Topic

LGBTQ+ Pride Month

It’s Pride Month! The contributions of the LGBTQ/IA community have changed our world for the better in many ways. This month we’re honored to highlight their contributions and honor their work. May you enjoy health and safety if you head out into Pride celebrations.


Cleve Jones Activist Cleve Jones has made many contributions to the gay rights movement, including conceiving the idea for the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Javier Gomez Queer activist Javier Gomez organized his high school classmates to protest a piece of homophobic legislation in Florida.
Olivia Julianna Olivia Julianna is a political strategist with a youth-led nonprofit that uses social media to educate, agitate, and raise funds for progressive causes.
Audre Lorde Audre Lorde confronted injustice through her art and poetry, which tackled such subjects as racism, sexism, classism and homophobia. 
James Baldwin James Baldwin was a writer and social critic whose work explored intricate issues of race, sexuality, and identity in mid-20th century America.
Tom Ammiano Tom Ammiano is a politician, teacher, comedian, and esteemed figure in San Francisco's fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Harry Britt Harry Britt succeeded Harvey Milk on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where fought for the LGBTQ+ and progressive communities.
Howard Wallace Howard Wallace was an organizer and activist who helped unite the labor and gay rights movements.
Cheryl Summerville Cheryl Summerville is a gay rights activist who helped force a corporation to update its anti-discrimination policies.
Phill Wilson Phill Wilson is an activist who founded the nation's first organization dedicated to preventing the spread of AIDS and HIV in Black communities.
Morris Kight Activist and organizer Morris Kight was a founding father of the gay rights movement and a leader in Southern California’s gay rights movement.
Irene Soloway Irene Soloway was a lesbian carpenter who fought for women in the trades and worked to make unions more inclusive.
Ashton Mota Ashton Mota is a Latinx transgender activist navigating the intersections of multiple marginalized identities.
James Hormel Former U.S. Ambassador James Hormel dedicated his life to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and fighting HIV-related stigma.
Jennicet Gutiérrez Jennicet Gutiérrez is a transgender activist fighting for the rights of trans women in immigration detention centers.
Frank Kameny Frank Kameny was fired from his government job for being gay in 1957; he devoted the rest of his life fighting for gay rights.
Joni Christian Joni Christian is a transgender rights activist who won better working conditions for LGBTQ+ people -- with the help of her union.
Herb Donaldson Herb Donaldson pushed back on systemic homophobia in San Francisco and helped in usher in a new area of gay rights.
Kim Coco Iwamoto Kim Coco Iwamoto is a transgender politician and activist who fights for universal healthcare, affordable housing, and economic justice.
Bayard Rustin Bayard Rustin played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement who turned his activism toward fighting for LGBTQ rights later in his life.
Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Lyon and Martin helped form the nation’s first lesbian rights group; 50 years later they would be the first couple to be married in San Francisco.
Harvey Milk Harvey Milk was a politician and a seminal figure in the LGBTQ rights movement. His legacy continues to inspire a half-century after his assassination.