1979: David Kloss of San Francisco wins the first annual Mr. International Leather title in Chicago.

1988: The first-ever Conference on Homophobia Education convenes in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Campaign to End Homophobia and cosponsored by a number of church groups and national gay rights organizations, the symposium is held to work out strategies for reducing the widening national epidemic of homophobia and gay-bashing.

1996: In the case of Romer v. Evans, the United States Supreme Court decides that Colorado’s 2nd amendment, denying gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, is unconstitutional.

2011: The Tennessee Legislature gives final passage to the “Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act.” The bill repeals an ordinance passed earlier that year in Nashville that requires companies doing business with the city to adopt anti-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill would also prevent any unit of local government from requiring companies to bar discrimination on any basis that is not illegal under state law.  The Tennessee Senate also passes Senate Bill 49, colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay bill”, which would bar schools from presenting any prepared material or lessons about homosexuality to students before high school.