Black History Month

Black History Month

This trans activist was there at the start of the modern LGBTQ movement

"I’m nothing special, I’m just one of the girls."

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This out bisexual singer reigned as Empress of the Blues in the 1920’s

She sold more than 2 million records in the first ten months after she was signed by Columbia Records and performed on Broadway - and then the Great Depression hit.

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Over the course of 101 years, the nation’s longest-lived lesbian was always out & proud

Ruth Ellis was an out lesbian activist and a living, breathing reservoir of African-American LGBTQ history.

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This gay sculptor focused on black male beauty during the Harlem Renaissance

Richard Barthé was one of America's best sculptors - and he didn't shy away from his sexuality.

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In 1992, this woman became the first trans person elected to a state legislature

When the local newspaper outed her as trans, it brought an abrupt end to her political career.

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School forced to shut down after inviting lesbian politician to speak for Black History Month

The school closed after several groups threatened to protest and administrators worried things could get ugly.

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Meet the filmmaker who brought gay black men to television & earned the wrath of the religious right

"I was caught between these two worlds where the whites hated me, and the blacks disparaged me."

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This black queer legal pioneer helped launch Ruth Bader Ginsburg onto the Supreme Court

Ginsburg named her as one of the co-authors in a career-defining legal brief, even though Pauli Murray had no hand in writing it.

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This transgender soul singer publicly transitioned in the 60s & ruled the charts while she did it

Before RuPaul, there was Jackie Shane. Almost 50 years after she retired and faded from public view, she may be about to add a Grammy to her accolades.

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How Jesse Jackson helped bring gay rights to the Democratic mainstream

In 1984, the Reverend Jesse Jackson brought gays and lesbians into the Democratic Party as part of the "Rainbow Coalition."

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