Mar 3, 2010—Marriage licenses became available in Washington, DC
March 4, 2018—Daniela Vega, the star of Oscar-winning foreign film “A Fantastic Woman,” becomes the first openly transgender presenter in Academy Awards history when she introduces a performance by Sufjan Stevens, whose song “Mystery of Love” from the “Call Me By Your Name” soundtrack, is nominated for best original song.
Mar 5, 2006—Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Transamerica receive Oscars.
Mar 7, 1967— CBS airs CBS Report: The Homosexuals anchored by Mike Wallace.
Mar 7, 1972—The first US municipal rights ordinance forbidding hiring discrimination against lesbians and gay men is passed in East Lansing, Michigan.
Mar 7, 2004—Gene Robinson becomes the first out gay Bishop in Christian history.
Mar 11, 2004—California Supreme Court orders San Francisco to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Mar 12, 1976—President candidate, Jimmy Carter, expresses his support for gay & lesbian rights in Los Angeles. He backtracked once in office.
Mar 12, 2013—Colorado lawmakers pass legislation to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples.
Mar 14, 2005—A Supreme Court judge rules that California’s law that limits marriage to a union between a man and a woman is unconstitutional.
Mar 18, 1971—Idaho criminalizes gay sex acts between consenting adults.
Mar 20, 1977—The Arkansas State House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution in praise of Anita Bryant and her anti-gay and lesbian rights campaign.
Mar 23, 2009—The Vermont state Senate votes 26 to 4 to legalize same-sex marriage.
Mar 23, 2018—The Trump administration announces a new policy that bans most transgender people from serving in military. After several court battles, the Supreme Court allows the ban to go into effect in January 2019.
March 24, 2021—Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services becomes the first out transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate.
March 26, 1973—First meeting of “Parents and Friends of Gays,” which goes national as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in 1982.
Mar 26, 1997—The first official meeting of people brought together to discuss gay and lesbian rights is held at the White House. Bill Clinton is President.
Mar 26, 2000—At 72nd Academy Awards, Hilary Swank wins best actress for Boys Don’t Cry.
March 28, 2022—Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education Act, often referred to as “Don’t Say Gay” by its opponents. The Florida Legislature had passed it earlier that month. The law took effect on July 1, 2022. It applied from kindergarten through grade 3.
Mar 29, 1976—US Supreme Court rules that Virginia’s anti-sodomy laws are constitutional.
Mar 29, 2010—Ricky Martin declared on his website: “I am a fortunate homosexual man.”
March 1975 – Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich reveals his sexual orientation to his commanding officer and is forcibly discharged from the Air Force six months later. Matlovich is a Vietnam War veteran and was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. In 1980, the Court of Appeals rules that the dismissal was improper. Matlovich is awarded his back pay and a retroactive promotion.
March 2016—A bill passed the Florida House of Representatives by a vote of 112–5 and the Senate by a vote of 38–0 to repeal a 1868 ban on cohabitation between unmarried couples. Governor Rick Scott signed the bill into law on April 6, 2016, and it went into effect on July 1, 2016
March 2022—Florida passed a law to create a list of sanctioned reading material for students in educational settings, punishing any teacher or school librarian whose classrooms or libraries contain unsanctioned books with felony charges. Sanctioned books must be reviewed by the state to be free of “prohibited material harmful to minors”, which critics have said that under Florida state law includes content regarding the LGBT community and black history.
Sources: CNN, Wikipedia, Historic Calendar Project, Library of Congress, Gay and Lesbian Issues.
