THE HEROES OF PRIDE AND THE LGBTQ+ FOLKS WHO REPRESENT US

NIKITA ANDESTER·JUNE 4, 2024

11 MINS READ

Through millennia of forced silence, the LGBTQ community has persisted – and with more of us holding positions of power now than at any other time in history, our communal voice is louder than ever.

The history of pride is still in the making. Some people started it, for generations to come. These eight heroes are past and present who have laid the pavement that we now march forward on, together. Let’s thank them for that by reminding ourselves of everything they’ve done for us.

1. Marsha P. Johnson

There is no list of LGBTQ icons complete without Marsha “Pay it no Mind” Johnson. A cornerstone of our history, Johnson was one of the prime voices that spurred the Stonewall Uprising. When the police raided The Stonewall Inn in 1969, her queer community decided they’d had enough. It was time to fight back.

As a transgender woman of color, Johnson’s calling was to leave a road for young trans* people that was brighter than the one she’d walked. A living burst of color in motion, she wasn’t afraid to be a memorable presence, and often clashed with the cis gay men of New York in her quest to band the community together for the collective good.

She was no stranger to pushback, and the resistance of those men only pushed her further. Working with her close friend Sylvia Riviera, Johnson founded the first organization in the United States led by trans* women of color called Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. Dedicated to the young transgender community, their mission was to help people in their community find stable housing.

Arsham Parsi

In the 1990s, Arsham Parsi felt isolated as a gay Iranian teen. Discovering a secret online community ignited his passion, leading him to volunteer for underground queer groups and create 'Voice Celebration', a vital chat for Iranian queers.

When Parsi learned that the Iranian police were looking for him in 2005, he fled to Turkey and eventually found his way to Canada as a refugee. Still there today, Parsi is an exile for love – but he hasn’t let that get in the way of his goals.

Instead, he established the International Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR), a charity that works tirelessly to help asylum-seeking queer people find security, stability, and a place to thrive as themselves.

Edith Windsor, the matriarch of the Gay Rights Movement, never thought to be in the spotlight. She spent decades shying away from it. Born in the U.S. in 1929, she didn’t have the luxury to be out without risking her career and her safety. But when she met Thea Spyer, Windsor knew she’d be worth any risk.

For forty years, Windsor and Spyer were inseparable, but when Spyer got ill, Windsor couldn’t visit her in the hospital, since the U.S. failed to recognize their love. When told Spyer had one year left, they flew to Canada and got married.

Spyer passed, and Windsor owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. Had they been a straight couple, she would have owed nothing. Since the U.S. didn’t recognize same-sex marriage, she didn’t stand a chance at seeing that money again – until she fought the law.

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) blocked her from being recognized as Spyer’s spouse, but Windsor wasn’t prepared to let it rest. In 2013, Windsor v. The United States hit the Supreme Court, and the results changed the way the U.S. viewed marriage.

Through the persistence of her love, Windsor’s case tore DOMA down. In their landmark decision, Windsor was declared Spyer’s widow.

Michael Sam wanted to be a football player. He got a full ride to the University of Missouri and ended with several accolades, including SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

Sam's name was on everyone’s lips. He did something no other NFL player had done before: Sam came out. He was determined to be true to himself. When he got drafted by the Rams, he was elated.

The kiss that Sam shared with his boyfriend on air after getting drafted was all over the place. He wasn’t treated with respect. In 2015, he permanently retired from football.

Sam is a motivational speaker who uses his platform to share his experience coming out and inspire his listeners to be their most authentic selves. The world rushed to greet him with open arms.

5. Alice Nkom

In Cameroon, you can’t talk about LGBTQ rights without talking about Alice Nkom. A forerunner of the LGBTQ movement, Nkom is the face of the fight for equality in Cameroon. She started making waves young, when she became the country’s first female lawyer at the age of twenty-four.

When she got the credentials, Nkom immediately set to work protecting the Cameroonian queer community. Being gay is a crime there, one that can land you up to five years in prison. As a defense attorney for LGBTQ clients, she has made it her life’s work chipping away at those laws. Her most famous case was Jean-Claude Roger Mdebe, a man sentenced to three years in prison for the crime of his identity, and whose case was protested by international human rights organizations around the world.

Her work is a constant battle peppered with arrest threats and opposition from top to bottom, but Nkom keeps plowing ahead. In 2003, she founded a non-profit called the Association for the Defense of Homosexuals (ADEFHO) to bring peace and light to the LGBTQ community of Cameroon. Through connections with various human rights groups, the non-profit uses their voice to call for action following crimes against the LGBTQ community.

When asked why she works as hard as she does for her clients, her answer was simple. “I must help them live… I must give them the strength to say, ‘Yes, I am this way….’ I want to help people understand that being gay is OK.”

One case at a time, Alice Nkom is doing just that.

6. Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk lived privately for years, but as he fell in love with the queer scenes of New York and San Francisco, Milk began to embrace himself. By his forties, Milk was a symbol of growth in the gay community.

Known for his persistence, Milk wanted to be part of local politics. Running for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1973 as an out, gay man wasn’t easy, and he lost the election.

Instead of getting discouraged, he worked to build queer visibility. He convinced unions to hire more gay employees and founded the Castro Village Association. And in 1977, he finally became a Supervisor.

Milk was assassinated eleven months after his election, cutting short his promise. Milk opened the channels for the queer politicians that are in the U.S. Congress today.

Harvey Milk

Lena Waithe, an LGBTQ icon, fearlessly occupies her space. Her work as a screenwriter and actor inspires millions through works like The Chi or Queen & Slim. She embraces her spotlight to push dialogue forward.

It’s through this belief in herself and the integrity of her actions that she climbed the steady path of her career. By 2014, Waithe had made it to Variety’s list of 10 Comedians to Watch. And by 2017, she had arrived. For her outstanding writing on Master of None’s episode “Thanksgiving,” Waithe became the first Black-American woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. When she received her award, she knew what it meant to queer people of color everywhere. “The things that make us different,” she said. “Those are our superpowers.”

If her continued journey in stardom is any indication, the more authentically we answer the call to be ourselves, the stronger that power becomes.

8. Alexya Salvador

A reverend, a teacher, and a beacon for social justice, Salvador is always on the go. Being trans* and living in Brazil, she says her body is inherently political.

You could say Salvador is a woman known for firsts. The first openly transgender pastor in Latin America, she later became the first trans* ordained reverend there as well.

When she was growing up, Salvador didn’t have role models who showed her everything she could become. Now, her life’s work is to change that for everyone who comes after her.

As a teacher, she is patient, knowing she’s not just teaching grammar; she’s teaching diversity. Salvador’s kindness and persistence have formed every step of her still-evolving journey.

In the wake of so much uncertainty, it’s easy to feel small, to feel invisible. That is why, this Pride, we should honour those who came before us, and those who are fighting for us.

MANY FEEDBACKS

Wonderful stories of the legends. Telling a great story that provides personality. Writing a story for potential clients will assist with making a relationship connection. This shows up in small quirks like word choices or phrases. Write from your point of view.

I’m a gay man of 52 years. Most of the older generations that “brought me out and up” are gone now. If you try to write with a wide audience in mind, your story will lack emotion. Write for one person. If it’s genuine for the one, it’s genuine for the rest.

Wonderful stories of the legends. Telling a great story that provides personality. Writing a story for potential clients will assist with making a relationship connection. This shows up in small quirks like word choices or phrases. Write from your point of view.

I’m a gay man of 52 years. Most of the older generations that “brought me out and up” are gone now. If you try to write with a wide audience in mind, your story will lack emotion. Write for one person. If it’s genuine for the one, it’s genuine for the rest.

Their names are not as well known but they are stars in my eyes just as these eight individuals are. The best stories make us feel something—whether it’s joy, sadness, excitement, or even a sense of nostalgia. Aim to connect with the heart. The emotional connection will make your story resonate.

They suffered and endured so that I might be okay with me. The most memorable stories often come from a place of honesty. Don’t shy away from sharing imperfections or challenges. Vulnerability in storytelling invites empathy, and empathy creates trust.

I guess you could say they are all “queer veterans”. While it's tempting to over-explain, sometimes less is more. Every word, should serve a purpose. A succinct story with just the right details is often more memorable than one that drags on.

Be gay or what have you but leave a positive footprint wherever you journey for the ones who follow. In storytelling, focus on the process, the challenges, and the growth. Readers want to understand how you got to where you are, not just where you ended up.