Celebrating Black LGBTQ+ Pioneers
Black History Month is a time to remember, respect, and honor the people who paved the way for the rights, privileges, and culture we have today. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X., and Rosa Parks are just some of the famous figures who are typically (and rightfully) celebrated in February. Innumerable Black trailblazers also broke barriers in the fight for LGBTQ+ recognition and equality. This blog honors and recognizes just a few of the manyΒ Black LGBTQ+ pioneers who are worthy of remembrance and appreciation as well.
It is helpful to learn about the diverse facets of the Black LBTQ+ experience in America because it can broaden our thinking and help us understand our modern society. Actors, writers, entertainers, civil rights activists, congresspeople: Black LGBTQ+ people were renowned in all professions and fields in the U.S.
Famous Black LGBTQ+ Individuals
Here is a handful of that population to learn about and appreciate:
Angela Davis
Davis is an activist and educator who rose to fame in the late 1960s for her prominent involvement in both the Black Panther Party and the Communist Party. Her passion for racial equality and advocacy on behalf of workers has made her a political lightning rod for her entire career. She was dismissed from a teaching position at UCLA due to her involvement with the Communist Party. She published many papers and books on themes of gender, race, and class, specifically examining the lives and impact of other famous Black lesbians, such as Ma Rainey. She continues to teach at the University of California at Santa Cruz to this day.
James Baldwin
Baldwin was a novelist, poet, essayist, and social critic who shot to fame with the 1953 release of his first novel Go Tell It on the Mountain. His career spanned 34 years as he explored racial, sexual, and spiritual identities in America. Using his sharp intellect, he deconstructed political and cultural understandings of race and sexuality in essays that appeared regularly in popular magazines such as Harper’s, Esquire, and The New Yorker. His work continues to survive today, with a growing number of television and movie adaptations of his novels and poems. He decamped to France in 1963 to escape the racism and homophobia that plagued him in America.
Marsha P. Johnson
Johnson has come to well-deserved recognition in recent years due to her central presence in the Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969. She was an outspoken transgender rights activist who was instrumental in kicking off the gay rights movement of the late 20th Century. She helped to form and lead radical political organizations that served the transgender and sex worker communities in Manhattan. She continued her activist career into the 1990s as an AIDS activist for ACT UP, taking her radical and effective actions to combat the deadly virus. She lived with H.I.V. for two years before being found drowned in the Hudson River under mysterious circumstances.
Alvin Ailey
Ailey is one of the most celebrated choreographers in American history. He overcame racism and classism to become one of the preeminent leaders in the field of dance, opening up the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958. He was an unforgettable figure in the dance world, for the color of his skin, his sexuality, and his undeniable genius. He celebrated Black bodies, traditions, and music in his troupe, fighting for social justice and equality on the stage. Though he died in 1989 at the age of 58, his impact is still seen across dancers and stages today.
Gladys Bentley
Bentley was referred to by The New York Times as “Harlem’s most famous lesbian” during the height of her fame in the 1930s. She achieved fame during the Harlem Renaissance, challenging gender norms and stereotypes by wearing men’s clothing. Her gender-bending act did not shy away from sexuality, delighting audiences in venues like The Cotton Club and The Apollo with her act. Her deep voice was perfectly suited to the blues, adding to the playful and contrarian act she rode to fame and fortune. Her career languished after the repeal of Prohibition and changing attitudes about homosexuality. She would never again achieve the gender-bending heights during her time in Harlem in the 1930s.
Bayard Rustin
Rustin was an adviser to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., advocating for LGBTQ+ rights as well as civil rights. Rustin was openly gay and lived with his long-term partner, facing multiple forced resignations and firings due to his unwillingness to hide his truth. Though he is often overshadowed by other towering figures in the civil rights movement, he organized the 1963 March on Washington, at which Dr. King gave his famous speech. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 for his actions.
Audre Lorde
Lorde was a self-described “Black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet, warrior,” who made indelible contributions to the theoretical fields of gender, sexuality, and race through her writing. She published 12 books during her life, focusing on the struggles of marginalized communities. She did not shy away from her race or her sexuality, challenging social roles of the time with her fierce conviction and passionate writing.
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Takeaways
To the surprise of no one, Black Americans represent a rich and diverse community and history. While it’s important to celebrate Black American achievement during Black History Month, it is even more important to recognize how Black achievement is American achievement. America would not have the economic power, diversity, and cultural influence it has today and everyday without Black Americans. For the GGBA, Black History Month is also a time to celebrate and remember the contributions and sacrifices of the Black LGBTQ+ advocates who came before us, and who fought for our rights, shaped our culture, and made our lives safer.Β Consider learning about our shared history, so you can educate others and honor them by continuing their legacy of strength, courage, and sacrifice.Β
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