Marriage for All
On June 26. 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that all gay Americans have the right the marry, solidifying marriage equality nationwide.
The Tipping Point
A select and outstanding few famous faces have helped pave the way for the transgender community by shining a light on their journeys to live their most authentic lives.
Caitlyn Jenner
The world met the 65-year-old Olympian's true self on June 1, 2015, after her Vanity Fair cover debuted her transition as a woman.
Laverne Cox Makes a Statement
The Orange Is the New Black actress quickly became a voice for the transgender community after the Netflix series became a hit.
Christine Jorgensen
The celebrity became widely known for being the first American transgender woman to have sex reassignment surgery.
Same-Sex Marriage
Each major step towards marriage equality for is worth noting, here are just a few.
DOMA Ruling
Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which had prevented same-sex marriage couples from receiving federal marriage benefits, was ruled unconstitutional in 2013.
Proposition 8
The NOH8 campaign began as a response to the passing of Proposition 8 in 2009 and became a worldwide charitable organization aimed to promote marriage and gender equality.
Sports Stars
The world may know them as physically stronger than most, but these athletes proved that their strength lies well beneath the surface.
Jason Collins
The basketball star was the first openly gay athlete on a major American sports team after coming out in 2013.
Michael Sam
The football star came out in 2014 less than two weeks before the NFL draft in simultaneous interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports.
Political Shifts
Throughout the course of many decades, laws pertaining to LGBT equality have made some, albeit not nearly enough, progress.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell's Repeal
After 17 years, the law that prohibited qualified gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the armed forces was revoked in 2010.
Barney Frank
"America's only left-handed, gay, Jewish congressman" is the first congressman to voluntarily come out, and has been a champion of LGBT and other civil rights.
Jim McGreevey
The first openly gay governor wrote a memoir titled The Confession that shared the struggles of being a gay politician.
Star Power
Many of the industry's biggest stars came out of the closet on a grand scale in an effort to provide more exposure to the LGBT community and the world.
Sir Ian McKellen
The beloved Brit actor came out of the closet during an interview with BBC Radio in 1988 in the wake of the controversial Section 28 of the Local Government Act.
Ellen DeGeneres
The comedian came out as gay on her sitcom in 1997 and was featured on Time magazine with the words, "Yep, I'm Gay."
RuPaul
The singer, actor, drag queen, model and author has used his star power to shed a light on LGBT issues across the board ever since the first days of his longstanding career.
Music Makers
Whether their belting a tune or speaking on Capitol Hill, these celebrities used their fame as a platform to reach and influence millions.
Ricky Martin
The global sensation spoke openly about his sexuality for the first time in an emotional social media post in 2010.
Melissa Etheridge
The two-time Grammy winner came out in 1993 and has been an LGBT activist ever since.
Elton John
The legendary singer has been a major supporter in the fight against the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and even spoke before a Senate committee in May 2015.
Exposure in Film
What these movies have done for the LGBT community as a whole, and Tinsletown, should never be overlooked.