Journalist Anna Rüling, was born on this day in 1880. In 1904 she gave a speech to the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee in Berlin, the first known public statement of the socio-legal problems faced by lesbians. Her actual name was Theodora “Theo” Anna Sprüngli. One of the first modern women to come out as homosexual, she has been described as […]
In 1986 New Zealand decriminalised homosexuality On this day in 1986 New Zealand passed the Homosexual Law Reform Act that decriminalized homosexuality removing British colonial laws. The country had adopted English laws in in 1840 which made homosexual acts punishable by death. In 1893 the laws were broadened so that even consensual sexual activity between […]
In 1984 Greg Louganis won his first gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics On this day in 1984 American diver Greg Louganis won his first Olympic gold medal for the Men’s 3-metre springboard at the Los Angeles Olympics. A few days later he went on to win another gold for the 10-metre platform. The […]
Author James Baldwin was born in 1924 James Baldwin was born on this day in 1924 in Harlem New York City. Baldwin would become a celebrated author whose characters often sought acceptance into society. He included gay and bisexual men as characters in many of this works. Baldwin wrote essays, plays and novels and his […]
40 years ago the first newspaper report about HIV appeared In 1981 the New York Times ran the first article in the mainstream media that covered that would later be recognised as HIV/AIDS. On the 18th May 1981 a news article has been published in the gay press, and on 5th June 1981 the US Centre for […]
The Pride flag was flown for the first time in 1978 The rainbow flag that is a symbol for the LGBTI+ communities was created by designer Gilbert Baker for San Francisco’s Freedom Day celebrations in 1978. Originally the flag had eight colours but since 1979 it has usually had six colours. The colors were determined to […]
On This Gay Day: The first report about HIV/AIDS was published in 1981 It’s often reported that the first information about what would later be identified as HIV/AIDS was when on 5 June 1981 the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention published a notice about gay men who had died rare, and usually curable […]
10th May 1972: Academic George Duncan is murdered in Adelaide Dr George Duncan was a law academic at Adelaide University, in 1972 he was attacked and thrown into the River Torrens, where he drowned. The public outrage over his death lead to the push for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, and in 1975 South Australia became […]
Josephine Baker was so much more than a performer with bananas The iconic image of Josephine Baker is of her performing in a Paris club in the 1920’s wearing only a skirt made of artificial bananas and a necklace. Her 1927 performance at the Folles Bergère in the revue Un vent de folie encapsulated the new found […]
The City of Perth’s Council House will be home to a local LGBTQIA+ history exhibition this weekend. Presented by the City of Perth, Gay and Lesbian Archives of WA and Murdoch University Library Special Collections, the Rainbow Timeline shines a light on the history of LGBTQIA+ activism and culture in our city. The collection has […]
