#NOH8 The first public protests for equal rights for Gay and Lesbian people in America were staged at governmental offices and historic landmarks in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. between 1964 and 1969. In DC, protesters picketed in front of the White House, Pentagon, and the U.S. Civil Service Commission. This was before the movement gained momentum after Stonewall. These people were the first to recognize gays and lesbians as regular people and not morally corrupt.