10/05/2026
We want to take a moment to honor the artistic contributions, scientific innovations, and civil rights accomplishments of some unsung icons to celebrate this LGBTQ History Month:
1. Marsha P. Johnson – Sometimes known as the “Saint of Christopher Street” Marsha was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of 60s and 70s New York City. She cofounded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) with Sylvia Rivera, following the Stonewall Riots.
2. Alan Turing – An English mathematician, Alan is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science. His contributions in cryptanalysis of the Enigma Code played a crucial role in the Allies defeat of the Axis powers in World War II.
3. Bayard Rustin – As a prominent leader in social movements, Rustin was the primary organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 alongside Martin Luther King Jr. His contributions spanned decades and numerous civil rights movements.
4. Sylvia Rivera – Leaving home at ten years old, Sylvia lived on the streets of New York City. Her experiences as a homeless youth, led to forming STAR with Marsha P. Johnson, which was dedicated to helping homeless young drag queens, gay youth, and trans women.
5. Audra Lorde – As a writer, professor, philosopher, intersectional feminist, and civil rights activist, Audra believed there could be “no hierarchy of oppressions” among “those who share the goals of liberation and a workable future for our children.” Her works continue to inspire social justice movements.
6. Barbara Gittings – Organizing the New York chapter of the first le***an civil and political rights organization, Daughter of Bilitis in 1958, she worked diligently to end the ban on employment of gay people in the US Government and to convince the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality as a mental illness.
