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26 Bits of LGBTQ+ Trivia to Study Up on Before Next Year’s Pride

July 24, 2024

In some ways, the adult film industry is over 3,000 years old.

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26

Brothel Owner CRACKED.COM Lucy Hicks Anderson Born in Kentucky in 1886, the Black woman was jailed when it was discovered that she was trans and sent to jail for being married to a man. — Source

25

Lawyer CRACKED.COM Karl Ulrichs Ulrichs was a German legal advisor who was dismissed on the basis of his sexuality. In 1867, he was the first openly gay man to speak out in defense of homosexuality to the Congress of German Jurists. His 1870 book Araxes: a Call to Free the Nature Penal Law laid groundwork for future LGB literature, saying Sexual orientation is... established by nature. Legislators have no right to persecute. — Source

24

Poet, Activist CRACKED.COM Lesbia Harford LESBIA VENNER HARFORD DIED of 071927 RIP The bisexual woman was one of the first women at Melbourne University to receive a law degree but chose to worked at a clothing factory, where she became Vice President of the Clothing Workers Union. She was an adamant supporter of women liberation through workers' rights and open relationships. She campaigned with IWW, even during WWI when the union was banned. — Source

23

Jackie Shane

Singer CRACKED.COM Jackie Shane The Black trans R&B singer had a Canadian hit with her 1963 cover of Any Other Way which included the lyric: Tell her that I'm happy/tell her that I'm gay. Her anthology was released in 2017 and received a Grammy nomination.

22

Poet CRACKED.COM Wu Zao One of the great poets of the Ching Dynasty, Wu Zao's poems were popular even during her lifetime. Her poetry included blatantly erotic poems she had written to women. — Source

21

LGBT Activist CRACKED.COM David Kato Considered by some the father of the Ugandan LGBT rights movement, Kato was a founding member of Integrity Uganda, which provided support to victims of anti-gay hate. Не became the first gay man to speak out in the Uganda press, distressed by the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which was fueled by US missionaries and called for the execution of gay people. — Source

20

LGBT Activist CRACKED.COM Barbara Gittings In the 1950s, Gittings started a NY chapter of the lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis. Within her lifetime of activism, she was essential to getting the APA to stop classifying homosexuality as a disorder and made huge strides in the ongoing battle to end workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. — Source

19

Singer, Activist CRACKED.COM Sylvester The genderqueer singer is best known for his disco hit You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). Before his radio single, he was in the Black drag queen group Disquotays and the hippie art trope Cockettes. — Source

18

LGBT Activist CRACKED.COM Sylvia Rivera Rivera was an active participant in the Stonewall Riots. Along with her good friend Marsha P. Johnson, she started Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) which provided housing and food for trans people in need. At only 19, she became a mother to many residents. — Source

17

Actor & Screenwriter CRACKED.COM Alla Nazimova The Hollywood silent film star starred in Oscar Wilde's Salomé, which was rumored to have an entirely gay/bisexual cast and crew. Her home was haven for the lesbian and bisexual community, which she called her sewing circle. — Source

16

Drag Queen CRACKED.COM Princess Seraphina John Cooper was a messenger for molly houses, which the BBC describes as the equivalent of gay bars in 18th century England. His persona Princess Seraphina is considered England's first drag queen and an integral part of Cooper's life. In 1732, Princess Seraphina was a victim of theft of clothes and went to court, where she seems to have been accepted by neighbors, even though sodomy was a hanging offense at the time. — Source

15

Surgeon CRACKED.COM Eleno de Céspedes Eleno was born into slavery in 1545. Eleno married a man as a young teen. After giving birth, Eleno discovered that he was intersex. Не went on to fight in the Spanish army and become a successful surgeon with a long-term marriage to a wife. Не was punished during the Spanish Inquisition for blurring lines of sexuality and gender conformity. — Source

14

Entertainer & Tran Activist CRACKED.COM Coccinelle الله LOS VICIOSOS Jacqueline-Charlotte Dufresnoy was an international celebrity and a renowned club singer. In 1960, her marriage was the first transgender union officially acknowledged by the French government, legalizing marriage equality for trans people in the country. — Source

13

Civil Rights Leader CRACKED.COM Bayard Rustin The organizer behind the 1963 March on Washington, Rustin was a master strategist behind the scenes of the civil rights movement and a mentor to Martin Luther King. — Source

12

The world's oldest porn shows bisexuality. The Kangjiashimenji Petroglyphs are over 3,000 years old and show fertility ceremonies. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

11

Subaru

The lesbians drive Subarus stereotype exists because of a targeted ad campaign. It's Not a Choice. It's Not a Choice. It's the Way We're Built. It's the Way We're Built. Subaru All-Wheel Driving System. Subaru All-Wheel Driving System. In every car we make. In every car we make. Subaru realized the potential demographic for their cars in the '90s and actively marketed towards a lesbian audience. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

10

Sally Ride was the first (and only) known LGBTQ astronaut. This was revealed in her obituary, written by her partner of 27 years. Ride is best known for being the first American woman in space. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

9

In the early 1900s, doctors warned bicycles would turn women gay. They worried the vibrations would lead to high sex drives and lesbianism. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

8

Julie d'Aubigny was a 17th century bisexual opera singer and talented fencer. She took holy orders in order to follow her girlfriend into a convent, before they set fire to it and escaped. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

7

Eve's Hangout in NYC was one of the United States' first lesbian bars. DISTRICT KIPS GRAMERCY WEST VILLA ENWICH VILLAGE EAST VILLAGE Holand Tun S ARE NOHO AL PHARET The owner, Eve Adams, was deported to Europe after a police raid on the bar and was later assassinated at Auschwitz. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

6

Carl Schlegel

Let the same laws for all the intermediate stages of sexual life: the homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals, asexuals, be legal as they are now in existence for the heterosexuals. The above quote is from a speech by activist Carl Schlegel, written in 1907. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

5

The Bugis people in Indonesia recognize five genders. Bissus are androgynous or intersex shamans who act as the go-between for humans and deities. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

4

Two men were buried in an Egyptian tomb like a married couple. Dating back to 2400 В.С., the pair of royal manicurists may be the first recorded gay couple in history. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

3

The P. in Marsha P. Johnson stands for Pay it no mind. The activist would use the phrase frequently when questioned about her sex. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

2

Albert Cashier was a trans man who served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Cashier was captured but escaped and returned to service until he was honorably discharged. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

1

Go ahead and try, we'll wait.

The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite troop of 150 gay couples. They defeated the Spartan army and remained undefeated for 30 years during the 4th century ВС. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

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