Proud And Powerful: 15 Inspiring Stories Of LGBTQIA People And How They Scripted History
In many countries today, people are free to join LGBTQ&A marches, marry whomever they choose, and openly show their love. But that¡¯s still not the case for LGBTQ communities in every country, and even in countries where it is safe to march, there is still a long way to go before true equality is achieved.
Without these incredible activists and artists, the LGBTQ rights movement would not be where it is today. Here's a list of 15 brave people fighting for LGBTQ rights, and inspiring for a change.
1.?Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson?is sometimes referred to as the ¡°Rosa Parks of the LGBT movement,¡± but Johnson is a celebrated icon in her own right.?Johnson was?an activist, drag performer, sex worker, and model for Andy Warhol. She was black, queer, and trans ¡ª?and fearlessly advocated for her rights and the rights of the LGBTQ community at a time when doing so put her safety in jeopardy.
¡°As long as gay people don¡¯t have their rights all across America, there¡¯s no reason for celebration,¡±?she once said.
Johnson was a key figure of the 1960s gay rights movement in the US and,?as legend has it, threw the brick that ignited the infamous Stonewall riots, which were the catalyst for the movement and have inspired many Pride marches ever since.?
2. Alice Nkom
Alice Nkom is a human rights lawyer and LGBTQ activist from Cameroon where homosexuality is still criminalized. In a country where police officer?entrap members of the LGBTQ community?through text messages and?beat those they perceive?to be gay, Nkom bravely fights for rights on behalf of the LGBTQ community.
Though Nkom identifies as heterosexual, she has dedicated her work to fighting for Cameroon¡¯s LGBTQ community and founded the?Association for the Defence of Homosexuality?in 2003. Though she and her colleagues are sometimes in danger because of the work they do, Nkom remains undeterred.
¡°These threats are in fact proof that our fight must continue,¡±?Nkom told Amnesty International.
3. Karine Jean-Pierre
Karine Jean-Pierre is a Caribbean-born American political campaign organizer, activist, political commentator, and author. Since January 2021, she has been White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary in the Biden-Harris Administration.
In a Luminary podcast named LGBTQ&A, the veteran of the Obama White House, Karine Jean-Pierre talks about being an out woman in politics, the vital role that narcissism often plays in politicians, and inspiring people to become more involved with her new book, Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America.
The podcast LGBTQ&A is hosted by Jeffrey Masters and produced by Neon Hum Media and?The Advocate.
4. Lena Waithe
Actress, writer, and producer Lena Waithe made history in 2017 as the first black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing. But rather than revelling in her historic win, Waithe, who?identifies as queer, used her acceptance speech to deliver an inspiring message to her ¡°LGBTQIA family.¡±
¡°The things that make us different, those are our superpowers,¡±?she said. Waithe often uses her spotlight moments to advocate for the LGBTQ community. Earlier this year, she wore a?rainbow cape to the Met Gala, a bold statement in the face of the event¡¯s religious theme.
5. Amiyah Scott
Amiyah Scott is an?American actress and model?born and raised in Manhattan, New York, United States. Scott is well known for her role as Cotton in the Television Series, Star.
She was the first trans woman cast on?The Real Housewives of Atlanta?and, in 2016, she was cast as Cotton in Lee Daniels¡¯ series,?Star. Scott also published a memoir,?Memoirs of a Mermaid, in 2019, just inches past 30 years old. With a commitment to uplifting the trans community, Scott created a nonprofit, Transgender Empowerment of America (TEA), whose mission is ¡°to empower and improve the conditions of the transgender community so that equity and acceptance can be reached globally.¡± In partnership with GLAAD, TEA offers medical, social, emotional, and financial support to transgender community members.
In the LGBTQ&A podcast by Luminary, Scott talks about discovering the ballroom scene in Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina forced her to leave New Orleans. "Balls were created to not only be a safe?space but to celebrate the community. We weren't being celebrated, so we decided to celebrate ourselves."?Hosted by Jeffrey Masters, in the podcast,?Amiyah also talks about the challenges of playing a trans character on the TV show, Star, who is going through so many of the same things she's gone through in life.
6. Michael Sam
Michael Sam became the?first openly gay football player?to be drafted by an NFL team in 2014. While his draft was a historic first, Sam¡¯s time in the NFL was discouraging. He was passed from team to team and eventually found himself without a team. About a year after he was first drafted, Sam retired from the NFL citing mental health reasons.
His struggle highlighted the?discrimination and homophobia?still rampant in the sports world, but Sam has gone on to share his story and?continues to champion?change.
7. Edith Windsor
In 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right ¡ª?a landmark decision that would not have been possible without Edith Windsor.
After a 40-year engagement, Windsor married Thea Spyer in Canada in 2007. Spyer passed away just two years later, leaving everything to her wife. Because the US did not recognize their same-sex marriage, Windsor was asked to pay taxes on Spyer¡¯s estate far beyond what a heterosexual spouse would be required to pay on the estate of their deceased spouse.
Windsor took her case to court and in 2013, the?Supreme Court ruled in her favour. Two years later, the court expanded on that ruling in another case that led to federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
8. Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk, the subject of the Oscar-winning film?Milk, was the first openly gay politician to be elected in California. Milk was assassinated in 1978, but during his short tenure in office, he pushed legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The bill passed with just one dissenting vote by Dan White, the city supervisor who would go on to shoot and kill Milk. In 2009, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger designated May 22, Milk¡¯s birthday, as a day of recognition for the late politician and activist.
9.?Sylvia Rivera?
Sylvia Rivera is often?credited with throwing the second Molotov cocktail?at the Stonewall riots in 1969. After taking her place in history, she joined forces with her friend Marsha P. Johnson to create Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries.?
Rivera experienced drug addiction, incarceration, sex work, and minority inequality, so she fought for the rights of many marginalized groups.
10. James Baldwin
James Baldwin?grew up in Harlem, New York, and eventually published his first book, "Go Tell It on the Mountain," in 1953, which was a semi-autobiographical novel. The following year, he published his groundbreaking novel "Giovanni's Room" ¡ª its main character is a gay man. Throughout the rest of his writing career, Baldwin continued writing books and essays with LGBTQ and African American characters.
11. RuPaul Charles
RuPaul got his start in the '90s in the music industry,?releasing his hit single "Supermodel?(You Better Work)." At the same time, he appeared in a number of films as his drag persona, including "Crooklyn," "The Brady Bunch Movie," and "Blue in the Face."
In 2009, he started a drag queen competition show titled "RuPaul's Drag Race," and it quickly became a hit among the LGBTQ community. Throughout the years, the series gained momentum and has become a major hit for mainstream audiences.
12. Vikram Seth
Best known for his novel ¡®A Suitable Boy¡¯, India's Vikram Seth has been a renowned face in the literary circles for more than three decades and is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the modern era.
Son of Prem Seth and Leila Seth, who was the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India, Seth studied at some of the best schools in the country before going to England for higher studies.
One of the openly gay personalities in India, the 61-year-old Padma Shri recipient has penned down a heartfelt poem?expressing his anguish over the court verdict criminalizing gay sex?titled ¡®Through love¡¯s great power¡¯.
13. Rachel Maddow
After college, a?young Rachel Maddow became an AIDS activist, joining Act Up and the AIDS Legal Referral Panel in San Francisco. After that, she became the first openly gay woman to be a Rhodes Scholar, and she studied AIDS in prisons.
Maddow hosted her own radio show, which was eventually turned into "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC in 2008. The show still airs today, and she continues to be a public LGBTQ activist.
14. Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a gifted painter and openly bisexual. She used her medium to depict taboo topics, like female sexuality, pain, and feminine beauty standards, primarily through self-portraits.
She also honoured indigenous Mexican culture through her art, which drew the attention of Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Rivera became her patron and the two eventually married. During their marriage, Kahlo was known to have affairs with men and women, including Josephine Baker and Leon Trotsky.
15. Ifti Nasim
Ifti Nasim was a gay Pakistani poet who moved to the United States to avoid persecution for his sexuality. His collection of poems,?Narman, is thought to be the first gay-themed book of poetry written and published in Urdu.
He also founded SANGAT/Chicago, an organization that supported the South Asian LGBTQ community. Nasim was honoured in 1996 by being inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.
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