Gay people throughout history

LGBTQ history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love, diverse gender identities, and sexualities in ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) peoples and cultures around the world. It was an inflection point in the gay liberation movement. But I also know that the good that comes from the visibility of those historical figures is significant. This list is more on the historical side and includes mostly though not entirely people who are no longer working scientists.

This Pride Month, celebrate these famous people who have played a major role in the Gay Rights Movement over the years. With same-sex marriage now legal in all parts of the UK, it can sometime be easy to forget how different attitudes to homosexuality were in the past, and how much change has taken place over the past 50 years. For hundreds of years gay people have struggled to be accepted and treated the same as people who are not gay. In fact it wasn't until , that two men were able to be in a relationship together without the fear of being arrested.

Meet some famous faces from history, science, drama, sport, music, politics, and entertainment who identify as LGBT+. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have faced legal proscription for hundreds of years, initially under religious laws, in particular those imposed by the Abrahamic faiths, and later under secular legal codes, often drawing heavily on the theological traditions that preceded them. Legal codes first implemented in Europe proliferated during the colonial period. As the European powers expanded their control and influence over much of the world, they took their legal systems and the laws criminalising LGBT people with them, imposing them over diverse indigenous traditions where same-sex activity and gender diversity did not always carry the same social or religious taboo.

However, throughout years of homosexual social movements (roughly from the s to today), leaders and organizers struggled to address the very different concerns and identity issues of gay men, women identifying as lesbians, and others identifying as gender variant or nonbinary. Last Updated: May 28, The gay rights movement in the United States has seen huge progress in the last century, and especially the last two decades. Laws prohibiting homosexual activity have been struck down; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals can now serve openly in the military.

LGBTQ history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love, diverse gender identities, and sexualities in ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) peoples and cultures around the world. What survives after many centuries of persecution—resulting in shame, suppression, and secrecy—has only in more recent decades. .

This Pride Month, celebrate these famous people who have played a major role in the Gay Rights Movement over the years. .

LGBT history month takes place in February each year, to help educate people on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, as well as the history of the gay and civil rights movements. .

Throughout history, many influential figures were gay or part of the LGBTQ+ community. Their contributions shaped art, science, politics, and culture in profound ways. .