1932: Eleanor Roosevelt’s alleged lesbian affair
Amelia Earhart and openly gay reporter Lorena Hickok are just two of the women with whom former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt was rumored to have had closeted affairs, the latter with whom she exchanged more than 3,300 letters over a 30-year period; Roosevelt and Hickok allegedly began an affair from 1932 to 1938. There has been extensive speculation about the former first lady’s sexuality over the years, however, some have argued it’s irrelevant when discussing her contribution to the gay rights movement, particularly given her position of power. “[Roosevelt] did more than almost anyone in the pre-Stonewall era to model acceptance of gay relationships—and she did it in the White House,” wrote Marc Peyser for the Huffington Post.
As featured on
Stacker put together a timeline of LGBTQ+ history prior to the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969.
