1980

Bauman Bombs Out...In October, Maryland Rep. Robert bauman is arrested for sex with a 16-year-old male prostitute. After the Republican lost his seat in November, he blames his downfallon his "twin compulsions" of alcoholism and homosexuality; Gays blame it on his hypocrisy.

Bryant Softens Her stance...Anita Bryant, who started the movement to repeal a Gay Rights law in Dade County, Florida, backs off a little from her virulent anti-gay stance after divorcing her husband.

Matlovich wins...A U.S. district court judge orders the Army to reinstate Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, but instead, he accepts $160,000 from the Army to stay out. Gay activists criticize him for selling out.

Open Gay addresses Democrats...At the 1980 Democratic National Convention, openly gay delegate Mel Boozer takes the podium as a nominee for vice president in order to get the party's attention to Gay issues. The Democratic platform, unlike those in later years, backs Gay rights.

Gays give up Cruising...Gays picket Cruising, a fild depicting New York Gays as hard core S&M enthusiasts, in several cities because of its negative stereotypes about gays. Those who predict it will cause anti-Gay violence are right; a ministers son murders two Gay men outside the bar in which the movie was filmed.

1981

Watkins begins battle...Sergeant Perry Watkins files suit against the U.S. Army challenging the revocation of his security clearance and seeking an injunction barring his discharge for being gay. By the end of the decade, his case is still being appealed in the 9th circuit.

Christians don't love Sidney...Tony Randall plays a middle-aged Gay man who takes in an unwed mother in the television series Love, Sidney. Religious groups complain, and the character is eventually neutered.

Rare cancer hits Gay men...The Centers for Disease Control reports by the end of July, a total of 26 cases of a rare form of cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma, usually found in elderly men, having been reported in young Gay men.

Sodomy repeal repealed...Congress voted to overturn D.C.'s sodomy law repeal, leaving on the books a penalty of $1,000 or 10 years in jail for homosexual intercourse. At the end of 1989, another repeal effort is stuck in the D.C.'d Judiciary Committee.

Koop comes Around...Gays say President Ronald Regans choice for C. Everett Koop for Surgeon General spells doom. But Koop, whose main proponent is Sen. Jesse Helms, later garners praise from Gays and criticism from conservatives when he promoted the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS.

Marine mayhem...Two Marines are convicted of tear gassing a D.C. Gay bar called Equus. One gets nine months in jail, the otehr gets probation. Later in the year, three Marines who plead quilty to assaulting two Gay men at the Iwo Jima Memorial, both are given probation.

1982

Major vetoes domestic partnership bill...After the San Francisco Board of Superisors passes a domestic partners bill, Mayor Dianne Feinstein vetoes it because of the potential cost the the city. Angry Gays respond with a protest a City Hall. When the Board passes a similat bill in 1989, voters repeal it.

Love stinks...Harry Hamlin and Micheal Ontkean play lovers in the well-intentioned fils Making Love. Producers call it "a love story for the 80's." Critics and audiences call it much worse.

Vaccine released...A long awaited vaccine for Hepatitis B is made available. Blood samples taken from Gay men who participated in a study testing the vaccine soon prove to be helpful for researchers tacking another disease-AIDS>

Lighting the torch...Founder Tom Waddell is pleasantly stunned when more than 1,300 athletes participate in the first Gay Olympics in San Francisco. He is stunned again when the United Stated Olympic Committee wins an injunction barring Gays from using he word "Olympics." Waddel dies of AIDS in 1988, but the games live on.

Wisconsin makes history...Wisconsin passes the nations first state law prohibiting discrimination against Gays. The law, which prohibits bias in housing, employment, and public accomidations, is authored by State rep. David Clarenbach.

1983

Black Gay involment rises...There is a surge of activity in Black Gay organizations. The D.C. Black Gay Men and Women's Community Conference, chaired by activist Lawrence Washington, exceeds all expectations by attracting morethan 120 people of color. The National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gyas hires it's first full-time executive director, D.C. activist Gil Gerald.

Studds comes out...Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) comes out of the closet on the floor of the House following his censure for sexual improprieties with a 17-year-old male page. thus he becomes the first openly Gay member of Congress. His July announcement wins him few friends in the national media-many editorials call for his ouster-but made him a hero in the eyes of many Gyas. Meanwhile former Republican Rep. Robert Bauman stuns the conservative movement by announcing his intention to become a Gay rights advocate. His announcement prompts the American Conservative Union- an organization he helped form-to try an oust him.

Torch Song Trilogy wins top honors...Harvey Feirnstein wins a Tony Award for Torch Song trilogy. The play is one of the first successful braodway plays portray Gyas in Happy relationships. By 1988, the popular play hits the silver screen.

Penguins rights...D.C. Delgate Walter Fauntroy raises a ruckus when he opposes letting a Gay person speak at the Martin Luther King Jr. anniversary march, saying that Gya rights are the equivalent of "penguin rights."

Push begins outside the District line...Montgomery County Gays push for inclusion in the Human rights law. Then, opponents, fail to collect enough signatures to get a repeal referendum on the ballot. Later in the decade Alexandria passes Virginia's first human rights law protecting Gays. Neighboring Arlington County tips its hat. And Baltimore comes through after years of struggle.

1984

"Probable cause" for AIDS found...Robert Gallo of the National Institutes of Health, announces he has found the "probable cause" for AIDS. He calls it "HTLV-III." At about the same time, Luc Montagnier of the Pasteur Institute in France announces he has found the cause. He calls it "LAV." After a disagreement over who discovered the cause forst and what the name should be, they agree to be co-discoverers" and call it "HIV."

Bork bashes Gays...Robert Bork leads the U.S. Court of appeals panel in D.C. to a decision in Dronenburg v. Zech that says the court finds it "impossible to conclude that a right to homosexual conduct is 'fundamental'." Gays recall those words as the Senate refuses to confirm Borks' nomination to the Supreme Court a few years later.

Studds wins re-election...Voters in Massachusetts re-elect Rep. Gerry Studds, who became the first congressman to openly acknowledge he is Gay just one year before. Gya activists say his victory proves a candidates homosexuality does not necessarily spell defeat.

Milk hits the screen...Robert Epstein and Richard Schmiechens well-received documentary about the slain San Francisco supervisor and Gay rights activist hits the screen as The Life and Times of Harvey Milk.

1985

Rock Hudson dies from AIDS...During the first few years of the epidemic, most people have not personally known anyone with AIDS, and many have never heard of someone with AIDS. This changes in late July, when movie star Rock Hudson publicly acknowledges that he had the disease. When Rock makes one of his last television appearances with former co-star Doris Day, the effects of the disease on the once-handsome leading man are shocking to many Americans.
Suddenly the four-year-old epidemic is news. Magazines such as Newsweek and Time do cover stories on AIDS. Newspapers around the world the country begin publishing a flood of articles about every aspect of the epidemic.
Hudson's death prompts people to action. Activists praise Hudson's close friend Elizabeth Taylor for using her influence to start a major fundraising organization, the American Foundation for AIDS research, to expedite research for treatments. Activists criticize another of Hudson's close friends, President Ronald Regan, because some treatments are available overseas have not yet been made available through U.S. federal government. Activists question the Reagan administration's commitment to fighting the epidemic when the president calls for fewer research dollars for 1986 than in 1985.

Gay Rights National Lobby folds...Although the Gay Rights National Lobby, headed by Nancy Roth, gets some large contributions, it can't seem to shake it's $40,000 debt. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force negotiates for over a year but decides not to merge with the organization because it too, has a huge debt. The Human Rights Campaign Fund, a Gay political action committee, votes to absorb GRNL and assume some of the decade-old organization's lobbying duties.

Spider Woman breaks the mold...Kiss of the Spider Woman star William Hurt wins an Academy Award for one of the first truly positive portrayal of a Gay man to come out of Hollywood. This political thriller about two men in a South American prison is not perfect however. Some critics say Hurt's character, Molina, reinforces stereotypes about Gay men being effeminate, but otherssay it breaks the mold by allowing him to be the most likable character in the film.,p> Antibody test developed...A test is developed to detect the presence of antibodies to the AIDS virus in the blood. Although it is originally intended for screening at blood banks, activists warn that the test will soon be used for other purposes. There fears are realized by the end of the year when the Department of Defense starts administering the test to all military personnel andrecruits.

1986

AZT becomes the first hope of survival...In September, the U.S. Public Health Service announces that AZT appears to be significantly effective in prolonging the lives of people with AIDS. Limited drug trials are halted and the drug is released to a defined group of people with AIDS. By 1989, it will be made available to people early in the HIV-infection who have not developed the disease.
In other AIDS -related news, California voters soundly reject a LaRouche backed proposal to quarantine people with AIDS; and the D.C. City Council passes a law to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone believed to be at risk for AIDS. The D.C. law is later repealed under pressure from Congress.

A bitterly divided Supreme Court sets the movement back...On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court releases a 5 to 4 decision upholding the right of states to enforce laws against homosexual sodomy. The deciding vote in the case, originated by Atlanta bartender Michael Hardwick, came from Justice Lewis Powell. The Washington Post later reports Powell originally planned to oppose such laws. While the decision becomes cannon fodder for Gay rights opponents, it is also a rallying point, triggering renewed protests and activism in the movement.

Pope John Paul II severs Gays from the church...In a 14-page letter released in October 30, Pope John Paul II calls Gays "intrinsically disordered" and "evil" and orders Catholic Church officials to ensure that " all support" be withdrawn from Gay Catholic organizations such as Dignity. Over the next several years, Catholic churches across the U.S. systematically enforce the order and throw out chapters which had been allowed to hold meetings there.

Lesbian love story hits mainstream screens...Lesbian film director Donna Deitch brings her production of Jane Rule's Desert Hearts to filmhouses in mainstream America.

1987

March takes Washington by storm...There is a big dispute over how many Gays converge on D.C. in October (organizers say 500,000, while U.S. Park Police say 200,000), but most agree the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, the largest demonstration for Gay rights in history, is a historic event. Two days later, more than 600 Gays are arrested at the largest civil disobedience ever held at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thats What Friends Are For...Dionne Warwick's chart topping single "That's What Friends Are For" raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS research.

Gays can't use the word "Olympics"...Gay Games founder Tom Waddell and his attorney Mary Dunlap engage the U.S. Supreme Court in a debate over whether the United States Olympic Committee can forbid the Gay sports event from using the term "Olympics" in its title. The court votes 5 to 4 that the USOC can prohibit Gays from using the word.

A little respect..."The banana is an important product and deserves to be treated with respect," writes the head of the International Banana Association in a letter criticizing a PBS program that used the yellow fruit to demonstrate how to use a condom.

1988

Georgetown suit settled, but not over...In the spring, two Gay student groups at Georgetown University agree to forego punitive damages from their appeals court victory in return for the university's agreement not to appeal the November 1987 decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. In settlement, Georgetown also agree's to pay more than $1 million in attorneys fees. But by the fall, the conflict is haunting Gays once again. Congress approves an amendment by Sen. William Armstrong that seeks to amend the D.C. human rights law to allow religious educational institutions, such as Georgetown, to be exempt from the law prohibiting discrimination against Gays. The amendment fails when the D.C. Council challenges it in court, but Armstrong simply rewrites his amendment in 1989 to evade legal problems and this time it appears successful.

White House ignores its own commission...The Presidential Commission on HIV, headed by Admiral James Watkins, surprises many in June when it called for laws prohibiting discrimination against people with AIDS and AIDS education as early as kindergarten. President Reagan ignored the recommendations. Meanwhile, hundreds join a protest outside the FDA building in October, forcing the agency to close its doors for one day. More than 170 protestors are arrested.

Baltimore's new mayor gives rights bill a boost...With the strong backing of newly-elected Mayor Kurt Schmoke, Baltimore City Council passes a law prohibiting discrimination against Gays.

1989

No homoerotic art...By canning an exhibit of homoerotic photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, D.C.'s Corcoran Gallery of Art blows the lid off the federal government's hesitancy to fund "controversial" art. The exhibit is picked up by the Washington Project for the Arts and draws record crowds.

Pentamidine Ok'd by feds...In June, the Food and Drug Administration gives it's stamp of approval to aerosol pentamidine, a drug used to ward off pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. This is good news especially for thousands already using the drug, because many insurance companies had previously refused to pay for it.

Just as good or better...In a report the Department of Defensetried to squelch, Gay recruits are judged to be "just as good or better" than their straight counterparts.

Something new...ABC breaks new ground in November when the thirtysomething series shows a gay character in bed with another man. The show loses $1.5 million when squeamish sponsors pulled out of the episode at the last minute. Another groundbreaking show, Heartbeat, also loses sponsors because of its Lesbian character.

Massachusetts' massive victory...After 17 years of hard work, Massachusetts activists rejoice in November when Gov. Michael Dukakis signs a bill protecting Gays from discrimination. Later, they rejoice again when the state attorney general voids a repeal effort because one of the new law's provisions, insisted upon by conservatives and exempting religious groups, qualifies the measure for another religious exemption-the state constitution says religious bills cant be put up for referendum.

Frank gets Frank...At his request, an ethics committee investigates Rep. Barney Frank after a prostitute he hired two years ago as a personal assistant claims he ran a prostitution ring out of Frank's Capitol Hill townhouse. Frank says he threw the prostitute out when he learned what was going on and blamed his association with the hustler on "poor judgement" and the fact that he was not yet out of the closet when he retained the man's services.

Thompson, Kolwalski reunited...After being separated for more than three years, Karen Thompson wins a court order that enables her to visit her severely disabled lover Sharon Kolwalski. Kolwalski's father had refused to allow the women to meet after he learned of their Lesbian relationship. Thompson, who once led a very closeted life, has since become a tireless activist promoting the legal rights of Gay couples.

OUT! gains visibility...The local protest group OUT! gains greater visibility in Gay and AIDS-related issues in D.C. In July, members of the group confront D.C. Commissioner of Health Reed Tuckson about the city's AIDS budget.

D.C. passes hate crimes bill...In December, the D.C. City Council sends to Congress for review a bill upping the penalties for crimes against Gays and other minorities. Son of Armstrong...After Sen. William Armstrong's amendment to the 1988 D.C. appropriations bill fails to get the D.C. City Council to water down its human rights law, Congress decides to do its own dirty work. The 1989 amendment circumvents the Council by directly amending the law to allow religious groups to discriminate against Gays.

Is she or isn't she?...Former boy toy Madonna make tongues wag when she and gal pal Sandra Bernhardt frequent a New York Lesbian bar called the Cubbyhole. "Dont believe the rumors," says Madonna. "Believe them," counters Bernhardt.

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