Pride activists

6 LGBTQ+ activists you should know about this Celebration month

All people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, should have matching rights and be competent to live free from harm, coercion, or discrimination.

To celebrate Pride Month, we&#;re highlighting some incredible activists past and present operational for LGBTQ+ rights.

1. Beverly Palesa Ditsie

South African queer woman activist Beverly Palesa Ditsie, spoke about the importance of LGBT rights in the context of human rights at the 4th UN World Conference on Women in Beijing in Not only was she was the first openly lesbian woman to handle the UN, but it was also the first time that the Together Nations was openly addressed about LGBT issues.

“If the world conference on women is to address the concerns of all women, it must similarly notice that discrimination based on sexual orientation is a violation of basic human rights.”


2. Érika Montecinos

Chilean queer woman activist Érika Montecinos is the founder of Agrupación LésBIca Rompiendo el Silencio (Breaking the Silence Female homosexual Association), which advocates for the rig

By Charlotte Stasio

There is a great deal of intersectionality between being LGBTQIA+ and disabled, with experiences like hiding an important part of your identity for your safety, discrimination, and social isolation often shared across these identities. In addition, cultural, institutional, and systemic factors make it more likely for LGBTQIA+ folks to own a disability. LGBTQIA+ disabled activists and advocates are shedding light on this intersectionality and using their platforms to provide a forum for others to fight for liberation. Here are 12 LGBTQIA+ disabled activists and advocates that you need to know.

Aaron Rose Philip (she/her)

You may own seen Aaron Rose Philip on the WID blog before, but we would be remiss if we did not include her on this list! She is a pleased queer trans female born with cerebral palsy who uses a motorized wheelchair for mobility. Aaron is a fashion icon and highly successful model &#; featured both by couture designers and major clothing brands. She uses her social media channels to share her edgy sense of style and LGBTQIA+ activism with

15 LGBTQ Activists of the Past and Present You Should Know

It’s LGBTQ Pride Month — a hour to celebrate love, but also to champion equality and LGBTQ rights.

Throughout June, cities around the world have been hosting marches in honor of LGBTQ celebration. In many countries today, people are free to join these marches, marry whomever they elect , and openly show their admire . But that’s still not the case for LGBTQ communities in every country, and even in countries where it is protected to march, there is still a long way to travel before true equality is achieved.

Without these incredible activists, the LGBTQ rights movement would not be where it is today. 

In honor of Pride Month, Global Citizen is celebrating the brave activists fighting for LGBTQ rights in places where it can be dangerous to do so, and the inspiring champions for adjust, without whom there might never have been a Pride Month. 

While certainly not an exhaustive list by any means, these are 15 LGBTQ activists you should know.


1. Marsha P. Johnson

Image: Courtesy of Netflix

Marsha P. Johnson is sometime

LGBTQ+ Women Who Made History

In May , the city of Recent York announced plans to honor LGBTQ+ activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera with a statue. The city of Fresh York claimed the monument will be the "first permanent, public artwork identifying transgender women in the world." Johnson and Rivera were prominent figures in uprisings against police raids at the gay lock Stonewall Inn. Their protests increased visibility for the cause of LGBTQ+ acceptance. 

In celebration of Pride Month, we honor LGBTQ+ women who have made striking contributions to the nation and helped advance equality in fields as diverse as medicine and the dramatic arts. Here are a few of their stories, represented by objects in the Smithsonian's collections. 

1. Josephine Baker 

Entertainer and activist Josephine Baker performed in vaudeville showcases and in Broadway musicals, including Shuffle Along. In , she moved to Paris to perform in a revue. When the show closed, Baker was given her own exhibit and found stardom. She became the first African America