lgbtqrepresent

Joshua Whitehead

(January 5th, 1989 – ): #JoshuaWhitehead is an Oji-Cree member of the #PeguisFirstNation in Manitoba, who identifies as #TwoSpirit and is known for his writing. His debut collection of poetry, full metal indigiqueer, was nominated for a Lamba Literary Award for Transgender Poetry though he withdrew the work from nomination as this was a misrepresentationContinue reading “Joshua Whitehead”

Public Universal Friend

(November 29th, 1752 – July 1st, 1819): Too often people are told that Trans history is somehow a 20th-century phenomenon, when in fact there have been Trans people throughout the ages. Born Jemima Wilkinson, #PublicUniversalFriend was an American preacher born to Quaker parents in the Rhode Island colony. Suffering a severe illness (likely typhus) inContinue reading “Public Universal Friend”

Erik Schinegger

(June 19th, 1948 – ): #ErikSchinegger, born in Austria, was well-known in the 1960s as a ski champion, though as a woman – Erika Schinegger. Born #intersex, Schinegger was raised as a girl and competed in ski competitions for most of his life, winning the women’s downhill world championship title at 17 and being awardedContinue reading “Erik Schinegger”

Lily Gladstone

(August 2nd, 1986 – ): Of #PieganBlackfeet, #NezPerce, and European heritage, #LilyGladstone made waves and received multiple awards for her portrayal of #MollieKyle in #KillersOfTheFlowerMoon, becoming the first Indigenous woman to be nominated for and win an acting Golden Globe as well as the fourth Indigenous woman to be nominated for the Academy Award forContinue reading “Lily Gladstone”

Rebecca Primus

(July 10th, 1836 – February 21st, 1932) A free African-American woman who lived through the #AmericanCivilWar, #RebeccaPrimus fought both racism and sexism in the years of #Reconstruction. Following the Civil War, Primus dedicated her life to the #FreedmansBureau, helping to educate newly freed people who had been enslaved during and before the war. Working inContinue reading “Rebecca Primus”

Jinkx Monsoon

(September 18th, 1987 – ): Born in #Portland, Oregon, #JinkxMonsoon came into the national spotlight (and into my heart, personally) during Season 5 of #RuPaulsDragRace on a memorable episode portraying #LittleEdieBeale in #SnatchGame. Her natural comedic timing, penchant for referential humor (her last name is a nod to #AbFab), and phenomenal singing voice brought herContinue reading “Jinkx Monsoon”

Stonewall Uprising

#StonewallUprising (June 28, 1969 – July 3, 1969): Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, gay bars were consistently busted by police. It was illegal in many place for gay bars to exist, and when the police would raid a bar the lives of #LGBTQ people were put on the line. Oftentimes their names would be publishedContinue reading “Stonewall Uprising”

Compton’s Cafeteria Riot

#ComptonsCafeteriaRiots (August 1966): In #SanFrancisco, #GeneComptonsCafeteria was an all-hours restaurant where #transgender people in the 1950s and 1960s would meet and congregate because they were unwelcome in gay bars owing to transphobia. Many times, in an effort to deter trans patrons, the owners would call the police and have trans patrons arrested for “female impersonation,”Continue reading “Compton’s Cafeteria Riot”

Cooper’s Donuts Riot

#CoopersDonutsRiots (May 1959): In the late 1950s, #CoopersDonuts was a 24-hour cafe that catered mainly to LGBTQ clientele in #LosAngeles. Frequently, #LGBTQ people were harassed by police in the cafe, and #TransWomen and #DragQueens were specifically targeted for breaking a law at the time that stated that a person could be arrested if their genderContinue reading “Cooper’s Donuts Riot”

Larry Kramer

#LarryKramer (June 25, 1935 – May 27, 2020): The #LGBTQIA community owes a lot to its heroes, and gay men specifically have Kramer to thank for much of the activism of the past 40 years. First and foremost, he was a writer before he became a well-known activist, something that drew him criticism with someContinue reading “Larry Kramer”