How much do you know about gay rights in America? Take the quiz!
Throughout much of the 20th century, an admission of homosexuality could result in a felony conviction and a lengthy prison sentence. Even as late as 1970, Connecticut denied a drivers license to a gay man on the basis of his sexual orientation.
Today, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people get considerably more legal protection. Twenty-one states plus Washington, D.C. outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and nine states plus Washington, D.C. recognize same-sex marriage. But 39 other states prohibit same-sex marriage, either in their state constitutions or by statute. And LGBT people in every state still face bullying that can range from taunting to physical violence.
How much do you know about the history of gay rights in America? Take our quiz to find out!
A March 13, 2013, survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that what percentage of Americans now support same-sex marriage?
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29 percent |
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39 percent |
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49 percent |
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59 percent |
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the federal law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, was signed into law by what US president?
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Ronald Reagan |
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George H.W. Bush |
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Bill Clinton |
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George W. Bush |
In what year did Henry Gerber found the Society for Human Rights, the first recognized gay rights organization in the United States?
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1924 |
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1934 |
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1944 |
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1954 |
What ABC sitcom was the first American show where the starring character was openly gay?
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The L Word |
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Ellen |
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Queer as Folk |
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Will & Grace |
In 2004, what US state became the first in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage?
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Vermont |
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Massachusetts |
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Hawaii |
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New Hampshire |
In 2009, Annise Parker became the first openly gay person to be elected mayor of a US city with a population over 1 million? What city elected her?
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Houston, Texas |
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Boston, Mass. |
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San Diego, Calif. |
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Philadelphia, Pa. |
Founded in 1969, the New York-based Gay Activists Alliance chose what lowercase Greek letter?
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alpha |
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lambda |
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omega |
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zeta |
In 2004, Massachusetts became the first US state to recognize same-sex marriages, but four years earlier, what state became the first to legalize same-sex civil unions?
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Connecticut |
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Vermont |
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Hawaii |
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Wisconsin |
In what year did the American Psychiatric Association agree to remove homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders?
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1973 |
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1987 |
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1994 |
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2000 |
In 2011, Chaz Bono became the first openly transgender man to star on a major network show for something unrelated to being transgender? He appeared on the 13th season of what show?
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Celebrity Apprentice |
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American Idol |
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Dancing with the Stars |
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American Ninja Warrior |
Between 1998 and 2012, there were 31 votes in 30 states where voters agreed that marriage should be defined as between one man and one woman. Only one state rejected same-sex marriage ban during that period. What was the state?
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Arizona |
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Vermont |
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Washington |
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Colorado |
In 2003, Gene Robinson became the first openly gay person to be ordained a bishop in a major Christian denomination. Of what church is he a member?
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The Pentecostal Church of God |
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church |
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The United Methodist Church |
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The Episcopal Church |
Who was the first openly gay member of Congress?
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Gerry Studds |
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Barney Frank |
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Tammy Baldwin |
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David Cicilline |
In 1991, the New York-based Visual AIDS caucus selected what symbol as an icon for AIDS awareness?
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A quilt |
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A red ribbon |
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A rainbow flag |
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A pink triangle |
One of the earliest portrayals of a gay man on American television was in the 1977 sitcom "Soap." What actor played the character, whose name was Jodie Dallas?
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Robert Guillaume |
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Billy Crystal |
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Robert Urich |
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Roscoe Lee Browne |
Founded in San Francisco in 1955, the the first lesbian civil rights organization in the United States took what name, after an 1894 work by the French poet Pierre Louÿs?
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The Lesbian Avengers |
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The Furies Collective |
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Les Gouines Rouges |
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The Daughters of Bilitis |
Who was the first president to use the word 'gay' in an inaugural address, in reference to sexual orientation?
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Jimmy Carter |
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Bill Clinton |
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George W. Bush |
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Barack Obama |
Born George William Jorgensen, in 1952 what name did the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery choose as her new first name?
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Georgina |
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Christine |
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Whilemina |
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Jorgen |
In what year did the US government remove homosexuality as grounds for exclusion from immigrating to the United States?
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1970 |
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1980 |
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1990 |
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2000 |
In what state was gay college student Matthew Shepherd tortured and murdered, sparking a renewed call for hate-crimes legislation to protect LGBT people?
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Wisconsin |
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Wyoming |
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Alabama |
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Idaho |
Indiana University biologist Alfred Kinsey's 1948 report, titled "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," found that what percentage of adult males had at least one homosexual experience?
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7 percent |
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15 percent |
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23 percent |
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37 percent |
Singer Anita Bryant's efforts to repeal ordinances against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation led to a boycott of what product by the gay community?
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lettuce |
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orange juice |
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chocolate |
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coffee |
In what year did the Democratic National Convention add a plank to its platform calling for an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation?
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1980 |
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1988 |
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1996 |
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2004 |
In 1999, televangelist Jerry Falwell said that which Teletubby was a covert "gay role model"?
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Laa-Laa |
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Noo-Noo |
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Dipsy |
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Tinky Winky |
Launched in June 2005, what is the name of the first advertiser-supported American television channel for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community?
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G4 |
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Logo TV |
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Oxygen |
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Ion |
The 2003 landmark Supreme Court ruling Lawrence v. Texas invalidated sodomy laws in the United States. In 2003, how many states had sodomy laws on their books?
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3 |
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8 |
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14 |
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26 |
In 2013, Sen. Rob Portman became the first Republican senator to support same-sex marriage. What state does he represent?
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Idaho |
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Ohio |
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Indiana |
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Iowa |
