Blog Archives

Glenn D. Magpantay (1969 - )

6/20/2024

As a first-generation American of Filipino immigrants, longtime civil rights attorney Glenn Magpantay has forged a 30-year career of service and advocacy for racial justice and the rights of both immigrants and the LGBTQI+ community. A graduate of the New England School of Law in Boston, Magpantay is the former director of the Democracy Program Director for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and also the co-founder and former executive director of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance. He has brought 15 briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court, testified before Congress, and continues to write insightful articles, public reports, and media commentary. In a recent article, Magpantay cited statistics noting how 32% of Asian Americans across the country reported being called a racial slur; 29% said they were verbally harassed or abused; and 41% believed they would be victims of physical attack because of their race, ethnicity or religion. Reflecting his wish to help change that disturbing situation, he accepted a 2023 appointment to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the independent, bipartisan federal agency to advise Congress and the White House on civil rights laws and policy. As the first Asian and only LGBTQ+ person on the Commission, he now has an important seat at the table in the battle against the rise of hate crimes and anti-Asian and anti-LGBTQ discrimination across the country. Magpantay’s life partner is Christopher Goeken, executive director of the Association of Public Broadcasting Stations of New York. They have one son.

Alice Walker (1944 - )

6/19/2024

On this Juneteenth, when America commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States and honors the African- American heritage, it is fitting to recognize the accomplishments of internationally celebrated author, poet, civil rights activist Alice Walker. The first African- American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for literature, as well as the National Book Award for her 1983 novel, The Color Purple, Walker’s impressive resume includes novels, short stories, children’s book, journals essays, poetry and a memoir. Her work speaks to the human spirit and its need for community, dignity and civil rights, especially those of women. For example, with The Color Purple, she wanted to provide an opportunity for readers “to see women-loving women – lesbian, heterosexual, bi-sexual, ‘two-spirited’ – womanist women in a recognizable context.” A staunch advocate/activist throughout her life, she speaks out fearlessly for the poor, and all who have been oppressed politically and economically and she supports leaders who encourage and foster change. Walker is openly bisexual and has received praise for a life that demonstrates her belief that love is the “foundation of change and transformation.”

Col. Edward Thomas Ryan (1939 - 2024)

6/18/2024

It is not often that an obituary of a virtually unknown person makes national news, but when Col. Edward Thomas Ryan died earlier this month from intestinal cancer, it made the national media. Granted Ryan accomplished much during his eighty-five years, but it was his last act that became newsworthy for its poignant honesty. Born in Rensselaer, New York, Ryan accomplished much in a long life of service - as a colonel in the U.S. Army during Vietnam; as a firefighter for more than two decades; as an active member of the American Legion, the Elks, the Knights of Columbus and Veterans of Foreign Wars and as the co-owner/founder an Albany-based of radio station (WHRL-FM). Ryan was also a gay man, who was only able to come out in his obituary with a self-written statement at its end, apologizing for not having the courage to reveal who he was. In this statement, Ryan also revealed that he had had a 25-year relationship with the “love of his life” Paul Cavagna, who passed away in 1994 and next to whom he would be buried Like many LGBT persons of his generation, he explained that he was “afraid of being ostracized by family, friends and co-workers.” As he said, “Seeing how people like me were treated, I just could not do it.”It is ironic that Ryan’s signature phrase as a firefighter was “piece of cake,” yet he was unable to lead a more open, freer life. However, his last public act, apart from donating his body to science, has become a moving touchstone and even triumphant lesson for anyone – regardless of their true identity – who wishes to live authentically.

Marc Benioff (1964 - )

6/17/2024

There is no better straight ally of the LGBTQ+ community than billionaire businessman Marc Benioff, the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Salesforce and the owner of Time magazine. With a net worth of $8.9 billion, Benioff has come a long way from selling Atari video games from his home at age 17, his later internship at Apple and his work as a customer service rep at Oracle. Today his software company is the biggest employer in San Francisco and the anchor tenant of Salesforce Tower, the tallest building in that city. Benioff founded Salesforce in 1999 and is credited with changing the face of software via the internet. His company was one of the first to allow individuals to develop their own software applications, using Salesforce architecture and Cloud. His book, Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change reflects his commitment to philanthropy and social responsibility. As an ally, he has created a workplace that supports diversity and inclusion – “a culture of belonging” that places the interests of society above profits and builds trust, safety and camaraderie. Time and time again, he has defended LGBTQ equality by taking an unapologetic stand against discriminatory laws that target the LGBTQ community across the country, including bills in Indiana and Georgia that would have allowed businesses to refuse to serve LGBTQ individuals and same-sex couples.

He has been an outspoken advocate for anything that does not foster equality for all – from LGBTQ rights to homelessness, from equal pay for women to public education and public health. Together with his wife, Lynne, a marketing consultant and member of numerous philanthropic boards, he has donated millions to charitable causes that continue to make a difference and seek to improve human relations everywhere.

John Maynard Keynes (1883 - 1946)

6/16/2024

For Father’s Day, let’s celebrate John Maynard Keynes (pronounced “Cains”) who is recognized as “the Father of Macroeconomics” and the most famous economist of the 20th Century. His revolutionary theories that demand dictates supply and that governments should spend money to avoid recession and depression gained widespread acceptance during America’s Great Depression and was adopted by most of the world’s leading economies by 1950. Some economists believe that his theories “saved capitalism.” While Keynesian thought fell out of favor, his ideas are discussed and debated today, as governments battle financial crises. Born in Cambridge, England, he was also a philosopher, public servant, and the author of several books, including his magnum opus, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936). Initially, he was openly homosexual and as a member of the famed Bloomsbury Group of artists and intellectuals, was unafraid to celebrate sexual freedom, as his outspoken diaries demonstrate. Although Keynes fell in love with and married the ballerina Lydia Lopokova in 1925, leading a seemingly heterosexual life until his death, his earlier gay experience has been credited with shaping his charm, personality and world view.

Beth Ford (1964 -)

6/15/2024

On June 15 in 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled that the federal law barring sex discrimination in employment applies to the LGBTQ community. Therefore, it seems appropriate that American businessperson Beth Ford be recognized as the first openly gay female CEO of an American Fortune 500 company. Ford’s resume spans nearly four decades, working in six industries at seven companies in senior positions, including Pepsi, Mobil and Scholastic. In 2018, she became the chief executive of Land O’ Lakes, one of the world’s largest agricultural cooperatives, owned not by public market shareholders, but the farmers who produce its products. An innovative and wise leader, she is on the this year’s Time100 list that recognizes the 100 most influential people globally. Her corporate work includes initiatives to increase rural broadband access to farmers; to reduce her company’s carbon footprint; to address food supply concerns and global food security; and to promote sound environmental practices and policies. Ford is a fierce advocate for science and technology, agricultural research and immigration reform, as well as the plight of the America farmer. She celebrates a corporate workplace that emphasizes authenticity, compassion and inclusion. Ford is married to Jill Schurz, the CEO of the St. Paul Teacher’s Retirement Fund Association. They have three children and reside in Minneapolis.

Robert Indiana (1928 - 2018)

6/14/2024

For Flag Day, it seems appropriate to remember renowned artist Robert Indiana. Like the American flag, Indiana’s rendering of the word “Love” in block letters, two over two with that tilted “O” has become an iconic, ubiquitous symbol on stamps, greeting cards and sculptures, displayed in more than 50 cities worldwide. Born Robert Clark and raised in Indianapolis, he moved to New York in 1954, where he changed his surname as a homage to his roots and his American subject matter. There with his lover Ellsworth Kelly and other gay artists Agnes Martin, Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, he blazed a trail that led to the Pop and Minimalist Art of the Sixties. When New York’s Museum of Modern Art commissioned him to create a Christmas Card in 1965, Indiana fashioned “LOVE,” an image inspired by “God is Love” inscriptions from the churches of his youth, utilizing the colors of Philips 66 gasoline signs of that period. Indiana retreated from the New York art scene in 1978, choosing the remote Maine island of Vinalhaven as his refuge for the rest of his life. Today, his studio and sanctuary in a former Odd Fellows lodge houses the Star of Hope Foundation that he established before his death to manage his estate and support arts education and working artists in Maine.

Lily Gladstone (1986 - )

6/13/2024

This past January for her role in “Killers of the Flower Moon”, Lily Gladstone made cinematic history as the first indigenous actress to win a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Motion Picture and a Screen Actors Guild Award and to be nominated for an Oscar. Their remarkable resume, includes small independent films, regional theatre and television roles (HBO’s Room 104, Showtime’s Billions, FX’s Reservation Dogs and Hulu’s Under the Bridge) Of Piegan Blackfeet, Nez Perce and European heritage, Gladstone identifies as a “middle- gendered” person, since in most Native American languages there are no gendered pronouns – no “he/she,” only “they.” Also a non-binary gay woman, they are breaking down barriers, in Hollywood and beyond. They have won praise for their work with the National Indigenous Women’s Resources Center, as it seeks to end violence against indigenous women. With their new-found fame, they are building an honest, powerful platform for their indigenous and LGBTQ communities.

Orlando Cruz (1981 - )

6/12/2024

On this the 8th anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, it is appropriate that we recognize Orlando Cruz, Puerto Rican professional boxer. Cruz lost four friends at one of the worst mass shootings in American history, which targeted the LGBTQ+ community of Orlando, Florida. As the sport’s first and only openly gay boxer, Cruz’s legacy includes his dedication to remembering the victims of that tragedy - 49 dead and 50 wounded individuals. One month after the shooting, Cruz dedicated his fight against Alejandro Valdez toward the World Boxing Organization’s Super Featherweight title to the Pulse Nightclub victims, wearing a pair of trunks, emblazoned with rainbow stripes. In 2016, he was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame as a brave athlete, who challenges traditional masculine stereotypes.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648 - 1695)

6/11/2024

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was the remarkable 17th century Mexican nun, poet, composer, philosopher, and feminist, whose legacy continues to inspire women, educators and the LGBTQIA+ community. Despite societal norms she taught herself to read and write, becoming one of the most educated women of her day and one of the most vocal advocates for a woman’s right to learn. A member of the Hieronymite order, Sor de la Cruz assembled one of the largest libraries in the New World, while writing poetry that is praised for its lyrical beauty and exploration of female sexuality. She is recognized as one of the premier figures in the Golden Age of Spanish Literature and one of its major American-born contributors. While her contemporaries gossiped about her liaisons with women, it is in her written words that one can see her passion for the same sex and her belief that love need not follow heterosexual norms. She acknowledged being “divided in two parts,” - between passion and reason, sensuality and religious life. Sor Juana has been honored on Mexican stamps and currency, with her former convent now the University of the Cloister for Sor Juana.

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