Karl Heinrich Ulrichs was the first modern gay rights advocate. He was a homosexual himself, and began his career as a lawyer in the Kingdom of Hanover (modern-day Germany). Between 1864 and 1865, Ulrichs published a series of booklets that coined such terms as “homosexual” and made an appeal for gays to organize and fight for their rights. In 1867 he pleaded before the Congress of German Jurists for a repeal of all anti-homosexual laws, but was shouted down. Despite the fact that he failed in his legal efforts, Ulrichs inspired gay-rights advocates across the world. He is credited as the founder of the modern gay-rights movement.
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