LGBT History Month 2012

Don Lemon is a prime time national news anchor. He received an Edward R. Murrow award, one of the most prestigious honors for broadcast journalists.

Arthur Laurents was a Tony Award-winning playwright, director and screenwriter. He wrote the scripts for “West Side Story,” “Gypsy” and “La Cage Aux Folles.”

Christine Jorgensen was the first nationally known transgender American. She used her fame to speak out on behalf of transgender people.

Chris Hughes is an entrepreneur and a co-founder of Facebook. He is the publisher and editor in chief of The New Republic, a leading public policy magazine.

Mary Kay Henry is a labor union organizer and the first female president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

William “Billy” Haines was one of the most popular silent and talking film stars of the 1930’s. He left show business when he refused to deny his homosexuality.

Henry Gerber was among the earliest gay rights activists in America. He founded the nation’s first gay organization and gay publication.

Jean Paul Gaultier is a world-renowned French fashion designer best known for his avant-garde and haute couture designs. He redefined traditional Parisian elegance.

Jodie Foster is a celebrated actor, director and producer. She has received two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Marlene Dietrich was a movie star and cabaret singer who appeared in dozens of films during Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was one of the highest paid actresses of her time.

Ramon Cortines is a nationally respected educator. He served as the superintendent of the Los Angeles and New York City school districts.

Kate Clinton is a political humorist with a gay and lesbian perspective. She is an actor, commentator and advocate for social causes.

Chris Colfer is an actor, singer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing Kurt on “Glee.” He is one of the first openly gay teen actors to portray an out character on primetime television.

Truman Capote is a critically acclaimed author of contemporary American literature. He is best known for the novels “In Cold Blood” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

Paul Cadmus was one of the first openly gay artists. He is best known for his homoerotic paintings and drawings of nude male figures.

Glenn Burke was the first Major League Baseball player to come out to his teammates and managers during his career.

For more than two decades, Mary Bonauto has served as the civil rights project director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

Katharine Lee Bates was a songwriter, poet and educator. She is best known for writing “America the Beautiful.”

Ann Bannon is an author best known for her lesbian-themed fiction series, “The Beebo Brinker Chronicles.” The popularity of the novels earned her the title “The Queen of Lesbian Pulp Fiction.”

Gloria Anzaldua was a leading scholar of feminist, queer and Chicana theories. She was the first author to combine these subjects in poetry, narrative and autobiographical works. She helped build a multicultural feminist movement and called for people of different races to move forward together.