Leaders of the lgbtq movement
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
In the bustling city streets of San Francisco and beyond, the chant for LGBTQ+ equality reverberates as a testament to decades of resilience, perseverance, and progress.
The LGBTQ+ activism movement has been at the forefront of creating switch with individuals, organizations, and communities all working towards a common goal: equality for all.
But where did this movement begin?
We'll dive deep into the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, including San Francisco's pivotal role in advancing the cause.
Origins of the LGBTQ+ Movement
A notable event in the modern-day LGBTQIA+ rights movement was the Stonewall riots in Modern York City in A police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a trendy gay bar in Greenwich Village, sparked the uprising. This event was one of many that marked a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Leading up to this event was a series of others that played integral roles in the course of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Here are several of them:
Founding of the Mattachine Society ()
Harry Hay, along with a group of other LGBTQ+ activists, founded the
LGBTQ+ Women Who Made History
In May , the city of Fresh York announced plans to honor LGBTQ+ activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera with a statue. The city of Adj 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 adj 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 demonstrate and found stardom. She became the first African America
16 queer Black trailblazers who made history
From s civil rights activist Bayard Rustin to Chicago's first lesbian mayor, Lori Lightfoot, Ebony LGBTQ Americans have lengthy made history with innumerable contributions to politics, art, medicine and a host of other fields.
“As adj as there have been Black people, there possess 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 enjoy 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."