A Brief Timeline of Local LGBTQ+ People, Places and Events
From public Universal Friend's origins to changed blood donation guidelines, Rhode Island has along history with the community.
1776
Cumberland resident Jemima Wilkson falls ill. When they awaken, they say an angel declared they are no longer male or female, and their name is now Public Universal Friend.
1893
Antonio Auriemma is born. The Providence native performed as Francis Renault, one of the most popular female impersonators during the 1920s–40s.
Courtesy of Providence Public Library LGBTQ+ Community archives
1947
Mirabar, the state’s oldest gay bar, opens in Woonsocket. It’s now located on Elbow Street in Providence.
1976
On June 26, about seventy-five people take part in in the state’s first Pride parade. The seventy-sixers, as they’re known, were denied a parade permit and sued for the right to march.
Courtesy of Providence Public Library LGBTQ+ Community archives
1977
The Kings & Queens Bar opens in Woonsocket. It serves as a hub for the gay community for twenty-five years before closing in 2002.
Courtesy of Providence Public Library LGBTQ+ Community archives
1980
Cumberland High School student Aaron Fricke brings a male date to prom on May 30 after suing the school’s principal.
1982
The RI Gay Task Force prints the first edition of Options, an LGBTQ+ newsletter. The magazine is still being published after four decades.
Courtesy of Providence Public Library LGBTQ+ Community archives
1983
A woman in her twenties dies on Sept. 10. It is the first confirmed AIDS death in Rhode Island.
2001
The General Assembly passes the gender identity protection law, which protects people from discrimination based on their sexual orientation.
2002
David Cicilline becomes the first openly gay mayor of Providence.
2013
The Rhode Island General Assembly passes legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. The law goes into effect Aug. 1.
2015
The Supreme Court declares same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states on June 26.
2023
The Rhode Island Blood Center changes its blood donation guidelines, no longer barring men from donating if they’ve had sex with other men within the past three months.
Sources: The Providence Public Library; the Providence Public Library’s LGBTQ+ Community Archives; Rhode Island Pride; the Rhode Island Historical Society.
