Marsha P. Johnson was an African American drag performer and social activist. The fifth of seven children, she was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta (Claiborne) Michaels on August 24, 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. During a tempestuous Christian childhood, around … Read MoreMarsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)
Gordon Fox is an American politician and the former Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Elected in November 1992, he was the first openly gay African American to serve in a State Legislature, and the first openly gay state Speaker of the House … Read MoreGordon Fox (1961- )
Stormé DeLarverie, a gay rights activist best known for her part in the Stonewall uprisings, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1920. She celebrated her birthday on December 24, but she was not certain of her true date of birth. Stormé was born to an African American mother who … Read MoreStormé DeLarverie (1920-2014)
Samuel R. Delany Jr., “Chip,” is an award-winning African American gay writer, editor, professor, and literary critic. He is the first major African American science fiction writer as well as one of the most influential writers of this genre in the United States. He transformed … Read MoreSamuel Ray Delany Jr. (1942- )
An American actor, film producer, and director, Lee Louis Daniels was born on December 24, 1959. He is credited with directing some of the most controversial, yet memorable films of the last decade including his directorial debut in 2004’s The Woodsman and 2006’s Shadowboxer. He … Read MoreLee Louis Daniels (1959- )
In 1991, Sherry D. Harris was the first out black lesbian elected to public office in the United States. This also gave her the distinction of being the first African American woman on the Seattle City Council in Washington State. Harris was born on February … Read MoreSherry D. Harris (1957- )
Maurice Tomlinson is one of the most well-known gay rights activists in the world. He is an attorney-at-law, law lecturer, journalist, and HIV/AIDS and LGBTI (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered Intersexual) activist in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Tomlinson was born on April 9, 1971 in Montego … Read MoreMaurice Tomlinson (1971- )
David Kato was founding father of Uganda’s emergent gay rights movement, the first openly gay man in the country, and an international gay rights activist. He was brutally murdered in January 2011. Born around 1964, Kato joined his twin brother John Wassawa Mulamba and family … Read MoreDavid Kato (c1964 – 2011)
Richard Bruce Nugent (also Bruce Nugent), artist, writer, actor, dancer, dilettante, and bohemian of 1920s Harlem, was born to middle class Washington, D.C. socialites Richard Henry Nugent and Pauline Minerva Bruce Nugent. His father was a Pullman porter; his mother a pianist. Nugent attended Washington, … Read MoreRichard Bruce Nugent (1906-1987)
Brash, bold, provocative, and edgy. These are just some of the many words that were used to describe the poet and performer Essex Hemphill who was known for his outspoken, direct, and often confrontational poems and articles. Hemphill was also unapologetic about his open homosexuality. … Read MoreEssex Hemphill (1957-1995)
