With February being LGBT History Month, at The Lanyard Shop, we want to show everybody that you can support your LGBTQ+ brothers, sisters, and non-binaries with our rainbow lanyards and trans lanyards. As it’s time to reflect on the milestones of the people and groups that came before us, it’s easy to forget that so much of LGBT history has been erased for an entire generation. Here are some interesting facts about LGBT history and LGBTQ+ that you probably didn’t know about.
The Catholic Church Was Okay With Marriage Equality in the Dark Ages
In fact, same-sex marriages existed as far back as the 3rd and 10th centuries. Documents described “Office of Same-Sex Unions” and order for “Uniting Two Men”.
The First Gay Pride Parade Was Held in Chicago, Not New York
Pride is an amazing way to celebrate! Did you know that while the Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day March is considered to be the first-ever Pride parade? This was actually one day after the first march held in Chicago on June 27, 1970? Chicago is actually the birthplace of Gay Pride!
Calling Someone “They” Isn’t Actually That New…
For people who are referring to themselves as “they/them,” this actually used to be the most popular pronoun in the English language until the 19th century and was widely used by William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. After this, pronouns became he/him and she/her because people wanted the language to be more symmetrical.
The Rainbow Flag Has Its Own Interesting History
The rainbow flag, now considered the bona fide symbol of the LGBTQ+ community first appeared back in the 1970s, when Harvey Milk, the first elected official who was openly gay, gave Gilbert Baker the task of creating a symbol to use instead of the pink triangle (used in concentration camps to signify a homosexual). The Pride flag as we know it was created in 1978 by Baker dying the fabrics himself.
The First LGBT Couple Was Around Thousands of Years Ago
In fact, the first known couple actually shared a tomb. One of the first recorded same-sex relationships was way back in 2,400 BC. Two royal court manicurists named Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were found buried together in a tomb similar to how married couples were at the time. Their epigraph read “Joined in life and joined in death,” and were placed nose to nose.
The First San Francisco Trans March Occurred in 2004
While many people think of trans rights as being a very new thing in fact in 2004 an email circulated around the transgender community calling for a trans right march over the murder of a young trans woman from the Bay area, Gwen Araujo. The San Francisco Pride event initially had two events, one that was trans-inclusive and one that wasn’t. But now, the trans march is part of the wider Pride month celebrations in San Francisco.
Wherever you are, LGBT history is all around and it’s continuing to be made, so why don’t you show your support for the community with an LGBT lanyard or transgender lanyard!