|
Year
|
In Houston/Texas
|
Other
Events in United States |
|
2010
|
November
17. Phyllis Frye appointed by Mayor Annise Parker as the first out,
transgender
judge in the nation. |
|
|
2013
|
June 17. Publishing date of
an important
book by Dale Carpenter, "Flagrant Conduct: The Story
of Lawrence V Texas."
August. Neon
Boots, the largest gay bar in Texas opens in the site of the
historic Empire Ballroom, on Hempstead Highway. Though not as
centrally located as the Brazos River Bottom (which closed in
March 2013 after 35 years) it now fills that void for country
dancing.
|
June
26. In a pair of major victories for the gay rights movement, the
Supreme
Court ruled that married same-sex couples were entitled to federal
benefits and, by declining to decide a case from California, effectively
allowed same-sex marriages there. The rulings leave in place laws
banning same-sex marriage around the nation, and the court declined
to say whether there was a constitutional right to such unions.
But in clearing the way for same-sex marriage in California, the
nation’s most populous state, the court effectively increased
to 13 the number of states that allow it. |
|
2015
|
The Pride
Parade for the first time in Houston's history was not held
in Montrose (route had always been along Westheimer), and instead
the event was held downtown. Moving from Montrose was done with
a great deal of controversy as the Pride Committee did not consult
the community at all and just handed the decision to them. The
event however was a success with record attendence (helped along
by the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage that week).
The committee claimed 700,000 in attendance, though some say a
figure in the 200,000 range is more reasonable.
July. Baylor
University has made a major change to its student conduct
policy, ending its longstanding ban on “homosexual acts.”
November. The Houston
Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), passed by City Council in May
of 2014, was immediately challenged by the bible bigots, with
petitions, lawsuits and finally getting their way, a place on
the November ballot. Deceitful campaigning led to a 63% to 37%
loss, repealing the ordinance.
|
June 26. The Supreme
Court announced a decision
legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states. |
|
2016
|
January 6. Fran Watson was
elected as the first female African-American President of the
GLBT
Political Caucus. (Jim Cotton was the first male African-American,
in 1977, serving only a few months)
November. The
Eagle bar opens its new Phoenix
Room, celebrating Houston history and ressurecting the iconic
Mary's mural, along with other displays. It is believed to be
the first dedicated history space within a bar in the country.
|
|
|
2017
|
January 3. Mike Webb
elected as the first genderqueer
Caucus President. He had served two years as Vice-President.
He technically was the first black man elected to that office,
as Jim Cotton succeeded to the office due to a vacancy. |
March. At A&M,
College Station, Bobby
Brooks is elected as the first openly gay student body president. |
|
2018
|
November 24. End of
an era....the passing of Houston's Gay Icon Ray
Hill at age 78, after over 50 years of maverick activism, our
citizen provocateur. |
|
1940s
& Prior
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
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