Leaders of lgbtq movement
15 LGBTQ Activists of the Past and Present You Should Know
It’s LGBTQ Pride Month — a time to celebrate love, but also to champion equality and LGBTQ rights.
Throughout June, cities around the world include been hosting marches in honor of LGBTQ pride. In many countries today, people are free to join these marches, bond whomever they choose, and openly show their cherish. But that’s still not the case for LGBTQ communities in every region, and even in countries where it is protected to march, there is still a long way to go before factual equality is achieved.
Without these incredible activists, the LGBTQ rights movement would not be where it is today.
In honor of Pride Month, Global Citizen is celebrating the brave activists fighting for LGBTQ rights in places where it can be dangerous to do so, and the inspiring champions for transform, without whom there might never have been a Pride Month.
While certainly not an exhaustive list by any means, these are 15 LGBTQ activists you should know.
1. Marsha P. Johnson
Image: Courtesy of Netflix
Marsha P. Johnson is sometime
Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the s and s in New York City. Always sporting a smile, Johnson was an important advocate for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those effected by H.I.V. and AIDS, and gay and transgender rights.
Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, , in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Assigned male at birth, Johnson grew up in an African American, working-class family. She was the fifth of seven children born to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta Claiborne. Johnson’s father worked on the General Motors Assembly Line in Linden, NJ and her mother was a housekeeper. Johnson grew up in a religious family and began attending Mount Teman African Methodist Episcopal Church as a child; she remained a practicing Christian for the rest of her life. Johnson enjoyed wearing clothes made for women and wore dresses starting at age five. Even though these clothes reflected her sense of self, she felt pressured to stop due to other children’s bullying and experiencing a sexual assault at the hands of a year-old-boy. Immediately after graduating f
By Annie Sisk
Every June, Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, and the historic fight for civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States and across the globe. As important as it is to honor the past, it’s crucial to acknowledge those advocating for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world. Here are eight LGBTQ+ leaders who are changing the world for the better.
ROBERT GARCIA
The first openly gay immigrant to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Garcia is a former mayor and current representative for California’s 42nd Congressional district.
Born in Lima, Peru, he immigrated to America with his mother when he was five years antique. He earned a doctorate degree in educational policy and taught communications and educational policy at area colleges and universities before becoming involved in politics.
Known for his socially progressive views, Garcia represents diverse communities and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in California and elsewhere. Most recently, when the Los Angeles Dodgers uninvited a well-known activist group f
LGBTQ+ Women Who Made History
In May , the city of Recent York announced plans to honor LGBTQ+ activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera with a statue. The city of Modern York claimed the monument will be the "first permanent, public 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 striking 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 demonstrate and found stardom. She became the first African America