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Home , Barbara Smith, GLSEN, James Baldwin, Lambda Legal, LGBT community, Sylvia Rivera

BLACK HISTORY MONTH Black Heroes of the LGBT Community

John Amaechi Simone Bell

John Amaechi was a professional James Baldwin was an author, activist, Simone Bell has served in the Georgia basketball player, who started with the playwright, and essayist and was one of House of Representatives since 2009 and Cavaliers in 1995. After playing the first people to explore the intersections is the first openly African American a few years in Europe, he returned to of race, class, and sexuality in fiction. He to serve on a state legislature. During her the states and played with the Orlando was a noted public speaker, who provided three sessions in the House, she has been Magic in 1999. During his retirement, a voice for black men and wrote about an advocate for social justice and human John has been a broadcaster, educator, their struggles in highly acclaimed essays rights, particularly as they relate to women, author, and advocate. In his memoir, Man and speeches. James was highly active children, seniors, and the economically in the Middle, John came out as a in the , taking part disadvantaged. She serves as the Deputy man, the first former NBA player to do so. in marches and helping to mobilize and Whip within the House Democratic Caucus He has been elected into the Basketball motivate to fight for and on the Bi-Partisan Women’s Caucus Hall of Fame, won championships and their civil rights in the South. He was a and the Legislative Black Caucus. Simone awards, and been awarded honorary Guggenheim Fellow and his works of also focused on LGBT and HIV issues degrees, such as a Doctor of Science by fiction and his essays are still regarded as through her work at the Lesbian Manchester Metropolitan. He has been essential reading in the modern literary Health Initiative and , where actively engaged in charitable work, public canon. Books, such as Giovanni’s Room she mobilized the LGBT community to speaking, and attempting to combat and , are his best works increase rights around healthcare, safe in sports. of fiction and some of the first pieces schools, housing, and the recognition of of literature with clear and outright relationship status. She has won numerous examination of same-sex relationships. awards for her work and continues to He has left a lasting mark on American advocate for the LGBT community and literature, society, and politics. their protection, as well as serving as a mentor to LGBT youth who are interested in government. “ You write in order to change the world ... if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” – James Baldwin

GLSEN T (212) 727 0135 · F (212) 727 0254 · info@.org 110 William St. 30th Floor, , NY 10038 www.glsen.org · .com/glsen · : @glsen Cathy Cohen Marsha P. Johnson

Cathy Cohen is an author and activist Marsha P. Johnson was a Barbara Smith is a black feminist, lesbian, who has worked as a professor of political rights activist and has been designated by activist, author, publisher and elected science at the University of since some as a saint. She was a loud and official who has been working in feminist 2002. She received her Ph.D. from the colorful personality who was popular in and anti- movements since the University of Michigan in 1993 and her ’s gay, art, transgender, and . In 1974, Barbara became a co- tenure from . Recently, she activist communities between the founder of the Combahee River Collective, received the Quantrell Award for Excellence until the 90s. Marsha took part in Andy an organization credited with developing for teaching at UC. Her work has focused Warhol’s ‘ladies and gentlemen’ series one of the earliest definitions of on and looks at gender, of photographs and in the flamboyant intersectionality. The organization called on sexuality, class, ethnicity, race, and power. theatrical troupe, Hot Peaches. She was the feminist movement to address the She was one of the founders of the Audre one of the first people to fight back against intersections of multiple , such Lorde Project and has been involved with the police at the Inn in 1969, as racism and . At the the Applied Research Center, the American screaming for her civil rights. Marsha suggestion of her friend , Political Science Association, and the Black told the judge during a court case that Barbara also founded Kitchen Table: Youth Project. She is also the author and the P. in her name stood for “Pay it No Women of Color Press, the world's first editor of several books on black youth, Mind,” which became her trademark. She publishing company run solely by women politics, and the influence of AIDS. She has along with founded Street of color. She also served two terms on the served as the Deputy Provost for Graduate Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) Albany, New York Common Council and Education and as the Director of the Center in the early 70s and they were the mothers worked in the City of Albany Mayor's Office, for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture of STAR House, which was provided food, addressing systemic inequalities in the city. at the University of Chicago. Her work clothing, and housing to transgender and includes gender and women’s issues, as non-gender conforming youth in NYC, one well as gay and lesbian politics. of the first organizations to advocate and support this population.

“ That’s how come I’ve been walking for gay rights all these years instead of riding in cars and celebrating everything. Because you never completely have your rights-one person-until you all have your rights. And I think as long as one person has to walk for gay rights, darling, all of us should be walking for gay rights.” – Marsha P. Johnson

GLSEN T (212) 727 0135 · F (212) 727 0254 · [email protected] 110 William St. 30th Floor, New York, NY 10038 www.glsen.org · facebook.com/glsen · twitter: @glsen Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean is a song-writer and Bayard Rustin began his career in Wanda Sykes is a comedienne, actress, artist, who is noted as being one of the when he was just a child by protesting and Emmy-award winning writer, who first big-named African American artists against segregation alongside the National has starred and guest starred on several to declare same-gender love. Starting his Association for the Advancement of popular sitcoms. She has also hosted career by writing hit songs for other artists, Colored People. Throughout his life her own late night talk show on Fox and Frank eventually joined Odd Future, a hip Rustin was involved in countless boycotts, several stand up specials on HBO. She hop collective in LA. He continued to write protests, and initiatives aimed at protecting has had roles in several feature films, songs for other artists, but also collaborated the civil rights of all minority groups. He including Evan Almighty and Monster- with other artists and released his first was an expert in non-violent resistance in-Law. In addition to her acting and mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra. In 2012, Frank having studied in India with leaders of their tv-writing, she has authored a book, released Channel Orange, which reached independence movement and organized entitled, Yeah, I Said It. She was named number 1 on the US hip hop charts and many demonstrations of his own. Bayard one of the 25 funniest people in America was labeled album of the year by several played a pivotal role in the Black Civil by Entertainment Weekly and ranked critics and reviewers. Before the release Rights movement as an advisor to Martin on Out Magazine’s Annual Power List of the album, Frank published a letter on Luther King Jr. Leaders of the movement and has won several awards, including a his website about a man, to whom he was asked Bayard to stay out of the public Commie Award for Funniest TV Actress, attracted, making him one of the first men spotlight, for fear of being associated with Primetime Emmys, the American Comedy to admit to same-gender attraction in the what was at the time his “illegal” life as a Award for Outstanding Stand Up hip hop industry, often characterized as gay man. Rustin continued to advocate for Comic, and a GLAAD award for promoting being homophobic. civil rights until his death in 1987, including a good image of equal rights. She was the LGBT rights, a cause he adopted in the first African American lesbian to be the later part of his life. featured entertainer for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association. After the passing of Prop 8 in California, Wanda officially came out and has been a vocal “ The principal factors which advocate for equality and LGBT rights, having participated in the True influenced my life are Colors tour and GLSEN’s own Think B4 1) nonviolent tactics; You Speak campaign. 2) constitutional means; 3) democratic procedures; 4) respect for human personality; 5) a belief that all people are one.” – Bayard Rustin

GLSEN T (212) 727 0135 · F (212) 727 0254 · [email protected] 110 William St. 30th Floor, New York, NY 10038 www.glsen.org · facebook.com/glsen · twitter: @glsen