Black History Month x National Coming Out Day
11th October is National Coming Out Day. It was established in 1988 to acknowledge the bravery and impact of coming out to one’s closest friends and family. This act of courage has become more widely accepted thanks to the work of Black queer trailblazers pioneering the LGBTQ+ movement throughout history.
This year’s theme for Black History Month is Saluting Our Sisters. As such, we would like to take this moment to celebrate the path that has been carved out by these heroic women.
Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)
Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) was one of the most prominent figures during the Stonewall Uprising in New York City in 1969. Using she/her pronouns, Marsha described herself as a “gay person”, a “transvestite”, and a “drag queen”. The term “transgender” only became commonly used after her death. Today, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. Marsha tirelessly fought for LGBTQ+ rights through the disturbing time when homosexuality was branded a mental illness. Queer people were regularly threatened, beaten by police, and shunned by society. Dancing with someone of the same sex was illegal. Marsha was arrested over one hundred times for breaking discriminatory laws but showed an unwavering commitment to establishing gay rights. Her efforts conceived the first Gay Pride Parade in 1970. She also co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), an organisation supporting young trans people. Despite being denied recognition while she was alive, Marsha is now one of the most admired LGBTQ+ advocates of all time.
How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race?
Stormé DeLarverie (1920-2014)
Stormé DeLarverie (1920-2014) was a biracial, gender non-conforming lesbian who faced violence, discrimination, and oppression in her youth. She is best known for boldly fighting back against police harassment during the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. Her activism played a pivotal role in advancing LGBTQ+ rights. She is a symbol of courageous resistance and a key figure of the early movement.
Stormé also forged a path in gender non-conforming fashion for women decades before unisex clothing became acceptable. She often dressed and presented as a straight man – this was commonplace for butch lesbians in the 1950s and 60s.
It was a rebellion, it was an uprising, it was a civil rights disobedience – it wasn't no damn riot
Lady Phyll
Lady Phyll is an iconic LGBTQ+ activist of today. She focuses her advocacy work on increasing the visibility of Queer, Trans and Intersex People of Colour (QTIPOC) globally. She co-founded UK Black Pride, Europe’s largest celebration of LGBTQ+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent. She also became executive director of The Kaleidoscope Trust which is committed to upholding the human rights of LGBTQI+ people across the Commonwealth. Overall, she pioneered a world in which queer people are free, safe, and equal everywhere.
She has received notable recognition for her dedication including a Black LGBT Community Award, the European Diversity Awards’ Campaigner of the Year and a British LGBT Award.
We are here because so many people before us survived and this is such an immense concept. I’m a descendant of women who fought back, who loved and who spoke the truth
These individuals are just a mere few examples of the remarkable activism within the area of intersectionality between Black and LGBTQ+ History. Here at Imperial College London, we aim to foster an environment where undergraduate and postgraduate students alike are empowered to advocate for the change they would like to see for these marginalised communities.
If you are inspired by or have any further questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, please reach out to:
- Avi Kaura (she/her), ICU’s LGBTQ+ Officer on icu-lgbtq@imperial.ac.uk
- Nathalie Podder (she/her), ICU’s BME Officer, on icu-bme@imperial.ac.uk