June 15 - National
Matt Kailey publishes “Just Add Hormones: An Insider's Guide to the Transsexual Experience”
September 30 - National
"The Lover’s Guide to Gay Sex" A rich source of responsible gay sex advice in a handy, portable format. The cards represent clearly illustrated frank information that will help you boost your confidence, increase your pleasure - and have some fun! This is the first deck to be published offering a complete resource of gay sexual pleasure for men of all ages. It is organized into three main sections - foreplay, full sex and sex play - and covers the full range of male-to-male sexual acts from the straightforward to the exotic. The accompanying booklet includes suggestions for all the ways you can introduce fun into using the cards. There are games to invent, dares to be made, and a great deal of spontaneous enjoyment to be had. The booklet also includes sensible advice on sexual health and safety, and the normal precautions to take.
July 10 - National
“Say Uncle”. A young artist (Peter Paige), desperate to replace the relationship he had with his recently relocated godson, is targeted by a neighborhood mom (Kathy Najimy) as a potential threat to the community.
January - 7 Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s legislature repeals its anti-sodomy laws
April 29 - National
“29th And Gay”. Following a year in the life of James Sanchez, it's a story about a guy rapidly approaching thirty, who doesn't have a six-pack, full head of hair or a boyfriend. While his best friend Roxy, an actress-turned-activist, struggles with showing him there's life beyond the glitz of the disco ball, his other friend, Brandon, one of those gay boys comfortable in his own gay skin, works on getting James to at least talk to a boy. Feeling out of place in the world of circuit boys, caught between his Hispanic-American heritage and being gay, we watch James find his place in the world, realizing that life is in the journey, not the destination.
January 1 - Oregon
Recognizing the deep need for ongoing non-discrimination organizing, Basic Rights hires its first Organizing Director, and begins recruiting field organizers.
January 1 - Ohio
“Equality Ohio” advocates and educates to achieve fair treatment and equal opportunity for all Ohioans regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
January 1 - Illinois
“Community Alliance & Action Network (CAAN)” We are an LGBTQ organization that provides advocacy, support, and outreach services for the lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer community, and our allies, in Joliet, IL and the surrounding area. We provide education, and advocacy, to celebrate our diversity, and to inform others about issues affecting our lives.
May 1 - National
"All American Boy" "Would you come home, Walter? Please?" With these desperate words from the mysterious, distant mother he hasn't seen in ten years, Wally Day finds his carefully constructed world falling in on itself. For years, the handsome actor has made denial his own particular art form - from his stalled career to his emotionless embrace of the hard-edged boys who regularly traipse through his bedroom. But now, faced with this sudden intrusion from his past, Wally must confront the reasons he left his hometown of Brown's Mill in a cloud of anger, shame, and guilt. He must look face-to-face upon the ghosts of his past: his mother, who he once loved more than anyone else in the world; his abusive father, who never looked at Wally without contempt and suspicion; the life- affirming Miss Aletha, whose love had given Wally refuge; and most of all, Zandy - the man whose memory still haunts him, whose love for Wally had been called a crime - a crime that sent Zandy to jail. But Wally isn't the only one who's confronting ghosts. His mother Regina had dreams too once, dreams corrupted by fate and circumstance. With her own world unravelling, with strange, confusing memories of a murder that may or may not have occurred, she turns to the son she barely knows for help. As Wally unravels the dark side of his All-American family, he has a chance to make peace with the boy he was in order to become the man he needs to be. He is once more the 14-year-old living at Miss Aletha's house on the wrong side of town, the music of Saturday Night Fever providing the charged, erotic soundtrack to his life. The world was on the exuberant edge of change in those days, and Wally relives the thrill of discovery, the promise of forbidden sex - and the mistake that cost him everything. It's a journey that will take both Wally and his mother back to their pasts - to a time when Regina was a starry-eyed girl and Wally the good son, the smartest boy in his class, the shining picture of the "All-American Boy". It's a journey, too, that takes a chance on the future - for now, mirroring his own involvement with Zandy twenty years before, Wally finds he may have something to teach about love and self to a sixteen-year-old boy.
June 7 - National
Rich Merritt an activist with a history in the armed forces publishes “Secrets of A Gay Marine Porn Star”
Ronnie Antonio Paris
November 8 - Maine
Statewide anti-discrimination legislation that includes sexual orientation is passed in Maine.
April 21 - Washington State
In its home state of Washington, the Microsoft Corporation withdraws support for H.B. 1515, after pressure from local Pastor Ken Hutcherson. The bill would have made it illegal to fire an employee based on sexual orientation. Hutcherson threatened the company with a nationwide boycott.
June 17 - National
“Standing Still”. Standing Still is the story of a popular yet drunken actor who reconnects with a group of his college friends for a wedding several years after graduation.
January 1 - Texas
“North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce” has been the premier business organization for the GLBT community in north Texas. The Chamber is focused on the economic vitality of our area, our community, and the success of our members. It works to improve the economic vitality of our region and support the positive attributes of a diverse workplace, supply chain, and community. The Chamber brings together a diverse community of business people who offer a wide array of products, services, skills, and expertise.
Puerto Rico
June 7 - National
“Postmortem”. Two ex-lovers meet after years apart and examine the painful break up and what they should do now.
November 22 - National
“Regarding Billy” After Billy's parents are killed he moves home to care for his little brother Johnny, who is mentally challenged. Together the two struggle through the loss of their parents. Meanwhile, Billy's best friend from childhood, Dean, has moved back to town having been injured from the war in Iraq. Over time, Billy's childhood feelings toward Dean resurface, feelings that he fears may end their friendship if discovered. Both men discover hidden secrets that will change their lives forever. These three people must come together to rebuild friendships and family in a time where everything in their world seems unsure.
January 14 - National
“Hate Crime”. Robbie Levinson and Trey McCoy suddenly encounter intolerance and hostility at the hands of their new neighbor, Chris Boyd, the son of a fundamentalist preacher. One evening, Trey sets out on his nightly walk with their dog and never returns. Immediately, fingers are pointed and Chris and Robbie become the prime suspects. With no support from the authorities, Robbie receives help from some unlikely sources to execute a desperate and dangerous plan that uncovers secrets that will turn many lives upside-down and ultimately bring the perpetrator to justice, regardless of the consequences.
April 1 - National
The Young Avengers series features teenaged superheroes, including gay HULKING and WICCAN (originally Asgardian) who are a couple.
September 16 - National
“The Family Stone”. An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.
April 29 - National
“The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green”. A young gay man tries to balance his career as a personal assistant while searching for love.
February 27 - New Mexico
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, 21-year-old James Maestas was assaulted outside a restaurant, then followed to a hotel and beaten unconscious by men who called him "faggot" during the attack. Although all of his attackers were charged with committing a hate crime, none was sentenced to prison.
May 26 - National
“Kinky Boots”. A drag queen comes to the rescue of a man who, after inheriting his father's shoe factory, needs to diversify his product if he wants to keep the business afloat.
January 1 - Michigan
Ingham Circuit Court ruled that the marriage amendment did not prohibit public institutions from offering health benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of employees; Maine adds sexual orientation and gender identity to existing anti-discrimination laws.
January 1 - New York
“Bialogue!” is an American activist/political group working on issues of local, national & international interest.
October 25 - National
Rick Copp a screen writer for shows such as The Golden Girls is recognized for his book The Actor's Guide to Greed was a Lambda Literary Award nominee in the Gay Mystery category at the 2006 Lambda Literary Awards.
April 14 - Oregon
Oregon Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriages are not legal. Same-sex couples get a refund for the 60 bucks they spent on their marriage licenses.
July 29 - National
“Happy Endings”. Happy Endings weaves multiple stories to create a witty look at love, family and the sheer unpredictability of life itself.
State equality and discrimination bills
June 12 - Ohio
Rally at Burnet Woods, parade to Northside, festival (2days) at Hoffner Park (Greater Cincinnati Gay & Lesbian Community Center - organizer)
February 25 - National
The Simpsons became the first cartoon program to devote an entire episode to the topic of same-sex marriage.
October 26 - National
Sheryl Swoopes, Olympic Champion and Women’s National Basketball Association three-time MVP and WNBA Champion, comes out as a lesbian in ESPN The Magazine.
April 3 - Connecticut
The Connecticut Legislature legalizes civil unions for same-sex couples, while restricting marriage to homosexuals.
September 30 - National
“Capote”. In 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.
March 24 - Delaware
H.B. 36 passes in the House after numerous amendments are added, but many believe the additions are demeaning and insulting to lesbian, gay and bisexual people. As with the previous bills, it does not cover transgenders.
January 1 - Washington State
“QLaw” QLaw Assocation is an association of LBGT legal professionals and their friends. Serving as a voice of LGBT lawyers and other legal professionals in the State of Washington on issues relating to diversity and equality in the legal profession, in the courts, and under the law, the organization has five purposes:to provide opportunities for members of the LGBT legal community to meet in a supportive, professional atmosphere to exchange ideas and information; to further the professional development of LGBT legal professionals and law students; to educate the public, the legal profession, and the courts about legal issues of particular concern to the LGBT community; to empower members of the LGBT community by improving access to the legal and judicial system and sponsoring education programs; and to promote and encourage the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender attorneys in the legal profession. Browse our website to learn more about QLaw's purpose and activities, and feel free to contact us if you have questions or would like more information.
June 5 - National
“Fish Can’t Fly”. From a secular point of view, the film explores the lives of Gay men and women of faith as they recall their journeys to put their sexuality and spirituality in harmony. Finding that their strong religious convictions and faith seemed to be used against them, these are the personal stories of people who have participated in "ex-gay" ministries and found in fact that they did not provide a so-called cure. The answers seemed to come from within. With less of a focus on the "ex-gay" movement, the film is more about the telling of stories behind the debate and the role religion can play in one's life.
October 1 - National
Charles Winters is the founding editor and held the top executive post with titles ranging from Managing Editor to Chief Executive Officer at GaySocialites.com
April 12 - National
Thorn Kief Hillsbery a writer publishes “What We Do Is Secret”
January 1 – National
Billy Merrell an author and poet co-edited a collection of poetry called “The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing About Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Other Identities”
July 16 - National
“FAQS”. After living on the tough streets of LA for a while, India hopes that every gay basher will meet his destiny. In this case Destiny is a black, 6 foot, high heel wearing, gun toting, drag queen with an attitude and a soft place in her heart for homeless gay boys.
June 5 - National
“WTC View”. After placing an ad on September 10th, a young man living in SoHo struggles to find a new roommate and keep his emotional balance in the weeks following 9/11.
January 1 - National
“Third Man Out”. A gay detective is hired to find who has been threatening a notorious member of the gay community noted for outing people.
January 1 – National
USA Track & Field and the United States Golf Association adopts the International Olympic Committee’s policy governing the participation of transsexual athletes in their events.
November 1 - Oregon
BRO volunteer leaders in Oregon Counties win local ordinances banning discrimination against LGBTQ residents in housing, employment, and public accommodations.
January 1 - National
“Bam Bam and Celeste”. Celeste (Margaret Cho) and Bam Bam (Bruce Daniels) escape their Midwest hometown for New York, and take on their high-school nemeses - the dictators of the world- famous Salon Mirage - while discovering that true beauty lies within.
April 25 - Arizona
The Navajo Nation has forbidden same-sex marriages on its Arizona reservation. The Tribal Council voted unanimously in favor of legislation that recognizes only the union of one man and one woman, and prohibits marriages between close relatives
July 1 - Kansas
A conservative Kansas legislator wants to review a policy that allows gays and lesbians to adopt children in state custody. The issue goes nowhere.
Jason Gage
April 13 - Delaware
H.B. 36 is assigned by Senate President Pro Tempore Thurman Adams to the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by the anti-gay Sen. James Vaughn.
September 7 - National
Scandal Savage puts off Deadshot’s advances by asking him if he knows what a lesbian is in Villains United #5 (DC, November 2005), written by Gail Simone. Scandal confirms her orientation when she greets her lover Knockout in the following issue.
May 11 - National
“Queer Cowboys” Evidence from the best-known Western writers and artists of the post-Civil War period - Owen Wister, Mark Twain, Frederic Remington, George Catlin - as well as now-forgotten writers, illustrators, and photographers, suggest that in the period before the word 'homosexual' and its synonyms were invented, same-sex intimacy and erotic admiration were key aspects of a masculine code. These males-only clubs of journalists, cowboys, miners, Indian vaqueros defined themselves by excluding femininity and the cloying ills of domesticity, while embracing what Roosevelt called 'strenuous living' with other bachelors in the relative 'purity' of wilderness conditions. Queer Cowboys recovers this forgotten culture of exclusively masculine, sometimes erotic, and often intimate camaraderie in fiction, photographs, illustrations, song lyrics, historical ephemera, and theatrical performances.
Kathie Dunbar
April 20 - Connecticut
Connecticut Approves Same-Sex Civil Unions
October 14 - National
Tori Fixx a rapper appeared in the documentary "Pick Up the Mic" (Homo hop) about the LGBT hip hop scene
December 23 - National
Claude J. Summers helped to edit and compile “The Queer Encyclopedia of Film and Television”
January 19 - National
“The Joy of Life”. A blending of documentary and experimental narrative strategies, combining stunning 16mm landscape cinematography with a bold, lyrical voice-over to share two San Francisco stories: the history of the Golden Gate Bridge as "suicide landmark," and the story of a butch dyke in San Francisco searching for love and self-discovery. The Joy of Life is a film about landscapes, both physical and emotional.
December 1 - National
Joe Kort publishes “10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to Find Real Love”
October 29 - Kansas
Westboro Church (Fred Phelps) announces it will picket funerals of service members who dies in Iraq to protest the United States' tolerance for homosexuality. In response, a new group made up of motorcyclists forms, the Patriot Guard Riders, to act as a buffer between mourners and protesters. Many states are preparing legislation to make protesting at military funerals a felony. The Phelps eagerly await the court challenges. The ACLU is defending the Phelps' right to free speech.
December 2 - National
“Transamerica”. A preoperative transgender woman takes an unexpected journey when she learns that she fathered a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York.
August 22 - California
California Supreme Court issues first-of-its-kind ruling recognizing the co-parenting rights of same- sex couples.
January 1 - Kansas
“Equality Kansas” Our mission is to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and to fight for full equality and civil rights for all LGBT Kansans.
January 1 – Oregon
SB 1000, an anti-discrimination bill proposed by Governor Ted Kulongoski, stymied by House Speaker Karen Minnis, who refuses to bring the bill to the floor.
April 26 - National
“Gay Sex in the 70’s”. A chronicle of gay culture in New York during the post-Stonewall, pre-AIDs era.
November 1 - National
"Black Queer Studies" While over the past decade a number of scholars have done significant work on questions of black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered identities, this volume is the first to collect this groundbreaking work and make black queer studies visible as a developing field of study in the United States. Bringing together essays by established and emergent scholars, this collection assesses the strengths and weaknesses of prior work on race and sexuality and highlights the theoretical and political issues at stake in the nascent field of black queer studies. Including work by scholars based in English, film studies, black studies, sociology, history, political science, legal studies, cultural studies, and performance studies, the volume showcases the broadly interdisciplinary nature of the black queer studies project. The contributors consider representations of the black queer body, black queer literature, the pedagogical implications of black queer studies, and the ways that gender and sexuality have been glossed over in black studies and race and class marginalized in queer studies. Whether exploring the closet as a racially loaded metaphor, arguing for the inclusion of diaspora studies in black queer studies, considering how the black lesbian voice that was so expressive in the 1970s and 1980s is all but inaudible today, or investigating how the social sciences have solidified racial and sexual exclusionary practices, these insightful essays signal an important and necessary expansion of queer studies.
June 12 - National
Toby Johnson publishes “Two Spirits: A Story of Life with the Navajo”
May 26 - Washington D.C.
109th Congress - The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is reintroduced in the House and the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is reintroduced in the Senate.
November 1 - National
Toby Johnson publishes “Secret Matter”
January 1 - Oregon
“Salem Pride” was created to act as a resource guide for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Salem, Oregon. We will provide news, information, resources and networking opportunities at no cost to our GLBT community
February 14 - National
“October Moon”. A straight man's life becomes disastrous - and obsessively dangerous - when his family, fiancée and friends all begin to reject him after he realizes he has fallen in love with another man.
January 1 - Washington D.C.
Anti-gay groups meet in Washington, D.C., to plan for 10 more state Bills and initiatives.
July 5 - National
The 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ passes a resolution for “Equal Marriage Rights for All.”
July 1 - National
Pastor Jay Bakker’s scheduled speech to the 2005 Exodus Freedom Conference is cancelled apparently due to his recent support for marriage equality. Though Exodus cancels Jay, they keep Jerry Falwell.
June 1 - National
"Rainbow High" Jason Carrillo, the best-looking athlete in school, has had his eyes on the prize from day one: a scholarship for college. But then his eyes turn to love -- and Kyle. Kyle Meeks, swim team star and all-around good guy, is finally in the relationship he wanted. Being in love feels so good, in fact, that he can't imagine giving it up to go to Princeton. Something he's worked for his entire life. Nelson Glassman, outgoing and defiant, might be HIV positive. Jeremy, the boy he loves, is HIV positive. Although Nelson fears testing positive, if he is infected Jeremy might stop protecting him and pushing him away. They can be together.
September 6 - California
The California legislature becomes the first to pass a bill allowing marriage between same-sex couples. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes the bill.
November 1 - National
"In A Queer Time & Place" In her first book since the critically acclaimed Female Masculinity, Judith Halberstam examines the significance of the transgender body in a provocative collection of essays on queer time and space. She presents a series of case studies focused on the meanings of masculinity in its dominant and alternative forms’ especially female and trans-masculinities as they exist within subcultures and are appropriated within mainstream culture.
October 1 - Connecticut
Civil unions become legal in Connecticut in October.
January 27 - Delaware
H.B. 36 is introduced in the House to replace the failed H.B. 99. It incorporates many "safeguards" against the "dangers" anti-H.B. 99 activists had imagined.
August 30 - National
“Is It A Choice” The answers to all the questions you've ever had about homosexuality but were afraid to ask are finally in one book, Is It a Choice? In this newly revised and updated edition, Eric Marcus provides insightful, no-nonsense answers to hundreds of the most commonly asked questions about homosexuality. Offering frank insight on everything you've always wanted-and needed-to know about same-gender relationships, coming out, family roles, politics, and much more.
January 1 - Louisiana
“P A C E – People Acting for Change and Equality” PACE is a nonpartisan organization that works to advance equality in Northwest Louisiana so that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community can lead open, honest, responsible, and safe lives at home and in the workplace. We believe that the most effective way to achieve these goals is to educate our communities and to constructively participate in the political process.
October 20 - National
“Open Cam” A cop investigates several castration/murders among gay men in the Washington D.C. area that all seem connected to a local artist of provocative anti-national works and his small circle of friends.
James Maestas
February 14 - California
69 out of 74 California UU congregations participate in Standing on the Side of Love Sunday and send nearly 4,000 Valentines to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in support of marriage equality.
May 6 - National
Richard McCann publishes “Mother of Sorrows” a collection of linked stories.
May 17 - Massachusetts
UUA hosts celebration of first year anniversary of marriage equality for seven plaintiff couples and all UU couples married in Massachusetts over the past year.
May 22 - National
“The Windy City Incident”. "It's a sad story of a drunk driving across the Mac."
January 28 - Florida
Ronnie Antonio Paris, a three-year-old boy living in Tampa, Florida, died due to brain injuries inflicted by his father, Ronnie Paris, Jr. According to his mother and other relatives, Ronnie Paris, Jr., repeatedly slammed his son into walls, slapped the child's head, and "boxed" him because he was concerned the child was gay and would grow up a sissy.
December 9 - California
"Brokeback Mountain" is released to limited audiences in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The major motion picture, directed by Ang Lee, focuses on a love story between two men that stretches over decades, and survives in a time and place in which the two men's feelings for each other were utterly taboo. The film stars Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger, and goes on to win several Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards.
October 18 - National
Seth Rudetsky actor and writer had his short story “My First Story” included in “Fresh Men 2: New Voice in Gay Fiction”
October 27 - California
George Takei decided to come out of the closet in an interview with Southern California’s LGBT magazine “Frontiers” in response to Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of same-sex marriage legislation.
February 14 - National
Bill Condon wrote and directed the film “Kinsey”, chronicling the life of the controversial sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. He received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for his contribution to LGBT culture.
June 20 - National
Robert Goss publishes “Gay Catholic Priests and Clerical Sexual Misconduct”
January 1 - South Dakota
“Sioux Falls Pride” Sioux Falls Pride first took place in mid-2000 and was then, hosted by the Center for Equality in Sioux Falls. The Center for Equality, now just known as Sioux Falls Pride; was the leading LGBT focused non-profit organization that provided services, support and advocated for the LGBT community of Sioux Falls and surrounding areas. In addition to community services, the Center for Equality also worked alongside organizations like the ACLU of South Dakota to defeat anti-LGBT legislation like HB 1008 which targeted transgender youth in South Dakota.
January 19 - National
“Hard Pill”. A despondent gay man throws his life and relationships into turmoil when he volunteers for a controversial pharmaceutical study for a drug designed to make gay men straight.
November 2 - Michigan
Kathie Dunbar is elected to the Lansing City Council, becoming the city’s first openly bisexual elected official.
May 25 - National
“Pretty Persuasion”. A 15-year-old girl incites chaos among her friends and a media frenzy when she accuses her drama teacher of sexual harassment.
April 11 - National
“Wide Open Town” Wide-Open Town traces the history of gay men and lesbians in San Francisco from the turn of the century, when queer bars emerged in San Francisco's tourist districts, to 1965, when a raid on a drag ball changed the course of queer history. Bringing to life the striking personalities and vibrant milieu that fueled this era, Nan Alamilla Boyd examines the culture that developed around the bar scene and homophile activism. She argues that the communities forged inside bars and taverns functioned politically and, ultimately, offered practical and ideological responses to the policing of San Francisco's queer and transgender communities. Using police and court records, oral histories, tourist literature, and manuscript collections from local and state archives, Nan Alamilla Boyd explains the phenomenal growth of San Francisco as a "wide-open town"―a town where anything goes. She also relates the early history of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement that took place in San Francisco prior to 1965.
January 1 - New York
Bi scholars and activists mobilized with The Task Force, GLAAD and BiNetUSA to meet with New York Times science section editor and researcher Brian Dodge to respond to misinformation the paper had published on a study about bisexual men.
January 1 - National
“National Suicide Prevention Lifeline” The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. The Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 150 local crisis centers, combining custom local care and resources with national standards and best practices.
January 1 - Iowa
“One Iowa” One Iowa is the state’s leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organization working toward full equality for LGBT individuals in Iowa through grassroots efforts and education.
April 1 - Kansas
Kansas becomes the 18th state to pass an anti-gay marriage amendment. The amendment defines marriage as between one man and one woman. It also declares that only such unions are entitled to the "rights and incidents" of marriage. Sprint and SBC Communications in Topeka said they have no intention of canceling benefits. Douglas and Wyandotte counties vote against the amendment.
Mayor Mike Rundle (Lawrence) announces that he is gay at the City Commission meeting. He is applauded by other commissioners at the conclusion of his announcement. His announcement makes national news.
Daniel Lippold, a gay man living in California but originally from Atwood, Kansas, redesigns the Atwood Web site (which he owns) after discovering that his hometown backed the anti-gay marriage amendment, 984-130. The home page includes a letter where Lippold vents his anger and disappointment over people backing the amendment even though everyone in town knows him and knows he’s gay. The altered Web site is viewed around the world until Lippold takes it down and sells it to Atwood officials.
August 8 - California
The USC Annenberg School for Communication establishes “The Leroy F. Aarons Summer Institute” for sexual orientation issues in the news.
June 11 - National
“The Gay Marriage Thing”. Lorre and Gayle were heartbroken when they learned their two great- aunts - sisters who'd lived together their entire 80+ years - were on the verge of losing their 1850's home because it was too big a burden to care for anymore. "Having to leave your home just because you're older?" Lorre asks. "After living there 60 years?" Gayle adds. "Unfair," they agree. So they did something about it. Lorre and Gayle broke their apartment rental lease and moved in with a very grateful Gertrude and Germaine, to be financial, emotional and physical caregivers for their elderly aunts. "We were the Golden Girls for a while there, and we still call ourselves that, even though we lost Auntie Gert last year," Lorre adds. "But Auntie Germaine is still feisty and we do for her because that's what we've both been taught. You take care of family." With that, the first few moments of THE GAY MARRIAGE THING paint a picture of what it means to be a family. Gayle and Lorre, thirtysomething college sweethearts who marked their 15th anniversary a year after the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled a ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, form the heart of this documentary scrapbook. From the protests outside the Massachusetts State House, to the churches of the Reverends Rich Wiesenbach and Carlton Smith, to the historic chambers echoing State Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein's perspective, and to how all of these voices swirl in the air around Gayle and Lorre as they approach May 17, 2004, the first date same-sex couples could file for marriage licenses in Massachusetts. While eavesdropping on the emotional and spiritual toll this issue has taken upon all parties, the story carries forth to the everyday angst and anticipation of Lorre and Gayle's own wedding. THE GAY MARRIAGE THING is not some historical commentary on gay rights in the United States. It is instead a small story with big implications. By focusing on one suburban couple and the multitude of events that directly affect that couple's otherwise average life, THE GAY MARRIAGE THING strives to show a different side of this issue than documentaries or television newscasts have thus far. This tale is cinematic in its storytelling, rather than journalistic in its reporting. There are plenty of other worthy documentaries where "experts" abound. But this film is about the biggest experts of all, real people. With protesters and their colorful signs serving as a Greek chorus, and an array of opinions from church, state, and everyone in between, this is the film that family members can finally watch together. THE GAY MARRIAGE THING is the documentary that opens dialogue, fully expecting the audience to continue it.
April 24 - National
“Starcrossed”. Two brothers develop a sexual attraction to one another amid the unkind world around them.
January 1 - Ohio
“Dayton LGBT Film Festival”. The Dayton LGBT Film Festival has been bringing the best and newest of LGBT cinema to the Miami Valley for well over a decade. It's hard to believe that this is already year 13! We've brought close to 200 feature length and short films to town since our inception, and we've hosted over 20 guest artists. We're thrilled that attendance has grown every year, and we think you'll fall in love with many of the films we've selected for you here. Whether you're from Dayton or from out of town, we hope you'll spend the weekend with us.
August 25 - National
Martin Moran an actor and writer published “The Tricky Part: A Boy's Story of Sexual Trespass, a Man's Journey to Forgiveness”
July 1 - National
Jason Bellini becomes the lead CBS anchor for the Logo channel.
January 1 - Pennsylvania
“Philly Gay Calendar” Philadelphia is known for its vast array of organizations dedicated to the LGBT community. Philly Gay Calendar has 546 organizations in the area ranging from social organizations, to support groups, to organizations that deal with politics, health, and even local sports teams.
February 23 - National
“Away Awake”. Larsen runs away after the principle reveals a photo of him making out with another boy to the whole school.
November 8 - Texas
Texas Voters Approve Constitutional Amendment Banning Same-Sex Marriage
April 28 - National
“That Man: Peter Berlin”. This intimate film reveals the legendary man with the white saran wrapped pants, undersized leather vests, and Dutch-boy haircut who is the iconic Peter Berlin.
June 4 - National
"Equal Marriage Rights for All" resolution passed by the 25th General Synod of the UCC.
November 1 - National
William Haines was an interior decorator in Holloywood and his designs are the subject of Peter Schifando and Haines associate Jean H. Mathison's book “Class Act: William Haines Legendary Hollywood Decorator”.
October 17 - National
Tom Boellstorff is the winner of the Ruth Benedict Prize given by the Society of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists (Association for Queer Anthropology) for his study: “The Gay Archipelago: Sexuality and Nation in Indonesia”
June 18 - National
John Barrowman is an actor that portrayed a pansexual time traveler from the 51st century in Doctor Who.
September 8 - National
“Red Doors”. The Wongs struggle to cope with life, love, and family dysfunction in the suburbs of New York.
May 26 - National
“Almost Normal”. A gay man approaching a mid-life crisis is tired of being different because he is gay. He wants to be normal. Suddenly he is yanked back in time to when he was in high school. But this time, the world is gay and to be straight is considered deviant behavior. Then something else happens. He meets a girl. And suddenly normal becomes ...well almost normal.
January 1 - Pennsylvania
“Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania” Our mission is to inform and advocate for the LGBT community within the Greater Harrisburg religious community.
United States LGBT History for 2005
September 27 - National
“Rent”. set at the dawn of the 1990s, a group of New Yorkers struggle with their careers, love lives and the effects of the AIDS epidemic on their community. Mark (Anthony Rapp), an aspiring filmmaker, and Roger (Adam Pascal), an HIV-positive musician, scramble for money to pay rent to their landlord and former roommate, Benny (Taye Diggs). Meanwhile, their friend Tom (Jesse L. Martin), a professor, has fallen for Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia), who is slowly dying of AIDS.
President George W. Bush
July 23 - Illinois
Statewide anti-discrimination legislation is passed that includes sexual orientation.
October 13 - National
“Zerophilia”. In this provocative teen comedy, Luke, a young man insecure about his masculinity discovers he's a Zerophiliac, with the ability to change sex at will. Join Luke as he journeys into the extraordinary world of Zerophilia where so many crazy questions arise, only one question matters: "Whom do you love?"
July 1 - National
“Matrimonium” Confusion ensues when, in order to win the million dollar payoff from a reality based TV show, straight Malcolm Caulfield must convince his friends and family that he is going to marry openly gay man Spencer Finch.
March 14 - California
NCLR wins the first round of the California marriage battle when the San Francisco Superior Court rules that excluding same-sex couples from the right to marry violates the California Constitution
Emanuel Xavier
November 1 - National
Carson Kressley author of “You're Different and That's Super”, a children's story deriving inspiration from the classic tale "The Ugly Duckling," featuring a unicorn who grows up among a herd of horses from foalhood to maturity.
March 14 - National
“Loggerheads”. Three seemingly unrelated stories converge in a surprising way. Elizabeth Austin (Tess Harper), wife of Reverend Robert Austin (Chris Sarandon), pines for the son who fled their religious household. Grace Bellamy (Bonnie Hunt), now in her 40s, wonders about the son she gave up for adoption. And kindhearted AIDS sufferer Mark (Kip Pardue) falls in love with motel owner George (Michael Kelly) while trying to come to the rescue of some loggerhead turtles.
April 25 - National
Larry Kramer publishes his nonfiction novel “The Tragedy of Today's Gays”
January 1 - North Carolina
“GSAFE” is a Greensboro-based organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA youth with an emphasis on creating safe educational environments for ALL youth.
October 1 - National
“Flirting with Anthony”. After a death in the family, the bisexual Anthony and his slutty girlfriend of convenience embark on a bizarre road trip filled with multiple sex partners, an eclectic psychic (Mink Stole), and an amusingly submissive younger brother. While en route, Anthony's sadistic past catches up with him when he discovers an ex-gangbanger is stalking him across the country.
May 1 - Missouri
The Missouri Department of Social Services says Lisa Johnston and Dawn Roginski are exceptionally qualified to be foster parents, but an unwritten state policy prevents them from taking children into their home because they are openly gay. Johnston, with the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union, sues the state.
November 4 - National
“The Dying Gaul”. A grief-stricken screenwriter unknowingly enters a three-way relationship with a woman and her film executive husband - to chilling results.
February 4 - New York
State Judge Rules That New York Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Is Illegal
January 1 - Ohio
“Equality Toledo” works to eliminate discrimination in our region on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, through education, activism and other anti-defamation efforts.
May 6 - National
The movie “Mysterious Skin” is released.
October 25 - New Hampshire
Emanuel Xavier, an openly gay poet and activist, was surrounded and brutally beaten by a group of fifteen to twenty teens on the streets of Bushwick which left him permanently deaf in his right ear.
April 5 - National
“Pee Stains and Other Disasters”. This is a coming of age story that tells of two best friends, Ben and Thomas, and a summer they'll never forget. 16 years old, their lives are based on two things, skateboarding and meeting girls (and not necessarily in that order). While working their way through this confusing maze, their friendship is tested in ways they never expected.
April 24 - National
Jack Plotnick is cast in “Adam & Steve”
April 26 - National
Peter Parnell published a children’s book called “And Tango Makes Three” which is the true story of two male penguins Roy and Silo in the Central Park Zoo that adopted an egg together and hatched it
in 1998. The baby is named Tango. The book currently has the most banned books in the united states and in other countries. The story has been at the center of numerous censorship and culture war debates on same-sex marriage, adoption, and homosexuality in animals.
The male penguins were observed by zoo keepers as they demonstrated the same mating rituals as heterosexual penguins including creating a nest and sharing responsibility for the egg.
The book was banned in: California, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Virginia after parents contested that it was inappropriate. It was also banned from publishing in Singapore.
March 24 - National
“Miss Congeniality 2” Armed and Fabulous” After Cheryl Frasier and Stan Fields are kidnapped, Gracie goes undercover in Las Vegas to find them.
January 1 - Kentucky
“Kentucky Equality Federation” Kentucky Equality Federation believes all people are endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment free from oppression, discrimination, school bullying, and hate crimes regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other defining characteristic.
January 1 - New York
The Queens Chapter of PFLAG announced the creation of the "Brenda Howard Memorial Award". This was the first time a major American LGBT organization named an award after an openly bisexual person
October 19 - National
Patrik-Ian Polk a screenwriter and director is greatly influenced by being gay which was his
inspiration for the series Noah's Arc. In an interview, Polk said: "I wanted to see black gay characters and there were none on TV. So, I decided rather than complain about it, I'd do it myself."
October 1 - Kansas
The Kansas Supreme Court rules that Kansas may not use its laws to express "moral disapproval" of homosexuality--denying any "rational basis" for the Kansas law's distinction between homosexual and heterosexual acts. "Neither the court of appeals nor the state cites any scientific research or other evidence justifying the position that homosexual sexual activity is more harmful to minors than adults," the court said. This overturns Matthew Limon’s conviction.
November 13 - National
K. M. Soehnlein an author publishes “You Can Say You Knew Me When”
March 11 - Iowa
Jason Gage, an openly gay man, was murdered in his Waterloo, Iowa, apartment by an assailant, Joseph Lawrence, who claimed Gage had made sexual advance to him. Gage was bludgeoned to death with a bottle, and stabbed in the neck, probably post-mortem, with a shard of glass. Lawrence was sentenced to fifty years in prison.
July 9 - National
“Bowser Makes a Movie”. Failed student and perpetual job loser Bowser has always wanted to direct a gay porn film. His parents think it's ridiculous, so Bowser has to figure a way to raise the money for the film himself, which he does, with farcical results.
September 1 - National
“My Brother’s War”. On the day of her engagement, Grace Kieler finds her family and fiancé divided on political matters. With her future husband off to join the Union army and her brother vowing loyalty to the Confederates, she is torn. She promises her father that she will protect and care for her brother. Upon her father's death Grace decides to cut her hair, don her brother's clothes, and take his name to join the ranks of the Rebel army. She must find him and keep him from getting killed. Along the way, she meets Virginia Klaising, a widow and mother grieving the death of her only son. Virginia begins to fall for this Rebel 'boy' as they travel the backwoods avoiding both armies trying to get back home. By the same turn, Henry (Grace) finds himself comforted by this unfortunate woman. Together they are able to mend the wounds that tear the underpinnings of the heart. As love blooms and the secret becomes harder to conceal, the two realize that they have something precious---an unspoken candor that reveals the soul. When Henry is shot and brought back from most certain death, the secret is revealed and yet the bond grows stronger. After living through such brutal loss and watching the carnality of war unfold before them, they realize they only have each other. And yet it is more than enough. It is the balm that soothes---the quiet whisper that comforts. Each becomes a beacon in a time of great darkness, though their journey is short-lived as each must reach a destination without the other
September 7 - National
Though implied several times since his introduction in JLA #61 (DC, February 2002), Josiah Power‘s same-sex orientation comes closest to explicit confirmation in Manhunter #12 (DC, September 2005).
January 27 - National
“Imagine Me & You”. A newlywed bride becomes infatuated with another woman, who questions her sexual orientation, promoting a stir among the bride's family and friends.
April 22 - National
“The Lady in Question is Charles Busch”. Tender and upbeat, “The Lady in Question is Charles Busch is the affectionate and entertaining tribute to actor, writer, drag performer, and glamorous leading lady Charles Busch.
January 1 - Maine
“Maine TransNet” Our mission is to provide support and resources for the transgender community, their families, and significant others, and to raise awareness about the varied forms of gender identity and expression by providing training and consultation to health and social service providers.
April 23 - National
“The Reception”. The complex relationship between a wealthy French woman and her best friend a, gay black American, is thrown into turmoil when her estranged daughter comes to visit them with her new husband for the weekend in upstate New York. Through a series of drunken evenings and daytime squabbles it becomes apparent that no one involved is what they seem.
September 8 - National
“50 Ways of Saying Fabulous”. Growing up is mystifying, but Billy discovers all he has to be is himself.
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