THE MARCH GOES ON
Transgender Pride Flag created in 1999 by Monica Helms.
Even as huge strides have been made in the march for equal rights, homophobia and persecution of LGBTQ+ identified people remains ever-present. The Civil Rights movement, beginning with Title VII anti-discrimination act in 1964, was a turning point for the country. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (1969) in which black, transgender women led riots against the police raids occurring in gay bars across New York City. It is marked every year by pride marches that take place in cities across the country. The first gay minister was ordained by the United Church of Christ in 1972, and since then, many churches have welcomed LGBTQ+ congregants and ministers, while the practice of conversion therapy has been minimized. In 1978, the first openly gay San Francisco politician, Harvey Milk, was assassinated. As the decade turned, the AIDS 26
THE MARCH GOES ON
crisis killed thousands of gay men, in a public health crisis that was largely ignored by the Reagan Administration. In the 21st century, President Obama repealed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the U.S military for the first time in history. Legal bans on discrimination in hiring and housing practices on the basis of sexual orientation are now standard practice in most states. More and more celebrities and politicians are speaking up for gay rights on worldwide stages. The Trump administration has had a complicated relationship with LGBTQ+ citizens, especially as the movement for transgender rights has grown. The administration has been passive to gay rights infractions in Chechnya (Russia) and
