Prominent gay people
Celebrating LGBTQ Celebrities This Pride Month and Beyond 🏳🌈
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True story: I recently saw an elderly dude with his puppy at my local shop. I cherish dogs, so obviously I went to tell him (the dog) he was the goodest boi. I ended up talking with this man for a little bit about random things, and to cut a long story brief, someone else was talking about a man wearing a skirt (or something to that effect). This elderly guy then said something like, ‘Oh, he must’ve been gay’ and ‘gay … this sickness’. This conversation happened in German, and I’m not fluent in the language, but I’m 99.9% sure he was spewing some severe homophobia. Now I could write this off as a ‘well, he is vintage and belongs to an entirely alternative generation’, but the fact remains that homophobia and comments like these never have been and never will be OK, ever. I ashamedly left the conversation right after that because there was a distraction, and honestly, as an LGBTQ+ ally, I know I should’ve said something. But to build a lame forgive, I don’t faith my German enough to have had a conversation about this with him.
There are countless humans braver than I who have spoken up in the face
June is Pride Month, which commemorates the Stonewall riots of 1969, when patrons of a same-sex attracted bar, The Stonewall Inn, in Novel York City fought back against a police raid. It was an inflection point in the gay liberation movement. To celebrate Celebration Month, I wanted to share a bit about Gay scientists of the past.
I often touch uncomfortable with these lists, especially when sexual orientation and/or gender identity is speculative. Many Queer people in history couldn't come out publicly (and the truth is that many today still can't), and it feels a tiny intrusive to guess based on a letter or some ambiguous anecdote. But I also know that the good that comes from the visibility of those historical figures is significant. It's key to learn about the contributions Queer people have lengthy been making. So I've included in this list people who were universal about their individuality and/or orientation as well as people who are mind to have been LGBTQ+.
This list is more on the historical side and includes mostly (though not entirely) people who are no longer working scientists. If you are more interested in learning about current LGBTQ+ scientists, grab a loo
Historical Figures of LGBTQ+ History
1936-1996
Barbara Jordan was born on February 21, 1936, in Houston, Texas. After attending Phyllis WheatleyHigh School, Jordan graduated in 1952. Upon graduation, Jordan attended Texas Southern University and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1956.She then obtained her law degree from Boston University to practice law in Houston, TX. In 1962, Jordan began her political career and ran for the Texas House of Representatives. She lost this election and ran again in 1964. However, she lost again, so in 1966 she decided to run for Texas Senate, instead. This time, Jordan won and became the first African American woman to be elected in that office.She was the first African American state senator in the U.S. since 1883. On March 28, 1972, she was elected President of the Texas Senate, making her the first Black woman in America to oversee a legislative body. She also ran for Congress, during this
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Born 1800–1900
Part 3:
Born since 1900
Niankhkhnum & Khnumhotep
Sappho
Socrates
David & Jonathan
Harmodius & Aristogiton
Plato
Alexander
Virgil
Hadrian
St Anselm
Abu Nuwas & friend
St Aelred
Donatello's David
Ficino
- Hafiz (Mohammad Shams Od-Din Hafiz) (c.1319-c.1389) Persian poet
- Dubbed Sugar-Lips for his sensuous lyrics, many in praise of coarse trade. Regarded as a Sufi mystic, but preferred taverns to mosques. His tomb in Shiraz (southern Iran) is a place of pilgrimage.
- Donatello (c.1386-1466) Italian sculptor
- Founder of modern sculpture (i.e. in the round), reviver of classical antiquity as in his expressive and homoerotic bronze statue of David (a key marker of the birth of the Renaissance) and marble St George.
- Mehmet II, the Conqueror (c.1430-1481) Sultan of Turkey
- Captured Constantinople in 1453 (renamed Istanbul), beaten the Byzantime Empire and founded the Ottoman Empire (incl. Greece, Serbia, Albania). Captured Christian youths were placed in his harem. Patron of learning.
- Marsilio Fici