18 LAPRIDE.org1947:Vice Versa, subtitled America's Gayest Magazine, first lesbian magazine inthe United States is produced by Lisa Ben (an anagram for lesbian), and distributedat bars like the If Club and Open Door around 8th and Vermont1950:Harry Hay forms the Mattachine Society, America's first lasting gay organi-zation, in Silver Lake.1950:Vice Versa, subtitled America's Gayest Magazine, first lesbian magazine inthe United States is produced by Lisa Ben (an anagram for lesbian), and distributedat bars like the If Club and Open Door around 8th and Vermont.1950s:Dr. Elmer Belt of Los Angeles performs some of the first sexual reassign-ment surgeries in the United States.1952:ONE Inc. forms to produce one of the nation's first gay magazines - ONEMagazine. During the first year of publication in 1953, more than 60,000 copiesare distributed nationwide. ONE opens offices at 3rd and Hill in downtown LosAngeles.1952:Virginia Prince, a male cross-dresser, publishes Transvestia in Los Angeles-the first transgender publication in the U.S and in doing so, "new coined" the wordtransgender.1954:The Satyrs Motorcycle Club is formed in L.A., giving birth to America's gaymotorcycle culture and heavily influencing the Leather community. 1954:ONE Magazine sues the U.S. Postal Service for refusing to send its Octoberissue, which positively portrays a lesbian romance. On appeal in 1958, the U.S.Supreme Court (hearing its first case related to homosexuality) rules that printedmaterials are not "obscene" simply because they include gay issues, topics, orimages.1955:The Daughters of Bilitis, America's first lesbian rights organization, isformed in San Francisco. In 1958, Los Angeles formed the first D.O.B. chapter,becoming a major contributor to the organization's magazine, The Ladder.1957:UCLA psychologist Evelyn Hooker produces research that argues gay menare no less socially adjusted than straight men. Her research, and the study "GroupBehavior of Homosexuals" was instrumental in the American PsychiatricAssociation's decision to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.1958:The first known gay riot in America takes place near 5th and Main Streets indowntown Los Angeles after drag queens, hustlers and local gays fight policeharassment outside of a late night coffee shop known as Coopers Doughnuts.. 1961:Virginia Prince creates the Hose and Heels Club-the nation's first peer sup-port group for male transvestites. Within a year, it had chapters across the country.1966:Activist Steve Ginsberg forms the radical LGBT rights group Personal Rightsin Defense and Education (also known as PRIDE). The organization's name isbelieved to be the origin of the word gay pride!1967:PRIDE's newsletter changes its name to the Los Angeles Advocate. Within afew years becoming simply the Advocate - the nation's first widely read and recog-nized LGBT publications. 1967:The first large-scale LGBT protest is held outside of the Black Cat bar inSilver Lake in response to a New Year's Eve raid on the bar that led to major policeabuse. About 500 people attend the protest, which is one of several in town toprotest discrimination against minority communities.1968:The Reverend Troy Perry holds religious services for gay people in the livingroom of his Huntington Park home. His services turn into the MetropolitanCommunity Church (MCC), America's first LGBT church.We all belong to different communities, each with ahistory and heritage, rich and vibrant as all the indi-viduals who make it up. March is Women's HistoryMonth, originating with International Women's Day in1911. November is National American Indian HeritageMonth, enacted in 1990, recognizing hundreds oftribes and languages. February is African AmericanHistory Month, May Asian Pacific American HeritageMonth, and September Hispanic-Latino HeritageMonth.I very fondly think back to June 2000, when formerPresident William J. Clinton declared the month of June asGay and Lesbian Pride month. He noted that observing thismonth is one way to "celebrate the progress we have madein creating a society more inclusive and accepting of gaysand lesbians."Perhaps even more touching to me, just last yearLos Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hosted the first-ever LGBT event at the Mayor's official home, Getty House,helping to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ChristopherStreet West (CSW) / LA PRIDE. It was there that hedeclared another first for Los Angeles: that beginning in2011, the City of Los Angeles would officially have a LGBTHeritage Month.FIRSTS:Our Path to Freedom, Faith and Love *>>> 20HERITAGE:Yours, Mine and OursBY VINCE WONG"The contributions of the LGBT community to our City are asimportant as they are innumerable," said Los Angeles MayorAntonio Villaraigosa. "I believed it was high time we recognizethose contributions by declaring LGBT Heritage Month, but it's notenough to stop there. That's why this month is not just about celebration, it's about giving back through events like the HarveyMilk Day of Service, and it's about educating our friends andneighbors. So long as a kid can be bullied for being gay or someone can be prevented from marrying the person they love, we will continue our fight for equality."