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The history of the LGBT community isn’t a new one, by any means. In fact, one of the first definitive recorded history of a same-sex couple was in ancient Egypt—two servants in the royal palace at the time, Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum, were buried together after death. Paintings of them embracing, and an inscription reading “joined in life and joined in death” was found in their tomb. In ancient China, philosopher Han Feizi recorded that Mizi Xia shared a peach with Duke Ling of Wei, which led to “分桃” (fen tao) becoming a common word for homosexuality.
In Greece, in 317 BCE, a group of 300 elite soldiers was formed, named “The Sacred Band of Thebes.” The difference with them, though, is that the army was made up of gay couples. These couples were specifically chosen because it was believed that their love for each other would make them better warriors, by encouraging them to fight, and, if taken by an enemy, die in battle more honorably. As Plutarch put it: “in the instance of the man who, when his enemy was going to kill him, earnestly requested him to run him through the breast, that his lover might not blush to see him wounded in the back.” Also in Greece was the poet Sappho of Lesbos, who was a very popular and respected figure of her time. Today, many of her works have been lost, but some of what remain express love for other women. Although it is uncertain and debated as to whether or not Sappho was expressing her own love for women in these poems, her impact on the LGBT community is still widely seen. The words “sapphic” and “lesbian,” (both used to talk about women who are attracted to women) are derived from her name and birthplace respectively and are still widely and commonly used today.
However, not all history was positive, or even neutral. In the medieval and renaissance eras, it was common for gay men and other LGBT individuals to be prosecuted or attacked due to their sexuality. In fact, painter Leonardo da Vinci was charged, along with other young men, for being in homosexual relationships. Although the case was dropped, homosexuality was still deemed a criminal offense, and several others were prosecuted under these laws. In many countries today, even, it is still illegal to be in a same-sex relationship, though more so for men than women.
However, LGBT activism is changing this sentiment, since it began in the 1900s. In the 1920s, in Germany, gay rights groups (then called homophile organizations) began to rise—in particular, the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, an organization aiming to overturn the criminalization of same-sex relationships and bring social recognition to LGBT people. US army soldier Henry Gerber was stationed there at the time, and seeing this, founded the Society for Human Rights in the US. They published the first gay rights newsletter and were unfortunately met with hostility. Gerber was arrested, the Society for Human Rights ended. Further along, though, came more organizations, such as The Daughters of Bilitis in the 1950s, named after the poem The Songs of Bilitis, which claimed the woman Bilitis was the lover of Sappho (the same Greek poet mentioned before). The group was one of the first lesbian organizations to form in the United States, and chapters spread across the country, as well as globally to Australia, and attempted chapters in New Zealand and Scandinavia. The group ended in the 1970s.
One year before that decade, an incredibly significant event in LGBT history began. On June 28, 1969, the gay bar Stonewall Inn was raided by police who arrested several people at the bar, both for wearing clothing that was not “gender appropriate” and for selling alcohol without a license. A crowd outside the bar grew to roughly 400 people, who rioted when seeing the people being arrested. Police barricaded themselves inside the bar, and at one point, the bar itself was set on fire. The riots continued through the following five days. The Stonewall Riots were a symbol of unity under police discrimination and led to the formation of several other LGBT organizations and groups.
With the turn of the century, LGBT recognition and acceptance has become much more widespread. gay marriage has become accepted and legalized in over two dozen countries, starting in 2000 in the Netherlands. In 2005, Spain legalized gay marriage and allowed couples to joint-adopt children. One year later, South Africa did the same. And several other countries followed. LGBT history is one that’s been present for millenni, and one that will continue to grow and develop as time passes.
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