45 Trailblazers Who Changed The World, From Pride 1969 To Pride 2014

From: Queerty

Jack Baker 

and 

Michael McConnell

Jack Baker and Michael McConnell are a gay couple from Minneapolis, MN who, in 1970, applied for a marriage license. When they were denied, they sued the state. They took their case all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was declined “for want of a substantial federal question.” Though they ultimately did not win the case, their numerous interviews and appearances on national TV helped raise public awareness to the issue of marriage equality at a time when even gay activists ignored or downplayed the cause.