Pride: A Rainbow Filled History

This is the beginning of Pride which can be a wonderful celebration but also tends to be a time when LGBTQA+ history gets whitewashed. This month I am sharing info on a different LGBTQA+ POC each day on my facebook page. Do you know the name of the first openly gay Indian prince? or one of the first all-female rock bands to be signed to a major label? These and many others are included. Some will be very familiar and others you will never have heard of. You can use the below list as a launching off point for your own Pride Month celebration. **

** I compiled this list from many sources so some may be in new roles today

 
1. Marsha P. Johnson: One of the trans-women of color who helped start the Stonewall riots.
2. Sylvia Ray Rivera: A Latina American gay liberation and transgender rights activist.
3. Manvendra Singh Gohil: The first openly gay Indian prince.

4. Paula Gunn Allen: A poet, professor, literary critic, and activist of Laguna, Sioux, Scottish, and Lebanese descent.

5. Claire Kann*: Author of Let’s Talk About Love *I do not know what Claire Kann identifies as but her first books was amazing and featured an asexual woman of color so I am including her on this list

6. Bayard Rustin: Played a role in the Black Civil Rights movement as an advisor to Martin Luther King Jr

7. Frida Kahlo de Rivera: A Mexican artist who painted many portraits, self-portraits and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico.

8. Cecilia Chung: A trans-Chinese-woman nationally recognized as an advocate for human rights, social justice, health equity, and LGBTQ equality.

9. Max Wolf Valerio, a transgender male Blackfoot American Indian / Latino, who is a Sephardic Jewish poet and is also known for his careers in performing and writing.

10.  Lauren Jankowski: An indie aro-ace artist that is very vocal and supportive of the aro-ace community and its self-publishers

11. Frank Ocean: A song-writer and hip hop artist, who is noted as being one of the first big-named African American artists to declare same-gender love.

12. Amelio Robles was a transgender man of Afro-Mexican who fought in the Mexican revolution and was the first transgender person to be officially recognized by the Mexican government.

13. George Takei: An actor, comedian, personality, and activist.

14. Susan Allen: One of the first openly lesbian Native Americans to be elected to the state legislature

15. Marvia Malik: She became the first openly transgender newsreader to appear on Pakistani television when she made her debut in 2018.

16. Barbara Smith: A black feminist, lesbian, activist, author, publisher and elected official who has been working in feminist and anti-racism movements since the 1970s.

17. Ramon Novarro: Born in Mexico and is often considered to be one of the first Latino leading men in Hollywood.

18. Jenny Shimizu: A Japanese American supermodel and actress.

19. Felipe Rose: A musician, activist, and performer, most famous for being an original member of the Village People

20. Ricky Martin: Singer

21. Laverne Cox: An American actress and LGBTQ+ advocate.

22. John Rechy (born John Francisco Rechy Perez) is a Mexican-American author. In 1963, Rechy published City of Night– featuring a gay Mexican-American protagonist. Rechy gave isolated gay men living in small towns their first taste of the possibilities of community and sexual and personal freedom that existed in big cities and influenced later generations of queer writers. 

23. June Millington: A musician, most famous for her participation in the band, Fanny which was one of the first all-female rock bands to be signed to a major label.

24. Cheyenne Jackson: An openly gay actor and entertainer known for his performances on Broadway and on various television shows.

25. Tituss Burgess: Actor (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

26. Simone Bell:  Has served in the Georgia House of Representatives since 2009 and is the first openly lesbian African American to serve on a state legislature.

27. Holly Woodlawn was a transgender woman born in Puerto Rico. She was present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969- where she helped fight against the police.

28. Esera Tuaolo: An openly gay former professional football player.

29. Jack Jackson, Jr.: An attorney and registered Democrat serving in the Arizona Senate.

30. Robin Roberts: Newscaster