Distinguished Black LGBTQ Luminary Figures

From the 1960s era civil rights advocate, Bayard Rustin, to Chicago's inaugural lesbian mayor, Lori Lightfoot, individuals of Black LGBTQ heritage have consistently shaped history, contributing immensely to politics, the arts, medicine, and a multitude of other sectors.

'For as long as humankind has existed, Black LGBTQ and same-gender-loving individuals have been present,' articulated David J. Johns, the executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, in an interview with NBC News. 'The intersection of racism with the pervasive forces of stigma, phobia, discrimination, and prejudice related to gender and sexuality has all too often served to obscure the significant contributions made by members of our community."

Gladys Bentley (Nineteen Oh Seven to Nineteen Sixty)

Bentley distinguished herself as a gender-defying entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance period. Typically adorned in a top hat and formal tuxedo, Bentley would captivate audiences with blues performances at iconic Harlem venues such as the Clam House and the Ubangi Club. A posthumous appraisal in 2019 by The New York Times identified Bentley, who passed away in 1960 at the age of 52, as "Harlem's most celebrated lesbian" throughout the 1930s and "among the most recognized Black entertainers across the United States."

Bayard Rustin (Nineteen Twelve to Nineteen Eighty-Seven)

Rustin, a prominent figure in both LGBTQ advocacy and the civil rights movement, is predominantly remembered for his crucial role as an advisor to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. His organizational prowess was instrumental in orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington, and in recognition of his tireless activism, he was posthumously honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian accolade, in 2013. In the year 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a pardon to Rustin for his 1953 arrest, which occurred when he was discovered engaged in sexual activity with two men in a stationary vehicle in Pasadena. Rustin completed a 50-day sentence in Los Angeles County jail and was mandated to register as a sex offender. In granting the pardon, Newsom highlighted the unjust manner in which LGBTQ individuals were penalized for their sexual orientations by the prevailing U.S. law enforcement statutes at the time of Rustin's apprehension.

Stormé DeLarverie (Nineteen Twenty to Two Thousand Fourteen)

A performer by nature, DeLarverie, who identified as biracial and a butch lesbian, entered the world in New Orleans, Louisiana. During her teenage years, she joined the renowned Ringling Brothers Circus, where her talents included performing on horseback. Subsequently, from 1955 to 1969, DeLarverie embarked on tours across the Black theater circuit, serving as both the Master of Ceremonies and the sole drag king for the Jewel Box Revue, which was recognized as the first racially integrated drag performance showcase in North America. In the 1980s and 1990s, she worked as a bouncer at several establishments catering to lesbians in New York City and held various leadership capacities within the Stonewall Veterans Association. DeLarverie also contributed to the community through her volunteer work as a street patrol member, earning her the designation of the "guardian of lesbians in the Village." Beyond her dedicated LGBTQ activism, DeLarverie actively organized and participated in fundraising events to support women who had experienced domestic violence, along with their children.

James Baldwin (Nineteen Twenty-Four to Nineteen Eighty-Seven)

Baldwin, celebrated as a writer and social critic, is perhaps most widely recognized for his influential 1955 collection of essays, titled "Notes of a Native Son," and his seminal 1956 novel, "Giovanni's Room." This latter work notably explored themes of homosexuality and bisexuality. The novel garnered significant attention from literary circles due to its exclusive focus on white characters, a departure from the civil rights advocate's other novels which primarily centered the experiences of Black individuals. Baldwin dedicated a substantial portion of his career as both a writer and an activist to educating others about Black and queer identities. This commitment was exemplified in his renowned 1982 lecture, "Race, Racism, and the Gay Community," delivered at a gathering of the New York chapter of Black and White Men Together, an organization now known as Men of All Colors Together.

Lorraine Hansberry (Nineteen Thirty to Nineteen Sixty-Five)

Hansberry, an activist and playwright, achieved significant acclaim for her groundbreaking play, 'A Raisin in the Sun.' This dramatic work provided a poignant depiction of a struggling Black family residing on Chicago's South Side. Following its debut, Hansberry ascended to the distinction of being the first Black playwright and the youngest American to be awarded a New York Critics' Circle Award. Titled in homage to a line from Langston Hughes' poem 'Harlem: A Dream Deferred,' 'A Raisin in the Sun' premiered at New York City's Ethel Barrymore Theatre in March of 1959, marking a historical first as the inaugural play by an African American woman to be presented on Broadway. Subsequently, this iconic theatrical achievement was adapted into a 1961 film starring the notable actors Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee.

Before attaining widespread recognition for 'A Raisin in the Sun,' Hansberry, who never publicly disclosed her lesbian identity, became associated with the lesbian rights organization Daughters of Bilitis. In this capacity, she contributed letters addressing themes of feminism and homophobia to their publication, 'The Ladder,' as documented by LGBTQ historian Eric Marcus, the host of the 'Making Gay History' podcast. Marcus further observes that Hansberry's sexuality was not officially revealed until nearly fifty years after her passing, when her estate authorized the unsealing of her diaries and other personal writings in 2014, thus bringing her identity to light. Hansberry succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 1965, at the young age of 34.

Alvin Ailey (Nineteen Thirty-One to Nineteen Eighty-Nine)

Ailey, a celebrated choreographer, established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, which has since evolved into one of the world's most esteemed dance companies. His signature choreographic creations, including the pieces 'Cry' and 'Revelations,' continue to be performed across the globe. In recognition of his impactful contributions to making dance accessible to underserved communities, Ailey was posthumously bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.

Audre Lorde (Nineteen Thirty-Four to Nineteen Ninety-Two)

Lorde, who self-identified as a 'Black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet, warrior," left an indelible mark on the fields of feminist theory, critical race studies, and queer theory through her influential teaching and extensive writings. Among her most celebrated works are 'Coal' (1976), 'The Black Unicorn' (1978), 'The Cancer Journals' (1980), and 'Zami: A New Spelling of My Name' (1982). Lorde once articulated her motivation for writing: 'I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't.'

Ernestine Eckstein (Nineteen Forty-One to Nineteen Ninety-Two)

Eckstein emerged as a pivotal leader within the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, which was established as the premier lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. She actively participated in the "Annual Reminder" picket protests and was frequently the sole female representative, and notably the only Black woman, present at early demonstrations advocating for LGBTQ rights. Eckstein was also an early proponent of the Black feminist movement that gained momentum in the 1970s and was actively involved with the organization Black Women Organized for Action. Historical accounts suggest that she perceived the struggles for civil rights and LGBTQ rights as fundamentally interconnected.

Barbara Jordan (Nineteen Thirty-Six to Nineteen Ninety-Six)

Jordan, a distinguished civil rights leader and legal professional, made history in 1966 by becoming the first African American to be elected to the Texas Senate. Subsequently, in 1972, she achieved another milestone, being elected as the first woman and the first African American to represent Texas in Congress. For her groundbreaking work as a political pioneer, Jordan was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1994. While Jordan consistently refrained from publicly declaring her sexual orientation, she openly shared her life with her partner of nearly three decades, Nancy Earl.

Marsha P. Johnson (Nineteen Forty-Five to Nineteen Ninety-Two)

Marsha P. Johnson, who would playfully inform others that the 'P' in her name signified "pay it no mind," was a forthright activist for transgender rights and is widely recognized as one of the central figures in the pivotal 1969 Stonewall uprising. Collaborating with fellow trans activist Sylvia Rivera, Johnson was instrumental in co-founding Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries (STAR), a progressive political organization dedicated to providing shelter and various forms of assistance to homeless queer youth and sex workers in Manhattan. She also contributed as a performer with the drag troupe Hot Peaches from 1972 through the 1990s and was an active participant in AIDS activism with the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP).

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (Born Nineteen Forty)

Miss Major is a Black transgender woman and activist who stands at the vanguard of the movement for transgender rights. Her life journey has been marked by numerous obstacles, including periods of homelessness and incarceration, experiences that have profoundly informed and propelled her activism. In 2005, Miss Major joined the San Francisco-based Transgender Gender Variant and Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP), initially as a staff organizer and later assuming the role of executive director, where she spearheaded the organization's advocacy efforts on behalf of incarcerated trans women. She has consistently voiced strong opposition to the prison system, which she contends contributes to the incarceration of transgender individuals, particularly those who are people of color and individuals with limited financial means. Now in her late seventies, Miss Major, affectionately known to many simply as 'Mama,' resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she continues her impactful work as a vocal advocate.

Ron Oden (Born Nineteen Fifty)

Upon his election as mayor of Palm Springs, California, in 2003, Oden made history by becoming the first openly gay African American man to hold the mayoral office in an American city. Following Oden's trailblazing election seventeen years ago, the Palm Springs City Council achieved another historical first: in December 2017, it was recognized as America's inaugural city council composed entirely of LGBTQ members.

Phill Wilson (Born Nineteen Fifty-Six)

Wilson, a distinguished African American HIV/AIDS activist, established the Black AIDS Institute in 1999. His personal experiences, including the loss of his partner to an HIV-related illness and his own HIV diagnosis, served as significant motivators for this endeavor. In 2010, Wilson was appointed to President Obama's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. He also represented the United States as a delegate at the World AIDS Summit and actively campaigned for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allocate increased funding to Black community organizations, thereby equipping them with the necessary resources to conduct education and mobilization efforts concerning HIV/AIDS issues. His advocacy culminated in the creation of the "Act Against AIDS" campaign, which has since been rebranded as the "Let's Stop HIV Together" campaign, promoting crucial actions related to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment.

Andrea Jenkins (Born Nineteen Sixty-One)

Jenkins achieved a significant historical milestone in November 2017 when she was elected as the first openly transgender Black woman to hold public office in the United States, according to reports from LGBTQ advocacy organizations and researchers. Jenkins, a member of the Democratic Party, was among the two openly transgender individuals elected to a seat on the Minneapolis City Council in 2017. Additionally, she is a published poet and holds the position of oral historian at the University of Minnesota. Jenkins made further history in January 2022, when she was elected the first transgender official in the U.S. to preside over a city council.

Willi Ninja (Nineteen Sixty-One to Two Thousand Six)

Ninja, a dancer and choreographer, is widely acknowledged as the "Grandfather of Vogue," the distinctive dance style that he was instrumental in bringing to the national consciousness. Vogueing, characterized by its angular body movements and dramatic runway-like poses, was first introduced to a broader audience through the critically acclaimed 1990 documentary "Paris Is Burning," which featured Ninja's participation. The dance form was further popularized by Madonna's immensely successful 1990 hit song "Vogue."

Lori Lightfoot (Born Nineteen Sixty-Two)

Lightfoot, a former prosecutor with no prior experience in elected positions, secured a decisive victory across all 50 wards of Chicago in the 2019 mayoral runoff election. Her campaign promise centered on eradicating the city's notorious practice of backroom dealings. She holds the distinction of being the city's first Black female mayor and its first openly LGBTQ mayor.

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