Tell Me, David

In 1977, with singer Anita Bryant leading a crusade against gay rights across the country, a small group of gay men met in Los Angeles to form the first political action committee advancing the cause of gays and lesbians in the United States. MECLA, the Municipal Elections Committee of Los Angeles, had modest goals: its members simply wanted to live their lives free of discrimination. At first, they had to beg candidates to take their money.After helping turn the tide against the Briggs Initi...

The history of the LGBTQ movement has been lived — loudly and proudly — in the public spotlight, in the face of relentless opposition. Thousands marched on the U.S. Capitol to demand lesbian and gay rights in 1979. Forty-two million tuned in to hear Ellen DeGeneres declare, “I’m Gay” on her TV sitcom in 1997.But millions more have made queer history in their own quiet, personal ways: living openly, supporting LGBTQ causes, and tying the knot in front of family and friends. For many, the proce...

Relations between law enforcement and the LGBTQ community were hostile in the decades after Stonewall. Queers breaking out of the closet were often unlucky enough to find themselves handcuffed in the back seat of a police cruiser — picked up in police raids on bars and baths. So, you may be surprised to learn that cops and queers set aside their differences in Los Angeles in 1981, at least long enough to bring a killer to justice.In this true-crime feature, journalist David Hunt has the story...

Drag may be under fire today by the enforcers of “family values,” but in the early 1900s female impersonators were the mainstay of family entertainment — on the vaudeville stage and the silver screen. Julian Eltinge, largely forgotten today, was hailed as America's greatest female impersonator at that time, entertaining audiences in the United States and Europe with perfect displays of feminine grace and manners. In a conversation with journalist David Hunt, historian Andrew L. Erdman, a...

The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on December 4, 2024, in a case that could decide whether transgender youth are protected by the Constitution’s promise of equal protection. Although the case seems to stand on shaky ground before the high court’s conservative majority, a transgender attorney arguing the case stood firm. Chase Strangio of the ACLU made history as the first transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court, challenging Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming...

Meet Jimmy and Megan, a North Carolina couple who may be forced to move their family out of state to safeguard their nonbinary child's health. The Republican-dominated North Carolina legislature passed a series of laws targeting trans and nonbinary youth in 2023. One of those laws bans gender-affirming health care for children. Jimmy and Megan's middle child, who is nonbinary, may need puberty blockers in the next few years. With that option outlawed in North Carolina, the family is looking a...