Robin Tyler (born Arlene Chernick, April 8, 1942) is the first lesbian or gay comic to come out on national television, a feminist and pioneer in the grassroots struggle for

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

civil rights and

marriage equality Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

in the U.S., and a producer. She emceed and produced the main stage at three marches on Washington for LGBTQ rights, including the historic first

National March On Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights The first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights was a large political rally that took place in Washington, D.C. on October 14, 1979. The first such march on Washington, it drew between 75,000 and 125,000Ghaziani, Amin. 2008. ''T ...

in 1979. Tyler coined the phrase "We are everywhere" as a rallying cry for the LGBTQ community. This became the powerful signature chant of the 1979 march, appearing on banners and posters. The chant "We are everywhere" has continued as a popular rallying cry for LGBTQ equality.

National marches on Washington for lesbian and gay rights

Tyler produced and emceed the main stages for three early historic lesbian and gay marches on Washington, and called for the first

National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights The first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights was a large political rally that took place in Washington, D.C. on October 14, 1979. The first such march on Washington, it drew between 75,000 and 125,000Ghaziani, Amin. 2008. ''T ...

in the wake of the murder of

Harvey Milk Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in N ...

. The march took place on Oct 14, 1979, and brought between 75,000 and 125,00 LGBT people to the Washington Monument grounds. At the

Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights The Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights was a large political rally that took place in Washington, D.C., on October 11, 1987. Its success, size, scope, and historical importance have led to it being called, "The Great Ma ...

, in 1987, Tyler, wearing a black tuxedo as she emceed the event, produced "The Wedding" on the main stage of the Washington Mall. During The Wedding hundreds of gay couples participated in a mock marriage ceremony in protest of the fact that LGBT people were not allowed to legally marry. This was the first act of mass civil disobedience made by the LGBT community in support of gay marriage.

Activism

Tyler and her late wife, Diane Olson, sued the state of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 2001 for the right to be married, launching a seven-year legal battle for marriage equality in the state. After winning their lawsuit, Tyler and Olson became the first lesbian couple to be married in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. The

City Council of Los Angeles The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California. The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...

unanimously voted that their wedding day, June 16, 2008, should be known officially as “Marriage Equality Day." In 2000, Tyler organized the national movement to StopDrLaura.com, a campaign against the homophobic propaganda of radio personality Dr. Laura Schlesinger. In 2003, as the US Supreme Court was hearing the case Lawrence v. Texas, Tyler co-organized national demonstrations across the United States. When the decision from the court came down affirming that sodomy laws were unconstitutional, thousands of LGBTQ rights activists rallied by Tyler came together in celebrations across the country.

Comedy career

Tyler became the first out lesbian on U.S. national television when she revealed her sexuality on a 1978 Showtime special, ''The 1st Annual Funny Women’s Show'', hosted by Phyllis Diller. She has released two comedy albums, "Always a Bridesmaid Never A Groom" in 1979, and "Just Kidding" in 1985. In her earlier career she was one half of the lesbian, feminist comedy duo, Harrison and Tyler.

Lesbian music festivals

Along with the lesbian and gay marches on Washington, Tyler also produced a series of 25 popular women's music and comedy festivals, including the annual West Coast Women's Music and Comedy Festival, which ran from 1980 through 1994. Hers were the first trans-inclusive women's festivals in the country.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyler, Robin 1942 births Living people Lesbian comedians