Franklin E. Kameny Centennial Event

In honor of Frank Kameny’s 100th birthday 100 demonstrators will raise candles in activism & remembrance on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court on May 21st from 11:15A to 2P. They will be joined by prominent national LGBTQ leaders carrying picket signs, many of which will include messages from the early iconic LGBTQ protests. This event is a historic celebration organized by LGBT History Month in collaboration with national partner organizations. Franklin E. Kameny was the chief strategist & founder of the LGBTQ civil rights movement. A first-generation American who was born in NYC May 21st 1925 Kameny became a decorated World War II veteran & earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He made enumerable lifelong contributions to LGBTQ equality. Kameny fought to overturn the ban on gay & lesbians in federal employment & filed the first LGBTQ equality brief with the United States Supreme Court. He cofounded organizations that would become the National LGBTQ Task Force & the Washington Blade. He led seminal protests & coined the slogan “Gay Is Good” at a time when LGBTQ people were vilified as deviants. He waged a successful effort to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness. He remained a prominent activist until his death in 2011. Honorary National Co-Chairs of this event are Senator Tammy Baldwin the first out U.S. Senator & Jim Obergefell the Supreme Court Marriage Equality Plaintiff as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of marriage equality this year. 100 activists & national leaders will hold vintage picket signs and 100 flameless birthday candles at the Supreme Court to honor Kameny & demonstrate the unity of the LGBTQ Civil Rights movement. WATCH

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