On January 12th, 1987, actor Naya Marie Rivera was born in Valencia, California. A child star, Rivera was best known for her role on the television show Glee where she played reformed mean girl Santana Lopez – one half of a same-gender-loving couple on the…
On January 11th, 1973, An American Family documentary series premiered on PBS. The show featured the real daily lives and experiences of the Loud family from Santa Barbara, California – decades before the Osbournes or the Kardashians were on the air. Over seven months, producers…
On January 10th, 1980, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence formalized their organization in San Francisco. The order of transgender and queer nuns states that since their first appearance on Easter Sunday, 1979, “the Sisters have devoted ourselves to community service, ministry and outreach to those…
On January 9th, 1941, Joan Chandos Biaz was born. The Mexican-American, bisexual folk singer has been speaking and working for justice for decades. She stood with Cesar Chavez to fight for migrant farm rights and she performed during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s…
In the Episcopal Church of America, January 8th is the feast day for the Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray. Murray was civil rights activist, and the National Organization for Women says of her: “She was one of the most important thinkers and legal scholars of the…
On January 7th, 1957 the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) “…decided that laws that made sexual intimacy a crime for lesbians and gay men could not be constitutionally challenged.” This was a radical departure from earlier efforts to end discrimination for LGBTQIA+ people. Today, the…
Jeanne d’Arc, or Joan of Arc in English (1412 – 1431), was born on around 1412 in Domremy, France. Some historians have listed her birth date as January 6th of that year, but there are no records that indicate the exact date. Like many modern…
In response to raids on New Year’s Eve 1966 and early morning of New Year’s Day 1967 at the Black Cat Tavern in Los Angeles, Personal Rights in Defense and Education (P.R.I.D.E) staged demonstrations in defense of the patrons and in protest of the police…
On January 4, 1964, Dot Marie Jones was born in California, where she grew up. Jones is best known these days for her portrayal of Coach Sheldon Beiste on the television show Glee, where she portrayed a transgender man. One of the pivotal scenes in…
January 3rd, 1981: Representative Barnett “Barney” Frank took office after being elected to serve the state of Massachusetts. He became the first national U.S. politician to come out voluntarily when he came out in 1987. He served from January 3, 1981 – January 3, 2013….
The Open and Affirming Coalition advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the United Church of Christ and beyond, and equips UCC congregations to become effective witnesses to Christ’s extravagant welcome. Read more