LGBTQ history in the United States

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LGBTQ history in the United States consists of the contributions and struggles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people, as well as the LGBTQ social movements they have built.^[4][5]

Up until the 20th Century, it was uncommon for LGBTQ individuals to live open lives due to persecution and social ostracization. The nation's Protestant roots led to a heteronormative culture, reinforced through sodomy laws, often falsely attributed to Puritans. These laws began when King Henry VIII established himself as head of the Church of England. With this came The Buggery Act 1533^[6]. Before this, while the Catholic Church was known to prosecute sodomites from time to time, sodomy was considered a church issue secular courts had little interest in.

This stigma forced most LGBTQ people to live in the closet. LGBTQ life before the mid-20th century, especially that of lesbians, is mostly preserved through personal writings.

The process of decriminalizing sodomy began in 1962 with the repeal of Illinois's anti-sodomy statute.^[7] This process continued until 2003, when Lawrence v. Texas ruled the 14 remaining anti-sodomy statutes unconstitutional.^[8] In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder.^[9]

In the mid-20th century, gay men and lesbians began organizing movements to advocate for their rights. As the century went on, bisexual and transgender individuals gained visibility and the GLBT acronym was formed. Key social advances of the 20th and 21st centuries included the decriminalization of homosexuality, the creation of domestic partnerships, anti-discrimination legislation at the state and local levels, advocacy for HIV/AIDS patients, and the legalization of gay marriage.