GBLT History Month

GBLT History Month,


1 James Baldwin -James Baldwin was an African-American writer whose novels and essays captured the conflicted spirit of late 20th century America.

2 Mychal Judge-Father Mychal Judge was a Franciscan priest and Fire Department of New York chaplain who died heroically on September 11, 2001. He has been called "the Saint of 9/11."

3 Ellen DeGeneres-Popular comedian Ellen DeGeneres was the first openly gay actor to portray a gay character on a leading primetime television program.

4 Sylvia Rivera-Civil rights pioneer Sylvia Rivera was one of the instigators of the Stonewall uprising, an event that helped launch the modern gay rights movement.

5 Volker Beck-Volker Beck is one of Europe's leading advocates of GLBT rights. A member of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, Beck is the father of the German Registered Partnership Act.

6 Keith Haring Keith Haring was one of the most influential visual artists of the late 20th century. His bold, cartoon-like images are indelible icons of American art and popular culture.

7 Leonard Matlovich
Sgt. Leonard Matlovich was the first person to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians in the U.S. military.

8 Barbara Jordan-Representative Barbara Jordan (D-Texas) was the first African-American woman elected to Congress from a southern state. She was known as an outstanding orator and Constitutional scholar.

9 John Boswell-John Boswell was an esteemed historian who argued that homosexuality has always existed, that it has at times enjoyed wide social acceptance, and that the Church historically allowed same-sex unions.

10 Harvey Milk-Harvey Milk became the first openly gay person to be elected to a significant public office when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He served eleven months before he was assassinated.

11 Lupe Valdez-Lupe Valdez is the first woman, the first ethnic minority person, and the first lesbian to be elected Sheriff of Dallas County, Texas.

12 David Geffen-David Geffen is a legendary music, theater, and film mogul. He supports philanthropic causes through the David Geffen Foundation.

13 Barney Frank-Congressman Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) is the highest-ranking and longest-serving openly gay politician in the United States.

14 Barbara Gittings-Barbara Gittings is a Gay Pioneer who participated in the first organized annual gay civil rights demonstrations, helped convince the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, and helped persuade libraries to include gay content.

15 Phill Wilson-Phill Wilson founded the Black AIDS Institute. He is one of the most articulate spokespersons addressing HIV and AIDS issues in the African-American community.

16 Oscar Wilde-Oscar Wilde is one of the greatest playwrights in the English-speaking world.

17 Tim Gill-Tim Gill founded the highly successful computer company Quark, Inc. and created the Gill Foundation, one of the first major foundations to benefit the GLBT community.

18 Martina Navratilova-Martina Navratilova has won 168 singles tennis titles, more than any other tennis player in history, male or female. She has won 58 Grand Slam tournaments, including a record nine Wimbledon singles titles.

19 Bayard Rustin-Bayard Rustin was the chief organizer for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of the 1963 civil rights march on Washington. Rustin’s expertise in nonviolent direct action assisted King in shaping the African-American Civil Rights movement.

20 Jim Kolbe-Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona) has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1985 and is the second openly gay Republican member of the House.

21 Adrienne Rich-Adrienne Rich is one of the leading American poets. Her ability to combine poetry with politics has made her a model for poets and activists.

22 Ian McKellen-Ian McKellen is one of the world's most highly-regarded actors. Since the late 1980's, he has been an activist for gay rights.

23 Lowell Selvin-Lowell Selvin created PlanetOut Inc., the leading global media and entertainment company serving the GLBT community.

24 Andrew Sullivan-Andrew Sullivan is an author and journalist who regularly appears on national television and whose commentary is featured in major national publications. He is a leading advocate of same-sex marriage.

25 Larry Kramer-Larry Kramer is an award-winning playwright, commentator and pioneering AIDS activist.

26 Sheryl Swoopes-Sheryl Swoopes is a professional basketball player with the Houston Comets in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is called "the female Michael Jordan."

27 Alan Turing-Alan Turing led the British codebreaking team that broke the German Enigma Code, thereby shortening World War II, saving many lives, and helping the Allies to win the war. Turing is considered the father of computer science.

28 Walt Whitman-Walt Whitman is considered by many to be America's greatest poet. He liberated poetry from the constrictions of European models and created a genuinely American style of verse.

29 Jean-Michel Basquiat-Jean-Michel Basquiat was a graffiti artist whose painting became a major force in revitalizing American art in the late 20th century.

30 Elton John-Elton John has sold more than 250 million records in a career that spans more than three decades. He has been honored with a knighthood for his work on behalf of AIDS research and education.

31 Jim Hormel-Jim Hormel is a philanthropist and community leader who was the first openly gay United States Ambassador.