LGBT Personalities: Part 1
Frankie Knuckles
DJ, musical producer, remixer. Known as the "Father of House" Knuckles is credited with innovating this form of dance music while a DJ at The Warehouse in Chicago.
Knuckles also played stints at NYC's Better Days and Continental Baths. He has worked with artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Elton John.
David McAlmont (1967)
London, UK - singer/songwriter. First and foremost Out Black Gay personality in Britain, who has been out since his career began in 1990. Works include: two albums and several successful singles in the UK. He co-wrote the song Surrender sung by k.d. lang on the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies soundtrack and covered Diamonds are Forever from an earlier Bond film. He is a positive role model to young black gays and lesbians in Britain.
Michelle Cliff (1946)
Writer. Jamaican author of "Claiming an Identity They Taught Me to Despise" and co-author of "Sinister Wisdom."
Fashanu, Justin (1959-1998)
Footballer. Nigerian born British soccer player who came out in the London tabloid "The Sun." [The soccer star committed suicide in May of 1998.
Howard Rollins (1950-1996)
Actor. Rollins performed in the movies "Ragtime," 1981, and "A Soldier's Story," 1984. He starred in the TV series "In the Heat of the Night." He was nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, 1981, role of Coalhouse Walker, "Ragtime;" Emmy nomination, Best Supporting Actor, 1982, "Another World." Rollins died of complications from lymphoma. He was 46 years old.
Baynard Rustin (1912 - 1987)
Although Bayard Rustin was one of the most important leaders of the American civil rights movement from the advent of its modern period in the 1950s until well into the 1980s, his name was seldom mentioned; he received comparatively little press or media attention, and others' names were usually much more readily associated with the movement than his was. His was a behind-the-scenes role that, for all its importance, never garnered Rustin the public acclaim he deserved. Rustin's homosexuality and early communist affiliation probably meant that the importance of his contribution to the civil rights and peace movements would never be acknowledged. However, fairness demands that the extent of Rustin's work receive a fair public reception.
For more than 50 years, Bayard Rustin was a strategist and activist in the struggle for human rights and economic justice. Born in 1912, he grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where he excelled as a student, athlete and musician. While he never received his B.A., Rustin attended Wilberforce University, Cheyney State College, and the City College of New York. He earned money for tuition by working at odd jobs and singing with Josh White’s Carolinians.
As a gay man, relatively open for his time, Bayard Rustin experienced anti-gay prejudice in addition to racial discrimination. Because of his sexual orientation as well as his controversial political positions, he was often relegated to a behind-the-scenes role in various campaigns. Arrested in 1953 on a "morals charge," he lost his job at the FOR, but found work with another anti-war group, the War Resisters League.
In 1956, at Mr. Randolph’s request, he was granted temporary leave from his position to assist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the early days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. His extensive background in the theory, strategies, and tactics of nonviolent direction action proved invaluable to Dr. King. More on this link.
RuPaul Charles
Entertainer. RuPaul Andre' Charles, six-foot-five black blonde drag queen who rose to the top of the dance charts as the "Supermodel of the World."
Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
Singer. Smith is regarded by many as the greatest blues singer in history. Her first recording, "Down Home Blues" (1924), sold a surprising 780,000 disks in less than six months. She once held off a Ku Klux Klan gang single-handedly.
Jaye Davidson
Actor. British actor with lead role in the film, "The Crying Game." Also starred in the movie, "Stargate", as Ra. More here.
Angela Davis (1944)
Activist. Professor and activist Angela Davis made what many are interpreting as her coming out statement during her keynote address and press conference at the Sixth Annual BGLLF Conference (1993) in Long Beach, California.
Sylvester (1948-1988)
Entertainer. Sylvester James Hurd put his energy into his performances, not hiding his identity. His "Step II" LP went gold. He was at the height of his popularity during the disco era of the 1970s. He died of AIDS-related complications.
Alice Walker (1944)
Author. U.S. writer and feminist; born in Eatonton, Ga.; novel `The Color Purple' awarded Pulitzer prize and American Book Award 1983 (`Revolutionary Petunias', `Meridian', `You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down', `In Search of Our Mother's Gardens', `To Hell With Dying', `The Temple of My Familiar', `Possessing the Secret of Joy'). In the February 1996 issue of Essence Magazine Walker states, "I am bisexual. I just live my life. I don't think I have to phone in and tell everybody."
Sharon Davis (Transgendered author, activist)
Author of "A Finer Specimen of Womanhood" A transsexual speaks out, New York, Vantage, 1985. As an African American woman who was once an African American man, Ms. Davis offers an enlightened and very personal account of her transition. She has appeared on television and radio to speak on transsexual issues, and is presently president of an AIDS outreach program.
Ruth Ellis
Ellis was the oldest known out Lesbian. She was born July 23, 1899. She is active in LGBT and senior citizen's movements. Ellis has been in attendance at the annual NBLGLF conference. At age 97 she conducted an informal workshop at the National Women's Music Festival. Ellis was also a business woman and owned a printing company. She held social gatherings in her home at a time when there were few places for Black LGBT people to gather. It is hoped that film about her life will be completed by her 100th birthday. [BL] Ruth passed away on October 5, 2000.
See also 100 Years Young by Rhonda Smith, and RUTH ELLIS: 1899 - 2000 A CELEBRATION OF HER LIFE
Isaac Julien (1960)
Filmmaker. British film maker responsible for "Looking for Langston" and "Young Soul Rebels." [BLK, CQ]
Alvin Ailey (1931-1989)
Choreographer. Founder of the world renown Alvin Ailey dance troupe. Ailey combined African American movement with spirituals, jazz and contemporary music in a unique fashion.
Josephine Baker (1906-1975)
Entertainer. Chorus girl who rose to fame in the Follies Berger in Paris. Baker left home at age 13 to pursue a career in show business. Finding the United States difficult for black performers, she eventually settled in France. She and her husband had a large multiracial adopted family which she called her Rainbow Tribe. She was known to have had many same-sex affair.
James A. Baldwin (1924-1987)
Writer and civil rights activist. Baldwin was not afraid to speak out on issues of oppression. A prolific writer his works included: "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "Giovanni's Room", "Another Country", and "The Fire Next Time." An expatriate, Baldwin urged American society to discard its myths. He felt the most destructive myth was "white superiority."
Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965)
Writer. Author of "A Raisin in the Sun" and the first African American woman to have a play produced on Broadway. She is also known for putting Mike Wallace in his place. When he asked if she had won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award because she was a black woman, she calmly replied no. Then said if she had, it would be the first time in America that anyone had been given an award for being a black woman. Lorraine Hansbery Theatre
Essex Hemphill (1957-1995)
Writer, cultural activist. Hemphill edited "Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men." His works are featured in the films: "Tongues Untied" and "Looking for Langston." He narrated the black gay documentary "Out of the Shadows." His essays have appeared in "Advocate", "Gay Community News", "High Performance" and "Out/Week." He died of AIDS-related complications.
Bill T. Jones (b1952)
Choreographer. Founder and Director of the Bill T. Jones /Arnie Zane Dance Company. The "Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin The Promised Land." is Jones' most famous pieces. His work "Still/Here" deals with the connections between life and death, sickness and wellness. The Dance company
Johnny Mathis (b1935)
Entertainer. When activists decided to "out" the singer, they were embarrassed to discover he had been out for years.
Alicia Banks Radio producer/talk showhost, DJ, columnist & author.
Banks hosted AM and FM radio shows in Atlanta GA, the heart of the bible belt and is the only out homosexual in the nation known to have hosted a prime time commercial radio talk show.
Her FM show mixes the musical and literary voices of Black women with musical, political and sexual diversity. She writes a column, Eloquent Fury. Her pending book of radical essays "Outlook: The Book" will soon be scheduled for release. She can be heard on KABF in Little Rock, Arkansas.
"Alicia Banks is no wimp... It's that kind of outspokenness that has brought an audience to her show..." SOUTHERN VOICE 6/17/93
"Alicia Banks jumped the tracks from FM to AM, sending sparks through the airwaves and widening debates on heated topics...Banks is no ordinary talk show host. She's articulate, intelligent, and above all, she's fearless...Banks' soft graceful voice belies the forcefulness of her views...Since 1989, the French-fluent host has segued personal commentary and literary messages with hours of music..." ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION 10/14/93
"Since 1989, Alicia has been heating up the airwaves with her eyebrow raising program...Although the show is packed with great voices of the past and present, there's room for deep talk...Banks is now having the last laugh with her success..." ATLANTA MAGAZINE 10/93
"Banks' program combines the voices of Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday with tribal songs, fictional readings, erotica, and political discussions. It is the politics which have caused a stir..." THE WASHINGTON BLADE 2/25/94
"Banks makes it her business to deliver music, news and commentary in a way that challenges...Her show has become ground zero for a fire storm of controversy...Banks has built an enthusiastic audience and won a second prime time talk show...." OUT MAGAZINE 2/94
"Banks' programs are no ordinary talk shows...Her broadcasts are not to be taken lightly. She seems ready for anything. She is fearless..." DENEUVE MAGAZINE 6/94
"If talk radio seems dominated by clones of Rush Limbaugh, Alicia Banks is the answer...Her fans revere her...The creator of two immensely popular radio programs, Banks has her finger on the pulse of American culture. There's a growing hunger for her message..." VICTORY MAGAZINE 1/96
"Alicia Banks drops a weekly bomb fused with consciousness and sister melodies..." HUES MAGAZINE 11/96
"Musicologist, activist, and cyber columnist is how Alicia Banks describes herself. But she's better known to her fans and detractors as a popular talk radio personality. She is the producer, creator, and host of two radio shows...Alicia heats up early morning airwaves with her take-no -prisoners approach. But her shock-jock comparisons end with her eclectic mix of music and anti-racist interpretation...." GIRLFRIENDS MAGAZINE 9/97.
http://www.geocities.com/ambwww/index.html
Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806)
Mathematician. Self-taught mathematician, astronomer and inventor who designed Washington, DC. As a youth, Banneker invented a wooden clock that kept accurate time throughout his lifetime. Banneker also wrote essays on the evils of slavery.
Paris Barclay
Producer/Director. Emmy Award winning producer/director of NYPD Blue. Barclay also directed episodes of ER and Angel Street. He directed the Wayans film Don't Be A Menace to Society While Drinking Your Juice In the Hood, which he described in a Los Angeles Times article as a homophobic experience. Other films to his credit include, The Cheroke Kid and America’s Dream. Barclay has also directed on Broadway. The Los Angeles Times article said of him:
"Barclay is still working with so-called "white" material--it's the reason people say, “Oh, really?” when you tell them that the guy who won an Emmy last year for directing ABC’s “NYPD Blue” is black. You get another “Oh, really?,” the eyebrows arching a little higher, when you tell people he’s gay, too."
Tevin Campbell (1976)
Gained fame as an R&B singer at the age of 13 with the debut of his first album T.E.V.I.N. He was outed in 1999, when he was arrested for soliciting a lewd act.
George Washington Carver (1864-1943)
Botanist, Scientist, Educator. Born in Missouri, hi mother and he were kidnapped and sold as slaves in Arkansas. His first owner Moses Carver, secured his return and gave him his last name. Carver worked his way through high school, later receiving a B.S. in 1894 followed by an M.S. in 1896 in Agricultural Science, from Iowa Agricultural College. Carver was persuaded by Booker T. Washington to come to Tuskegee Institute in 1896. He started work as a teacher and later rose to be director of Agricultural Research. Carver is best known for his work with the peanut for which he developed hundreds of uses.
Joana Werners (December 25, 1953)
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