As we recognize and celebrate Black History Month, it is important to take a moment to remember and honor the contributions of LGBT black figures who have shone throughout the course of our nation’s history.

These black LGBT icons, while often invisible or erased from the dominant queer narrative, have been at the heart of our struggle for rights and inclusion.

See the full list at Huffington Post Gay Voices

The post Black History Month: Remembering 24 African-American LGBT icons first appeared on Lesbian.com.

CNN reports that former Missouri Tigers defensive end and 2014 NFL draft entrant Michael Sam revealed today that he is gay. The announcement came during interviews with ESPN and The New York Times.

The All-American is expected to be taken as a high-round draft pick in May and would be the first openly gay player ever drafted into the league.

The timing of Sam’s announcement sets him up for additional scrutiny at the NFL combine, set to begin Feb. 19 in Indianapolis, should he elect to attend.

One NFL general manager told Bleacher Report that Sam, 6’2″ and 255 pounds, will be a true test of whether or not the NFL is actually open to all kinds of players. He believes that if Sam falls past the third round, then “something stinks. Because this guy is easily a high-rounder.”

The NFL released a statement to Bleacher Report saying: “We admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage. Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014.”

A Bleacher Report story says that when asked how he thought his future NFL teammates would feel, Sam said, “It shouldn’t matter.”

“I’m not afraid of who I am.”

The post NFL prospect, All-American Michael Sam comes out first appeared on Lesbian.com.

That’s So Gay! A Game of LGBTQ Discovery, a new trivia game, is available in time for the holidays. Featuring more than 2,400 questions of LGBTQ history and current events, the game can be played by two or more people and is ideal for parties and social events.

The phrase “That’s so gay!” has been used mostly in a negative context for decades. Some people use it as a way to attack or vilify the community, and others use it in fun, not realizing the damage it can do. As with the reclaiming of negative words and phrases such as “queer,” this game seeks to turn “That’s so gay!” into a positive opportunity to educate LGBTQs and allies, and even those people who use the phrase as an attack.

Read more at TheSeattleLesbian.com

The Seattle Lesbian online magazine reaches more than 188,000 readers per week globally.

The post That’s So Gay!: New trivia game tests LGBT knowledge first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY ADAM L. BRINKLOW

LGBT history month, created by Missouri high school teacher Rodney Wilson in 1994, commemorates a notable LGBT person every day in October and provides educators with resources and information on each. Since 2006 the advocacy group Equality Forum has spearheaded the campaign; this year’s icons include astronaut Sally Ride and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

But also included are Touko Laaksonen, the Finnish artist better known as Tom of Finland, noted for his erotic sketches of nude and semi-nude men, and Pat Califia, a transman whose writing includes a significant amount of erotic fiction, drawing ire from some groups. “LGBT history month promotes gay porn to kids,” reads a press release from the Pacific Justice Institute, a Sacramento-based legal group. The LGBT History Month site itself contains no pornographic work and the campaign is aimed at everyone, not just schoolchildren of a young age. Malcolm Lazin, executive director for LGBT history month, recommended that if teachers consider some of the icons inappropriate for the age of their students, they can simply skip over those materials. “

Read more at dot429.com

The post Critics say LGBT history month promotes ‘porn’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

There is an abundance of artifacts that represent the history and culture of the LGBT communities. Items like the walking stick that once belonged to gay civil rights pioneer Bayard Rustin, or foundational documents that established the first gay rights organization, the Mattachine Society, are scattered throughout the country.

Many of these artifacts have already been discarded, lost or destroyed. But the National LGBT Museum, which is making strides toward acquiring a building to house the first national historical institution for the community, was created to redress this problem — and also to celebrate, showcase and share our history through these artifacts. The museum has reached a milestone by completing the preliminary work of establishing a business model, creating a fundraising/development plan, collecting market research, and assembling a team of experts who comprise the board and leadership councils.

So far, the museum has collected nearly 5,000 artifacts from figures such as Greg Louganis, Bayard Rustin, Tyler Clementi, and Frank Kameny. These objects (many of which were destined for the landfill) will have the platform afforded by a cultural institution in our nation’s capital, because they document episodic moments in LGBT history. For example, when Greg Louganis’ head collided with the diving platform during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, misinformation about HIV led to concern over whether other divers risked infection by the virus. This story, told through artifacts donated by the diver, is an integral part of LGBT history, and Louganis’ two gold medal-winning dives were a momentous Olympic victory for the United States.

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post Museum hopes to preserve LGBT history first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes.

BY LOU CHIBBARO, JR.
Washington Blade

This timeline reflects the highlights of professional U.S. athletes who have come out in the most popular American sports based on reports in various news media outlets, including OutSports. It is not a definitive list of all athletes that have come out, but experts consider those identified here to have had an important impact in paving the way for more LGBT athletes to come out.

1975: David Kopay, an NFL player with the Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and other teams, comes out as gay shortly after retiring from football. He becomes the first known NFL player, active or retired, to openly discuss his sexual orientation — first with the news media and later in his 1977 bestselling book, “The David Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-Revelation.”

1976: Ophthalmologist and tennis player Dr. Renee Richards is outed as a transgender woman when the U.S. Tennis Association refused to allow her to play in the U.S. Open on grounds that she was born as a male and could not compete against women. She challenged the denial in court and won her case the following year, enabling her to become the first known transgender person to play in a professional sport.

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post Coming out: A U.S. sports timeline first appeared on Lesbian.com.

In an effort to bridge new mediums of information-sharing and raise awareness surrounding a shared history of LGBT-identifying individuals, a new mobile app called Quist became available worldwide today. Released for download on both iPhone and Android, Quist provides daily updates that summarize major landmarks and milestones for the queer community in a “this day in LGBTQ history” framework.

According to the app’s website:

“Historical events in the app paint a picture of how far the LGBTQ community has come over time — how we have been treated, how we have reacted, how our allies have supported us, and how others have worked vehemently to stop the progress. LGBTQ individuals’ contributions to society and events in HIV/AIDS history are also included.”

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

The post New app delivers LGBT history to your smartphone first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Five facts you should know about LGBT history.

The post 5 facts you need to know for Pride month first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Bluewater Productions is making sure that the importance of the Stonewall Riots isn’t forgotten with a comic book based on the historical significance of the underground gay community in the late 1960s.

“Civil rights are not just an American tradition; it’s a birthright,” Bluewater president Darren G. Davis said. “When I recognized that Stonewall was quickly fading into an obscure footnote, I had a obligation to remind people that civil rights come in all colors, shapes, genders, political views and social choices.”

Read more at TheSeattleLesbian.com

The Seattle Lesbian online magazine reaches more than 188,000 readers per week globally.

The post New comic book honors Stonewall activists first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Minneapolis made history last week by appointing the city’s first-ever female police chief who also happens to be openly gay.

Janeé Harteau, a 25-year veteran of the force, won unanimous approval from the City Council Nov. 30 to become the city’s police chief, Minnesota Public Radio reports. She will reportedly be sworn in Dec. 4.

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

The post Minneapolis appoints first-ever lesbian police chief first appeared on Lesbian.com.