Black history and LGBTQ+ history are deeply intertwined. The fight for racial justice and the fight for queer liberation have always moved together — shaped by Black LGBTQ+ leaders whose courage, strategy, and creativity transformed movements.
During Black History Month — and every month — it’s essential to recognize the Black queer and trans trailblazers who helped build the foundations of Pride, civil rights, and modern LGBTQ+ advocacy.
These leaders were not working on the sidelines of history. They were organizing marches, writing revolutionary literature, challenging unjust laws, and creating space for future generations to live more openly. Their identities were never one-dimensional — and their impact wasn’t either.
Here are ten Black LGBTQ+ leaders and trailblazers whose work reshaped history.
1. Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was a civil rights strategist and key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. As an openly gay Black man, he helped shape the nonviolent protest strategies that defined the modern civil rights movement. Though often pushed into the background because of his sexuality, his strategic brilliance was foundational to racial justice progress in the United States.
2. Stormé DeLarverie
Stormé DeLarverie was a performer and activist often associated with the uprising at Stonewall. A butch lesbian and community protector, she dedicated her life to protecting LGBTQ+ people in New York City and advocating for safety and dignity within queer spaces.
3. Gladys Bentley
Gladys Bentley was a Harlem Renaissance performer who openly challenged gender norms in the 1920s and 1930s. Performing in tuxedos and incorporating queer themes into her music, she pushed against rigid expectations of gender and sexuality long before mainstream society was ready to acknowledge them.
4. James Baldwin
James Baldwin was an author, essayist, and social critic whose writing explored race, sexuality, and identity with unflinching honesty. His work connected the Black freedom struggle with the realities of queer identity, offering language and insight that still resonate today.
5. Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde was a poet, writer, and feminist whose work centered the experiences of Black lesbian women. She introduced generations to the importance of intersectionality, urging movements to confront racism, sexism, and homophobia together rather than separately.
6. Ernestine Eckstein
Ernestine Eckstein was an early civil rights and lesbian rights activist who helped bridge racial justice organizing with LGBTQ+ advocacy in the 1960s. She challenged both movements to become more inclusive and to recognize overlapping struggles.
7. Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan was a groundbreaking U.S. congresswoman and civil rights advocate. While not publicly out during her political career, she lived with her longtime partner and became an enduring symbol of integrity, leadership, and quiet resilience within both Black and LGBTQ+ history.
8. Phill Wilson
Phill Wilson is an HIV/AIDS activist and founder of the Black AIDS Institute. His advocacy addressed the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on Black communities and emphasized culturally competent healthcare and education.
9. Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson was a Black transgender activist and key figure in the early LGBTQ+ liberation movement. She co-founded organizations that supported homeless queer and trans youth and remains a powerful symbol of Pride rooted in resistance.
10. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy was a transgender activist and lifelong advocate for incarcerated trans people. Drawing from her own experiences with incarceration and homelessness, she dedicated her life to protecting and uplifting the most marginalized members of the trans community.
Why Recognizing Black LGBTQ+ History Matters
Recognizing Black LGBTQ+ leaders is not about revising history — it is about telling it truthfully. Many of the freedoms celebrated during Pride Month were shaped by Black queer and trans activists whose labor often went uncredited.
Honoring these trailblazers means understanding that liberation movements are interconnected. It means acknowledging that racism, homophobia, and transphobia cannot be addressed in isolation.
If you’re looking to learn more about Pride history and symbolism, explore our Complete Guide to LGBTQ+ Pride Flags or read about the difference between gender and sexuality to continue deepening your understanding.
Continuing the Legacy
The legacy of Black LGBTQ+ trailblazers lives on in every Pride march, every community center, and every person who chooses to live authentically.
Visibility matters. Education matters. Community matters.
At Pride Palace, our mission is to celebrate identity while supporting organizations that uplift LGBTQ+ communities year-round. If you’re looking for meaningful ways to show your pride, explore our Pride Flag collection and join us in honoring the leaders who made this movement possible.
Black history is LGBTQ+ history. And it always has been.
