6th July

LGBT people born today:
1907 – Frida Kahlo – Mexican Painter – Died 13th July 1954
1916 – Harold Norse – US Author – Died 8th June 2009
1925 – Merv Griffin – US Singer / Actor / Presenter – Died 12th August 2007
1927 – Alan “Fluff” Freeman – Australian / UK Presenter – Died 27th November 2006
1943 – Leonard Matlovich – US Soldier / Activist – Died 22nd June 1988
1950 – Joe Acanfora – US Teacher / Activist
1964 – John Ottman – US Composer / Director / Film Editor

And those who died:
1992 – Marsha P Johnson – US Activist – Born 1945

Today also marks the anniversary of the murder in 1999 of Barry Winchell and American soldier who was in a relationship with Calpernia Addams, a male-to-female transsexual. Winchell was beaten to death, while he was sleeping, with a baseball bat by Calvin Glover, a fellow soldier. The real reason for the murder is confused, but may have been initiated by the relationship between Winchell and Addams which a third soldier, Justin Fisher, had been spreading rumours about, all during the early Don't Ask, Don't Tell era.