www.SafeSchoolsCoalition.org/herorolemodelcards.pdf Jane Addams Gloria Anzaldua Jane Addams was a Nobel Prize winning Gloria Anzaldua - This co-editor of This pioneer social worker and a feminist. Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Addams was European-American, born into Women of Color, describes herself as "a a wealthy family in 1860, long before anyone chicana dyke-feminist, tejana patlache poet, defined themselves as "lesbian," but she writer, and cultural theorist." "shared her life for 40 years" with Mary Rozet Smith. St. Augustine Alexander the Great November 12, 354 - St. Augustine is born September 20, 365 BC - Birthday of in Tagaste, North Africa. In his writing, he Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, discusses his love for his closest friend who conquered part of Asia. Historians saying he contemplated joining him in death. believe he was gay. He is included, for "I felt that his soul and mine were one soul instance on the American Library in two bodies." * (Same-sex romantic Association's list of GLBT historical figures. relationships and transgender individuals have been reported throughout history and all over the world. See http://www. Dr. Paula Gunn Allen gallimauphry.com/glbt/list.html & http:// www.sexuality.org/l/lesbigay/gayceleb.html Dr. Paula Gunn Allen is an award-winning and http://www.lambda.org/famous.htm.) Laguna Pueblo/Sioux/Lebanese/Scottish poet and novelist and professor and an out lesbian. Joan Baez Cal Anderson January 9, 1941 -- Joan Baez is born. Baez, who is Mexican-American and describes May 2,1948 -- Cal Anderson is born. Cal herself as bisexual, is one of the most would grow up in Tukwila, graduate from famous folk singers of all time. She's also Foster High School, serve in Vietnam and known for standing up for social justice. She eventually become the first openly gay sang at Martin Luther King's 1963 March on member of the Washington State legislature. Washington and stood with Cesar Chavez in There, Anderson worked for civil rights for the struggle for the rights of migrant farm gay, lesbian and bisexual people as well as workers. She protested the Viet Nam war such issues as campaign finance reform and and capitol punishment and helped establish easier voter registration. He died of a west coast branch of Amnesty complications from AIDS on August 4, 1995. International. And she's been a vocal advocate of gay and lesbian civil rights. Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony was an abolitionist, a teacher and education reformer, a labor activist, a temperance worker, a feminist and, of course a suffragist. She never married and she is believed by reputable historians to have had three intimate relationships with women in her life. Feb-2010 1 www.SafeSchoolsCoalition.org/herorolemodelcards.pdf Josephine Baker Katharine Lee Bates June 6, 1906 - Josephine Baker is born. A civil rights activist as well as a singer and July 4, 1895 -- "America the Beautiful" is dancer, Baker refused to perform for published. Its author, Katharine Lee segregated audiences; she’s credited by Bates, was a professor at Wellesley College some as having integrated the Las Vegas "who lived for 25 years as 'one soul nightclubs. Eventually, Baker fled U.S. together' with another woman" according to bigotry and moved to France, where David Bianco of PlanetOut. See also audiences didn’t care about her color or her Adamless Eden: The Community of Women bisexuality. She did undercover work for the Faculty at Wellesley, Patricia Ann Palmieri French Resistance during World War II and (Yale University Press, 1995) and "'Yellow was decorated with her adopted homeland's Clover: Katharine Lee Bates and Katharine most distinguished award, the 'Legion of Coman," Judith Schwartz. Frontiers, Vol. IV, Honor.' She adopted twelve children from No. 1 (Spring, 1979). around the world, two of whom have written about her relationships with people of different genders. Deborah Batts June, 1994 - Deborah Batts is sworn in as James Baldwin a Federal District Judge for Manhattan, becoming the nation's first openly lesbian August 2, 2004 - 80th birthday of author African-American federal judge. James Baldwin. Baldwin was African- American and gay. If you ever wonder whether patriots can find fault with their homelands, remember that Baldwin once Gladys Bentley said, "I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this August 2, 1907 - Gladys Bentley is born reason, I insist on the right to criticize her to a Trinidadian mom and an African- perpetually.” On his birthday in 2004, the American dad. She would grow up to U.S. Postal Service will issue its "Literary become a respected blues singer. Bentley Arts: James Baldwin" stamp. View the was openly gay (a "bulldagger" in the stamp at http://shop.usps.com/cgi- parlance of the day) and even once told a bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/browse_cont gossip columnist she had married a woman. ent/stampReleaseDisplay.jsp?OID=8517 More at: www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Bentley/ BentleyBio.html Ellen Marie Barrett January 10, 1977 - Ellen Marie Barrett is Leonard Bernstein ordained by the Episcopal Church, becoming the first openly lesbian August 25, 1918 – World-renowned, Jewish clergyperson in any major religious American composer, pianist, conductor institution in the U.S. Leonard Bernstein is born. Among his most famous compositions, he collaborated on the musical Westside Story. Bernstein was bisexual and the father of three children -- Jamie, Alexander, and Nina -- and the grandfather of two: Francisca and Evan. Feb-2010 2 www.SafeSchoolsCoalition.org/herorolemodelcards.pdf Mark Bingham Mandy Carter September 11, 2001 - Bingham was the November 2, 1948 -- Mandy Carter is openly gay, 220-lb. rugby player who was born. Femmenoir.net says that Carter was among those believed to have fought the raised in orphanages and foster care and terrorists hijacking of United Flight 93 and describes her as "one of the nation's leading brought it down in a field in Pennsylvania, African American lesbian activists." In 2008, potentially saving hundreds or thousands of Carter served on the LGBT Leadership lives in its apparent target, Washington, D.C. Team that advised the Obama campaign. Chaz Bono George Washington March 4, 1969 - Chaz Bono is born to Carver singers Sonny and Cher. He would grow up January 5, 1943 -- African-American to become an openly transgender (female- inventor, educator, scientist George to-male) human rights activist, musician and Washington Carver dies at about age 78. author. As a former slave, his exact birth date was never recorded. Carver was on the faculty of Rita Mae Brown Tuskeegee Institute. He is best known for his work in agriculture, and is credited with Rita Mae Brown is openly lesbian, a inventing peanut butter. Letters have been novelist and playwright and an activist for preserved documenting his same-sex African-American and GLBT civil rights. relationships, although of course, given the When reporter Liz Smith asked her, "Why do era in which he lived, he was not particularly you have to tell people you're gay? What open about his sexual orientation. purpose does it serve?" she answered that it was wrong to lie. Smith replied, "Keeping Wilson Cruz quiet isn't lying." Rita Mae: "It's lying by omission." December 27, 1973 – Singer/actor Wilson Ron Buckmire Cruz is born. Cruz grew up in a Puerto Rican family in New York and now lives out May 21, 1968 -- Ron Buckmire is born. west with his boyfriend. Speak-truth.com Buckmire is a mathematician, a professor reports, “Cruz says his portrayal of Rickie and a queer activist. He is the founder of the [his character on the TV drama My So- Queer Resources Directory, the largest and Called Life], who was frequently conflicted oldest website on gay/lesbian/bisexual/ and in trouble, grew out of his relationship transgender/AIDS issues on the Internet. He with his father and his adolescent anger with was born on the Caribbean island nation of the treatment of gay people in society. His Grenada. fervor has remained but his anger has cooled. He is still unhappy with everything from the Catholic Church (his attitude being Grethe Cammermeyer ‘if they don't want me, why should I want them?’) to what he sees as the current Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer was the highest- 'being gay is a party' trend (he thinks ranking U.S. military officer ever discharged frequently of those still dying of AIDS) but he for being honest about being lesbian. The is using his feelings in a constructive way to book Serving in Silence and the movie by be a voice in Hollywood for the gay and the same name starring Glenn close tell her Latino/a communities.” story. Cammermeyer was born in Norway, immigrated to the U.S. at age 9, and became a U.S. citizen when she turned 18. Feb-2010 3 www.SafeSchoolsCoalition.org/herorolemodelcards.pdf Mary Dispenza Leonardo da Vinci One of the highest ranking Roman Catholics April 16, 1453 - Leonardo da Vinci is ever to lose her job with the Church over her born. He will grow up to be a prolific painter sexual orientation. Mary grew up in East Los (his most famous works are the Mona Lisa Angeles and became a sister/nun, a teacher and The Last Supper), scientist, and principal. After fifteen years, she left the mathematician, philosopher, architect and convent but continued in Catholic education inventor. Teachers, you'll find lesson as an elementary school principal. In 1988 plans about him at Mary was named National Distinguished http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeoHome Principal and National Distinguished Page.html Da Vinci may or may not have Principal of Catholic Schools.