Please join us in celebrating and honoring LGBTQIA+ History Month. Taking place every October, this month allows us to reflect on what came before, and where we are going next.
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There are so many LGBTQIA+ activists and historical figures that we could do an endless series of posts. As LGBTQIA+ History Month comes to an end, we wanted to celebrate several pioneers who have paved the way for future generations. We can’t list them all, but we have compiled a few lists that may be of interest.
History.com - 7 Early Pioneers of the Gay Rights Movement - https://www.history.com/news/early-lgbtq-activists
National Museums Liverpool - LGBTQ+ activists you should know - https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/lgbtq-activists-you-should-know
The Trevor Project - LGBTQ History: Moments and Figures - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/LGBTQ-History.pdf
Each of these sites and sources has information on several pioneers and important figures.
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For our last installment, we turn our attention to two prolific black women, Audre Lorde and Marsha P. Johnson.
Audre Lorde (1934-1992) was a poet and author who used her writing to highlight her experiences as she moved though the world as a Black lesbian woman, the daughter of immigrants, a mother, and as someone with cancer. Her work highlighted intersectionality, along with positioning her own life within a global context. Lorde has inspired many through her storytelling skills and powerful words.
Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) was a fearless leader of the gay rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Often credited with throwing the first brick at Stonewall (though, by a lot of accounts, she did not join until a few hours into the uprising), she was an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, particularly homeless youth and those affected with HIV and AIDS. The term “transgender” wasn’t commonly used until after her death, and Johnson identified as a transvestite, drag queen, and gay person who used she/her pronouns. With Silvia Rivera, she helped found “Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR)”, which was a safe haven for trans individuals.
