What Happened In Queer History on This Day, March 6th

Queer history has always been a mixed bag, from the delightful to the tragic, from art to artifice. So, for Flashback Friday, let's dive right in and see what went down on this day, March 6th, in our collective queer history.

1475

Michelangelo Buonarroti (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564) was born in Caprese. (Oh, I love their salads!) Renowned throughout the world and history as the greatest of Renaissance artists, Michelangelo (one name only, please!) is known for countless priceless works of art, from his homoerotic-inducing statue of David to the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Though he had many lovers, it's said that his greatest love, Tommaso Cavalieri (1509–1587), was his most ardent, with the two sharing a long list of love letters between them.

Known for his precise details, especially of human anatomy, Michelangelo went so far as to accurately sculpt, on his David, a muscle that is only visible when the pinkie finger is raised. An Instagram post has this to say about this important element. "One famous detail is the bulging of the flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle in the hand — visible during a pinky raise. Though often unnoticed in daily life, this small muscle does activate during that motion. Michelangelo sculpted it accurately centuries before modern anatomy confirmed the function, showcasing his deep understanding of the human body."

1923

12 Cast members, the producer, and the manager of The Apollo Theater on Broadway are arrested for presenting Sholem Asch’s The God of Vengeance, “an obscene, indecent, immoral, and impure theatrical production.” The 1906 play revolves around religious hypocrisy, prostitution, and lesbianism. Although previously presented in nine countries, a jury sided with the prosecution, though this would later be overturned. The play is about a Jewish brothel owner who attempts to go legit by having a Torah made for his business and attempting to marry his daughter off to a yeshiva student. But the daughter falls in love with one of the prostitutes from her father's brothel. Paula Vogel's award-winning contemporary play Indecent tells the story of this legal case.

1972

The American Bar Association recommends the decriminalization of same-sex consensual sex.

1981

The first Toronto city-wide organization of gay and lesbian groups, the Toronto Gay Community Council, begins its first meetings. It would disband in 1984.

1994

The taping of an episode of The Jenny Jones Show features a gay man, Scott Amedure, revealing to his neighbor, Jonathan Schmitz, who is straight, that he had a crush on him. The episode never aired. Three days after the taping, Schmitz killed Amedure with a shotgun blast to his chest. Schmitz's mental health was brought into question during the trial, and his defense team invoked the "gay panic defense." He was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison, a sentence that would be overturned on appeal. A secondtrial would convict him and sentence him to the same time. The Amedure family was also awarded 25 million dollars to be paid by The Jenny Jones Show. On appeal, the show was later deemed not at fault. Schmitz was freed from jail in 2017.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.