LGBTQIA+ Trailblazers
Pride Month is celebrated during the month of June, which began after the Stonewall riots in 1969. Today, celebrations include parades, picnics, parties, workshops, concerts and more. The LGBTQIA+ community is one of strength, resilience, and beauty. In honor of Pride month, TopLine would like to highlight just a few members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have not only made an impact on their community, but the world.
Alec Turing
Alec Mathison Turing was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalization of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine. He is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. During the Second World War, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Britain’s codebreaking center that produced Ultra intelligence. He led Hut 8, the section that was responsible for German Naval cryptanalysis. Turing played a crucial role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Axis powers in many crucial engagements, including the battle of the Atlantic.
Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha “pay it no mind” Johnson was an American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. Though some have mistakenly credited Johnson for starting the riots, Johnson was always forthcoming about having not been present when the riots began. Johnson was also a popular figure in New York City’s gay and art scene, modeling for Andy Warhol, and performing onstage with the drag performance troupe Hot Peaches. Johnson was known as the “Mayor of Christopher Street” due to be being a welcoming presence in the streets of Greenwich Village.
James Baldwin
James Baldwin was an essayist, novelist, playwright, poet, and social justice advocate. Baldwin is regarded as one of the foremost intellectual thinkers of the 20th century for voicing his concerns around identity, creativity, and freedom. As an openly gay man during a time when homosexuality was taboo, Baldwin explored the intersections of his identities through several published works. He published his first book, “Go Tell it on the Mountain” in 1953 and the following year he published his groundbreaking novel “Giovanni’s Room” which featured a gay man as its main character. Throughout the rest of his writing career, Baldwin continued writing books and essays with LGBTQ and African American characters.
Christine Jorgensen
Christine Jorgensen was an American trans woman who was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery. Jorgensen was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. After she served as a military clerical worker, Jorgensen attended several schools, worked, and pursued a photography career. During this time, she learned about sex reassignment surgery and traveled to Europe, where in Copenhagen, Denmark, she obtained special permission to undergo a series of operations beginning in 1952. Jorgensen was publicly outed when her letter to her parents in New York leaked to the press. After her surgeries, Jorgensen originally stated she wanted a quiet life, however, upon returning to the United States, she could only earn a living by making public appearances. Although being incorrectly considered the recipient of the first “sex change” and unwillingly thrusted into the spotlight, Jorgensen became “a model for other trans persons for decades”.
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King, one of the most famous names in professional tennis, earned 39 Grand Slam titles from 1966-1975 and also famously beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” match. In 1981, King was outed as a lesbian, and was told to deny the claim by her publicists. Instead, she confirmed she was a lesbian and became the first openly gay athlete. Since then, King has gone on to advocate for gender equality in the sports world, raise large sums to fight AIDS, contribute funds to combat homophobia in schools, and supports efforts to stem gay and lesbian teenage suicide rates.
Michael Sam
Michael Sam came out as gay in an interview with ESPN in 2014, and after was drafted by the St. Louis Rams, becoming the first openly gay man to ever be drafted into the NFL. Sam’s ESPN interview was groundbreaking because it would be the first time ever a player who is attempting to enter the NFL would challenge the traditional heterosexual culture of American Football. “I am not afraid to tell the world who I am. I’m Michael Sam: I’m a college graduate. I’m African-American, and I am gay. I’m comfortable in my own skin.” Sam has since retired from football, and in 2016 he spoke with LGBTQ advocacy groups at the Missouri State Capitol against a bill that would enable discrimination against LGBTQ people and personally lobbied state legislators.
Lena Waithe
In 2017, Lena Waithe became the first black woman to win an Emmy Award for comedy writing. Waithe also received the Trailblazer award at the 2018 MTV Awards. While being awarded the trailblazer award, Waithe took the moment to dedicate her award to queer trailblazers before her, highlighting individuals featured in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning. “Watch it and find out where you got your culture from,” Waithe said, noting that although many of the people featured in the film have since passed away, their legacies would live on. “They strutted through a brick wall so we wouldn’t have to.” Waithe also lent her voice to the Pixar animated film Onward, portraying the cyclops police officer Specter, the first queer animated character in Disney history.
Rupaul
Rupaul Andre Charles is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model. Rupaul is widely credited for bringing the art of drag to the mainstream and has been dubbed the “Queen of Drag”. His talk show The Rupaul Show was the first-ever national talk show to have a drag queen as host. Rupaul’s Drag Race pioneered queer representation on television, with many believing Rupaul to have essentially revolutionized the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community on screen. Additionally, Drag Race, has been nominated for thirty-nine Emmy Awards, and won twenty-four and has become a franchise, with multiple spin-offs and 15 international adaptations.
These individuals are just a few of the community who have helped pave the way to equality, and helped shape today’s laws, society, politics, and business.