Black LGBTQ+ people have contributed a lot to the Black and African American experience. However, oftentimes When Black history is celebrated, Black queer people are left out. It is important to highlight and celebrate those who have paved the way for civil rights and activism through a queer identity.
Seeing this representation can inspire and show other people from the Black LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized communities that they have the power to make a difference.
Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was a gay African American political activist, a prominent leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. Rustin was the principal organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. It was hard for him to do activism as an openly gay man and it put his life at risk. Oftentimes, his identity led him to do his activism behind the scenes. (Source: NPS)
Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson was an American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn which is a gay bar in New York was raided by police, but the patrons in the bar decided to fight back with the police as the raid was motivated by homophobia. These riots continued for 5 days. The stonewall riots were truly a turning point in the gay rights movement, this event empowered many members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Kehlani
Kehlani is a queer grammy award-winning singer and song-writer. She has been active in the music industry since 2013 and has released two studio albums. Kehlani expresses her sexuality through a lot of her music and she has many hits including Nights Like This and Ring featuring Cardi B.
Byron Perkins
In 2022, Hampton University’s defensive back Byron Perkins made history as the first openly gay football player at an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities). This was very groundbreaking because football is oftentimes a sport that has roots in toxic masculinity and homophobia; so Perkins coming out and embracing his sexuality truly shows his courage and bravery. On December 22, 2023, Perkins announced that he will be entering the 2024 NFL draft.
Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde was a lesbian poet, essayist, librarian, feminist, and equal rights activist. She was born in New York City to immigrants from Grenada which is an island nation in the Caribbean. She dedicated her life and creative talent to confronting many issues like racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia. One of Lorde’s most finest poetic works is The Black Unicorn. In the collection, she turned from the urban themes of her early work, looking instead to Africa, and wrote on her role as mother and daughter, using rich imagery and mythology. (Sources: NMAAHC, PF, and Britannica)
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X is A gay rapper, singer, and songwriter who rose to fame after the success of his country rap single ‘Old Town Road’ which went viral as a trending sound on TikTok when the #YeeHaw challenge took off. When Lil Nas X first came out in 2019, he changed the narrative for what it looked like to be a Black man in the hip hop industry and the music industry as a whole.
Lena Waithe
Lena Waithe is a lesbian American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She is the creator of the Showtime drama series The Chi and the BET comedy series Boomerang and Twenties. She also wrote and produced the crime film Queen & Slim and is the executive producer of the horror anthology series Them. In many of Waite’s creative works, she represents the Black LGBTQ+ community and their stories.
James Baldwin
James Baldwin was a gay writer and civil rights activist. He garnered acclaim for his work across several forms, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. One of Baldwin’s most famous works is Notes Of A Native Son which is a collection of ten essays published in 1955, mostly tackling issues of race in America and Europe.
Angela Davis
Davis was an active member of th Black Panther party. She spoke about prison reform, women’s rights, racial equality, and the inequality of capitalism. Angela was also an advocate for the LGBTQ community and came out as a lesbian in the late 1990s.
Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean is a queer American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His early works are credited by some music critics for pioneering the alternative R&B genre. His openness about his sexuality and the unapologetic way he approaches his artistry has paved the way for greater acceptance and diversity in the music industry. (BET)
Janelle Monae
The award-winning artist is openly pansexual and spoke with them.us about speculations surrounding her sexuality back in 2020. “I feel my feminine, I feel my masculine, I feel energy that I can’t really explain,” she explained.
