In 1955, 162 gay men and lesbians were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct at the Pepper Hill Club on North Gay Street. The Afro-American wrote that 'The coming out of new debutantes into homosexual society was the outstanding feature of Baltimore's eighth annual frolic of the pansies when the art club was host to the neuter gender at the Elks' Hall.' The article detailed the 'coming out of new debutantes into gay society.' By 1931, the drag ball culture was starting to emerge into the mainstream in major cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, and New York. In 1931, the Baltimore Afro-American covered a local drag ball.

Baltimore candlelight vigil for the Pulse massacre in Orlando, 2016.