{"id":19574,"date":"2022-06-02T18:00:10","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T12:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/?p=19574"},"modified":"2022-07-23T20:50:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-23T15:20:11","slug":"lgbtq-advocates-you-should-know-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/2022\/06\/02\/lgbtq-advocates-you-should-know-of\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBTQ+ Advocates You Should Know Of"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It is officially Pride Month! We are ready to hoist all our Pride flags, but we wouldn\u2019t be here without the efforts of LGBTQ+ activists and countless others who are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Activism isn\u2019t limited to marching in the streets. It also includes speaking on behalf of marginalized people, raising awareness, helping to bring change, or influencing pop culture to embrace people that had been shunned for who they were.<\/p>\n<p>Today, too, we have many LGBTQ+ activists, and the fight for their rights and equality isn\u2019t over. But they follow a long line of activists and people who dedicated their lives to a better future for their community. They were dedicated to changing the way the world sees members of the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few prominent LGBTQ+ advocates you should know of &#8211;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Marsha P. Johnson<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Center is proud to welcome Jesse Pallotta\u2019s sculpture \u201cA Love Letter to Marsha.\u201d This sculpture is of trans activist Marsha P. Johnson. We invite you to join us for a warm reception welcoming the statue to our space.<\/p>\n<p>May 25, 2022 | 7:00p.m. ET<\/p>\n<p>RSVP:  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UcHdCRkHcX\">https:\/\/t.co\/UcHdCRkHcX<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/L0WSQ4GMfv\">pic.twitter.com\/L0WSQ4GMfv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Center (@LGBTCenterNYC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LGBTCenterNYC\/status\/1528813044272332800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 23, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Marsha P. Johnson, an activist, drag performer and model, is a celebrated icon. Johnson, who <a href=\"https:\/\/wams.nyhistory.org\/growth-and-turmoil\/growing-tensions\/marsha-p-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">identified<\/a> as transgender, fearlessly advocated for her rights and the rights of the LGBTQ community at a time when doing so put her safety in jeopardy. Along with a close friend of Johnson&#8217;s &#8211; Sylvia Rivera, who was also a transgender rights activist, she founded S.T.A.R (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries). It gave shelter to LGBTQ+ homeless youth and resources.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Marsha P. Johnson is a name for the history books. She is known for her involvement alongside Rivera during the<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/makinggayhistory.com\/podcast\/episode-11-johnson-wicker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0famous Stonewall Riots<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0wherein clashes with the New York police marked a turning point for the gay liberation movement in the US. It inspired Pride marches around the world today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Johnson worked as an activist participating in demonstrations and marches as part of the Gay Liberation Front. It was formed in the wake of Stonewall. Marsha was also an AIDS activist associated with the group ACT UP until her death, which came in 1992.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Police ruled it a suicide after her body was found in the Hudson River, however, her friends and fellow activists believe she was killed. This is a theory that was then highlighted in the<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pADsuuPd79E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a02017 Netflix documentary &#8220;The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Over nearly three decades after her death, Johnson is remembered for being at the frontline of the Stonewall Riots and for her contributions to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Sylvia Rivera\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ilana_Who_\/status\/1531962179364306945?s=20&#038;t=lgblGBdM9xi4x4KgjiEsbA<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sylvia Rivera was a Latina trans activist. Together with Marsha P. Johnson,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Rivera <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essence.com\/entertainment\/5-things-know-activist-marsha-p-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">co-founded<\/a> Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0(STAR). It is an organization that provided housing and other services to homeless LGBTQ+ youth in New York City. She lived a turbulent life. Rivera turned to sex work and struggled with drug addiction and homelessness. She was always vocal. Rivera experienced minority inequality among other things. At times, she was a forceful advocate for change, so she fought for the rights of many marginalized groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cSylvia\u2019s role in gay history was that she was one of the first people to highlight that our movement needed to be more inclusive of people who did not fit in the mainstream,\u201d Carrie Davis,\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/latino\/forgotten-latina-trailblazer-lgbt-activist-sylvia-rivera-n438586\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">told<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0NBC News. Davis is a Chief Programs and Policy Officer at New York City\u2019s<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/gaycenter.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0LGBT Community Center<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Harvey Milk<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Harvey Milk&#039;s radical vision of equality - Lillian Faderman\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wr3kUfW2fM0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We want gays to represent gays,&#8221; Harvey Milk, who was one of the first openly gay politicians elected to office in the United States, <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2019\/06\/26\/us\/most-influential-lgbtq-activists\/index.html\">told<\/a> the San Francisco Examiner in 1977, as per CNN. He was the first openly gay official elected in California. His position as an LGBTQ+ public official helped bring the community&#8217;s issues to prominence. Milk was also the subject of the Oscar-winning film \u2018Milk\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>He helped start one of the first predominantly LGBTQ-owned business groups in the country. It was called the Castro Village Association. Milk was elected to San Francisco&#8217;s Board of Supervisors in 1977.<\/p>\n<p>He introduced legislation to protect the gay community. This included a gay rights ordinance in 1978 to ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ in housing or employment. He did this while serving as a city supervisor, and along with other activists, also succeeded in striking down Proposition 6. This would have mandated the firing of any gay or lesbian teachers in California.<\/p>\n<p>Not only did Milk lead pride marches but he also fought for issues affecting the entire San Francisco population. It included access to affordable housing and daycare for working mothers.<\/p>\n<h5>You May Also Read: <a title=\"Nigeria\u2019s LGBTQ Community Fights Restrictive Cross-Dressing Bill\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/2022\/05\/23\/nigerias-lgbtq-community-fights-restrictive-cross-dressing-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nigeria\u2019s LGBTQ Community Fights Restrictive Cross-Dressing Bill<\/a><\/h5>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milk was widely known as a fighter for LGBTQ+ rights and was no stranger to death threats. He acknowledged there was a possibility he would be assassinated. Less than a year after his inauguration as a city supervisor, he and Mayor George Moscone were shot to death in the San Francisco city hall by a former fellow city supervisor over a job dispute. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">His killer was sentenced to seven years. Due to this, riots broke out over what many perceived to be a lenient sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 2009, President Obama posthumously\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2009\/POLITICS\/08\/12\/medal.of.freedom\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">awarded<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Milk the Medal of Freedom. This was to recognize his contributions as a trailblazing advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">During Milk\u2019s short tenure in office, he pushed legislation to\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2019\/06\/26\/us\/most-influential-lgbtq-activists\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ban discrimination<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations, according to\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">CNN<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 2009, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2019\/06\/26\/us\/most-influential-lgbtq-activists\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">designated<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0May 22, Milk\u2019s birthday, as a day of recognition for the late politician and activist.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Gilbert Baker<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Remembering the rainbow flag&#039;s creator\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/muvP510t5zU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">CNN<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, in 1978, Harvey Milk\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/article\/pride-rainbow-flag-design-history\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">asked<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0his friend Gilbert Baker to make a symbol that would represent gay pride. Baker used the U.S. flag as inspiration. This led to him hand-sewing a rainbow flag and\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/article\/pride-rainbow-flag-design-history\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">saying<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0each color on the flag represented something important to the community. For example, hot pink was for sex and the color red on the flag was for life. The rainbow pride flag was first flown in San Francisco on June 25, 1978, for Gay Pride Day.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Edith Windsor<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Marriage equality trailblazer Edith Windsor fought for her rights as a married woman in a landmark case that resulted in the Supreme Court ruling in her favor. It paved the way for federal legalization of same-sex marriage and we salute her as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TheView?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TheView<\/a> celebrates <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PrideMonth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PrideMonth<\/a>! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3RnD1dp0fe\">pic.twitter.com\/3RnD1dp0fe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The View (@TheView) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheView\/status\/1532094228519702530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 1, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Windsor was engaged to Thea Spyer for 40 years. She then married Thea Spyer in Canada in 2007 and passed away just two years later. Spyer left everything to her wife. But because the U.S. did not recognize their same-sex marriage, Windsor was asked to pay taxes on Spyer\u2019s estate. The taxes were far beyond what a heterosexual spouse would be required to pay on the estate of their deceased spouse.<\/p>\n<p>Windsor took her case to court. In 2013, the case went all the way up to the Supreme Court. It ruled that Section 3 of DOMA (which prevented the federal government from recognizing any same-sex marriages for the purpose of federal laws) was unconstitutional. This paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right. The landmark decision would not have been possible without Edith Windsor.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Laverne Cox<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Laverne Cox makes history as the very first trans person to have a Barbie doll made in their honor. ????? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/boio1oGjgL\">pic.twitter.com\/boio1oGjgL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pop Crave (@PopCrave) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PopCrave\/status\/1529544987783811072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 25, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Laverne Cox is best known for playing Sophia Burset, a transgender inmate, on Netflix\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2018Orange Is the New Black\u2019<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. For her role in the series, Cox, who is a black, trans woman,<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emmys.com\/bios\/laverne-cox\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0was nominated for three Emmy Awards<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and was the<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/2973497\/laverne-cox-emmy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0first trans person to be nominated for an Emmy<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in an acting category. The actress is a proud advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has been outspoken about access to health care for LGBTQ+ communities. She has particularly championed the rights of trans people and people of color.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">laverne cox just made history by becoming the first trans barbie doll and i would like one <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6OI2iFc5QJ\">pic.twitter.com\/6OI2iFc5QJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; matt (@mattxiv) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mattxiv\/status\/1530238536443736064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 27, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must lift up the stories of those most at risk, statistically trans people of color who are poor and working-class,\u201d Cox <a href=\"https:\/\/lavernecox.tumblr.com\/post\/120503412651\/on-may-29-2014-the-issue-of-timemagazine\">wrote<\/a> in a Tumblr post in 2015. \u201cI have hoped over the past few years that the incredible love I have received from the public can translate to the lives of all trans folks.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Michael Sam<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Eight years after becoming the first openly gay man to be drafted by an NFL team Michael Sam returns to football. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lMG8GQM9tA\">https:\/\/t.co\/lMG8GQM9tA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; USA TODAY (@USATODAY) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USATODAY\/status\/1530633526235865092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 2014, Michael Sam came out as gay in an interview with ESPN. Sam made history that same year and was\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/news\/michael-sam-first-openly-gay-player-retires-for-mental-health-reasons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">drafted<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0by the St. Louis Rams. He became the first openly gay man to ever be drafted into the NFL. Unfortunately, Sam was let go from the team. The star&#8217;s struggle highlighted the<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/2016\/apr\/26\/nfl-draft-gay-players-michael-sam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0discrimination and homophobia<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0still rampant in the sports world. However, Sam has gone on to share his story. He continues to\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.advocate.com\/religion\/2016\/4\/04\/michael-sam-missouris-anti-lgbt-bill-undermines-our-dignity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">champion<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0change.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Billie Jean King<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Billie Jean King: Tennis Champion &amp; Activist\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T-OqwlRC_p0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Tennis champion Billie Jean King has been a longtime pioneer on and off the court. She used her status as a prominent athlete to champion gender equality and LGBTQ+ visibility. She was the first tennis player \u2014 and woman \u2014 to be named Sports Illustrated&#8217;s<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/sports-man\/2010\/11\/30\/billiejeanking-sportsman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Sportsperson of the Year in 1972<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 1972, she also joined<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/msmagazine.com\/2019\/05\/16\/we-had-abortions-and-were-not-going-back\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Ms. Magazine<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8216;s list of prominent women who admitted to having an abortion. This was during the fight for legal abortion access. After winning the U.S. Open in 1972, she threatened to boycott the next year if men and women were not awarded the same prize money. As a result, the tournament made the prize money the same for both sexes in the next year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">King&#8217;s career took off after this in 1973. It was when she went head-to-head with a male tennis champion nearly twice her age. Her matchup with Bobby Riggs was watched by millions. King\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2019\/06\/26\/us\/most-influential-lgbtq-activists\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">said<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0she not only wanted to win, but she also had to win for the sake of gender equality.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>You May Also Read: <a title=\"The Restrictions on Gay Men to Donate Blood\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/2022\/05\/19\/the-restrictions-on-gay-men-to-donate-blood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Restrictions on Gay Men to Donate Blood<\/a><\/h5>\n<p>Her career took a hit in 1981. This came after news leaked that she was in a secret relationship with another woman while she was married to a man. She argued with her managers and lawyers to hold a press conference so she could control the message about her sexuality.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, when King publicly confirmed that she was in a lesbian relationship, she became the first out LGBTQ+ athlete. She\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.billiejeanking.com\/biography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">lost<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0all her endorsement deals but she likely made the road smoother for those who followed. This includes Martina Navratilova, who was outed just a few months later. But she didn\u2019t lose any of her endorsement deals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">King divorced her husband in 1987. She is now with her longtime partner and fellow tennis champion, Ilana Kloss. The tennis star was\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/blog\/2009\/07\/30\/presidential-medal-freedom-recipients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">awarded<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0the President Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2009. King later\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bjkli.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">founded<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative in 2014. She did this to highlight diverse talent from around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Larry Kramer\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"From 2006: AIDS activist Larry Kramer: &quot;I wasn&#039;t a phony ... I fought for life&quot;\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GsOCTwMbUoE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Larry Kramer was at the front of the AIDS crisis. He was trying to bring attention to the disease gay men were facing around the country. In 1981, he created the Gay Men&#8217;s Health Crisis organization. This was the only group devoted to helping those affected by HIV\/AIDS and he later created Act Up (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). It was an organization that held high-profile demonstrations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;This is a plague,&#8221; Kramer\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/muHnkg6rhOE?t=33\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">shouted\u00a0<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">at ACT UP organizers in<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/muHnkg6rhOE?t=33\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0a famous clip from 1991<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. &#8220;Until we get our acts together, we are as good as dead.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">CNN<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, \u201cKramer&#8217;s controversial calls on activists to take the AIDS crisis into their own hands\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2019\/06\/26\/us\/most-influential-lgbtq-activists\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">helped push<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0the FDA to eventually approve the use and distribution of experimental drugs.\u201d These helped save the lives of AIDS patients. In the &#8217;80s, he wrote the play \u2018The Normal Heart\u2019. It chronicled his experience in AIDS activism. In 2011, the play finally went up on Broadway. It was later turned into an HBO movie.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Bayard Rustin<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"An unsung hero of the civil rights movement - Christina Greer\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NJcUnXTaCgU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Bayard Rustin was a gay adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. He organized the 1963 March on Washington. It was a benchmark of peaceful protesting. Bayard played a very important role due to his involvement to bring the AIDS crisis to the NAACP\u2019s attention in 1987. \u201cTwenty-five, 30 years ago, the barometer of human rights in the United States were Black people. That is no longer true,\u201d he\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grunge.com\/146493\/things-about-the-civil-rights-movement-your-history-teacher-got-wrong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">said<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in 1987. That was the year he died. \u201cThe barometer for judging the character of people in regard to human rights is now those who consider themselves gay, homosexual, lesbian.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rd.com\/list\/lgbtq-activists-who-changed-american-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">awarded<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as per\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Readers Digest<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. It is the highest civilian honor. In the same year, in an interview with<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/codeswitch\/2013\/08\/15\/212338844\/bayard-rustin-the-man-who-organized-the-march-on-washington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0NPR<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, National Black Justice Coalition activist Mandy Carter\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/codeswitch\/2013\/08\/15\/212338844\/bayard-rustin-the-man-who-organized-the-march-on-washington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">said<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0of Rustin: \u201cFor me and for a lot of us who are Black, and gay and lesbian, bi, trans, who see ourselves as social justice advocates as well, to have this person\u2014[he was]such an amazing role model.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>You May Also Like:<\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"post-title\"><a title=\"TF Impressions: As You Are, an Indian LGBTQ+ Social App\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/2022\/02\/18\/tf-impressions-as-you-are-an-indian-lgbtq-social-app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TF Impressions: As You Are, an Indian LGBTQ+ Social App<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5><a title=\"Gender Pronouns in a Non-Binary World\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/2020\/12\/03\/gender-pronouns-in-a-non-binary-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gender Pronouns in a Non-Binary World<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"post-title\"><a title=\"Underrated Tracks from LGBTQ+ artists in 2021\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/2021\/12\/13\/underrated-tracks-from-lgbtq-artists-in-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Underrated Tracks from LGBTQ+ artists in 2021<\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is officially Pride Month! We are ready to hoist all our Pride flags, but we wouldn\u2019t be here without the efforts of LGBTQ+ activists and countless others who are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Activism isn\u2019t limited to marching in the streets. It also includes speaking on behalf of marginalized people, raising awareness,<\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/2022\/06\/02\/lgbtq-advocates-you-should-know-of\/\" title=\"Read More\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":184965154,"featured_media":19621,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4295],"tags":[1856],"coauthors":[5154],"class_list":["post-19574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-culture","tag-lgbtq"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/184965154"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19574"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19574\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19574"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ticketfairy.com\/word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=19574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}