LGBTQ History

The Pride Flag first appeared in 1978, but it's evolved a lot since its initial conception. Here's what all the colors really stand for.

Most Pride celebrations in the U.S. occur in June.

Since 1970, the LGBTQ community has marked June as Pride Month, in part to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a watershed moment in LGBTQ history when patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back against a police raid.

Many Pride flags have been created since Gilbert Baker made the first one in 1978. Here’s a rundown of the origins, evolution, and significance of just some of the LGBTQ+ Pride flags out there.

Keith Haring was best known for his graffiti-inspired artwork and contributions to the New York City art scene in the 1980s. Though he died in 1990 at just 31 years old, his artwork and legacy live on.

The Stonewall Inn is now a national monument.

The Stonewall Riots were a watershed moment for the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S., but here are some important facts you might not know about the uprising.

Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Frank Morgan promoting 'The Wizard of Oz'

In the 1980s, the U.S. Navy carried out a futile search for the “real” Dorothy.

These captivating titles span all kinds of genres.

From gripping essay collections to graphic memoirs and more, these banned books by LGBTQ+ authors are still worth diving into.

In the 1930s, Haines was forced to choose between Hollywood success and the love of his life.

Authors like Dorothy Allison, David Wojnarowicz, and T Kira Madden have made tremendous contributions to literature.

Celebrate the many contributions to literature that LGBTQ+ authors have made with these great reads by Danez Smith, Dorothy Allison, Alexander Chee, Alice Walker, and more.

James Baldwin, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and George Takei.

These memorable quotes from LGBTQ+ leaders—on everything from intersectionality to being an ally—will ring true all year round.

Laverne Cox in 'Orange Is the New Black.'

These TV shows reflected changing social mores and broke new ground in American entertainment, a trend that continues today.

Paris is Burning | ‘Come On, Vogue’ (HD) - Willi Ninja | MIRAMAX

Famed choreographer Willi Ninja's pioneering dance moves and gender-fluid style had a lasting influence on music and fashion, which still persists to this day.

Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag in 1978.

How the rainbow became specifically associated with LGBTQ+ rights goes back to San Francisco in the late 1970s, and to one artist in particular.

Apple's iconic logo is rumored to have been inspired by Eve's bite into the apple of knowledge, Newton's discovery of gravity, and Alan Turing's untimely end. Are any of these stories true?

The cover of James Baldwin’s novel ‘Giovanni’s Room.’

James Baldwin's novel 'Giovanni’s Room' was rejected by editors and publishers before it was eventually released in 1956.

Marsha P. Johnson bust at the Stonewall National Monument at Christopher Park in New York City.

Marsha P. Johnson was a relentless advocate for gay rights, best known for her involvement in the Stonewall Uprising and tireless efforts to protect those in her community.

From left: Bayard Rustin, Edith Windsor, Laverne Cox, and Martina Navratilova.

The fight for LGBTQ rights has been decades in the making. Meet a few of the trailblazers who won the battles.

Add more to your TBR pile this Pride Month with these celebrated fiction and nonfiction works.

The Stonewall Book Award celebrates LGBTQ+ literature and includes standouts from authors like Alison Bechdel, Rivers Solomon, and Michael Cunningham.

Everyone liked “Y.M.C.A.”—except the actual organization.

By the age of 34, Lorraine Hansberry was already the author of two plays that had appeared on Broadway. She should have been on course for a long and successful career—but tragically, that wouldn't happen. Still, her legacy has endured.

Larry Kramer in Manhattan's Washington Square in 2007.

While co-founding two of the most influential HIV/AIDS organizations in the U.S., he still had time to pen a landmark play and be nominated for an Academy Award.