LGBTQ + individuals have made lasting contributions to many areas of society, including politics, the arts and computer science. However, the stories of many of these individuals and their accomplishments often remain untold.
In this post, we highlight the legacy of some inspiring workers, artists, mathematicians and writers who made a lasting impact on the world. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, feel free to use it as a starting point to create more inclusive text.
7 LGBTQ + people who have had a lasting effect
Here are some notable LGBTQ + statistics from the past and present that you and your students may not be familiar with.
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist best known for her creative self-portraits Two Fridas And Self portrait with cut hair. He has been revered for drawing in vibrant colors with the influence of Indigenous Mexican culture and for exploring aspects of identity, race, class and colonialism in his work.
Baird Rustin (1912-1987)
Rustin was a LGBTQ + and civil rights activist best known as a key adviser to the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. He hosted the March 1963 in Washington and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal for his activism in 2013, making him the country’s highest civilian citizen. Respect.
Alan Turing (1912-1954)
Alan Turing was a British mathematician, logician and cryptographer who made major contributions to mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence and biology. He is best known for breaking the code of the Nazi enigma machine used by the German government to send military messages during World War II, presumably an integral ciphering machine. This ultimately enabled the Allies to defeat Adolf Hitler in World War II.
Audrey Lord (1934-1992)
Audrey Lord was an American writer, feminist, and activist whose writings shed light on the multifaceted nature of identity. Among his notable works is his collection of poems From a land where other people live And Black unicornAnd his memoirs about his struggle with cancer, Cancer Journal And Explosion of light.
Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)
Marsha P. Johnson was a black transgender woman and activist who spent most of her life fighting for equality. He was a key figure in the LGBTQ + rights movement in the United States and was accused of leading the 1969 Stonewall protests. Along with colleague Sylvia Rivera, she founded STAR, an organization that supports homeless transgender youth.
Ifti Nasim (1946-2011)
Ifti Nasim was a Pakistani poet who migrated to the United States to avoid persecution for his identity. His collection of poems, Norman, Is considered to be the first LGBTQ + poetry book written in Urdu. He also co-founded SANGAT, an organization that supports the South Asian LGBTQ + community.
Tammy Baldwin (born 1962)
Tammy Baldwin achieved her place in history in 1998 when she became the first woman to represent Wisconsin in Congress and the first lesbian to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2012, he made history again with his election to the Senate. Throughout her political career, she was an advocate for anti-discrimination and women’s rights.
For more ideas on how to create classrooms that include LGBTQ +, see: