Fritz Schulz and Conrad Veidt in Different from the Others (1919)
German film Different from the Others (1919) (Different from the Others) is the first pro-gay film in the world
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Poll: Have Pride in These Queer Firsts
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Hertha Thiele in Mädchen in Uniform (1931)
German film Mädchen in Uniform (1931) is the first pro-lesbian film in the world -
William Haines in Sally, Irene and Mary (1925)
American actor William Haines refuses to take part in a sham arranged marriage, and retires from acting to live with his partner Jimmie Shields -
Peter Wyngarde in ITV Play of the Week (1955)
British TV movie South (1959), an ITV Play of the Week, is the earliest known gay TV drama -
Number 96 (1972)
Australian nightly soap opera Number 96 (1972) features the first openly gay male character on TV (lawyer Don Finlayson, played by actor Joe Hasham) -
That Certain Summer (1972)
American TV movie That Certain Summer (1972) is the first to sensitively explore homosexuality -
Gene Wilder, Richard Kiley, and Steven Warner in The Little Prince (1974)
English composer and conductor, Angela Morley, is the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Oscar, for Best Music, Original Song Score/Adaptation for The Little Prince (1974); she is later nominated in the same category for The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976) -
Billy Crystal in Soap (1977)
American sitcom Soap (1977) becomes the first to feature an openly gay character; Jodie Dallas is played by Billy Crystal, thus he is the first actor to play an openly gay character on a primetime TV show -
Wisecracks (1991)
American comedian Robin Tyler becomes the first out lesbian on US national TV; she also released the first comedy album by an out lesbian -
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Long-running soap opera Brookside (1982) features the first openly gay character on a British TV series (Gordon Collins, played by Mark Burgess at the time the character came out) -
The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
American film The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) becomes the first overtly gay film to win an Oscar for Best Documentary -
Ben Gazzara, Aidan Quinn, Gena Rowlands, and Sylvia Sidney in An Early Frost (1985)
NBC airs the TV movie An Early Frost (1985), the first major film that deals with the subject of AIDS -
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Terry Sweeney becomes the first openly gay male cast member on Saturday Night Live -
Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Stephen Poletti, and Richard Roundtree in Roc (1991)
US sitcom Roc (1991) depicts the first same-sex marriage on US prime time TV -
Amanda Donohoe and Michele Greene in L.A. Law (1986)
American drama L.A. Law (1986) features the first lesbian kiss on TV, between CJ Lamb (Amanda Donohoe) and Abby Perkins (Michele Greene) -
Lea DeLaria
Comic Lea DeLaria becomes the first openly gay comic to be on a late night show when she appears on The Arsenio Hall Show (1989); a few month later, she hosts the first all-gay stand up special on Comedy Central -
Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington in Philadelphia (1993)
Tom Hanks wins a best actor Oscar starring in Philadelphia (1993), the first major Hollywood film dealing directly with homosexuality, homophobia and HIV/AIDS; the film was also named best picture -
Jessica Hecht and Jane Sibbett in Friends (1994)
Friends (1994) airs the first lesbian nuptials on TV when Carol (Jane Sibbett) and Susan (Jessica Hecht) are wed -
Laura Dern and Ellen DeGeneres in Ellen (1994)
Ellen DeGeneres comes out on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) and her character on her TV show, Ellen (1994), also comes out later that year -
Julie Hesmondhalgh in Coronation Street (1960)
Long-running soap opera Coronation Street (1960) features the first transgender character, Hayley Anne Patterson (Julie Hesmondhalgh), played on British TV -
Alyson Hannigan and Amber Benson in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) is the first TV show to develop a lesbian relationship, when Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson) get together -
William Baldwin and Candis Cayne in Dirty Sexy Money (2007)
American actress Candis Cayne is the first openly transgender actress to play a recurring transgender character in prime time on Dirty Sexy Money (2007) -
Ellen DeGeneres at an event for The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007)
Ellen DeGeneres becomes the first open lesbian to host the Academy Awards -
Rachel Maddow in The Rachel Maddow Show (2008)
American journalist Rachel Maddow is the first openly gay or lesbian anchor of a major prime-time news program, on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show (2008) -
Tamara Braun and Eden Riegel in All My Children (1970)
All My Children (1970) features daytime TV's first lesbian wedding, when Reese (Tamara Braun) and Bianca (Eden Riegel) are married -
Kate McKinnon in Saturday Night Live (1975)
Comedian Kate McKinnon becomes the first openly gay lesbian cast member of Saturday Night Live (1975); former cast member Danitra Vance was only revealed to be a lesbian after her death -
Casey Affleck in ParaNorman (2012)
Film ParaNorman (2012) has the first openly gay character (Mitch, voiced by Casey Affleck) in a mainstream animated film -
Paris Barclay
The Directors Guild of America elects Paris Barclay as its first black and first openly gay president -
Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight (2016) is the first film dealing directly with homosexuality and homophobia to win the Best Picture Oscar; it is also the first Best Picture winner with an all-black cast -
Anderson Cooper in Charlie Rose (1991)
American jounalist Anderson Cooper is the first openly gay or lesbian moderator of a presidential debate, during the 2016 election
