The next morning, former Gay Political Caucus President Don Hrachovy and John Buschlen sold shirts that said, “Louie, Don’t Shoot!” After the election, shirts saying, “You Missed, Louie!” were produced to mock Welch. At a press event on October 24, Welch thought his microphone was off and joked that one solution to AIDS would be the “shoot the queers.” The comment was caught on the local news and though he apologized, he lost the race. Polls showed Whitmire leading but her Achilles heel was the support for the failed ordinance which Welch capitalized on. October 24, 1985įollowing an overturned non-discrimination ordinance passed by then-Mayor Kathy Whitmire, a politician and former Houston Mayor Louie Welch threw his hat in the race and ran against her. 1982īoth JR's and Ripcord open and are still going strong today. The Montrose Clinic, now known as Legacy Community Health Services, opens its doors to the LGBT community to combat the threat of HIV/AIDS. Town Meeting I resulted in the creation of: the Montrose Counseling Center, the Montrose Activity Center, the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard, the Hispanic Caucus, the Montrose Sports Association. It was the first politically oriented homosexual meeting in the United States. Thousands gathered to create a dialogue and motivate gay people to work toward a common goal. Due to the Anita Bryant protest, the Houston LGBT community started to band together and find their voice as a community. Town Meeting I was Houston’s first formal celebration of Gay Pride Week. Thousands gathered for this event and it is considered one of, if not the first, examples of Houston activism. Houston’s gay and lesbian community rallied together to protest an appearance by former Miss America and anti-gay Florida orange juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant. It is the oldest LGBT civil rights organization in the south and helped organize the first Houston Pride Parade in 1976. The Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus was founded. In what was described as the first marriage between two members of the same sex, Billie Ert (a female impersonator) and Antonio Molina got married in Houston. It stayed open until 2009 and a tribute to the iconic mural can now be seen upstairs at The Eagle. Mary’s…Naturally, one of the longest continuously open gay bars, opens. KPFT went on the air and still features programs like After Hours and Queer Voices. The case was dismissed and was the first organized opposition to Houston’s cross dressing law. The offense… cross dressing because fly front pants was illegal dress for females. Rita “Pappa Bear” Wanstrom opens the Houston lesbian club The Roaring Sixties and founds a group called The Tumblebugs who raise money to hire an attorney to defend those who were arrested in a bar raid. The Albatross, Houston’s first gay publication, begins production and runs until 1968. Originally a social group getting together to watch the first televised Academy Awards, The Diana Foundation is the oldest continuously running gay organization in the country and has donated more than $1.6 million to LGBT community charities. The first Diana Awards, a nonprofit focused on assisting and supporting the needs of the gay community, is formed. Here are some important events from Houston's LGBT past that have shaped the city we love into the place it is today. His website,, is a treasure trove of information, documents, images and more. We worked with local historian and activist JD Doyle who has spent many years chronicling the history of the local community.
While those issues can be discouraging, it is important to look back and honor those who led the fight to get us to where we are today and learn from them how to move forward as one. The LGBT community is still under fire with pointless bathroom bills, legislation potentially barring couples from adopting and much more. Many may not be aware, but Houston has a rich history that should be learned and celebrated. Pride isn't just about the fabulous parties and parade that roll around each June, it is also about boosting the voices of LGBT people and celebrating the community all year long.