Cheers to Steve Houston, GLBT Rep on the BC Regional Council for passing on this timeline documenting the changing rights landscape for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people in Vancouver and around the world.
1940s:
- In 1944, Sweden decriminalizes homosexuality.
- In 1945, the liberation of concentration camps by Allied forces; those interned for homosexuality are required to serve the full term of their sentences.
- In 1946, the COC (the Dutch acronym for Centre for Culture and Recreation), the earliest homophile organization, is founded in the Netherlands.
1950s:
- In 1950, the Mattachine Society, the first American homophile group, is founded in New York.
- In 1955, the lesbian homophile group Daughters of Bilitis is founded in San Francisco.
- In 1958, the Homosexual Law Reform Society is founded in the United Kingdom.