Obama With Frank Kameny, 2009, NBC
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In the 1950s and early 1960s, gays and lesbians weren’t allowed to serve openly in the government. In 1961, Frank Kameny, a veteran of WWII, was fired from his military position for coming out as gay. Kameny took the case to the supreme court. After his petition was denied, he began a series of protests, including a picket of the White House. In 1973, Kameny played a major role in the American Psychiatric Association’s decision not to classify homosexuality as a mental disorder. In 1995 his protests led to President Clinton’s executive order that allowed gays to obtain security clearances.
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