When was the first protest for gay and lesbian rights

After graduation, Wicker returned to New York in and formed HLNY, largely a group of one that he used to disseminate information to the media and to take actions outside the purview of MSNY, which at the time was not at all activist. Craig Rodwell at the U. Randy Wicker at the University of Texas, Austin, c.

Wicker was corresponding with Frank Kameny , an influential early gay rights strategist and leader of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D. Kameny was an advocate for public protests, though most of the LGBT community at the time was leery of that, and he suggested the army as a target.

On October 14, , the first national march for lesbian and gay rights happened here in Washington, DC. Around , gay and lesbian Americans and their allies descended on the capital city from all across the United States to demand their voices be heard. From to , Wicker was considered one of the most visible homosexuals in New York.

Army Building revealed during glass re-cladding, Source: "New York Times," May 7, A picket line in front of the U. Army Building in Lower Manhattan on September 19, , was later identified as the first public demonstration for gay rights in the United States by Barbara Gittings , co-founder of the Daughters of Bilitis , New York Chapter, in Randolfe Hayden Wicker born Charles Gervin Hayden, Jr.

He was under age at 20, but he lied to the group. On September 19, , the very first public demonstration for gay rights in the United States took place outside the U. Army Building in Lower Manhattan. Photo by Bill Helmer. Source: dailytexanonline. The First March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place on October 14, , attracting over , participants at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Subsequent marches took place in , , , and The organizers of the original march identified the following Five Demands: Pass a comprehensive lesbian/gay rights bill in Congress. This is believed to have been the first such radio program. Right now, we have tentatively scheduled it for sometime in September with his group and the HLNY co-sponsoring the line.

I suggested we picket the Army as you suggested. The first major attempt at organizing a national gay and lesbian march on Washington occurred on Thanksgiving weekend in in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. He first stirred up controversy when, convinced that MSNY should better publicize its events, he printed up flyers for an upcoming lecture.

right to left Randy Wicker, Craig Rodwell, Nancy Garden, Renee Cafiero, and Jack Diether at the U. Army Building picket, September 19, Courtesy of Randy Wicker. This led to a standing-room-only crowd, but the police persuaded the landlord to evict MSNY from its headquarters.

Frank — The boy who is in charge of the League for Sexual Freedom called today and he wants to picket. Many people say the first gay rights protest in the United States was the April 17, demonstration against the government's firing of gay and lesbian civil servants, including iconic.

left to right Renée Cafiero, Jefferson Poland, and Jack Diether at the U. Photo by Randy Wicker.