never Known," 1937, by Jonathan Ned Katz
An introduction to the 1937 case history of “Mary Jones,” who scholars have identified as African American actress Edna Thomas. First published on OutHistory in 2015.
Picturing African American Men with Men, 1918-1942, by John Ibson
A collection John Ibson's images of African American men with other men that appear in his 2002 book, Picturing Men: A Century of Male Relationships in Everyday American Photography. First published…
Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens, 1779-1782, by Jonathan Ned Katz
An exhibit on eighteenth century U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton and his relationship with John Laurens. Multiple historians consider how to interpret the intimacy between Alexander…
Alice Mitchell Murders Freda Ward in Memphis, 1892
On January 25, 1892, on a riverfront railroad track, in Memphis, Tennessee, Alice Mitchell slit the throat of Freda Ward. Mitchell explained: "I killed Freda because I loved her, and she refused to…
On Bullying: A Gay Teacher Remembers, 1959-2014, by Hunter O'Hara
A gay teacher, born in 1959, recalls the bullying he suffered as a child, and how he came through it.
John Wesley Carhart: “Norma Trist; or Pure Carbon: A Story of the Inversion of the Sexes,” 1895, by Jonathan Ned Katz
This exhibit introduces Carhart's 1895 novel, with a title character who utters the most affirmative defense of genital-orgasmic love relations between women published in English in the nineteenth…
Ma Rainey's "Prove It On Me Blues," 1928, by Jonathan Ned Katz
An introduction to Gertrude "Ma" Rainey's resistance anthem. First published by OutHistory in 2014.
James Baldwin and the FBI: "Isn't James Baldwin That Well Known Pervert," 1960-1974, by Douglas Field
An exhibit about the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's surveillance of African American writer and activist James Baldwin in the 1960s and 1970s. First published on OutHistory in 2014.
Allen Bernstein's Defense of Homosexuality: “Millions of Queers (Our Homo America),” 1940, by Jonathan Ned Katz and Randall Sell
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown 149-page manuscript defending homosexuality. The scholars have also documented the remarkable life of its author, a gay Jewish World War II veteran,…
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-1895) and the United States, by Jonathan Ned Katz
The story of the German sexual emancipation pioneer and his references to the United States. Adapted from Jonathan Ned Katz's column, "Katz on History," The Advocate, April 25, 1989, pages 47-48. The…
Lorraine Hansberry: An Interview with Documentary Filmmaker Tracy Heather Strain by Judith Smith
An interview with a documentary filmmaker who received a National Endowement for the Humanities grant in support of the first full-length documentary feature on Lorraine Hansberry. The interview was…
Harry Hay: Founding the Mattachine Society, 1948-1953, by Jonathan Ned Katz
A 1974 interview with Harry Hay about founding the Mattachine Society in California.
Gay History in Nevada and Las Vegas, 1969-2009, by Dennis McBride, Crystal Van Dee, and Paul Ershler
The Las Vegas OutHistory project. This exhibit was a winner of OutHistory's 2010 Since Stonewall community history contest!
Educator Juliette Derricotte (1897-1931): Interpreting Evidence About Same Sex-Love, by Lauren Kientz Anderson
An exploration of the brief but significant life of African American educator Juliette Derricotte.
Transgender Children in Antebellum America, 1776-1861, by Jen Manion
This exhibit, published originally on OutHistory in 2014, explores a series of stories published in children’s books and magazines in antebellum America. Some portray children being punished for…
Queer Newark, 1885-present, by Timothy Stewart-Winter and Whitney Strub
An exhibit on the often overlooked queer history of Newark, New Jersey, a history that is "tragic at times, but also bold, defiant, and resistant." First published on OutHistory in 2014.
Sara Josephine Baker: Public Health Pioneer, 1873-1945, by Karisa Butler-Wall
An exhibit on the life of Sara Josephine Baker, a pioneering figure in the history of public health. Published originally on OutHistory in 2014.
Constructing the Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bisexual System, by Jonathan Ned Katz
This feature explores the human production of the terms and concepts "heterosexual," "homosexual," and "bisexual," which are presented here as evidence of the construction of a historically specific…
LGBT African Americans (2014), by Kali Henderson and Dionn McDonald
A collection of biographies to celebrate Black History Month, first published on OutHistory on January 23, 2014.
Carl Schlegel: Pioneering U.S. Gay Activist, 1906-1907, by Jonathan Ned Katz
The proselytizing of one of the earliest U.S. homosexual emancipation activists, the Rev. Carl Schlegel, was documented for the first time and published June 1, 2019, on OutHistory to honor the 50th…
Gay Liberation in New York City, 1969-1973, by Lindsay Branson
An exhibit focusing on the strains of activism that dominated the LGBT political scene in New York City and across the country from 1969 to 1973.
LGBTQ Life in Iowa City, Iowa, 1967-2010
A timeline of events, pictures, and documents chronicling the evolution of LGBTQ life in Iowa City.
Profiles of Ten LGBT Activists for Social Justice, 2013/2017, by Rich Wilson
Profiles of ten LGBT social justice activists by Rich Wilson. First published December 10, 2013. Last edited: May 28, 2017.
Moreau de Saint-Méry and the "Unnatural Practices" of American Women, 1793-1798, by Jonathan Ned Katz
A French lawyer and politcian, Moreau de Saint Méry, who lived in the United States from 1793 to 1798, mostly in Philadelphia, provided one of the earliest comments on sex between women in the new…
Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965): A Museum Show and Opening the Archive, by Kaitlyn Greenidge and Kevin Mumford
An exhibit on the queer intersectionality of African American writer Lorraine Hansberry, focusing on a 2013-2014 museum exhibit, an overview of Hansberry's life and work, and copies of Hansberry's…
Ruth Peter Worth, 1915 -1997, by Jonathan Ned Katz
Ruth Peter Worth, originally Ruth Wertheimer, was a Jewish Holocaust survivor, a U.S. immigrant, a lesbian, and a long-time home owner in Cherry Grove, Fire Island, New York. Published originally on…
Looking Out of the Frame: Camelot’s Gay Court, 1933-1963, by Claire Bond Potter
President John F. Kennedy was famous for his vivid, and some might say almost compulsive, heterosexuality. But straight men can have a gay side, and JFK’s life was filled with prominent gay men. First…
"Sunshine, this is Mr. Horowitz": The Flame, the Gay Bar of Ann Arbor, MI, 1949-1998, by Rostom Mesli and Brian Whitener
An exhibit on the history of The Flame, a gay bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Published originally on OutHistory in 2013.
Bleeding Blue, White, and Rainbow in State College, PA, 1969-2010
The author of this feature on LGBTQ life at Penn State asked to remain anonymous. Published October 23, 2013.
A Gay Youth Group, the FBI, and the Community, 1984, by Mitchell Halberstadt
An exhibit on Gay and Lesbian Youth of New York and its relationship to the FBI in the 1980s.
Aspects of Queer Existence in 19th-Century America, by Rich Wilson
Containing unique items from the personal collection of Rich Wilson, this exhibit focuses on 19th-century queer experience in the United States.
Marching For Jobs and Freedom: Bayard Rustin and Cheryl Clarke at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963, by Claire Potter and John D'Emilio
This proud moment in civil rights activism is also a moment to reflect on how LGBT civil rights strategies have overlapped with, drawn strength from, and patterned themselves on a century and a half…
Challenging Gender Boundaries: A Trans Biography Project by Students of Catherine Jacquet
A collection of biographies written by the students in Catherine Jacquet's Fall 2012 class at the University of Illinois, Chicago. The class was titled "Gender Non-Conformity in Historical…
Corvallis and Oregon State University Gay Activism, 1969-2004, by Thomas Kraemer
This exhibit describes post-Stonewall gay activism at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon and events that motivated the formation of the first officially recognized gay student group at OSU…
The Gorilla Was Gay: Remembering Ronald Tavel's "Gorilla Queen," March 1967, by David Kerry Heefner
David Kerry Heefner's reflections on a much loved off-off-Broadway play of the 1960s. Published originally on OutHistory in 2013.
LGBT Identities, Communities, and Resistance in North Carolina, 1945-2012, by David Palmer and His Students
A project produced by thirty-three students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of their requirements for the advanced undergraduate seminar U.S. Lesbian, Gay,…
Rainbow Richmond: LGBTQ History of Richmond, VA, 1625-2010, by Cindy Bray
Richmond is an old place, at least in American terms. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have always been a part of its history. This exhibit, published originally on OutHistory in 2013,…
Idaho LGBT History Since Stonewall: Out in America's Conservative Mecca, 1969-2010, by Ellwood Howard
Even in conservative corners of the United States such as Idaho, there is a history of LGBT community and political organizing. This exhibit, first published on OutHistory in 2013, offers a brief…
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C., 1971-2010
The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C., is the oldest continuously active gay rights organization in the United States. Founded on April 20, 1971, as the Gay Activists Alliance,…
Man-i-fest: FTM Mentorship in San Francisco, 1976 -2009, by Megan M. Rohrer
Man-i-fest follows the letters of Lou Sullivan to David, highlighting the topics and mentors that shaped the FTM community in San Francisco from 1976 to 2009. The central items in the exhibit appeared…
The History of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, San Francisco, California, 1971-2004, by Nathan Purkiss
This is a short history of the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Democratic Club, published originally on OutHistory in 2013. This history explains how the club got started in San…
Forty Years of History in the Heartland: UNL and Lincoln, Nebraska, 1967-2010, by Pat Tetreault
An exhibit about the University of Nebrasks, Lincoln, and Lincoln, Nebraska, compiled from organizational minutes and files, personal communications, and media articles. Some of the online research of…
FIERCE: Empowering LGBT Youth of Color, New York City
FIERCE is a membership-based organization building the leadership and power of LGBTQ youth of color in New York City. Text by FIERCE, compiled by Andre Banks, Thomas J. Lax and Ellen Vaz. Photographs…
History in Houston, 40 Years After Stonewall, 1969-2009
An exhibit on the post-Stonewall LGBT history of Houston, Texas.
The Lesbian Mothers National Defense Fund, 1970-2000
An overview of the history of a lesbian parenting advocacy group founded in Seattle. Published originally on OutHistory in 2013.
Queen City Comes Out: Exploring Seattle's Lesbian and Gay History, by the Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project
Highlights of LGBT history in Seattle, drawn from the History Project members’ collective research conducted over fifteen years. An overview of the early history of taverns in Pioneer Square, the…
Historical Musings, 2008, by Joan Nestle
A series of "musings on lesbian history" originally contributed as "Blog on History" by Joan Nestle, co-founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Copyright © Joan Nestle 2008. All rights reserved.
Jennie June/Ralph Werther/Earl Lind: The Riddle of the Underworld, 1921, by Randall Sell
An introduction to the 2010 discovery by historian Randall Sell of Riddle of the Underworld (1921), a long-missing trans memoir by Jennie June/Ralph Werther/Earl Lind, with thanks to Ted Faigle for…
Chicago Stories, 2008, by John D'Emilio
A series of articles by John D'Emilio written for the Windy City Times about Chicago's gay history and his own career as an historian of sexuality. Published on OutHistory February 5, 2013.
New York City Transgender Rights Law, 2000-2002, by Pauline Park
A historical account of the campaign for a transgender rights law in New York City that occurred from 2000 to 2002. This exhibit was created by Pauline Park, co-chair and co-founder of the New York…
The Lesbian in Literature, 600 B.C.-1981, by Barbara Grier
A searchable edition of Barbara Grier's 1981 bibliography The Lesbian in Literature. Republished in 2013 with the permission of Barbara Grier.
Coming Out! A Documentary Play, 1972, by Jonathan Ned Katz
A collection of items about a gay liberation play, including 2013 reflections by the author (OutHistory's founder), reviews, and excerpts.
Colonial America: The Age of Sodomitical Sin, 1607-1783, by Jonathan Ned Katz
The years from 1607 to 1783 constitute the founding era of what became the United States. In the early years of this era, in these American colonies, the penalty for sodomy was death, and a number of…
Gender Benders, 1782-1920, by Jonathan Ned Katz
Primary documents about the lives of persons identified at birth as female, who later lived and sometimes identified as male. Documents reprinted from Jonathan Ned Katz, Gay American History: Lesbians…
The Campaign for a Gay Rights Bill in New York City: Documents and Photographs, 1971-1986
This exhibit provides a glimpse of events and documents that helped to change New York City laws as they relate to the LGBT communities. The documents and photographs shown here are housed at the La…
"Chosen Girl," 2003, by Faith S. Holsaert
A short story set in 1950s Greenwich Village about the love between two women--one white, one black--as observed by the white woman's daughter. Reprinted with the permission of Faith S. Holsaert.…
Lesbians in the Twentieth Century, 1900-1999, by Esther Newton and Her Students
"Lesbians in the Twentieth Century" was created by Professor Esther Newton and the graduate and undergraduate students in the seminar on "Lesbian History" that she taught in fall of 2006 at the…
Native American LGBTQ+ Americans, 1528-1976, by Jonathan Ned Katz
These documents about LGBTQ+ Native Americans present years of testimony from a wide variety of observers: military men, missionaries, explorers, trappers, traders, settlers, and later, medical…
New York City Pride Parade Photographs, 1994, by Jonas Kulikauskas
Photographs of the June 1994 Pride Parade in New York City celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. Copyright © Jonas Kulikauskas 2010. All rights reserved.
Mr./Miss David Contest, 1971-1975, by Jeff Auer
The Mr./Miss David contest was founded in 1971-1972 in Jacksonville, FL. First published on OutHistory in 2012.
Groovy Guy Contest, Los Angeles, 1968-1991, by Jeff Auer
Brief history (with many pictures) of a gay pageant that ran from 1968 to 1991 in Los Angeles.
Come Out! Newspaper, 1969-1972
This exhibit presents digital copies of Come Out!, the newspaper of New York City's Gay Liberation Front.
Out and Elected in the USA: 1974-2004, by Ron Schlittler
A survey, through black and white portraits and texts, of many pioneering openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals elected to public office in the United States beginning in the…
The Lesbian Herstory Archives Button Collection, by Kam Yan (Teresa) Lee
A selection of 58 buttons from the Lesbian Herstory Archives in New York City. Published originally on OutHistory in 2012.
The Christopher Street Liberation Day March, 1970-1985, by Suzanne Poli and Cecelia Martin
Explore fifteen years of the New York City Pride Parade through Suzanne Poli's exceptional photographs. Published originally on OutHistory in 2012.
Postcards of Masculine Women and Feminine Men from the Early Twentieth Century, by Marshall Weeks and Jonathan Ned Katz
Postcards collected by Marshall Weeks and dating to the early twentieth-century present satirical images of women who wore "mannish" shoes, shirts, collars, ties, and coats, who smoked, went to bars,…
Teaching "Straight" Gay and Lesbian History (2007), by Nancy C. Unger
This essay, which reflects on teaching gay and lesbian history at San Francisco State University and Santa Clara University, was first published in The Journal of American History 93, no. 4 (March…
An Early Conversation about Gay and Lesbian Archives: From the Pages of The Gay Insurgent, 1979, by Jim Monahan and Joan Nestle
A conversation between Jim Monahan and Joan Nestle on preserving gay and lesbian history.
Queer Bronzeville, 1900-1985, by Tristan Cabello
The history of African American gays and lesbians on Chicago's South Side. First published on OutHistory in 2012.
Leo Adams: A Gay Life in Letters, 1928-1952, by Michael S. Miller
An exhibit based on original research in the extensive archive of a gay man who saved his correspondence. Adams (1903-1995) was born in Menominee, Michigan, moved to Chicago for several years, and…
Subway Sex Idols: New York City, 2008, by Anthony Gonzales
A collection of twenty works by New York artist Anthony Gonzales depicting the varieties of life that could be found in New York City's subway tunnels in 2008. Published originally on OutHistory in…
Coming Out Into Come Out!, 1969-1972, by Perry Brass
Gay activist Perry Brass tells of his work with the Gay Liberation Front in New York City in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including his story of coming out of the closet publicly through the GLF's…
Edward Field: Autobiographical Reflections, 1924-2009, by Edward Field
Edward Field's autobiographical entries about life, love, and his escapades around the world. This is a considerably revised version of Field's entry in Contemporary Authors, Autobiography Series,…
Polk Street History Project, 1950s-2010s, by Joey Plaster
Polk Street’s history through the lens of neighborhood change in the early twenty-first century. Polk Street was San Francisco’s premier gay male center in the 1960s and 1970s. First published on…
Photographs of Gender-Bending Women, 1910s-1940s, by Sharon Weinman and Lauren Gutterman
Collector Sharon Weinman gathered this groups of photographs of women in masculine clothing from the early twentieth century. The photographs are introduced by historian Lauren Gutterman.
Stonewall Riot Police Reports, June 1969, by Jonathan Ned Katz
To honor the 40th anniversary celebration, in June 2009, of the Stonewall Riots, OutHistory for the first time published nine pages of New York City Police Department records created early on the…
Queer Youth: On Campus and in the Media, by Sharon Ullman and Her Students
This exhibit focuses on LGBTQ+ activism on college and high school campuses and representations of queer youth in the media. The project was researched by Bryn Mawr and Haverford students for a class…
Philadelphia LGBT History Project, 1940-1980, by Marc Stein
Transcripts of interviews on Philadelphia LGBT history from the 1940s to the 1970s, along with an introduction by the interviewer, who completed much of this work as part of his Ph.D. dissertation…