January 11th

01-12-1896 – 07-11-1973 Nobuko Yoshiya – Born in Niigata Niigata Prefecture, Japan. She was a Japanese novelist, and was one of modern Japan’s most commercially successful and prolific writers, specializing in serialized romance novels and adolescent girls’ fiction. She was a pioneer in Japanese lesbian literature, including the Class S genre (Japanese term used to refer to strong emotional bonds between schoolgirls). Several of her stories have been made into films. She had a 52 year relationship with Monma Chiyo, a mathematics teacher. She was one of the first Japanese women to emulate Western fashion in the 1920’s by cutting her hair short. Yoshiya was also one of the first Japanese women to own a car. She designed her own house, and was the first Japanese women to own a racehorse, which along with golf, would become a passion of hers. In 1957, Yoshiya adopted Monma as her daughter, the only legal way for lesbians to share property and make medical decisions for each other. Upon her death in 1973, her house became the Yoshiya Nobuko Memorial Museum. Her study has been left as she had it with her handwritten manuscripts and favorite objects on display.

01-12-1856 – 04-14-1925 John Singer Sargent – Born in Florence, Italy to American parents. As a child, he traveled throughout Europe

with his parents. He was sent to study art in Paris in 1874. In 1915, he moved to London, England. Sargent was considered the leading portrait painter of his generation. He also created about 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as many sketches and charcoal drawings. It is now thought that he was gay based on the views of his friends and associations. His erotic and previously ignored male nudes and portraits, include those of Thomas E. McKeller, Bartholomy Maganosco, Olimpio Fusco, and that of the artist Albert de Belleroche, which hung in Sargent’s dinning room. Sargent met Belleroche in 1882 and had a long intense romantic relationship with him.

01-12-1910 – 09-24-1981 Patsy Kelly (born Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly) – Born in Brooklyn, New York. She was an American stage, radio, film, and television actress. She was known as the “Queen of Wisecracks” playing in a series of short comedy films produced by Hal Roach in the 1930s. In the 1940s she worked in radio and stage. She also became a lifelong friend, personal assistant, and frequent lover of Tallulah Bankhead. In 1971, Kelly return to the stage in the revival of No, No, Nanette for which she won a Tony Award. At a time when being openly gay was not acceptable, Kelly was open about her sexuality. She disclosed in public with typical candor to being a “dyke.” During the 1930’s she told Motion Picture magazine that she had been living with actress Wilma Cox for several years.

01-12-1862 – 12-13-1913 Edith Emma Cooper – Born in Kenilworth, England. She, along with Katharine Harris Bradley (b. October 17, 1846), wrote under the pseudonym Michael Field. As Field, they wrote about 40 works together, including a journal, Work and Days. From the late 1870s, they lived together and over the next 40 years were lovers and co-authors. Their intention was to keep the pen-name a secret, but it became public knowledge, not long after they had confided in their friend, Robert Browning. They wrote a number of love poems to each other, and their name Michael Field was their way of declaring their oneness. Edith died of cancer in 1913 and Katherine died less than a year later. They are buried together at St. Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church, in Mortlake, England. Their extensive diaries are stored in the British Library, and have been digitized and made available by the Victorian Lives and Letters Consortium.

01-12-1941 – 07-21-2005 Long John Baldry – Born in East Haddon, Northamptonshire, England.. He was an openly gay English and Canadian blues singer. He sang with many British musicians, including Rod Stewart and Elton John. Baldry was openly gay during the 1960s amongst his friends and peers. However, he did not make a formal public acknowledgement until the 1970s – possibly because until 1967 in Britain, homosexuality was still a criminal offense that could lead to forced medication and/or jail time. He had a brief relationship with lead-guitarist of The Kinks, Dave Davies, and supported Elton John in coming to terms with his own sexuality. He died of a severe chest infection in Vancouver, Canada. He was survived by his partner, Felix “Oz” Rexach.

01-12-1978   Hannah Gadsby – Born in Smithton, Tasmania. She is an Australian comedian and writer. In 2006 she won the national final of the Raw Comedy competition for new comedians. She has toured internationally and appeared on Australian and New Zealand television. In 2018, her Netflix stand-up special Nanette introduced her to an even bigger audience. Gadsby has a degree in Art History and Curatorship and presents comedy art tours in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. She is openly lesbian and uses her sexuality in her stand-up routines. Gadsby has been diagnosed with ADHD and autism.

01-12-1985 Will Sheridan (Jr.) – Born in Bear, Delaware. He is a former American college basketball player for Villanova from 2003 to 2007. After graduation, he played as an international basketball player in Italy. He is now a singer, musician, and recording artist. On May 16, 2011 he came out publicly. In an interview with Outsports, he said many of his songs, most notably You Know I Got It and Set Fire in the Streets did contain lyrics about homosexuality prior to coming out publicly.

01-12-1986 Kieron Richardson – Born in Eccles, United Kingdom. He is an English actor best known for playing the role of Ste Hay in Hollyoaks. On September 15, 2010, he revealed on television program The Morning that he is gay, and accepted it at the age of 20. In July 2014 he announced his intention to marry long-term partner Carl Hyland. Richardson received a torrent of homophobia abuse via social networking site Twitter. In April 2015, Richardson and Hyland married in a star studded ceremony in the Peak District.