Blog Posts

Frank Kameny (1925-2011)

6/6/2025

On the 81st anniversary of D-Day, we honor gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, who fought in Belgium during World War II. After the war, he graduated from Queens College and earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy at Harvard and worked as a college professor, before being hired by the U.S. Army in 1957 to create astronomical maps to guide missiles. When the Army discovered he was a homosexual, Kameny was fired. When this happened, he filed one of the first “wrongful discrimination” suits against the Army based on sexual orientation. Despite losing the case at the Supreme Court level, he dedicated his life to activism. In 1965, he led the first two gay rights protests at White House, became the first out candidate for the House of Representatives in 1972; and was instrumental with other activists in persuading the American Psychiatric Society to remove homosexuality as a mental illness from its diagnostic manual. It is important to note that the U.S. Army formally apologized to him in 2009, an acknowledgment of the injustices he endured and recognition of the strides he made for his community during his impactful life.

Cecilia Pineda

6/5/2025

As we celebrate World Environment Day, it is fitting to honor Cecilia Pineda, a New York-based trailblazer whose community organizing is at the intersection of environmental justice and LGBTQIA+ advocacy. An Environmental Studies graduate of Brown University, they have worked for nearly a decade with nonprofits like the Audre Lorde Project, Energy Democracy Alliance and BK ROT, an organization whose unique approach to sustainability provides jobs for young people of color who transform quality organic waste in compost. They are also the founder of RADIKO, a non-profit that works to create a more equitable society by challenging traditional power dynamics around climate change and working for marginalized communities that are the most impacted. Surprisingly, Pineda is also a singer/guitarist and composer, whose music celebrates her passion for cultivating community and preserving the wonders of the earth.

Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

6/4/2025

American-born singer/dancer/actress Josephine Baker was a global icon during the Jazz Age, when she headlined at the Folies Bergère in Paris and became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture. Apart from her dazzling performances, Baker was a revolutionary spirit who lived unapologetically as an openly bisexual woman in an era when such openness was rare. She never flinched from being there for a greater cause and during WW II, she acted as a spy for the French Resistance. Baker used her voice and influence to challenge racism, even refusing to perform for segregated audiences in the US. She adopted 12 children from different ethnic backgrounds, forming what she called her "Rainbow Tribe” as proof that people of different races could live together harmoniously. Her vision of global unity and equality remains as powerful today as ever.

Anderson Cooper (born 1967)

6/3/2025

Today is the birthday of news anchor, author and philanthropist, Anderson Cooper, who has been called one of the most prominent openly gay journalists in American television. The son of heiress/designer/artist Gloria Vanderbilt, Cooper has forged an exceptional career of his own with his primetime news broadcasts and on-the scene live coverage of major world events - from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars to Hurricane Katrina. With five Emmy Awards to his credit, Cooper is a media pioneer, breaking down barriers and increasing visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. His honesty about his own journey of self-discovery and his willingness to foster important discussions about all aspects of life make him a role model for many. He is the father of two sons, Wyatt and Sebastian, sharing the joys and challenges of parenthood publicly, and emphasizing the importance of family and unconditional love.

Shonda Rhimes (born 1970)

6/2/2025

There are few LGBTQIA+ allies as trailblazing and well-known as Shonda Rimes, award-winning television, screenwriter, producer and showrunner. Working first as a Hollywood screenwriter with an MFA from USC, she is now the CEO of Shondaland, the global media company that has produced such iconic TV series as Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgertown. Rhimes’ work spotlights diverse characters and storylines, including many from the LGBTQIA+ rainbow. As she says, representation breaks stereotypes, gives voice to unique experiences, and provides a more authentic reflection of society. A single mother with three teen-aged daughters, Rhimes has also penned The Year of Yes, a memoir of an empowering year during which she said “yes” to everything that scared her. She has formed The Rhimes Foundation to support arts, education, and activism.

Audre Lourde (1934-1992)

6/1/2025

Audre Lorde, American writer/educator/ philosopher/poet /essayist/activist is an icon for all those who value her contributions to civil rights, and the feminist, Black cultural and LGBTQIA+ movements. Lorde’s writings sing out for social and racial justice for all and provide exceptional musings on her experience as a Black woman, mother, cancer survivor with chronic illness, lesbian and community leader. She believed that all these factors were fundamental to her experience and her prose, poetry and public life foster important discussions about gender, race and sexuality in the context of social justice. Married to a gay man for several years with whom she had two children, she found her life partner in Black feminist pioneer Gloria Joseph, an acclaimed Crusian-American academic, writer and activist.

Judy Shepard (1952 - )

6/30/2024

As Pride Month comes to an end, let us recognize Judy Shepherd – who, like Jeanne Manford, our June 1 honoree – turned tragedy into meaningful activism. Like Manford, Judy Shepherd’s gay son was the target of unthinkable violence, prompting this saddened and angry mother to devote her life to fighting hatred and discrimination. On October —, 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepherd, an openly gay student at the University of Wyoming, was senselessly beaten and left to die by the side of a country road. Matthew’s murder was one of the most high-profile hate crimes against LGBT people in history – an act that forced America to face its deep-seated homophobia. In response to his death, Judy Shepherd, supported by her husband, Dennis, joined the 13-year crusade by LGBT groups and others to get legislation passed. They were ultimately instrumental in getting Congress to pass the 2009 Hate Crimes Prevention Act that introduced federal protections for crimes based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability and strengthened penalties for crimes based on race, religion, and national origin. Judy and her husband also established the Matthew Shepard Foundation to provide national and regional support and resources to LGBTQIA+ youth and their families and to fund events and artistic projects that amplify Matthew’s story and foster change and understanding. This past May, Shepherd was one of nineteen heroes who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award from President Biden. She continues to speak out whenever and wherever she can to remind us that we cannot be complacent and must be fierce advocates for constructive social change and against hatred and injustice in our increasingly divisive world.

Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)

6/29/2024

To place the iconic 19th-century poet Walt Whitman on a list recognizing trailblazing LGBTQ+ individuals may be questioned by some, but for many scholars, this trailblazing poet, who “heard America singing,” belongs. While his free-flowing verse and unconventional narrative style championed democracy, the glory of nature, and the American experience, he also celebrated freedom, sensuality, love of the male form, and even his love for Irish immigrant Peter Doyle, whom many believe was the love of his life. Whitman wrote at a time in our country when there were no labels for gay, bisexual, or queer identity. Scholars have noted that he struggled to balance his egocentric wish to be “beloved” as a great poet with his desire to offer honest reflections of his inner self. The question of his identity continues to be debated, as do his lifestyle choices. In his own lifetime, he was harshly criticized for writing what was seen as lewd, offensive, and scandalous. Toward that end, he kept revising his masterwork, Leaves of Grass, to better conform to societal norms. Today, Whitman is one of the most influential writers of all time and the “poet of democracy,” who continues to inspire generations of poets and all those who wish to live authentically. He also continues to spark important discussions about how we view the lives of well-known figures of the past in the context of the times in which they lived and the expansive norms of the modern day. Walt Whitman and his masterful poetry will never be forgotten.

Martin Duberman (1930 - )

6/28/2024

At nearly 94 years of age, celebrated historian/author/ activist Martin Duberman is carrying the same spark that he felt after the Stonewall riots in 1969, the 55th anniversary of which is celebrated today. The author of more than 25 books, including award-winning works on African-American history, abolitionist history, civil rights history, the AIDS crisis, and social movements, Duberman wrote what many have called the definitive history of the Stonewall riots. Stonewall (1993) offers a riveting account of the seminal event in gay liberation and its aftermath that galvanized active resistance and action across the country after years of unequal treatment and harassment of the LGBTQ+ community. While his books on LGBT history and biography have had a significant impact, it is ironic that he spent many years trying to heal himself of his same-sex attraction. His memoir, Cures: A Gay Man’s Odyssey, and three other revealing memoirs recount his tortured journey to acceptance and his subsequent life on the frontlines of advocacy. It should be noted that after his coming out in 1972, Duberman became a major force for change. In 1986, he founded the Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies at the City University of New York, America’s first academic research institution, focusing on LGBT issues, and he served as its director for ten years. Additionally, he served on co-founding boards of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Lamba Legal Defense Fund, both of which are recognized for their groundbreaking work on social justice. Ever the radical, Duberman is unafraid to provide cogent commentary and insightful examination of the times in which we live. He cautions that there can be no complacency when it comes to social justice issues, and even in his golden years, Martin Duberman continues to be active. His latest book, Line of Dissent: Gay Outsiders and the Shaping of History, was published in January of this year. In May of this year, Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences awarded him its 2024 Centennial Medal for his life of service and community-building on behalf of marginalized people everywhere. It is well-deserved.

Kiyoshi Kuromiya (1943 - 2000)

6/27/2024

On National HIV Testing Day, we recognize AIDS, anti-war, civil rights activist, Kiyoshi Kuromiya, whose emboldened work on behalf of individuals, living with HIV/AIDS so defined the era. Born in a Wyoming Japanese-American internment camp during World War II, Kuromiya seemed to be everywhere - the “Forrest Gump of Activism,” as he called himself. As a participant in the 1963 March on Washington, he met Martin Luther King Jr., became his personal assistant/confidante, and marched with him in Selma. During the Vietnam War he used his creativity to attract thousands to anti-war demonstrations, including those at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago and at Abbie Hoffman’s historic “Levitate the Pentagon” protest. Following the Stonewall Riots, he became actively involved in LGBT activism, co-founding the Gay Liberation Front, one of the most radical pro-gay political organizations of the time. In addition to his work for LGBT causes during the 1970’s, Kuromiya also helped utopian scientist/philosopher Buckminster Fuller translate his complicated ideas into books that could be understood by the general public. During the AIDS Crisis of the 1980’s and 1990’s as a founding member of ACT-UP Chicago, he edited the first medical and cultural competency guidelines produced for people living with the disease. He also played a crucial role in empowering individuals through his pioneering use of the internet to disseminate HIV/AIDS news and resources through websites he developed. As founder of Philadelphia’s Critical Care Project he sought to provide accurate and up-to-date information at a time when confusion and misinformation about HIV was rampant. Ironically, he was diagnosed with AIDs himself in 1989 and passed in 2000 from AIDS-related complications. Prior to his death, he was also the lead plaintiff in Kuromiya vs. United States of America, a 1999 Supreme Court case that tried, but failed to establish the right to compassionate medical use of marijuana to treat people with AIDS-related nausea and wasting. Kuromiya’s life provides an inspiring benchmark for civil rights advocates everywhere, especially on a day when people are encouraged to get tested for HIV.

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