With Pride: Best LGBT Moments of 2015
Caitlyn Jenner's journey, same-sex marriage passing, etc.
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A Year to Smile - 2015 has been a massive year of progress for the LGBT community. With Caitlyn Jenner's coming out as transgender, Miles Brock coming out on Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood and Laverne Cox's steady rise to superstardom, the LGBT pride was at an all-time high this year.(Photo from left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images, ABC)
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Bill Kennedy's Coming Out - After having homophobic insults hurled at him by Sacramento Kings point guard Rajon Rondo during a game, NBA referee Bill Kennedy decided to publicly announce that he is gay. "I am proud to be an NBA referee, and I am proud to be a gay man," he said.(Photo: Doug Benc/Getty Images)
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Caitlyn Jenner's Introduction - The world said "hello" to Caitlyn Jenner for the first time in June 2015 when she made her debut on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. At 65-years-old, the reality star was finally living in her truth, and many applauded her and still continue to do so to this day.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Love & Hip Hop's First Gay Couple - In September 2015, popular reality TV franchise Love & Hip Hop welcomed its first gay couple in Miles Brock and Milan Christopher. The couple's relationship, though tumultuous, served a good purpose as it saw Miles come out to his family on national television and shed awareness on what many other LGBT-identifying individuals face and fear on a daily basis.(Photos from left: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images, Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Love is Louder)
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Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church - BET.com entertainment editor Clay Cane's documentary Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church premiered in November 2015 and shed light on the true essence of being LGBT-identifying in a predominantly Black place of worship. The raw and unfiltered doc brought to the forefront all of those whose voices that would not be heard otherwise, making it easier to understand why some LGBT people choose to stay in the pews.(Photo: BET)
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Supreme Court Extends Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide - In June 2015, the Supreme Court voted in favor of gay and lesbian couples being able to legally marry across all 50 states in the United States of America. This is the culmination of 20 years of Supreme Court litigation over marriage and gay rights. Since the ruling, several high profile public figures have come forward showing support, from Beyoncé to President Obama.(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Trans Activist Janet Mock Gets Married - In another leap for both the trans and wider LGBT communities, trans activist Janet Mock married her longtime boyfriend Aaron Tredwell in November 2015. The couple married in an elegant ceremony in the New York Times best selling author's hometown of Oahu, Hawaii.(Photo: Courtesy of Janet Mock)
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Raven-Symoné Becomes Permanent Co-Host of The View - Announced in June 2015, Raven-Symoné became a full-time co-host of daytime panel talk show The View. The former child star's addition makes her the first African-Amercan LGBT-identifying woman to join the panel (well, kind of, she doesn't identify as African-American or gay). Though her views aren't the most popular or sensible, she remains a staple in the show's history.(Photo: ABC)
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Laverne Cox Makes History Over and Over Again - Laverne Cox made history repeatedly in 2015, starting with becoming the first openly transgender person to have a wax figure of herself at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. She also became the first transgender actress to pose nude for Allure's "Nudes" issue, was named on the 2015 OUT Power 50 List, was included in People's World's Most Beautiful Women List, was named in Time's 100 Most Influential People List and was named one of the 31 Icons of 2015's LGBT History Month by Equality Forum. Slay, Laverne. Slay!(Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
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Jussie Smollett Becomes Empire's Breakout Star - Jussie Smollett became a household name in 2015 for his portrayal as Jamal Lyon in FOX's mega hit drama Empire. The openly gay actor brought diversity to primetime TV, playing an African-American openly gay musician, unapologetically.(Photo: FOX via Getty Images)
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