LGBTQ+ History Month Figures

Barbara Gittings

Barbara Gittings was a prominent figure of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as an organizer for the first lesbian, civil, and political rights organization in the United States. She was born in 1932 in Vienna, Austria, but she moved to the US when she was six years old. Barbara Gittings grew up in a time where homosexuality was stigmatized and seen as either a mental illness or a sexual perversion. When she attended Northwestern University, she formed a close friendship with another female student. Rumors were spreading around that the two friends were lesbians. Unsure of the word “lesbian,” Gittings searched through medical and psychology books to come to terms with her feelings for women, and to find more research about homosexuality. However, the only things she could find related to gay men only, and discussed how queer people were “deviants'' or “abnormal.” In 1956, Barbara Gittings moved to California where she joined the first lesbian civil rights group, Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). She moved back to the East Coast to start a chapter of DOB, and became the editor of DOB’s magazine, The Ladder, where she advocated for stronger visibility for lesbians. In 1965, Gittings partnered up with Frank Kameny to implement the first public gay rights demonstration after Kameny got fired from President Eisenhower’s policy of banning queer people from working in federal jobs. They protested in front of the White House, Pentagon, State Department, and Independence Hall demanding civil rights for gay men and lesbians. Barbara Gittings also challenged the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) stance on homosexuality being a mental illness. She led panels, discussions, and conferences with the APA, queer people, and psychiatrists to explore the real truth behind homosexuality. Fortunately, in 1973, the APA removed homosexuality as a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Gittings didn’t stop there; she also decided to take on the American Library Association (ALA). She became the coordinator for the ALA where she pushed for libraries to bring more visibility for queer people. Sadly, Barbara Gittings passed away on February 18, 2007 from breast cancer; however, her courage and passion to fight for queer civil rights leaves a grand impact on the LGBTQ+ community.

Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin was born into a Quaker family in Pennsylvania in 1912. His grandmother’s active role in the NAACP meant that prominent activists like W.E.B. Dubois visited his childhood home. This upbringing inspired him to pursue activism as a robust pacifist. As a college student in the 1930s, he joined the Young Communist League, drawn in by their promises for racial equality. When he left in 1941 due to the organization’s shifting goals, he got involved with the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), an interfaith pacifist group, who had been impressed with his role in protecting more than 120,000 Japanese-Americans’ property during their internment in WWII. For part of the war, he served as a conscientious objector, imprisoned for several years. In 1942, he was beaten for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. By refusing to back down in the face of racial hate, he realized that not coming out would only make him complicit in the LGBTQ stigma. The Journey of Reconciliation he got arrested for leading in 1947 inspired the 1961 Freedom Rides, organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which he also co-founded. He earned tenure from FOR and spent seven weeks in India studying Gandhi’s nonviolent principles, but in 1953 he was asked to resign due to his criminal homosexuality charges. Despite being openly gay in the 50s, he became Martin Luther King Jr.’s lifelong mentor and advisor. He conceived the idea behind the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1956, but he passed the project along to King, whom he thought was better suited for the role. Rustin was the predominant organizer of the March on Washington, site of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. He died in 1987, of cardiac arrest caused by an appendectomy. He was survived by his long-term partner but technically legally adopted son, Walter Naegle. The practice of queer people adopting their partners to gain legal recognition and inheritance protections goes back centuries, as gay marriage was not legally recognized until recent years. Bayard Rustin was a civil rights hero, yet instead of being able to get married to the love of his life, Rustin was registered as a sex offender and forced to adopt his partner for the sake of legal protections. He had a list of accomplishments just as long as the most widely revered activists, yet died with his legacy still disputed by homophobia.

Alan Turing: Emily Whitehorn

Considered by many to be the father of computer science, Alan Turing was known for his exceptional scientific skill and assistance with the allies when it came to intercepting and decoding Nazi messages. Turing invented the infamous Turing Test, which formed the basis of artificial intelligence, and due to his vast knowledge in the world of computer science, his work in developing the first computers paved the way for all sorts of new technology that would save millions upon billions of lives. It’s estimated that through his work in WWII, Turing saved 14 million lives and shortened the war by two years.

He should have been recognized as a national hero.

Instead? He was condemned for something completely out of his control.

Unfortunately, Alan Turing was a closeted gay man during a time in which homosexuality was considered a crime in England. He was arrested for his queerness, but instead of going to prison, he was chemically castrated instead. Two years later, Turing poisoned an apple with cyanide and took his own life.

It took 61 years for the British government to recognize him as more than just a gay man, as more than just a wrongfully accused criminal, and in doing so, they passed a law pardoning all who had been historically charged for homosexuality in the nation. The law was dubbed “The Turing Law”, and through Alan Turing’s legacy, the many individuals who were wrongfully prosecuted simply for loving the people who they love would finally be recognized as people, not criminals.

Billie Joe Armstrong: Molly Mickel

Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer and guitarist of Green Day, was born in 1972 in Oakland, California. He had always lacked interest in education, and he dropped out of high school to pursue what he loved: music. Armstrong entered the punk rock scene and spent his years growing up surrounded by music. Armstrong always felt like he was bisexual; however, being a “punk rocker,” he felt that he couldn’t express his bisexuality due to the homophobia and stigmatism in the environment. Armstrong came out as bisexual in the 90s, which was also the early stages of Green Day. Since then, he has been very open about his sexuality and advocated for rights of LGBTQ+ community. Billie Joe Armstrong’s presence in the punk rock community as a queer individual is very important, as the punk scene has a history of homophobia. Armstrong has always been a huge supporter of same-sex marriage, and has spoken out about discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Armstrong’s candidness about his sexuality has inspired many others to be open about their own sexuality. He has helped break down barriers for the LGBTQ+ community, and has provided a safe space for those who feel like they don’t belong. He continues to advocate for those who cannot, and is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci is most known as a famous artist from the 15th century that created amazing masterpieces including The Last Supper, Salvator Mundi, Lady with an Ermine, and The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. What some might not know about Da Vinci is that he was an openly gay man in the 15th century in Florence. Leonardo Da Vinci: The Biography, a book written by Walter Issacson, showed text scripts from specific pages of the artist's own notebooks which recounted how Da Vinci had a decent list of younger male companions in his time.

He faced lots of accusations of sodomy during his time because he depicted male sexuality through some of his pieces. It can be seen in The Baptism of Christ and the Vitruvian Man where it depicts men in various states of being undressed which was looked down upon at this time.

Da Vinci was accused on two separate occasions of having gay sex. One of his younger proteges was removed from his tutiliage because of the “wicked life he had led.” In Da Vinci’s own writings, he often mused about his attraction to men and a slight revulsion of sex with women.

In Leonardo Da Vinci: The Biography, he shows how in his notebooks he was not ashamed of his sexuality, but more so amused by it. In many of his drawings and sketches, the women were drawn more asexually, but he seemed to have a far greater fascination with the male body. The male nudes seemed to have a more tender beauty that was rendered in full lengths as opposed to the female paintings which often had them clothed and shown only from the waist up.

Christine Jorgensen

Christine Jorgensen was born on May 30, 1926 in the Bronx, New York. Jorgenson was one of the first people to be globally recognized to get sex reassignment surgery. Throughout her career, Jorgensen advocated for the acceptance of transgender people. At an early age, she felt like a woman trapped inside a man’s body. In high school, she felt an attraction to her male friends but always kept her tendencies hidden. After graduating, she served as a military clerical worker when she was drafted by the U.S military for a term of a year. At the time, she was still a private and shy person. Later, she started working on photography in Connecticut. By the age of 26, she traveled to Denmark for sex reassignment surgery and initially wanted a private transition, but someone contacted the press which resulted in the release of the article “Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty: Operations Transform Bronx Youth” by New York Daily News on December 1, 1952, making her an overnight celebrity due to her new look. Through her fame, she encountered diverse comments about her sexuality, but she took pride in her femininity and advocated for global acceptance of transgender people. Besides her thriving fame and recognition, Jorgensen also performed and entertained on stage from time to time. In 1959, she and her fiancé fell in love and applied for a marriage license in New York, but it was denied because her birth certificate listed her as a male. The pair unfortunately never got married because at the time, same-sex marriage wasn’t officially accepted or legal. Jorgensen published an autobiography in 1967 called Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography, where she expressed how her transition helped her find personal freedom. Jorgensen’s life always remained on the spot, filled with both negative and positive perceptions, but through it all, she remained confident and always made an effort to celebrate transgender people and their transition. Jorgensen spread the news of finding gender identity by giving speeches at colleges and reaching out to people that were going through what she went through. In 1987, she reached a turning point in her life where she was diagnosed with both bladder and lung cancer and passed away on May 3rd of 1989 in California. Her journey influenced many different people of her generation, and continues to resonate with people all over the world today.

Simon Nkoli

Simon Nkoli was born on November 26, 1957, in Gauteng, a small city in South Africa. The country was rife with poverty and segregation due to Apartheid spreading throughout the government. After the divorce of his parents, he decided to stay with his mother and her new husband because they allowed him to stay in school. Nkoli knew of his sexuality as a teen, but when he explained it to his family at the age of 20, he was met with outrage and confusion due to lack of awareness and knowledge of homosexuality. However, they quickly changed their minds when Nkoli explained that he and his lover, Roy Shepherd, planned to kill themselves if both families could not accept their choices. In 1980, Nkoli took his first steps into activism by joining the Congress of South African Students, COSAS, which fought against the injustices that South Africans faced. He quickly became the secretary for one of their many divisions but knew that his sexuality might cause issues for the movement he participated in. The reveal of his sexuality caused furious debate, but he was still able to keep his position. He then joined the Gay and Lesbian Association of South Africa (GASA), but he constantly clashed with them due to their unwillingness to help fight against apartheid. In 1984, during a march against the exponential increase of rent in Gauteng, the police killed around 20 protestors. In September 1984, the police arrived at the funeral of the protestors and arrested Nkoli and 21 other political leaders. Nkoli and the others were charged with treason and a chance at the death penalty. GASA did not support him and banned him from their organization. He and the other prisoners were then released after two years in prison after facing hardships due to his sexuality. Nkoli then founded the Gay and Lesbian Organization of the Witwatersrand (GLOW) which was the opposite of GASA in terms of political views and inclusion of people of color. The success of his organization allowed him to travel around the world and speak with world leaders. He was also able to secure the rights of LGBTQ+ people in South Africa’s constitution. In 1990, Nkoli founded the Township Aids Project which educated people on the disease, and he was able to give treatment throughout South Africa with the help of GLOW. Sadly, Nkoli obtained HIV and died at the age of 41 on November 30, 1998. Nkoli was one of the most important African figures, and without him Africa would have never made such progress with LGBTQ+ rights and abolishing apartheid.

Sylvia Rivera: Sophia Venable

Sylvia Rivera was a Latina transgender rights activist and a prominent figure during the gay liberation movement. Born on July 2, 1951, in New York City, Rivera struggled with a difficult home life from a very young age. At birth, she was abandoned by her father and lost her mother to suicide three years later. She then began to live with her grandmother who kicked her out at the age of 11 when she started to express herself through makeup. After living on the streets, Rivera was taken in by drag queens who named her Sylvia. This is where her early activism began. At the young age of 17 in 1969, she participated in the famous Stonewall Riots alongside Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender drag queen who was another trailblazer during the gay liberation movement. Rivera is said to have thrown the second bottle at Stonewall during the riot, right after Johnson. A year later, Rivera continued to advocate for many organizations including the Gay Liberation Front and Gay Activists Alliance. Her most famous feat was giving her “GAY POWER” speech in 1973 at the Christopher Street Liberation Day Rally in New York City. During this impactful speech, Sylvia demanded the inclusion of transgender individuals, drag queens, and people of color in the gay rights movement when it had become too exclusionary. Rivera was not only an activist, but a community worker too. She often attended the Metropolitan Community Church of New York and loved to give back and donate to the church’s food pantry. Since then, the Sylvia Rivera Food Pantry and Sylvia’s Place have both been founded to honor her and the work she did. Sylvia wanted to make sure no one else had to be in her position as a child, so she co-founded a group named STAR in 1970. This group focused on helping homeless LGBTQ+ youth find the support and housing they needed to get back on their feet. Rivera passed on February 19, 2002, due to liver cancer but her legacy lives on through the minds and hearts of many in the Hispanic and LGBTQ+ communities.

Kade Gottlieb (Gottmik)

In 2021, Kade Gottlieb, better known for his drag persona Gottmik, boldly stepped on the scene, becoming the first ever openly trans-male contestant on Rupaul’s Drag Race. Competing on the show’s 13th season, Gottmik ended in a tie for third place with fellow contestant, Rosè. Despite falling short of the first place crown, Gottlieb left his mark on the drag industry, paving the way for other transgender contestants for the future. Throughout her time on the show, Gottmik had a very successful run winning two challenges, one mini challenge, and ultimately making the top four.

Gottlieb’s status as a transgender man made waves through the drag community due to the fact that it is primarily dominated by cis-males and he would be the first ever contestant to be a trans-male. Throughout all forms of mainstream media, there is a clear lack of representation for trangender males, even more so of those who present feminine. Gottlieb has opened up about how due to this lack of feminine trans-male representation, it had altered his idea about his gender, even causing him to doubt if he was even trans. Through the exploration of drag and makeup, he was able to understand and accept his identity as a trans man and upon finally breaking free of the doubt, Gottlieb decided to transition medically. Furthering his transitional journey, Gottlieb was able to get his government name and gender marker officially changed on his driver’s license after many months of waiting.

Aside from Gottlieb’s work as a drag queen, he has made a name for himself in other industries, namely, in makeup artistry. In 2020, Lil Nas X, who is a significant figure in the LGBTQ+ community himself, was put in drag by Gottlieb for a Halloween costume. Lil Nas X was dressed in a tight fitted pink animal print bodysuit with a split dye wig to match, in order to recreate Nicki Minaj’s iconic look from her 2011 hit “Super Bass.” Other celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Todrick Hall, Paris Hilton, Heidi Klum, and even some fellow Drag Race contestants, have gotten their makeup done by Gottlieb himself. Gottlieb’s talent for makeup artistry is apparent, and had earned him many job opportunities even before he made an even bigger name for himself by competing on Drag Race. The work that Kade Gottlieb has done for the LGBTQ+ community, more specifically the transgender community, has been pivotal.

Elton John

Most people know Elton John for his revolutionary impact on the music industry, as he is the creator of popular songs such as “I’m Still Standing” and “Rocket Man.” The British singer and pianist’s style still has a huge effect on modern day work. But something not everyone knows about Elton John is that he is not only a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but also an impactful activist for queer rights. John has had a complicated love life, being in multiple relationships with women before officially coming out as gay in Rolling Stone magazine in 1992. That same year, he also founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation, a nonprofit organization centered around promoting HIV prevention and education, as well as supporting those affected by the disease. This foundation has been immensely successful, raising hundreds of millions of dollars. Additionally, John has been very vocal in speaking out for LGBTQ+ rights alongside his husband, David Furnish. The two were one of the first same-sex couples to get legally married in the United Kingdom. Overall, John has made such a positive impact on the community, serving as an inspiration to queer youth all over the world.

Jonathan Groff

Jonathan Groff is an American actor and singer known for his talent on both the stage and screen. He is openly gay and has been a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Jonathan Groff was born on March 26, 1985, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. He discovered his passion for acting and singing at an early age and pursued his interests in the performing arts. Groff gained recognition for his work on Broadway, particularly for his role as Melchior Gabor in the hit musical Spring Awakening. His performance earned critical acclaim and marked the beginning of his successful theater career. He transitioned into film and television, with notable roles in projects like Glee where he played Jesse St. James,and Frozen where he provided the voice for Kristoff. His work in both forms of performing on TV further established him as a talented actor. Jonathan Groff has been open about his sexuality, identifying as gay. He has used his platform to speak out in support of LGBTQ+ rights and has been an advocate for greater visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in the entertainment industry. Groff has been involved in various LGBTQ+ advocacy efforts, including participating in pride events and speaking about the importance of representation in the media. His transparency about his own identity has inspired and empowered others in the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout his career, Groff has continued to take on diverse and challenging roles, both in theater and on screen. His talents have earned him critical acclaim as well as a dedicated fan base. Jonathan Groff's life and career serve as an example of someone who has achieved success in the entertainment industry while being open about their LGBTQ+ identity, and using their platform to promote inclusivity and acceptance.

Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King, born on November 22, 1943, is a famous tennis player. Before retiring in 1983, she accomplished various things in her career, including her capture of 71 singles titles, 20 Wimbledon titles, and 12 Grand Slam singles titles. However, many probably do not know that King built her tennis acclaim on social change. She raised incredible amounts to fight AIDS, contributed funds to battle homophobia in schools, and supported efforts to stem gay and lesbian teenage suicide rates. After moving to Chicago, King helped strategize about how to get the most distribution among educators for the award-winning film “It’s Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School.” Her work on the film project was acknowledged with a 1998 Pathfinder Award from GLSEN Chicago, the local chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. King turned professional after 1968 and became the first woman athlete to win more than $100,000 in one season (1971). In 1973, she beat Bobby Riggs in a much-publicized “Battle of the Sexes” match. The match set a record for the largest tennis audience and the largest prize sum at the time. She pushed relentlessly for the rights of women players, helped to form a separate women’s tour, and acquired financial funding from commercial sponsors. King was one of the founders and, in 1974, became the first president of the Women’s Tennis Association. Additionally, she contributed $10,000 toward that end. King received numerous other honors, including induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and receipt of Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Elizabeth Blackwell Award for service to humankind.

Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk was an American politician and the first openly gay man elected to public office in California and one of the first in the nation. Born on May 22, 1930 in Woodmere, New York to Lithuanian parents, he came from a small middle-class Jewish family known for civic engagement. After graduating from the New York State College for teachers in 1951, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He later became a public school teacher, a stock analyst, and a production associate for Broadway musicals. In 1972, he moved to San Francisco where he opened a camera store and became a popular leader of the city’s growing gay community. After merchants tried to stop two gay men from opening a store, Milk helped found and became the president of the Castro Village Association, the first organizing of LGBTQ businesses in the nation. This became a powerbase for gay merchants and a blueprint for future LGBTQ communities.

He unsuccessfully ran in 1973 and 1976 for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Advisers but became a powerful force in local politics as the spokesperson for Castro’s vibrant gay community. He worked with the mayor of San Francisco, George Mascone, to pass an amendment replacing at-large elections with district elections, meaning he easily won in 1977 thanks to the support of Castro voters. He had an ambitious reform agenda that protected gay rights through an anti-discrimination bill, created day cares for working mothers, converted military facilities to low-cost housing, reformed the tax code, and pressured the mayor’s administration to improve services in Castro. He defeated the Briggs Initiative which would have mandated the firing of gay teachers in California public schools. He pioneered diverse coalitions that brought together women, asians, hispanics, the disabled, teamsters, and gay bar owners. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor Mascone were tragically assassinated by a conservative former city supervisor. Milk is remembered as a fighter for the gay liberation movement and an inspiration to those who fight for equality. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an actor and LGBTQ rights activist who is best known for his role as Mitchell Pritchett on the show Modern Family. He was born in Montana in 1975, and he later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. In high school, he became involved with speech and debate, as well as theater, where he discovered his love for acting. After attending The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, he was cast in several Broadway and off-Broadway productions. He starred in a staged reenactment of Perry v. Brown, and the show donated the proceeds to court cases fighting for equal rights for LGBTQ Americans. Perry v. Brown was an important California court case which legalized same-sex marriage. In 2009, Jesse Tyler Ferguson was cast as Mitchell Pritchett in the ABC comedy Modern Family. His role as Pritchett was groundbreaking, as he portrayed one of the few openly gay characters in a mainstream TV show at the time. His role lasted 11 seasons, and he received several Emmy Award nominations for it. His performance, along with that of Eric Stonestreet, his husband in the show, helped change many American’s attitudes towards same-sex marriage for the better. In 2012, he married lawyer Justin Mikita, and they co-founded the Tie the Knot Organization. Their organization, which is a non-profit charity, sells bow ties, which are designed by them, in order to raise money for the support of same-sex marriage. Tyler-Ferguson has also been an integral part in the ACLU “Out for Freedom” initiative, which works to expand marriage equality throughout the United States.

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben

Gay men have always been a part of American history, and there is no greater example of this than Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was an openly gay founding father, and the man who turned the revolutionary army into a force to be reckoned with.

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was born on September 17, 1730, in Magdeburg, Prussia. With a military background, Steuben left Germany in 1777 to join the American cause. Upon his arrival in the colonies, he offered his services to General George Washington, who recognized his expertise and appointed him as an inspector general in the Continental Army. Steuben immediately got to work with brutal drills and intense lectures. His training methods were different from what the Americans were accustomed to, but found themselves progressing quickly under Steuben's guidance. Steuben is famed for creating the "Blue Book," a comprehensive manual that outlined military tactics and regulations. This book became the basis for the U.S. Army's training and discipline for many years. His emphasis on professionalism and drill procedures significantly improved the competence and morale of American troops. While he may not be a household name, every branch in the American military owes gratitude to Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben for the work he did.

James Baldwin

James Baldwin, a black and gay man, was a prominent LGBTQ+ figure and an influential writer. He grew up in a society where racism and homophobia were constantly around him, and those experiences greatly shaped his literary works. Born in Harlem, New York on August 2, 1924, Bladwin faced a difficult life in poverty, with his mother and his stern, religious stepfather. Despite these hardships, he showed an early interest in writing and found comfort in books. Being raised religiously made him more aware of the fact that he was both black and gay in a discriminatory society, and those were major factors in his upbringing. Baldwin's openness about his sexuality challenged societal norms. His essays and novels, including "The Fire Next Time," broke barriers, making him a significant voice in the civil rights movement and an inspiration for LGBTQ+ authors and activists. Baldwin's personal struggles, including facing discrimination in the United States, led him to spend time in Europe, where he found a more accepting environment. He engaged in LGBTQ+ activism and advocated for equal rights, leaving a lasting legacy. Baldwin's life shows how his resilience was incredibly influential to people in his community, and it represents the impact that one person can have in the fight for equality.

George Takei

George Takei, best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Takei came out in 2005 and has since become an important figure in the community, using his platform to promote acceptance and equality. Beyond his acting career, Takei has engaged in LGBTQ+ activism, and speaks out on issues such as marriage inequality and discrimination. He often speaks on his own personal struggles with being gay, and how he uses it to empower himself and others. He continues to be a vocal supporter for these issues and makes many public appearances at rallies and uses his social media for awareness where he regularly shares posts about current events. By leveraging his fame and personal experiences, George Takei has become a prominent figure of the LGBTQ+ community and has created a lasting impact.

Marsha P. Johnson

Marsha P. Johnson, born as Malcom Michaels Jr., was a famous gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. One of the founding members of the Gay Liberation Front, she played a prominent role in the Stonewall Riots.

Johnson also spent her time working as an HIV/AIDS activist. She co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which served as a place of refuge for homeless LGBT youth and sex workers.

Not only was she active in LGBT issues, but she was also active in the New York art scene. She modeled for Andy Warhol, and also appeared onstage with the drag performance troupe Hot Peaches.

Growing up in a time when anti-gay sentiment was significantly high, even among the police force, Marsha P. Johnson, like many others in the LGBT community, faced constant threats. In 1922, Johnson was found dead in the Hudson River at age 46 under undetermined circumstances. The police claimed her death was a suicide; however, considering the anti-gay attitude at the time, many of her family, friends, and allies say that it was highly unlikely.

Helen Zia

Helen Zia has been a champion for civil justice for the AAPI and LGBTQ community for all her life. Born to two Chinese immigrants, she often looked back to her upbringing as reasons for why she was so passionate for unity and justice. Zia greatly valued community, as she saw it as a solution to combat hate. In her eyes, the bonds of a community were much stronger than a single voice.

In the 1980’s, Zia came to the public scene for reporting and being a major spokesperson for the Vincent Chin murder case, a case that brought the struggle against AAPI hate to the public scene. Zia also worked to bring safe spaces for LGBTQ+ POC’s to have voices that were not suppressed by the white majority. She saw the homophobia that many minorities had to face within their communities, and the homophobia they experienced within LGBTQ spaces. Zia uses her Lesbian Asian American identity to help work for healing and empowerment in those communities. In 1995, she went to Beijing for the UN’s fourth World Congress on Women where she stood up for women of color’s voices.

Zia still works tirelessly today to secure the rights and voices of marginalized communities. Her impact is profound and resounding, and will be felt among people all over for years to come.