On this day in queerstory: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell dies, Divine is born

On this date, queer history has marked both resistance and recognition. From lifting bans to celebrating the people who have kept community spaces alive, October 19 stands as a day when queer visibility shifts from hidden hope to declared presence.

A milestone moment came on October 19, 2010, when the U.S. Department of Defense issued new guidance directing military recruiters to accept openly gay individuals. This move followed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips, who ordered the military to stop enforcing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, under which service members could be discharged for being openly gay.

Under the updated guidance, recruits who identified as gay would be processed rather than turned away. However, the policy’s legal status remained in flux: recruiters were told to note that the change could be reversed if the judicial order was overturned on appeal.

For activists and service members, the announcement was both a relief and a call for vigilance. “It’s a watershed moment,” said one rights group, “but until Congress acts or the courts fully settle the matter, people still have to navigate uncertainty.” Supporters hailed the guidance as finally allowing countless individuals to serve without hiding fundamental parts of themselves. Opponents raised legal and moral objections, with some arguing that it could undermine military cohesion. Despite pushback, many LGBT service members saw this as a long-overdue step toward formal acceptance.

October 19 is also observed annually as LGBT Center Awareness Day in the United States. Established in 1994 by CenterLink, this day highlights the crucial role LGBT community centres play: as safe spaces, resource hubs, organizers, social anchors, and places of healing.

These centres provide vital services—counseling, health resources, peer support, cultural programming—in an often hostile broader environment. October 19 is meant to remind us that while legal battles are essential, so too are the everyday spaces where queer people gather, share stories, find refuge, and build resilience. In many cities, local centres use the day to host open houses, fundraisers, workshops, and panel discussions.

Another October 19 in queer lore is the birth of Harris Glenn Milstead, better known as Divine, born in 1945. Milstead became a cult icon in drag, collaborating often with filmmaker John Waters. Divine’s shock-aesthetic performances in Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and other films disturbed conventions, broke taboos, and made many people laugh, cringe, and ultimately rethink the boundaries of gender, performance, and queerness.

Divine’s legacy continues: as performance artist, provocateur, and pop culture legend, Milstead occupies a place in queer memory that combines glam, grit, and a refusal to be erased. To this day, Divine’s life reminds us how joy, drag, and art have always been essential tools in queer survival.

What ties these events together is the shift from forced invisibility to claimed visibility. Whether it’s individuals stepping forward under military policy, queer centres insisting on being seen and supported, or icons born who smashed norms, October 19 is about the liminal moment when queer identity moves from being silenced to being acknowledged.

For contemporary queer communities, the day is a chance to reflect: on how far legal acceptance has come, on how essential community spaces are, and on how art and performance have always carried dissent. It also warns us not to take progress for granted—legal wins can be threatened, cultural memory can fade, community resources can be underfunded.