Timeline, 1971-1990
1971
- A group of Kameny for Congress campaign workers forms the Gay Activists Alliance of Washington, DC (GAA/DC), patterned after GAA/New York.
- GAA holds the first of many candidate forums for the DC School Board election and rates the candidates.
1972
- GAA holds a torch light demonstration at the Iwo Jima Memorial to protest park police entrapment of gay men and meets with the Park Police.
- GAA rents a warehouse on 13th and M Streets, NW, which functions as a Gay Community Center throughout 1972.
- The DC School Board passes a resolution prohibiting discrimination within the school system based on sexual orientation, the nation's first such resolution by a school board.
1973
- GAA holds a sit-in at Police Chief Jerry Wilson's office, after a year of unsuccessful attempts to get a meeting. Three GAA members are arrested.
- With DC Council passage of Title 34, DC becomes the first major American city to outlaw discrimination against gays in housing, employment, and public accommodations. GAA involvement ensured that this extensive human rights law included protections for gays and lesbians.
- GAA initiates Project Gaycare, a staff awareness training program in the DC schools.
1974
- GAA publishes and distributes an educational booklet entitled "Twenty Questions about Homosexuality: A Political Primer."
- GAA sponsors a voter registration drive and holds its firs mayoral and council candidate forums in preparation for the upcoming elections, the first in the District under Home Rule.
- GAA representatives meet with Mayor Walter Washington and express that their first priority is the appointment of a gay person to the DC Human Rights Commission.
- GAA distributes candidate questionnaire for the September 10, 1974 primary election in Washington, DC.
1975
- The DC Council votes to terminate funding of the police department's Prostitution, Perversion & Obscenity squads, effectively ending years of anti-gay harassment and entrapment.
- The DC Council appropriates $50,000 for the Gay Men's Venereal Disease Clinic (which later becomes Whitman-Walker Clinic).
- Mayor Walter Washington names Frank Kameny to the city's Human Rights Commission, its first openly gay city appointee.
- GAA sponsors a Bicentennial Conference on "Gays and the Federal Government," one of the first national gatherings of the gay political movement.
1976
- GAA lobbying results in a provision within DC's new marriage and divorce bill prohibiting sexual orientation from being considered in child custody and visitation rights cases.
- GAA sponsors Freedom of Expression Day, a demonstration at the District Building, to protest recent raids of gay movie houses.
1977
- DC Council reenacts Human Rights Bill as part of the DC Code. Under pressure from GAA, the statute is adopted verbatim from the previous act, without proposed anti-gay amendments.
- As part of Project Awareness, GAA gets area radio stations to broadcast a public service announcement instructing that discrimination against gay people is illegal in Washington.
- Nine men die in one of the worst fires in DC history at the Cinema Follies. GAA responds by demanding that the fire department inspect gay establishments for possible safety code violations.
1978
- GAA sponsors the largest gay rights rally held in Washington up to that time to protest the appearance of anti-gay organizer Anita Bryant.
- GAA establishes a suburban outreach program to rate candidates for the fall elections in suburban Maryland and Virginia.
- GAA holds a voter registration drive and candidate forum in preparation for the fall elections.
- GAA distributes 20,000 leaflets publicizing its ratings of the candidates.
- With a GAA rating of "10" and the endorsement of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, Marion Barry wins an upset victory in a three-way Democratic primary for mayor, ensuring his election.
- Pro-gay council member Arrington Dixon defeats anti-gay candidate Douglas Moore for Council Chairman.
- GAA's Violence Against Gays Project distributes leaflets to increase awareness and reporting of bias-related crime.
1979
- GAA establishes a Mayoral Appointments Project to identify and support qualified gay candidates for openings on DC boards and commissions.
- During his first term, the Mayor appoints over twenty openly gay people to city related government, more than were appointed in any other jurisdiction in the country.
- GAA gets a gay activist appointed to the 1st District Police Citizens Advisory Council.
- In response to Anita Bryant -sponsored anti-gay referenda in other cities, the DC Council bans initiatives and referenda which could restrict the DC Human Rights Law.
- GAA wins a court battle with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, allowing it to place educational posters in Metro buses with the message "Someone in Your Life is Gay."
1980
- GAA establishes the Gay and Lesbian Education Fund as a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization.
- In a Memorial Day observance, GAA, after a bitter fight with the U.S. Army, sponsors the first annual wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery to honor all those who have died in the military service of the United States, including gay men and lesbians.
- As a nominated candidate for Vice President of the United States, GAA president Mel Boozer promotes gay rights in nationally televised speech before the Democratic National Convention.
- The Mayor establishes the Civilian Complaint Review Board to monitor police behavior and mentions GAA in his statement as one of the prime movers behind the legislation.
1981
- Involved in the search process for a new DC Police Chief, GAA endorses both Maurice Turner and Marty Tapscott, who are later named Chief and Assistant Chief respectively.
- A GAA-prepared slide show on gay issues becomes part of the regular training program at the DC police academy.
- DC Council unanimously passes the Sexual Assault Reform Act, which decriminalizes sodomy and repeals solicitation laws for consenting adults. Exercising its oversight power for only the second time, Congress overturns the Act under pressure from the Moral Majority.
- GAA convinces the DC Council to broaden the Housing Purchase Assistance Program to include single persons and domestic partners.
1982
- After years of refusal from previous police chiefs, Maurice Turner issues a public statement expressing the police department's commitment to fair and equal treatment of gays and lesbians and agrees to begin police force recruitment in the gay community.
1983
- After three years of lobbying by GAA, the US Holocaust Memorial Council agrees to chronicle the Nazi persecution of gays and lesbians in the National Holocaust Memorial Museum being planned for the Mall in Washington, DC.
- GAA initiates an Employment Protection Project to persuade large employers explicitly to include sexual orientation in their Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statements.
- DC Council allocates emergency funds to combat the spread of AIDS.
- GAA sponsors a demonstration and news conference at Bolling Air Force Base to protest a recent anti-gay witch hunt at the base and the military's continuing policy of discriminating against gay men and lesbians.
1985
- In protest over Georgetown University's refusal to recognize a gay student group, a coalition of gay groups lead by GAA gets a provision added to a $200 million bond issue for the University requiring compliance with the District's human rights law, effectively holding up issuance of the bonds.
- GAA begins its Police Training Project which provides gay-run training sessions as part of the regular curriculum for police recruits.
- In conjunction with other groups, GAA forms the DC Committee on AIDS Issues, an inter organizational council to establish a unified front in fighting the AIDS crisis.
- The City increases AIDS funding to nearly $1 million.
1986
- DC Council passes an AIDS insurance bill, prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage to persons who test positive for AIDS antibodies.
- GAA changes its name to the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC (GLAA).
1987
- The US Holocaust Memorial Council holds a conference on non-Jews persecuted by the Nazis, including a panel on gay victims of the Holocaust. with the assistance of GLAA.
- Gay students at Georgetown University win the right to "tangible benefits" from the University.
- GLAA publicly criticizes Mayor Marion Barry for failure to oppose the Armstrong Amendment passed by Congress which effectively overturns the court victory.
1988
- Mayor Barry appoints former GLAA president Lorri Jean as chairperson of DC Domestic Partnership Commission to study the possibility of providing benefits to non-married partners of city employees.
- City's AIDS funding increases to $6 million, but gay groups criticize the city for failure to begin media education program and services.
- GLAA protests Council actions gutting the city's AIDS insurance law and approving tax-exempt bonds for Georgetown University without an anti-discrimination clause.
1989
- After over fifteen years of lobbying by GLAA culminating in a demonstration at its annual fundraiser, Big Brothers of the National Capital Area ends its practice of discriminating against gay men in assigning volunteers to its youth program.
- A coalition of gay groups persuades the Council to block the Mayor from decreasing AIDS funding under budget deficit pressures.
1990
- DC Council passes Hate Crimes legislation, providing stiffer penalties for crimes against gays and lesbians.
- Woodward & Lothrop agrees to change its employee spouse discount benefit policy to include unmarried domestic partners.
- GLAA protests local anti-gay violence by the Marine Corps, leading to the expulsion of one soldier and penalties for several others.
- GLAA participates on regional Ryan White Planning Council from its inception, helping to determine priorities and distribution of federal funds for fighting HIV and AIDS.