Civil Rights Activists from the LGBTQ Community
Civil rights are the legal guarantees that every citizen has equal social opportunities and protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other distinguishing characteristic. Historically, these rights have included the right to vote, to use public facilities, to public education, to a fair trial, and more. Civil rights are considered a central tenet of democracy and are guaranteed by the state.
Many individuals are characterized as civil rights activists based on their activity to promote these ideals. Of course, all LGBTQ activists who advocate for equal rights under the law can be considered civil rights activists. Many are involved in broader activism on social issues that cover a wide variety of rights issues in addition to those related to an individual's sexual orientation.
There is a direct line between broad civil rights and LGBTQ rights. Many of the types of protest, strategies, and actions by individuals in each are similar and overlap, including sit-ins marches, boycotts, picketing, litigation, and more. Similarly, the individuals involved in each overlap and participate in each program.
We have identified several prominent Civil Rights activists from the LGBTQ Community.
Belgium
- Albert Russo, photographer and writer
Denmark
- Axel Axgil, activist
- Eigil Axgil, activist
India
- Abha Bhaiya, activist
Israel
- Nitzan Horowitz, Association for Civil Rights in Israel
- Dori Spivak, Association for Civil Rights in Israel
Russia
- Igor Kochetkov, activist
Uganda
- Adrian Jjuuko, lawyer and activist
- Kasha Nabagesera, activist
United States
- Calvin Anderson, politics
- James Baldwin, novelist and activist
- Leonard Bernstein, composer and conductor
- Dustin Lance Black, filmmaker
- Gabriel Blau, activist
- Kylar Broadus, Transgender Civil Rights Project
- Jonathan Capehart, journalist
- Wendy Curry, Bi-Net USA
- Storme DeLarverie, activist
- Ernestine Eckstein, activist
- Ruth Ellis, activist
- Joseph Grabarz, Connecticut Civil Liberties Union
- Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, activist
- Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and activist
- Maura Healey, Chief of the Civil Rights Division
- Aaron Henry, politician and activist
- Shin Inouye, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Rebecca Isaacs, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
- Kim Coco Iwamoto, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission
- Abilly S. Jones-Hennin, activist
- Barbara Jordan, activist
- Lana Lawless, transgender sports
- Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, National Black Justice Coalition
- Judith Ellen Levy, law and Chief of the Civil Rights Division
- Shannon Minter, lawyer
- Alice Dunbar Nelson, activist and poet
- Rodney Powell, activist
- Sue Rankin, academic and activist
- Eleanor Roosevelt, politics
- Bayard Rustin, activist
- Billy Strayhorn, musician
- Ty Turner, activist
- Helen Zia, journalist
See Also
- Stonewall Icons
- Intersex Activists
- Transgender Activists
- Bisexual Activists
- Global LGBTQ HIV/AIDS Activists
- Early European LGBTQ Activists
- Feminist Activists Who Identify as Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender
- Animal Rights Activism and the LGBTQ Community
- Peace Activists Who Identify as LGBTQ
- Prominent Members of ACT UP
- Race Activists in the LGBTQ Community