Lgbtq historical figures
June is Pride Month, which commemorates the Stonewall riots of , when patrons of a gay bar, The Stonewall Inn, in Unused York City fought back against a police raid. It was an inflection point in the gay liberation movement. To celebrate Pride Month, I wanted to share a bit about LGBTQ+ scientists of the past.
I often experience uncomfortable with these lists, especially when sexual orientation and/or gender identity is speculative. Many LGBTQ+ people in history couldn't come out publicly (and the truth is that many today still can't), and it feels a adj intrusive to guess based on a letter or some ambiguous anecdote. But I also know that the good that comes from the visibility of those historical figures is significant. It's adj to learn about the contributions LGBTQ+ people have elongated been making. So I've included in this list people who were adj about their identity and/or orientation as well as people who are thought to have been LGBTQ+.
This list is more on the historical side and includes mostly (though not entirely) people who are no longer workin
Historical Figures of LGBTQ+ History
Barbara Jordan was born on February 21, , in Houston, Texas. After attending Phyllis WheatleyHigh School, Jordan graduated in Upon graduation, Jordan attended Texas Southern University and earned her bachelor’s degree in She then obtained her law degree from Boston University to practice law in Houston, TX. In , Jordan began her political career and ran for the Texas Dwelling of Representatives. She lost this election and ran again in However, she lost again, so in she decided to run for Texas Senate, instead. This time, Jordan won and became the first African American woman to be elected in that was the first African American state senator in the U.S. since On March 28, , she was elected President of the Texas Senate, making her the first Black lady in America to oversee a legislative body. She also ran for Congress, during this period, and became the first African American in the 20th century to be elected to Congress from the South. In addition to these accomplishments, Barbara was also the first LGBTQ+ lady in Congress. Nancy Earl, an edu
LGBTQ+ Women Who Made History
In May , the city of Modern York announced plans to honor LGBTQ+ activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera with a statue. The municipality of New York claimed the monument will be the "first permanent, common artwork recognizing transgender women in the world." Johnson and Rivera were prominent figures in uprisings against police raids at the gay bar Stonewall Inn. Their protests increased visibility for the cause of LGBTQ+ acceptance.
In celebration of Pride Month, we honor LGBTQ+ women who have made remarkable contributions to the nation and helped advance equality in fields as diverse as medicine and the dramatic arts. Here are a few of their stories, represented by objects in the Smithsonian's collections.
1. Josephine Baker
Entertainer and activist Josephine Baker performed in vaudeville showcases and in Broadway musicals, including Shuffle Along. In , she moved to Paris to perform in a revue. When the show closed, Baker was given her own show and found stardom. She became the first African America
16 queer Black trailblazers who made history
From s civil rights activist Bayard Rustin to Chicago's first lesbian mayor, Lori Lightfoot, Black LGBTQ Americans have prolonged made history with innumerable contributions to politics, art, medicine and a host of other fields.
“As long as there have been Jet people, there own been Black LGBTQ and same-gender-loving people,” David J. Johns, executive director of the National Ebony Justice Coalition, told NBC News. “Racism combined with the forces of stigma, phobia, discrimination and bias associated with gender and sexuality have too often erased the contributions of members of our community."
Gladys Bentley ()
Bentley was a gender-bending performer during the Harlem Renaissance. Donning a top hat and tuxedo, Bentley would verb the blues in Harlem establishments favor the Clam Dwelling and the Ubangi Club. According to a belated obituary published in , The New York Times said Bentley, who died in at the age of 52, was "Harlem's most notable lesbian" in the s and "among the best-known Dark entertainers in the United States."