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As we head into 28 days of celebrating Black History Month, we look inward at our own community and the legacy of our pioneers. The LGBTQ+ community shares a rich community history rooted in courage, compassion, defiance, and activism that we should be proud to teach. But far too often, the narrative of our history is diminished by those who exclude the critical contributions of Black LGBTQ+ pioneers and whitewash the movement.

So, let’s tell our history how it was.

Learn more about just a few of the badass Black LGBTQ+ pioneers who broke barriers and changed lives.

Ernestine Eckstein | 1941 – 1992

Ernestine Eckstein was one of the most radical thinkers of her time and an influential activist in the LGBTQ+ equality and Black Feminist movements of the 1960s. During a period of history when the vast majority of the LGBTQ+ equality movement was led by, strategized by, and voiced by white people, Ernestine brought her insight and experience with the Civil Rights Movement and pushed for greater lobbying and demonstration efforts. She saw public demonstrations as an essential tool for enacting change, and in 1966 said: “Picketing I regard as almost a conservative act now. The homosexual has to call attention to the fact that he’s been unjustly acted upon. This is what the Negro did.” Most of the recorded history we have is from an interview that Ernestine did with The Ladder in 1966. She was one of only 2 women of color to be featured on the cover.

Audre Lorde | 1934 – 1992

Audre Lorde committed her life to combating the racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia that she encountered. Lorde found her passion for poetry when she was a young teenager and as she got older, compiled a library of powerful poems of protest and literature surrounding the feminist, civil rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and Black cultural movements. Audrey herself was an accomplished essayist, and in 1981 founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press to provide a platform for other Black feminists to publish their literature. Whether raising her voice during the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights or writing from her home, Audrey never hesitated to speak out against injustice and discrimination.

James Baldwin | 1924 – 1987

One of the 20^th century’s most acclaimed writers, James Baldwin used his literary platform to explore and expose racial and social issues. James’ first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain was published in 1953. The following year, James received the Guggenheim Fellowship, with which he wrote his second novel, Giovanni’s Room,  featuring a complex – and at the time, taboo – depiction of homosexuality. James was open about his sexuality and relationships with both men and women, and continued to depict this controversial topic in his writing. Throughout his career, he never failed to provide a prolific and starkly honest window into the Black, LGBTQ+ experience.

Mabel Hampton | 1902 – 1986

Mabel was an outspoken lesbian, activist, and philanthropist during the Harlem Renaissance. Mabel was a dancer in all-Black productions, an active volunteer for the New York Defense Recreation Committee, and a committed supporter of numerous LGBTQ+ organizations. When she was 82, Mabel stood up at the New York City Pride Parade and shouted to the crowd, “I, Mabel Hampton, have been a lesbian all my life, for 82 years, and I am proud of myself and my people. I would like all my people to be free in this country and all over the world, my gay people and my black people.” Throughout her long life, Mabel preserved letters and records capturing the experiences of Black women and lesbians, which she later donated to the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

Bayard Rustin | 1912 – 1987

Bayard Rustin was an incredible leader in the American civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and LGBTQ+ equality movements. Best known for his civil rights activism, Rustin helped organize the 1941 March on Washington, he facilitated Freedom Rides, and was an organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. However, Bayard was much more than just a civil rights activist. He was also a passionate humanitarian who advocated for many missions, including aiding refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as in Haiti. In the 1980s, Rustin began to engage in LGBTQ+ activism, testifying on behalf of New York State’s Gay Rights Bill in 1986.

Marsha P. Johnson | 1945 – 1992

Who better to end with than the iconic Marsha P. Johnson? Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, she moved to New York City in 1963 with $15 and a bag of clothes. Marsha supported herself as a sex worker, but could often be found in Greenwich Village on her nights off. Marsha was only 23 on the night that the Stonewall Inn was raided, yet she was right in the front, alongside those resisting the police. But Marsha’s impact spanned far more than a single, albeit iconic, night. She was a dedicated AIDS activist, an outspoken voice for LGBTQ+ equality, and a co-founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, a collective that provided support for homeless LGBTQ+ people and sex workers.

 

Now it’s your turn to pass it on! To celebrate their stories, share what you learned with someone else so that we can collectively correct our history. For more content throughout the month, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!