AJ Adams, president of Stratford-Perth Pride says that many of the most important moments and developments in queer history is thanks to Black individuals – prominent Black queer women and femme people.
Throughout February, the organization is sharing a daily story through their social media channels.
The goal they say is to increase awareness of queer Black names and their stories.
Some of the people and stories that will be shared in February for Black History Month include:
- Marsha P. Johnson, a queer rights activist and one of the most prominent figures in the Stonewall Uprising and queer liberation movement.
- Luck Hicks Anderson, a Black trans pioneer and the first person to defend their trans identity in court.
- Gladys Bentley, a blues performer during the Harlem Renaissance who was famous for being a Black, lesbian cross-dresser.
- Baynard Rustin, a gay man who was an advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. and the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.
- Angela James, “the Wayne Gretzky of women’s hockey” and first woman and first gay player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
For more details you can visit the Stratford-Perth Pride Facebook page.