John Fryer - LGBTQ Historic Marker Dedication

New LGBTQ Historic Marker to be unveiled in Winchester, KY!! 💛

Join us on Sunday, June 29 at 1pm as we dedicate this historic marker to LGBTQ activist and icon John Fryer! Dr. Jonathan Coleman will be providing remarks on Fryer's legacy and the importance of historic markers like this one. Following the dedication, guests are invited to a reception at nearby Legacy Grove Park (1107 West Lexington Avenue) for additional remarks and light refreshments.

We hope to see you there at 1117 W. Lexington Ave. in Winchester, KY! Read below to learn more about Fryer's story.

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In 1972, Winchester native and queer psychiatrist John E. Fryer changed the course of LGBTQ history. At the annual American Psychiatric Association conference that year, he disguised himself in a wig and mask, and using a voice distortion microphone, anonymously declared to his colleagues, “I am a homosexual. I am a psychiatrist.” His impactful speech about the need for transparency, respect, acceptance, and support received a standing ovation and led the APA to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses the following year. It also paved the way for new anti-discrimination laws. He became one of the most influential advocates for humanizing and destigmatizing LGBTQ people in American medical history. His alma mater Transylvania University honors his legacy with the John E. Fryer ’57 Fund.

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