5 Queer Heroes You Should Know About No Matter How You Identify
There are so many ways I consider people heroes. I use the word so broadly sometimes I wonder if I bring embarrassment to its name altogether. I called a waiter a hero the other day when he refilled my water glass. (I was really thirsty.)
When I think of who my queer heroes are, I think of the people who fought for gay rights when it was not popular, who were out when they were the only one. They risked their careers, their families — their LIVES — to be seen, to make change, and to be comfortable in their own skin. There are many, many queer heroes from history, and these are just five.
Courtesy of Leslie Feinberg via The New York Times1/6Leslie Feinberg
[Leslie Feinberg] (http://www.transgenderwarrior.org/about.html)’s book [Stone Butch Blues] (http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Butch-Blues-Leslie-Feinberg/dp/1555838537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460760572&sr=8-1&keywords=stone+butch+blues) had a major impact on the queer literary world when it was published in 1993, and changed my life personally when I read it years later. Considered one of the best books on transgender identity, Stone Butch Blues was just one important piece of work from Feinberg’s incredible activist life.
A noted writer and speaker for LGBTQ rights, Feinberg also championed pro-union and anti-racist agendas, always providing a voice for the underdog, always fighting for those who could not speak for themselves. In addition to Stone Butch Blues, pick up Feinberg’s [Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to RuPaul] (http://www.amazon.com/Transgender-Warriors-Making-History-Hardcover/dp/B010EUXSA4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1460760618&sr=8-5&keywords=transgender+warriors+by+leslie+feinberg) for the history of transgender oppression and existence. Transgender folks are nothing new!
Getty Images2/6Gertrude Stein
[Gertrude Stein] (http://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-stein-9493261), along with her partner, Alice B. Toklas, was legendary in the 1920s and 1930s for her famous salons, held at their home in Paris. Hemingway, Picasso, Matisse, Fitzgerald… the list goes on and on about the many writers, artists, and creators that came through their living room. An art collector and writer herself, Stein had a keen eye for art and modern ideas, and mentored many great minds of that era. What I love about Gertrude Stein is the unabashed way she lived openly with Alice, and the people that would flock to their home. When I read about their relationship, it reminds me that almost anything presented with total confidence is something people will want to know more about.
Getty Images3/6Freddie Mercury
[Freddie Mercury] (http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/members/freddie-mercury/), lead singer of Queen, is a GOD. The way he pushed the boundaries of gender and sexuality would be considered monumental even today. Though he was a very private person, it was [widely known] (http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Freddie_Mercury_-11-25-1991-The_Star-_AIDS_Kills_The_King_of_Rock) that he was bisexual, and onstage he was a flamboyant extrovert. His premature death, though devastating, led to more public acknowledgment of the brutal AIDS epidemic, and the remaining members of Queen founded a [trust] (http://www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com/site/aboutus) in his name, with a huge tribute concert to raise awareness and funds for AIDS research. Now, 25 years later, being HIV-positive is no longer a death sentence.
YouTube4/6Marsha P Johnson
[Marsha P. Johnson] (http://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/tgi-bios/marsha-p-johnson) was an transgender activist and entertainer widely known in New York City’s art and drag scenes from the 1960s until her mysterious death in the '90s. A black drag queen who lived mostly as a woman, Marsha was one of the first to fight back against police in the 1969 Stonewall Riots, widely considered the turning point of gay rights and recognition in America. In the '70s, Marsha co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), and served as “mother” to many young drag queens, homeless youth, and queer people in need.
Then, in the 1980s, she was a major organizer for [Act Up] (http://www.actupny.org/) in the fight against AIDS. Marsha’s activism and bold personality made an enormous impact on the world that transgender and queer youth live in today. This bright light brought about major change for our community, and we are lucky to have had her. If you want to know more, check out this documentary made about her [here.] (http://www.colorlines.com/articles/learn-about-life-trans-activist-and-actress-marsha-p-johnson)
Getty Images5/6Kate Bornstein
[Kate Bornstein] (http://katebornstein.com/) is a writer, performer, lecturer, and general binary-smashing badass — is also known affectionately as Auntie Kate in our queer circles, and it is well deserved. Kate, who uses the gender neutral pronouns ze/hir, takes a hammer to the gender binary whenever ze can, and does it with passion and incredible humor. Auntie Kate wrote [Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws] (http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Cruel-World-Alternatives-Suicide/dp/1583227202), which offers radical, irreverent, funny, and/or self-soothing tips for staying alive with only one rule: “Don’t be mean.” A few years back, I was lucky enough to listen to Kate give a talk about this book, and it was profoundly moving, funny, and emotional. If you or someone you know struggles with being “other,” I encourage you to [get acquainted with Auntie Kate] (https://twitter.com/katebornstein), who will happily welcome you into hir gang of outlaws.
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