🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 25
⚠️ February 25, 1992: Colorado House advances Amendment 2 restricting local LGBTQ protections'''
See Full Post:
www.linkedin.com/posts/therai...
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #CivilRights #LGBTQColorado#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection...#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection #civilrights #lgbtqcolorado | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️🌈
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 25
⚠️ February 25, 1992: Colorado House advances Amendment 2 restricting local LGBTQ protections
On February 25, 1992, the Colorado House of Representatives advanced what became known as Amendment 2, a proposed state constitutional amendment prohibiting any city or town from enacting protections based on sexual orientation. The measure later passed statewide in November 1992 before being struck down by the United States Supreme Court in 1996.
By late February 1992, the proposal had moved from rhetoric into formal legislative action, signaling a coordinated effort to roll back local nondiscrimination ordinances in cities such as Denver, Boulder, and Aspen.
At this moment in history:
🕯️Existing local protections for LGBTQ residents were placed in jeopardy
🕯️Public campaigns framed LGBTQ people as seeking “special rights”
🕯️Community members reported increased harassment and hostile public discourse
🕯️Youth and families faced intensified stigma during statewide political debate
February 25 serves as a context date marking when state constitutional power was mobilized to preempt and invalidate local civil rights protections. The effort became one of the most widely cited anti LGBTQ ballot measures of the 1990s.
Who worked to defend and respond
National organizations such as Lambda Legal and the ACLU challenged Amendment 2 in court, leading to the landmark 1996 Supreme Court decision in Romer v. Evans which struck it down. The Human Rights Campaign and other national advocates supported public education efforts. In Colorado, local groups including Equality Colorado and grassroots coalitions organized community outreach, voter engagement, and legal advocacy to defend equal protection principles.
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #CivilRights #LGBTQColorado
Twenty-five years ago today, Colorado voters approved Amendment 2, whose backers portrayed it as outlawing “special rights” for gays, lesbians and bisexuals. The measure’s passage on November 3, 1992 provoked outrage nationwide, with Colorado’s branding as the “hate state” resulting in boycott calls from singer Barbra Streisand and other members of the national entertainment community. But while Amendment 2 was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in a landmark 1996 ruling, a University of Denver professor sees its legacy in the current Masterpiece Cakeshop controversy and other cases she considers to be problematic on every level.
“What I find really fascinating about Amendment 2,” says DU’s Kris McDaniel Miccio, “is that we’re reliving it again in 2017.”
And now again in 2026...
https://lnkd.in/gdGNT36Q
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 24
⚠️ February 24, 1987: US Supreme Court declines to immediately reconsider Bowers v. Hardwick...
See Full Post:
www.linkedin.com/posts/therai...
#LGBTQHistory #CivilRights #EqualProtection #LGBTQGeorgia#lgbtqhistory #civilrights #eq...
#lgbtqhistory #civilrights #equalprotection #lgbtqgeorgia | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️🌈
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 24
⚠️ February 24, 1987: US Supreme Court declines to immediately reconsider Bowers v. Hardwick
On February 24, 1987, the United States Supreme Court declined to revisit challenges to state sodomy laws in the wake of its 1986 decision in Bowers v. Hardwick. The prior ruling had upheld Georgia’s criminal prohibition on same sex intimacy. By early 1987, courts across the country were relying on Bowers as controlling precedent, reinforcing the legality of criminalizing consensual relationships between adults of the same sex.
February 24 stands as a context date marking a period when the highest court’s decision was actively shaping lower court rulings and public policy nationwide.
At this moment in history:
🕯️Same sex intimacy remained criminalized in multiple states
🕯️LGBTQ individuals faced arrest, prosecution, and public exposure
🕯️Employment and housing discrimination were reinforced by criminal stigma
🕯️Community organizing operated under the shadow of legal vulnerability
February 24 reflects a time when constitutional protections for privacy and equality were being narrowly interpreted, leaving LGBTQ Americans without federal relief from criminal statutes.
Who worked to defend and challenge these laws
National organizations such as Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union continued to bring strategic litigation aimed at overturning sodomy laws. Legal scholars and civil rights advocates laid groundwork for future constitutional challenges. In Georgia and other affected states, local LGBTQ community groups sustained public education efforts and built coalitions that ultimately contributed to the 2003 Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned Bowers and invalidated sodomy laws nationwide.
#LGBTQHistory #CivilRights #EqualProtection #LGBTQGeorgia
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 23
⚠️ February 23, 1999: Texas court upholds enforcement of same sex sodomy law...
See Full Post:
www.linkedin.com/posts/therai...
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #EndCriminalization #LGBTQTexas#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection...
#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection #endcriminalization #lgbtqtexas | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️🌈
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 23
⚠️ February 23, 1999: Texas court upholds enforcement of same sex sodomy law
On February 23, 1999, a Texas appellate court declined to overturn the conviction of John Lawrence and Tyron Garner under the state’s Homosexual Conduct law. The statute criminalized consensual intimacy between adults of the same sex.
Although the case would later reach the United States Supreme Court and result in the landmark 2003 decision striking down such laws, in early 1999 the conviction remained in place and the law was still enforceable.
At that moment, LGBTQ Texans were living under the reality that private, consensual relationships could be prosecuted under criminal law.
At this moment in history:
🕯️Consensual same sex intimacy remained a criminal offense in Texas
🕯️LGBTQ residents faced the threat of arrest and public exposure
🕯️Employment and housing discrimination were reinforced by criminal stigma
🕯️Police interactions carried heightened fear within local communities
February 23 serves as a context date marking when criminalization of LGBTQ relationships was still being defended in state courts. The continued enforcement of sodomy laws underscored how deeply embedded legal discrimination remained before federal constitutional protections were recognized.
Who worked to defend and challenge these laws
Nationally, Lambda Legal represented Lawrence and Garner and pursued the case through years of appeals. The ACLU and other civil rights groups filed supporting briefs challenging the constitutionality of such statutes. In Texas, local LGBTQ advocacy groups and community organizers provided support, public education, and coalition building that sustained the broader movement for decriminalization. Their efforts ultimately contributed to the 2003 Supreme Court decision that invalidated sodomy laws nationwide.
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #EndCriminalization #LGBTQTexas
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 22
⚠️ February 22, 1988: Congress overrides President Reagan’s veto to pass the Civil Rights Restoration Act with anti LGBTQ exclusions still intact
See Full Post:
www.linkedin.com/posts/therai...
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #LGBTQWashingtonDC#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection...
#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection #civilrights #lgbtqwashingtondc | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️🌈
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 22
⚠️ February 22, 1988: Congress overrides President Reagan’s veto to pass the Civil Rights Restoration Act with anti LGBTQ exclusions still intact
On February 22, 1988, the United States Senate voted to override President Ronald Reagan’s veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act. While the law strengthened enforcement of civil rights protections tied to federal funding, it did not include sexual orientation as a protected category. At the time, LGBTQ advocates had pushed for broader recognition, but federal law continued to exclude protections for gay and lesbian Americans.
For LGBTQ communities, February 22 stands as a context date highlighting how federal civil rights frameworks expanded for many groups while leaving LGBTQ Americans outside explicit legal protection.
At this moment in history:
🕯️LGBTQ employees and students remained without federal non discrimination protections
🕯️Victims of anti LGBTQ bias had limited recourse under federal civil rights law
🕯️State and local protections became the primary, and often fragile, safeguards
🕯️The exclusion reinforced the message that LGBTQ equality was politically negotiable
February 22 reflects a period when LGBTQ Americans were still largely invisible in federal civil rights statutes, even as the broader civil rights system was being reaffirmed.
Who worked to close the gap
National organizations such as the NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE FOUNDATION, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU continued pressing Congress to include sexual orientation in federal civil rights law. Local advocacy groups across states like New York, California, and Illinois advanced municipal and state level protections while building pressure for federal reform. The Human Rights Campaign expanded its lobbying efforts in the late 1980s and 1990s to pursue comprehensive federal protections, laying groundwork for later legislative efforts.
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #CivilRights #LGBTQWashingtonDC
@TexasObserver All of these accusations could also be applied to the J6 mobsters.
#equalprotection 🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 20
⚠️ February 20, 1992: Oregon’s Measure 9 campaign advances anti LGBTQ constitutional language...
www.linkedin.com/posts/therai...
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #CivilRights #LGBTQOregon#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection...
#lgbtqhistory #equalprotection #civilrights #lgbtqoregon | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️🌈
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 20
⚠️ February 20, 1992: Oregon’s Measure 9 campaign advances anti LGBTQ constitutional language
By February 20, 1992, supporters of Oregon’s proposed Measure 9 were actively gathering momentum and national attention. The ballot initiative sought to amend the Oregon Constitution to declare homosexuality “abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse” and to prohibit state and local governments from recognizing LGBTQ people as a protected class.
Although voters would ultimately reject the measure later that year, late February marked a period when the campaign was rapidly expanding, drawing national funding and inspiring similar proposals in other states.
At this moment in history:
🕯️LGBTQ Oregonians faced intensified public hostility and inflammatory rhetoric
🕯️Schools and local governments were pressured to remove inclusive policies
🕯️Community members reported harassment and fear of being publicly targeted
🕯️The campaign emboldened organized opposition to anti discrimination protections nationwide
February 20 serves as a context date marking when discriminatory language was being positioned for constitutional approval. The effort represented a serious attempt to codify stigma into state law and deny equal protection under the constitution.
Who stood in defense
National organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU, and Lambda Legal supported local resistance efforts and public education campaigns. In Oregon, the No on 9 Coalition, Basic Rights Oregon, and grassroots community groups organized voter outreach, town halls, and coalition building across faith and labor communities. Their mobilization not only defeated the measure but strengthened long term LGBTQ advocacy infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest.
#LGBTQHistory #EqualProtection #CivilRights #LGBTQOregon
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 19
⚠️ February 19, 2002: Nebraska Supreme Court upholds broad ban on same sex unions...
See Full Post:
www.linkedin.com/posts/therai...
#LGBTQHistory #MarriageEquality #EqualProtection #LGBTQNebraska#lgbtqhistory #marriageequalit...
#lgbtqhistory #marriageequality #equalprotection #lgbtqnebraska | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️🌈
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 19
⚠️ February 19, 2002: Nebraska Supreme Court upholds broad ban on same sex unions
By February 19, 2002, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the state’s constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage and prohibiting recognition of similar relationships. The amendment, approved by voters in 2000, not only barred marriage but also prevented the state from recognizing civil unions or domestic partnerships.
At that moment, the ruling reinforced one of the most sweeping marriage bans in the country. LGBTQ+ Nebraskans were denied legal recognition and faced a constitutional barrier that would remain in place until later federal court challenges reversed such bans nationwide.
At this moment in history:
🕯️Same sex couples were legally denied marriage and any equivalent status
🕯️Families lacked access to state level spousal benefits and protections
🕯️The decision emboldened similar constitutional amendments in other states
🕯️LGBTQ+ youth and adults in conservative communities experienced intensified stigma
February 19 serves as a context date marking a period when constitutional amendments were used to institutionalize exclusion. The ruling reflected how state level courts could reinforce barriers to equality during the early 2000s marriage debates.
Who stood in defense
National organizations such as Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and the Human Rights Campaign worked to challenge marriage bans through coordinated litigation and public advocacy. In Nebraska, groups including Nebraska Equality and local affirming faith coalitions organized education campaigns, community forums, and long term efforts to change public opinion. These sustained efforts contributed to the broader national movement that culminated in marriage equality across the United States in 2015.
#LGBTQHistory #MarriageEquality #EqualProtection #LGBTQNebraska
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 18
⚠️ February 18, 2010: Texas officials defend the state’s same sex marriage ban in federal court...
See Full Post:
www.linkedin.com/posts/therai...
#LGBTQHistory #MarriageEquality #EqualProtection #LGBTQTexas#lgbtqhistory #marriageequalit...
#lgbtqhistory #marriageequality #equalprotection #lgbtqtexas | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️🌈
🕯️ On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 18
⚠️ February 18, 2010: Texas officials defend the state’s same sex marriage ban in federal court
By February 18, 2010, legal battles over marriage equality were intensifying across the United States. In Texas, state officials were actively defending the constitutionality of Texas laws prohibiting same sex marriage as federal challenges moved forward. While lower courts would later strike down these bans, at that moment Texas law continued to deny recognition to same sex couples.
For LGBTQ+ Texans, February 18 serves as a context date during a period when state leaders were formally arguing that same sex couples were not entitled to equal protection under the law. The litigation underscored how deeply institutional resistance to equality was embedded in state statutes.
At this moment in history:
🕯️Same sex couples were denied marriage licenses and spousal protections
🕯️Families lacked legal safeguards involving inheritance, taxation, and medical decision making
🕯️Political rhetoric surrounding the cases intensified social division
🕯️LGBTQ+ youth witnessed public debate over the legitimacy of their families and identities
February 18 reflects a period when equality was being contested in courtrooms and legislatures across the country. While progress would come years later, the resistance during this time represented a clear setback for couples seeking dignity and recognition.
Who stood in defense
National organizations such as the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the Human Rights Campaign supported legal challenges and public education efforts. In Texas, Equality Texas, the Texas Freedom Network, and local community centers in cities such as Houston, Dallas, and Austin organized advocacy, voter engagement, and legal support for affected families. Faith based affirming groups and civil rights coalitions also worked to counter misinformation and defend constitutional equality.
#LGBTQHistory #MarriageEquality #EqualProtection #LGBTQTexas
Join @youthvgov on March 5 to rally on the youth in Genesis v. EPA and pack the courtroom. RSVP: bit.ly/genesishearing-rsvp Can’t attend in person? Tune in online to watch live at bit.ly/gvepa-live
#YouthvGov #GenesisvEPA #ClimateLitigation #EqualProtection #ChildrensRights
Nazis Studied America’s Racial Laws: A Warning for Our Democracy Today
Nazi leaders examined U.S. segregation, immigration quotas, and eugenics laws as models. History proves democracies can drift. Vigilance and civic engagement are essential now.
#AdolfHitler #AmericanSegregation #authoritarianism #BuckVBell #civicEngagement #CivilRights #democracy #EqualProtection #Eugenics #fascism #HolocaustHistory #ImmigrationActOf1924 #JimCrow #NaziGermany #NurembergLaws #PoliticalEducation #USHistory
https://wp.me/p1OjMZ-oGr
Malcolm Connecting🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️👬👭🌊💙LGBTQ+ Democrat Resistance
Flip them all
Climate Action California
Egberto Willies