Gay And Lesbian History Timeline In King County

Prepared by the Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project

Beginning in the 1890s, a small gay scene existed in many urban centers. Pioneer Square bars, cafes and steam baths were probably the locus of gay life in Seattle from early on.

1893: In its first sodomy conviction, King County sentences Charles Wesley to "seven years at hard labor" for "intent to know" Eddie Kalberg, "a male person."

1934: The Double Header Tavern opens in Seattle's Pioneer Square. The tavern has served a predominantly gay clientele since World War II, and is reputed to be the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the nation.

1946: The Garden of Allah, Seattle's first gay-owned bar, opens.

1950s: The Casino, an after-hours club below the Doubleheader, becomes a hot spot. Known as "Madame Peabody's School of Dance," it is the only place where gays and lesbians can dance together.

1959: John Eccles attempts to start a Northwest chapter of the Mattachine Society, a gay-rights organization; his discussion group in Tacoma lasts about a year.

1967: Bar owner MacIver Wells tips off The Seattle Times, which breaks the story of police extortion of gay bars. County and federal investigations continue into the early '70s, when the payoff system is finally ended.

1967: The Third Name Society, a lesbian homophile organization, and the Dorian Society, a male homophile organization, are established in Seattle.

1969: Seattle Counseling Services for Homosexuals (later Sexual Minorities) is founded, the first organization of its kind in the country.

1970: The Seattle Gay Liberation Front is founded.

Oct. 15, 1971: Seattle's first Gay Community Center is established in Pioneer Square.

1971: The Gay Women's Resource Center, later the Lesbian Resource Center, is established in Seattle and remains the oldest agency of its kind in the country.

1973: The Seattle City Council votes to extend protection in employment to lesbians and gays. A housing ordinance protecting lesbians and gays is approved in 1975.

Dec. 14, 1973: Shelly's Leg, Seattle's first disco, opens "at the foot of Main" (Street) in Pioneer Square. Shelly's Leg was famous for its sign declaring it to be a "Gay Bar Provided for Seattle's Gay Community and Their Guests."

1974: The Seattle Gay News begins publication.

1974: The Dorian Group, a more conservative gay-rights organization, is formed.

1975: Gov. Dan Evans signs a bill repealing Washington state's sodomy law.

1976: A gay civil-rights bill is submitted to the Washington state Legislature for the first time.

June 1977: Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman officially declares "Gay Pride Week."

1977: Tacoma teacher Jim Gaylord is fired because of his membership in the Dorian Society. The state Supreme Court upholds the decision.

1978: Seattle voters defeat anti-gay Initiative 13, which would have repealed protection for Seattle's gays against employment and housing bias.

1978: The state Supreme Court rules that lesbian mothers Sandy Schuster and Madeline Isaacson can retain custody of their children, one of the nation's first legal victories for lesbian or gay parents.

1982: The first AIDS case is reported in King County. The Seattle Gay Clinic sponsors a forum that gives rise to organizations such as the Northwest AIDS Foundation and the Chicken Soup Brigade.

1983: Seattle becomes only the second city in the U.S. to allocate funding for AIDS.

1983: Seattle's Gay City Theatre Project, later known as Alice B. Theatre, gives its first performance.

1985: The King County Council passes the Fair Housing and Employment Practices Ordinance, extending protection to gays and lesbians.

1987: Cal Anderson is appointed state representative for Seattle's 43rd District, becoming the first openly gay legislator in Washington state.

1989: The Seattle chapter of AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT-UP) is founded.

1991: Sherry Harris is elected to Seattle's City Council. She is the first openly lesbian African American to be voted into public office.

1991: Lambert House, the nation's first drop-in center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, is established in Seattle.

1992: Bailey/Boushay House opens, the first new facility in the country built to provide care for people with AIDS.