WATCH: 1974 Argument For Marriage Led By Gay Rights Pioneer Frank Kameny

Click over to WGBH for their "Open Vault" presentation of a truly fascinating 1974 argument for same-sex marriage led by late gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, who was honored in Philadelphia this weekend on the 50th anniversary of the nation's first organized gay civil rights demonstration. The 1974 forum was staged in a trial format with Kameny calling as his first witness Elaine Noble, member of the Daughters Of Bilitis. Kameny's second witness was Dr. Richard Green, who helped spearhead the APA's declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder. NARTH co-founder Charles Socarides was a witness for the anti-gay side. If you've not yet been convinced of Frank Kameny's brilliance, this show will do that. His questioning of Socarides is especially enjoyable. (Tipped by JMG reader Paul)

50 Years Ago In Philadelphia

Via the Associated Press:

Gay rights activists gathered in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July to mark the progress of their movement and pay tribute to those who launched it a half-century ago — but also made it clear that the fight for equality was far from over. "In too many communities, you can still get married on Sunday and then fired on Monday . Marriage equality was a critical milestone but not the final destination," said activist Aisha Moodie-Mills, referring to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriages nationwide. "If history has taught us anything, it's that no community's rights are one and done with a simple piece of legislation. . Equality is not set in stone," Moodie-Mills said. The event was part of a weekend-long celebration of some of the earliest gay rights marches, including a gathering of about 40 protesters calling for equality at the same location on July 5, 1965.

More from the Wall Street Journal:

Most people associate the beginning of the LGBT rights movement with the Stonewall Riots in 1969, when a police raid at the Stonewall Inn caused many patrons to fight back. But four years earlier, on July 4, 1965, a group of 40 activists, led by organizers Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings, held what was at the time the largest demonstration in support of gay rights in the world. This began what became known as the “Annual Reminders” demonstrations, strategically held each year at Independence Hall where the Liberty Bell then resided, reminding people of the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation of the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” After the Stonewall riots, Kameny and Gittings suspended the annual reminders to focus on organizing a demonstration to commemorate Stonewall, launching in 1970 what has since become known as NYC’s first-ever Pride Parade.

RELATED: From Philadelphia's tourism agency.

Comcast Donates $1.5M In PSA Airtime For LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration

Via press release:

Organizers announced today that Comcast Corporation is the lead marketing sponsor of the National LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration. Comcast is providing $1.5 million worth of airtime to broadcast a 30-second National LGBT 50th Anniversary public service announcement (PSA). “Comcast NBCUniversal is a longstanding supporter of national and regional LGBT organizations. We are grateful to Comcast NBCUniversal for its generous support of the National LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration. Through Comcast’s support, the 50th Anniversary PSA will be the most broadcast LGBT television PSA in history,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Chair, National LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration. “The PSA commemorates the launch of the organized LGBT movement at Independence Hall, civil rights progress, and shared American values." The organized LGBT civil rights movement was launched when activists from New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia staged demonstrations for equality each Fourth of July from 1965 to 1969. When 40 activists picketed in front of Independence Hall in 1965, it was the largest demonstration for gay equality in world history.

Philadelphia's Annual Reminder Day was launched by pioneering activists Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings. The celebration runs from July 2nd - July 5th and most events are free. Learn more here.

Feds to Induct Gay Rights Pioneer Frank Kameny Into Labor Hall Of Honor

Via press release from the US Department of Labor:

Frank Kameny, who for decades fought to end discrimination in the federal workplace, will be honored by the U.S. Department of Labor in June with an induction to its Hall of Honor. Kameny's legacy as a civil rights leader has made a monumental difference in improving the lives of all workers all across America. A World War II veteran and Harvard-educated doctor of astronomy with the U.S. Army Map Service, Kameny was discharged and barred from federal government employment in 1958 after U.S. Civil Service Commission investigators asked if he was a homosexual.

Kameny fought the injustice, eventually taking his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which denied his petition in 1961. The setback led him to become a co-founder of the first gay rights organization in Washington, D.C., and began his tireless fight to force the nation's largest employer — the federal government — to end discrimination in its employment practices based on sexual orientation. "Frank Kameny was a groundbreaking leader in the LGBT civil rights movement. He fought tirelessly to live out his truth and to end workplace discrimination," said Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "At the Department of Labor we work every day to carry on his legacy and ensure that all workers, no matter who they are or who they love, have equal access to opportunity."

Kameny died at age 86 in 2011. Earlier Hall Of Honor inductees include Ted Kennedy, Bayard Rustin, Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, and the 9/11 Rescue Workers. Kameny's ceremony will take place on June 23rd and the Labor Department suggests the Twitter hashtag #ThankFrank. (Tipped by JMG reader Jeremy)