The recognition of LGBTQ+ figures shouldn’t only be reserved for Pride Month. So, here are five people whose influential actions should be celebrated all year round.
Marsha P Johnson 1945-1992
Marsha was a black trans woman, considered ‘A mother figure to the drag queens, trans women and homeless youth of Christopher Street, New York.’ She founded S.T.A.R (Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries) and was a central figure of the gay liberation movement in 1970s America. Although she was often homeless, she was still able to be a major part of the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. A flamboyant activist, the ‘P’ in her name stood for ‘Pay it no mind!’, a response she’d give when others questioned her gender.
Her death, originally classified as a suicide, is believed by many to be transphobically motivated. Although the case was reopened, the result was merely a change to ‘undetermined’. What really happened to such an influential LGBTQ+ figure is still a mystery.
Karl Heinrich Ulrich 1825-1895
Regarded as ‘the pioneer of the modern gay movement’, Ulrich is widely known to be the first person to ‘come out’. He believed that sexual orientation was innate, and that same-sex love was both biological and natural. He was forced to resign from his civil servant position when a colleague discovered he was gay.
However, he didn’t let this stop him from expressing himself. Even before the term ‘homosexuality’ had been invented, Ulrich authored essays about sexuality. Though these were originally published under a pseudonym, he published his last volume under his own name, finally taking credit for his influential work.
In 1857, Ulrich bravely went to Munich and stood up before the Congress of Jurists to demand equal rights for all sexualities. Unfortunately, this didn’t go well. He was ridiculed in the newspapers, his essays were banned and he left Germany, living in Italy for the rest of his life.
Nowadays, there is an annual celebration of his work for the LGBTQ+ community in Munich, where street parties are held on the anniversary of his birthday.
Virginia Woolf 1882-1941
The iconic writer of Mrs Dalloway and A Room of One’s Own was openly bisexual. Although married to Leonard Woolf, with whom she had a passionate love, she had many affairs.
Most famous is her affair with fellow writer Vita Sackville-West. Vita’s son described Woolf’s novel, Orlando – thought to be about his mother – as ‘the longest and most charming love letter in literature.’
Frida Kahlo 1907-1954
The Mexican artist used her talent to show unrepresented topics, such as beauty standards and female sexuality. Married to a man, she was known to have affairs with both men and women, although this was said to be encouraged by her husband. Her piece ‘Self Portrait with Cropped Hair’, featuring Kahlo in a suit with a short haircut, displayed her desire to sometimes dress androgynously.
Kahlo was open about her bisexuality when it was still taboo, using her influential work to show her beliefs.
Gilbert Baker 1951-2017
Not only was Baker an artist and gay rights activist, he also designed the rainbow flag back in 1978. Refusing to trademark his work, Baker wanted the flag to be for everybody. Originally creating anti-war and pro-gay banners, friends suggested he create a new symbol for the LBGTQ+ community.
When speaking about the design, Gilbert said: ‘A Rainbow Flag was a conscious choice, natural and necessary. The rainbow came from earliest recorded history as a symbol of hope.’
In 2003, Baker broke a world record by creating a one-and-a-quarter mile-long rainbow flag for its 25th anniversary. The flag was then cut up and distributed to over one hundred cities worldwide. Then, in 2016, he attended a White House reception celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Here, he was presented with a hand-dyed rainbow flag by President Obama himself.
In 2017, Gilbert died peacefully sleeping at his home. To this day, the rainbow flag remains in the public domain.