The Rainbow MinuteThe Rainbow Minute

Tuesday's Rainbow Minute:  "On This Day in History – April 17, 1965 – The First Gay Picket Line", read by Tom Miller and aired at 07:59, 12:29 and 4:59

 April 17, 1965 – Frank Kameny leads the first public picket line for gay rights in the U.S.  

He was already entrenched as a gay activist when he organized this groundbreaking event outside the White House.  According to plan, ten gay men and lesbians carried signs like “Halt Government’s War Against Homosexuals” and “Sexual Preference is Irrelevant to Federal Employment.” Kameny insisted that the picketers dress up – the men in suits and ties and the women in dresses. 

A few months later, 45 people picketed in demonstrations held at the Pentagon, the State Department and Civil Service Commission building. 

While the numbers were not as large as the March on Washington for black civil rights or those marching against the Vietnam War, it was a huge step forward.