In honor of Pride Month, we’re looking back on 50 years of public health wins for the LGBTQ+ community, both here in Nebraska and beyond. Read on to learn all about the strides made since 1975.
1977: Activists meet with representatives from the Carter administration, marking the first time in U.S. history that the White House met with activists from the queer community to discuss LGBTQ+ rights. (1)
1984: Nebraska AIDS Project (NAP) is founded as a hotline to provide a free Q&A and counseling service after the first case of AIDS in Omaha. (2) Today, NAP continues to provide HIV and sexual health services to Nebraska and 11 counties in Southwest Iowa. (3).
National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, 1987. Queer Omaha Archives
1987: In response to the AIDS epidemic, activists found ACT UP as a political action group. (4) The group receives widespread media attention at the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (5), where over 750,000 participants gather to demand action from the federal government on the AIDS crisis. (6) In their demands, they also ask for health services and education on safe sex for queer youth, legal protection from discrimination, and other civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community. (7)
1995: The Food and Drug Administration approves the first protease inhibitor, which allows for the creation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), a medicine regimen used to treat HIV. (8) After its introduction in the U.S., the rates of HIV mortality fell dramatically. (9)
1999: GLSEN sets out to address harassment and victimization of LGBTQ+ youth in schools by conducting its first National School Climate Survey. (10) Today, their flagship report continues to shape the resources and support available to LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. (11)
2003: The U.S. Supreme Court officially decriminalizes homosexuality by overturning outdated sodomy laws. (12)
2006: The University of Nebraska Lincoln introduces a new minor in LGBTQ/Sexuality Studies. According to the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Gender and Sexual Identities, it is one of the first of its kind in the Midwest. (13)
2012: The Food and Drug Administration approves the drug Truvada to be used as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (14). PrEP is used to prevent HIV infection and can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by around 99%. (15)
2013: The American Psychiatric Association updates diagnostic language for transgender people. The term “gender identity disorder” is eliminated in favor of “gender dysphoria,” refocusing attention on treating the psychological and emotional distress experienced by many transgender people. (16)
2015: The U.S. Supreme Court rules to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states. (17) This same year, Northwestern University launches the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health, the first institute of its kind to exclusively focus on LGBTQ+ health. (18)
2016: The University of California San Francisco releases guidelines for healthcare providers serving transgender patients. The guidelines address a wide range of topics across both primary care and gender-affirming care, touching on many nuances and considerations for transgender patients. (19)
2019: Outlinc, a Lincoln-based organization serving LGBTQ+ community members, becomes OutNebraska. Today, the organization serves as an advocacy hub representing LGBTQ+ Nebraskans statewide. (20)
2021: The Lincoln City Council votes to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth. (21)
2022: The National LGBTQ+ Task Force launches Ban the Repro Binary, a public education campaign focused on expanding the LGBTQ+ community’s understanding of reproductive justice. (22)
Omaha ForUs: LGBTQ+ Community Center | omahaforus.org
2023: Omaha ForUs, a nonprofit LGBTQ+ community center, celebrates its grand opening. The center provides programs like support groups, counseling, and community events to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people and their families in Nebraska. (23)
2024–Today: Educators, researchers, and community members continue to build a strong sexual and reproductive health coalition that incorporates and reflects the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community in Nebraska.
The following resources and organizations are available for support this Pride Month: