Queerazon

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On this day in queer history: 18 March 1314

Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was executed in Paris after years of imprisonment and forced confessions.

The Knights Templar had been arrested in 1307 under orders from the French crown and charged with heresy, idolatry, and sexual misconduct, including accusations of same-sex acts. Historians widely view the charges as politically motivated, intended to dismantle the powerful order and seize its wealth.

The case reflects how allegations of “sodomy” were historically used as tools of persecution, part of a long pattern of criminalizing and stigmatizing same-sex behavior.

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🎬 Introducing Queerazon Cinema

Lights, camera, camp! Queerazon now has its own streaming movie collection. Queerazon Cinema features free public-domain films you can watch anytime—from cult classics and vintage educational shorts to strange Cold War curiosities and early works of queer cinema.

Discover forgotten movies, midnight movie favorites, and fascinating artifacts from film history—all streaming free.

🍿 Now playing: Glen or Glenda, Different From the Others, Boys Beware, and more.

Queerazon Cinema

Welcome to Queerazon Cinema, a growing collection of free streaming movies you can watch online anytime. Our library features public domain

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On this day in queer history: 7 March 1972

East Lansing, Michigan, became the first city in the United States to enact a gay rights ordinance.

By a 4–1 vote, the city council approved a policy stating that municipal hiring must be based on qualifications alone, without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, or homosexuality. At a time when few legal protections existed, the measure marked a groundbreaking step toward equality.

The ordinance set an early precedent for local nondiscrimination policies and helped lay the foundation for future LGBTQ civil rights protections across the country.

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Now Streaming on Booklyn: Glen or Glenda (1953)

“Weird! Startling! Transsexuality!” Few films in the history of cinema have opened with a tagline quite like that.

Directed by legendary cult filmmaker Ed Wood, Glen or Glenda is one of the strangest, boldest, and most unforgettable movies of the 1950s. Part documentary, part social message film, and part surreal fever dream, it tackles the subject of gender identity and cross-dressing at a time when American cinema barely dared whisper about such topics.

The story centers on Glen, a man terrified that revealing his love of wearing women’s clothing will destroy his relationship with his fiancée. Through dramatic scenes, moral lectures, hypnotic narration, and some truly bizarre dream imagery, the film attempts something surprisingly sincere: explaining and humanizing people who live outside traditional gender expectations.

Originally released as an “educational” film, Glen or Glenda has since become a legendary cult classic. Its earnest intentions collide with its wildly unconventional storytelling, creating a film that is equal parts fascinating, baffling, and historically significant.

Today it stands as both a piece of outsider cinema and an unexpectedly early exploration of gender identity on screen.

Glen or Glenda

Glen or Glenda (1953) Directed by cult filmmaker Ed Wood, Glen or Glenda is one of the most unusual and fascinating films of the 1950s. Part

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Happy Birthday to Wanda Sykes! 7 March 1964

Comedian, actor, and writer whose sharp humor and outspoken activism have made her one of the most visible and influential openly gay voices in entertainment.

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On this day in queer history: 6 March 1995

Jonathan Schmitz and Scott Amedure taped an episode of The Jenny Jones Show featuring “secret crushes.” Schmitz expected his admirer to be a woman and reacted with shock when Amedure, his gay neighbor, revealed his attraction on camera.

Three days later, Schmitz confronted Amedure at his home and killed him. Schmitz was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to prison.

The case sparked national debate about media responsibility, homophobia, and the risks of exploiting LGBTQ people for entertainment. In a civil lawsuit, a jury found The Jenny Jones Show liable and awarded Amedure’s family $25 million.

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Happy Birthday to Tyler the Creator! 6 March 1991

Rapper, producer, and creative force whose music and public persona have explored fluidity, vulnerability, and evolving conversations around identity and masculinity.

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On this day in queer history: 5 March 2006

Ang Lee won the Academy Award for Best Director for Brokeback Mountain, the groundbreaking film that brought a same-sex love story to mainstream audiences around the world.

Based on Annie Proulx’s short story and starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the film follows the decades-long emotional and physical relationship between two ranch hands in the American West. Its portrayal of love, secrecy, loss, and social pressure challenged traditional Hollywood narratives.

Though widely acclaimed and culturally influential, the film’s impact went beyond awards, helping expand visibility for LGBTQ stories in mainstream cinema.

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Happy Birthday to Matt Lucas! 5 March 1974

Comedian and actor whose work spans television, film, and stage, bringing openly gay visibility and sharp character comedy to international audiences.

#MattLucas

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On this day in queer history: 4 March 1973

Just weeks after the National Organization for Women (NOW) adopted a resolution making lesbian rights a “top priority,” feminist leader Betty Friedan publicly warned that “man-hating” lesbians were attempting to take over the organization.

The remarks reflected ongoing tensions within the women’s movement, where some leaders feared that association with lesbian issues would undermine broader feminist goals. Friedan had previously referred to lesbians as the “lavender menace,” a term activists later reclaimed.

Despite internal conflict, lesbian feminists continued organizing within and alongside the movement, helping ensure that LGBTQ issues became an enduring part of feminist advocacy.

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Happy Birthday to Chaz Bono! 4 March 1969

Writer, musician, and transgender activist whose public transition helped bring national attention to trans visibility and the realities of gender identity.

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On this day in queer history: 2 March 1982

Wisconsin became the first U.S. state to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The landmark law banned discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations, marking a major breakthrough at a time when few legal protections existed for LGBTQ people.

Passed through bipartisan support and years of grassroots organizing, the measure helped establish a model for future state and local nondiscrimination laws across the country.

#OnThisDayInQueerHistory #QueerHistory #LGBTQHistory #CivilRights #Wisconsin #Equality

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Happy Birthday to Lou Reed! 2 March 1942

Singer, songwriter, and Velvet Underground founder whose work explored gender, sexuality, and outsider life, helping shape the sound and sensibility of modern queer culture.

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On this day in queer history: 1 March 1882

Boston District Attorney Oliver Stevens declared Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass obscene and demanded that several poems be removed before the book could be sold in Massachusetts.

Whitman refused to censor his work. The publisher withdrew the book rather than alter it, and a new edition was soon released by another publisher without changes. The controversy drew national attention and ultimately boosted sales.

The challenge reflected ongoing discomfort with Whitman’s candid celebration of the body, male intimacy, and emotional bonds between men—elements that would later make Leaves of Grass a foundational text in queer literary history.

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On this day in queer history: 27 February 1997

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a major decline in AIDS-related deaths in the United States—the first such decrease since the beginning of the epidemic.

The shift was largely attributed to the widespread use of new combination antiretroviral therapies, which transformed HIV from a near-certain death sentence into a manageable chronic condition for many people with access to treatment.

While the decline marked a turning point, it also underscored deep inequalities. Access to lifesaving medication remained uneven, and the epidemic continued to devastate marginalized communities worldwide.

The moment stands as both a breakthrough and a reminder: science can change outcomes, but justice determines who benefits.

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On this day in queer history: 23 February 1933

The government of Adolf Hitler launched the Nazi regime’s systematic persecution of homosexuals in Germany.

Authorities issued directives ordering the closure of gay and lesbian clubs, the banning of homophile publications and pornography, and the dissolution of homosexual rights organizations. These actions marked the beginning of a coordinated campaign to erase queer life from public view and criminalize LGBTQ+ people as enemies of the state.

What began with censorship and police repression would escalate into mass arrests, imprisonment, and deportation to concentration camps, where thousands of men accused under Paragraph 175 were forced to wear the pink triangle and subjected to extreme brutality.

The events of this day demonstrate how quickly authoritarian power can turn moral panic into organized state violence.

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On this day in queer history: 22 February 2009

Sean Penn won the Oscar for portraying Harvey Milk in Milk, which also won Best Original Screenplay. The film brought the story of the first openly gay elected official in California to a worldwide audience.