(Gene Avery, Stormé DeLarverie (center tuxedo), Dore Orr, and (seated) Tobi Marsh]

The Jewel Box Revue, arguably America's first Gay Community, was a traveling troupe of female impersonators that was originally formed in 1939 and would tour cabaret...

As we draw ever closer to the Supreme Court rulings on California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, I decided to take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the photographs I've taken while attending Prop 8 protests and marriage equality rallies over...

This week I got the chance to meet the impressive Carlos Menchaca, who is running for New York City Council to represent District 38, which encompasses Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenwood Heights, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace and Bay Ridge Towers. Carlos spoke to supporters and explained why he...

It's been nearly 20 years since the vocal powerhouse and musical icon made famous for belting out "It's Raining Men" to generations of adoring gay men has released a solo album. Thankfully, that hellacious hiatus has finally come to an end and Martha Wash has released her second...

Twitter rants are nothing new, but the now-infamous anti-gay rant by Azealia Banks, in which she called gay blogger Perez Hilton a "messy faggot" and suggested that he commit suicide, is a new low. Banks also included her personal definition of the word "faggot": "any male who acts...

2013 has barely begun, and it is already shaping up to be the year of the anti-gay non-apology. A non-apology is a faked or forced apology that "apologizes" but is bereft of any true sincerity. It's usually given when a public figure is caught doing or saying something wrong but...

For some reason President Obama continues to praise Chuck Hagel and is still considering him for the position of Secretary of Defense despite being made aware of Hagel's past anti-gay comments about Ambassador Hormel in 1998. President Obama says that Hagel has apologized for that comment...

On Friday, Dec. 14, family, friends and fellow cast members of RuPaul's Drag Race came together to perform in a memorial tribute for Sahara Davenport (Antoine Ashley), who passed away suddenly in October. Harmonica Sunbeam was the MC for the show, and she did an admirable job of...

In 1939, during a time when gay people were viewed as abhorrent subversives and a threat to society, two gay lovers, Danny Brown and Doc Benner, created and produced America's first racially inclusive traveling revue of female impersonators. It was staffed almost entirely by gay men and one gay woman...

John Dale Harvey (aka "Tobi Marsh") circa 1956

A few years ago I began to study the history of the modern gay rights movement in New York City during the early 1950s to late 1960s, specifically concentrating on the first world-famous drag/female impersonator...

On the day that Hurricane Sandy was set to come ashore in New Jersey, Politico reported that FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and President Obama were relying solely on the Internet as a means for storm victims to access vital news and emergency information even though there...

How could Mitt Romney winning the White House be a good thing for the gay community? On the surface it seems totally counterintuitive, but if we take party loyalty out of the equation while still maintaining a focus on achieving full legal and federally recognized equality for LGBT Americans, then...

I was devastated to read reports that Sahara Davenport had died on Oct. 1. The details of his death have yet to be released. I first met Sahara Davenport (real name Antoine Ashley) a few years ago when I was writing for the production company that...

On my way to and from Manhattan's West Side on Wednesday, I passed by a protest that appeared to be sponsored by the LaRouche PAC on the corner of 79th and 3rd avenue that called for President Obama to be impeached for his "criminal complicity" in the attack...

Her name is Martha Wash, and her voice is legendary. Much like Madonna and Lady Gaga, she is a heterosexual gay icon whose career has long ridden parallel to the rise of the modern gay-rights movement. Martha is one of the few entertainers to have worked closely with...

The term "swiftboating" is an expression that has become synonymous with deceptive and untrue political attacks that were originally used with devastating effect against presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004. In 2012, the dark art of "swiftboating" appears to have a new practitioner, and this time it's the most unlikely...

In August 2008 Barack Obama gave a speech at the Saddleback Presidential Candidates Forum that aired live on CNN. In that speech he made what I believe is the most damaging statement any political leader can make with regard to gay people and our marriages. When...

I've always enjoyed marching in the New York City Gay Pride Parade over the last several years but this year I decided to save my feet the walking and just enjoy the parade as a spectator. And I knew exactly where I wanted to be -- in front of the Stonewall Inn. It is, of course, the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. And it's definitely the spot on the parade route where the crowd is the loudest, and you can't help but get the feeling that your walking unto hallowed ground. I planted myself in a good spot next to the Stonewall Inn, luckily, arriving just in time to see the fabulous Cyndi Lauper kick-start the 2012 Gay Pride...

The LGBT and Latino communities have been two of President Obama's most supportive constituencies. And in an effort to bolster any lagging support President Obama has recently been making big headlines on issues of concern to the two communities, such as gay marriage and immigration reform, and in doing so...

I decided to kick start my Gay Pride Week off by returning to my activist roots and attending the silent march against the NYPD policy of "Stop & Frisk" on Sunday, June 17 in New York City. There was a massive turnout. Reverend Al Sharpton led...