Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the s and s in New York City. Always sporting a smile, Johnson was an important advocate for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those effected by H.I.V. and AIDS, and gay and transgender rights.
Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, , in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Assigned male at birth, Johnson grew up in an African American, working-class family. She was the fifth of seven children born to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta Claiborne. Johnson’s father worked on the General Motors Assembly Line in Linden, NJ and her mother was a housekeeper. Johnson grew up in a religious family and began attending Mount Teman African Methodist Episcopal Church as a child; she remained a practicing Christian for the rest of her life. Johnson enjoyed wearing clothes made for women and wore dresses starting at age five. Even though these clothes reflected her sense of self, she felt pressured to stop due to other children’s bullying and experiencing a sexual assault at the hands of a year-old-boy. Immediately after graduating f
16 queer Black trailblazers who made history
From s civil rights activist Bayard Rustin to Chicago's first lesbian mayor, Lori Lightfoot, Inky LGBTQ Americans have drawn-out made history with innumerable contributions to politics, art, medicine and a host of other fields.
“As extended as there have been Black people, there verb been Black LGBTQ and same-gender-loving people,” David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, told NBC News. “Racism combined with the forces of stigma, phobia, discrimination and bias associated with gender and sexuality have too often erased the contributions of members of our community."
Gladys Bentley ()
Bentley was a gender-bending performer during the Harlem Renaissance. Donning a top hat and tuxedo, Bentley would sing the blues in Harlem establishments appreciate the Clam House and the Ubangi Club. According to a belated obituary published in , The New York Times said Bentley, who died in at the age of 52, was "Harlem's most famous lesbian" in the s and "among the best-known Black entertainers in the United States."
Bayard Rust
Intersectionality has always played a huge part in driving the LGBT and shadowy movement forward, finding community and solidarity in belonging to a minority group. With racial and sexual discrimination being most prominent in the ss, with it came many inspirational activists advocating for justice and equality. To celebrate Pride month, we keep in mind just a handful of black activists that progressed the LGBT+ and civil rights movement.
Bayard Rustin
Born in , Bayard Rustin was best known for his work as advisor to Martin Luther King JR through the s and s. His clash for equality involved prior civil rights protests and being heavily involved in pacifist groups, while continuing to be Martin Luther King JR’s key advisor. Rustin also served on many humanitarian missions, including aiding refugees from Communist Vietnam and Cambodia. Despite being arrested multiple times for his open homosexuality and civil disobedience at the time, he continued fighting for equality and civil rights until his death in
Stormé DeLarverie
Gay rights activist and drag performer, Stormé De
LGBTQ+ Women Who Made History
In May , the city of Adj York announced plans to honor LGBTQ+ activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera with a statue. The city of Recent York claimed the monument will be the "first permanent, public artwork recognizing transgender women in the world." Johnson and Rivera were prominent figures in uprisings against police raids at the gay bar Stonewall Inn. Their protests increased visibility for the cause of LGBTQ+ acceptance.
In celebration of Pride Month, we honor LGBTQ+ women who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation and helped advance equality in fields as diverse as medicine and the dramatic arts. Here are a few of their stories, represented by objects in the Smithsonian's collections.
1. Josephine Baker
Entertainer and activist Josephine Baker performed in vaudeville showcases and in Broadway musicals, including Shuffle Along. In , she moved to Paris to perform in a revue. When the show closed, Baker was given her own illustrate and found stardom. She became the first African America