General Discussion

Omaha Steve

(99,660 posts) Wed Mar 4, 2015, 10:08 PM Mar 2015

Honoring a Black LGBTO HERO

This was supposed to get posted for Black History Month. OOPS!

http://ngltf.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=5921&em_id=2422.0

Dear Friend,

During Black History Month, we need your help in honoring one of the most significant and yet unsung heroes of the civil rights movement.

Bayard Rustin was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, an openly gay man, and an LGBTQ activist.

In 2013, Rustin was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In awarding the medal, President Obama said, "For decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King's side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay."

Now we all have a chance to give Rustin and his legacy the public awareness and recognition they deserve with a United States postage stamp. Please take a few minutes to visit our campaign page where you'll find a sample letter to send to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend a stamp in honor of Bayard Rustin.

We launched this campaign with our partners at the International Court System — a partnership that lead to last year's release of a postage stamp in honor of Harvey Milk.

Now it's time to honor another true LGBTQ hero, and with your help we can make history again with a Bayard Rustin stamp.

Take action now: http://www.thetaskforce.org/bayard-rustin-honoring-unsung-lgbtq-hero/

Sincerely,

Russell Roybal, Deputy Executive Director
National LGBTQ Task Force

The National LGBTQ Task Force is a 501(c)(3) corporation incorporated in Washington, D.C. Contributions to the Task Force are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. © National LGBTQ Task Force. 1325 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Phone 202-393-5177. Fax 202-393-2241. TTY 202-393-2284. thetaskforce@thetaskforce.org. Unsubscribe.

9 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Honoring a Black LGBTO HERO (Original Post) Omaha Steve Mar 2015 OP

It's a shame that his sexuality (due to social stigma) overshadowed his importance as an activist. nomorenomore08 Mar 2015 #1

It is still a problem. Behind the Aegis Mar 2015 #3

K&R Cali_Democrat Mar 2015 #2

k&r Starry Messenger Mar 2015 #4

"openly gay" is a bit off, I believe. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #5

I was surprised to see the phrase "openly gay" Jim Lane Mar 2015 #7

most seem to prefer myth to truth. ND-Dem Mar 2015 #9

It's never to late to honor someone like this. William769 Mar 2015 #6

Cool, Bayard Rustin! Never too late.. mahalo, Steve~ Cha Mar 2015 #8

nomorenomore08

(13,324 posts)

1. It's a shame that his sexuality (due to social stigma) overshadowed his importance as an activist.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed Mar 4, 2015, 11:52 PM

Mar 2015

Even among fellow civil rights leaders, he wasn't always accepted, though MLK seems to have had no particular problem with Rustin's homosexuality.

Behind the Aegis

(53,961 posts)

3. It is still a problem.

Reply to nomorenomore08 (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 5, 2015, 01:20 AM

Mar 2015

Cali_Democrat

(30,439 posts)

2. K&R

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Mar 5, 2015, 12:09 AM

Mar 2015

Starry Messenger

(32,342 posts)

4. k&r

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Mar 5, 2015, 01:25 AM

Mar 2015

ND-Dem

(4,571 posts)

5. "openly gay" is a bit off, I believe.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Mar 5, 2015, 01:36 AM

Mar 2015

While there is a recurring tendency to describe Rustin as a pioneering "out gay man" the truth is more complex. In 1986, Rustin was invited to contribute to the book In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology. He declined, explaining:

I was not involved in the struggle for gay rights as a youth. ... I did not 'come out of the closet' voluntarily—circumstances forced me out. (that would be his 1953 arrest)
While I have no problem with being publicly identified as homosexual, it would be dishonest of me to present myself as one who was in the forefront of the struggle for gay rights. ... I fundamentally consider sexual orientation to be a private matter. As such, it has not been a factor which has greatly influenced my role as an activist."

Rustin did not engage in any gay rights activism until the 1980s. He was urged to do so by his partner Walter Neagle, who has said that "I think that if I hadn't been in the office at that time, when these invitations [from gay organizations] came in, he probably wouldn't have done them."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayard_Rustin

His widowed partner is still living:

"At the White House ceremony on November 20, 2013, President Obama presented Rustin's award to Walter Naegle, his partner of ten years"