Queering Up History: Sept 22nd

Queer Events On This Day In History...

1975 Doug Wilson, graduate student in education at University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon (Canada), is prevented from practice teaching because he was publicly active in the gay movement. The university president calls it a "managerial decision."

1975 Oliver "Billy" Sipple, a Vietnam veteran, saves the life of president Gerald Ford in San Francisco by lunging for a revolver held by Sara Jane Moore. Harvey Milk (who had not yet been elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors) outed him to the press, which destroyed Sipple's relationship with his family.

1984 For the first time on Polish television a discussion on homosexuality is broadcast.

1987 Sir Elton JohnElton John appears on the US television show, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." In response to the suggestion that he star in his own sitcom, he turned to fellow guest Tim Allen and said, "I could do Homo Improvement with you."

1990 The Black Lesbian and Gay Group of London, England, and other gay groups picket the Brixton Police Station protesting police discrimination.

1990 British gays in London deliver a protest letter to gay pub Brief Encounter over their ban on same sex kissing in the bar.

1991 Film director Derek Jarman is canonised by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as St. Derek of Dungeness of the Order of Celluloid Knights.

1992 The Advocate, a US magazine, runs a story about US Rep. Jim McCrery whose voting record on gay issues had taken a sharp downturn. The article included statements from several men who had sex with McCrery.

1993 British gays demonstrate against advertising by Benetton HQ, resulting in the arrest of 'The Benetton 9', who are all subsequently acquitted. But the court case implied that one gay group, OutRage, had been under surveillance by the British secret services.

1995 Eigel Axgil dies in Copenhagen at age 71. He and his partner, Axel Axgil, formed the National Homosexual Association in 1948, which was among Europe's earliest post-war gay rights groups. In 1989 the two were the first to register their relationship when a Danish law went into effect allowing same sex couples to do so.

1999 Richard Socarides, US President Bill Clinton's liaison to the gay and lesbian community, announces that he would leave his position for a media job.

2005 Amnesty International releases a damning report accusing American police nationwide of being "criminals" in their abusive treatment of LGBT Americans.

Courtesy of our friends at Wicked Gay Blog