List of African-American LGBT people explained

This is a list of Black/African Americans who are also members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or intersex communities.

Historical figures

NameLifetime[1] NationalityNotable asCommunities[2]
AmericanPhilosopher, writer, educator, art patronQueer, Gay [3]
Barbara Jordanb. 1936AmericanLawyer, educator, politician, first African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives LGBTQ+[4]

Government and politics

Name StateOccupation
Andrew GillumDemocratFloridaMayor of Tallahassee
Lori LightfootDemocratIllinois Mayor of Chicago
Vernetta AlstonDemocratNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina State Representative
Stormie ForteDemocratNorth CarolinaRaleigh City Councilwoman
Gordon Fox[5] DemocratRhode IslandState Legislature
Rashad Taylor[6] DemocratGeorgia
Althea Garrison[7] RepublicanMassachusettsJudge and US Representative
Pat Spearman[8] DemocratNevadaNevada State Senator
Marcus Brandon[9] DemocratNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina State Representative
Ron Oden[10] DemocratCaliforniaMayor
Bruce Harris[11] RepublicanNew JerseyMayor
Keith St. John[12] DemocratNew YorkCity Councilman
Darrin P. Gayles[13] DemocratFloridaUnited States Federal Judge
Kelvin Atkinson[14] DemocratNevadaFormer Nevada Senate Majority Leader
Ritchie Torres[15] DemocratNew YorkUS Representative
Erick RussellDemocratConnecticutConnecticut State Treasurer
Laphonza ButlerDemocratCaliforniaUS Senator

Entertainment and media

NameOccupation
McKinley Belcher III[16] [17] Actor
Kemah Bob[18] Comedian and drag king
Lee Daniels[19] Film and television producer
Little Richard[20] Singer
Don Lemon[21] CNN News anchor and journalist
Bessie Smith[22] Singer
Raven-Symoné[23] Actress and singer
Patrick Ian Polk[24] Film director, producer, singer, and actor
Frank Ocean[25] Singer, songwriter, and rapper
Wanda Sykes[26] Actress and comedian
Kevin Abstract[27] Singer, songwriter, director and rapper
Terez Carter ThorpeActivist, Director, Producer
Daryl Stephens[28] Actor
Angel Haze[29] Rapper
LZ Granderson[30] Journalist and commentator CNN and ESPN
Charles M. Blow[31] Columnist for The New York Times
Paris Barclay[32] Director, producer, and writer
Andre Leon Talley[33] Journalist and editor
Terrance Dean[34] Writer and author
Audre Lorde[35] Author and feminist
Alice Walker[36] Author and poet
Tracy Chapman[37] Singer
RuPaul[38] Actor, drag queen, and television personality
Tarell Alvin McCraney[39] Playwright and actor
James Baldwin[40] Author
Janet Mock[41] Writer, TV host, and transgender rights activist
Isis King[42] Model and designer
Alvin Ailey[43] Choreographer and activist
Azealia Banks[44] Rapper
Nell Carter[45] Actress and singer
Actor, singer, fashion icon[46]
Laverne Cox[47] Actress and LGBT advocate
Janelle Monáe[48] Singer-songwriter, actress, model, and record producer
Mo'Nique[49] Comedian and actress
Sir Lady Java[50] Drag queen, actress, and transgender rights activist
Amandla Stenberg[51] Actress and singer
Tessa Thompson[52] Actress
Mel Tomlinson[53] Ballet dancer and choreographer
Karamo Brown[54] Television personality and activist
François Clemmons[55] Actor and singer
Lil Nas X[56] [57] Rapper, singer, and songwriter
Harrison David Rivers[58] Playwright
Luther Vandross[59] Singer, songwriter, record producer.
Todrick Hall[60] Singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, director, choreographer
Le1f[61] Rapper and producer
Colman Domingo[62] Actor, playwright, director, producer, professor.
Angie Stardust[63] Singer, actress, drag artist
Rapper and Actress
Amythyst KiahSinger, songwriter, musician
Marlon Riggsfilmmaker
LeRoy Whitfield[64] Journalist
Terry Blade[65] Singer, songwriter, lyricist
Monifah Carter ThorpeSinger, Actress, Producer
Emira D'Spain[66] Model, social media influencer, magazine director
Ma RaineySinger
Niecy Nash[67] Actress and comedian
NameKnown For
Shea Couleé[68] American drag queen, musician, actor
Dorian Corey[69] American drag performer and fashion designer
Honey Davenport[70] American drag performer, singer, songwriter, actor and activist
David Hampton[71] Con artist
Angela Davis[72] Political activist, academic
CeCe McDonald[73] LGBT advocate
DeRay Mckesson[74] [75] Activist and educator
Marsha P. Johnson[76] Gay liberation activist and Stonewall Riot veteran
Bayard Rustin[77] Political and Black rights activist
Flawless ShadeDrag queen and make-up artist
Kornbread JetéDrag queen
Mary Anne Adams[78] [79] Activist for Black community/Black, elderly lesbians, academic, founder of NAMI NOBLA

References

  1. Entries with no sourced year of birth available are marked with a "?".
  2. All entries contain a reliably sourced reference. Entries may also contain a letter indicating Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual.
  3. Book: Jeffrey C. Stewart. The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke. May 26, 2019. 2017. Oxford University Press. 978-0-199-72331-7. 877.
  4. Web site: Kratz . Jessie . 2021-06-10 . LGBTQ+ History Month: Barbara Jordan . 2024-06-02 . Pieces of History . en-US.
  5. News: Gordon Fox Pleads Guilty in Rhode Island Corruption Case. Pérez-Peña. Richard. 2015-03-03. The New York Times. 2019-02-20. en-US. 0362-4331.
  6. Web site: State Rep. Rashad Taylor comes out as gay . May 27, 2011 . Project Q. en. 2019-02-20.
  7. Web site: The Tragic Story of Althea Garrison, the First Trans Person to Hold State Office in America. Osberg. Molly. Splinter. November 8, 2017 . en-US. 2019-02-20.
  8. News: Nevada senator comes out as gay marriage resolution advances. USA Today . en. 2019-02-20.
  9. News: Former Rep. Marcus Brandon: Allow gay leaders in Boy Scouts. Lopez. Robert. Greensboro News and Record. en. 2019-02-20.
  10. Web site: Ron Oden (1950-) • BlackPast. 2008-01-29. BlackPast. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  11. Web site: Black, Gay And Republican? Chatham Mayor Bruce Harris Is A Friggin' Unicorn!. Avery. Dan. 2012-01-05. queerty.com. 2019-02-20.
  12. Web site: Great Expectations, Unexpected Impact - Keith St. John '81 Becomes the Country's First Openly Gay Black Elected Official. Vassar College. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  13. News: Miami's Gayles confirmed as first openly gay black male judge on federal bench. Miami Herald. en. 2019-02-20.
  14. News: Kelvin Atkinson, Nevada Lawmaker, Comes Out In Gay Marriage Debate. HuffPost . en. 2013-04-23.
  15. Web site: Ritchie Torres becomes first gay Afro Latino elected to Congress . 2022-09-10 . NBC News . 4 November 2020 . en.
  16. Web site: DEATH OF a SALESMAN's McKinley Belcher III to Marry Boyfriend Blake Fox; Andre de Shields Will Officiate .
  17. Web site: Andre de Shields on Instagram: "Congratulates McKinley Belcher III and Blake Fox. What a joy to officiate your nuptials. Photo by @liachangphotography" .
  18. Web site: Crosara . Nic . "It's an unapologetic celebration of comedians of colour": DIVA meets Kemah Bob . . 16 April 2023 . 21 July 2022.
  19. News: Empire's Lee Daniels: 'I always see myself as one step away from a flop'. Jones. Ellen E.. 2017-10-07. The Guardian. 2019-02-20. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  20. A Brief History of Little Richard Grappling With His Sexuality & Religion. Malone. Chris. October 9, 2017. Billboard.
  21. Web site: CNN's Don Lemon On Being Black And Gay In The World Today. 2019-02-19. IN Magazine. en-CA. 2019-02-20. 2019-09-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20190908145414/http://inmagazine.ca/2019/02/cnns-don-lemon-on-being-black-and-gay-in-the-world-today. dead.
  22. Web site: The Mother and The Empress: Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. McGasko. Joe. Biography. en-us. 2019-02-20.
  23. News: Raven-Symone: I'm not gay, and I'm not African-American. Breeanna Hare. CNN. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  24. News: Our Diverse 100: Meet Patrik-Ian Polk, the man bringing black gay stories to screens large and small. Anderson. Tre'vell. Los Angeles Times. 2019-02-20.
  25. How Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' Redefines Pop Queerness. Lamphier. Jason. 2016-08-23. Rolling Stone. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  26. News: Wanda Sykes on coming out: 'I kind of shocked myself'. CNN . en. 2019-02-20.
  27. News: The rapper taking on hip hop's 'homophobic space'. Blake. Jimmy. 2018-08-31. 2019-02-20. en-GB.
  28. Web site: Black and gay in LA: Noah's Arc star Darryl Stephens on diversity. NITV. March 2016 . en. 2019-02-20.
  29. Web site: 26 Celebrities Who Identify as Bisexual, Pansexual, or Totally Label-Free . Condé Nast . Allure. June 13, 2017 . en. 2019-02-20.
  30. News: LZ Granderson: Living as a straight man felt like 'drowning'. ABC News. en. 2019-02-20.
  31. Web site: Charles Blow: "Up From Pain," Sex Abuse, and Bisexuality. Psychology Today. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  32. News: Love Stories Paris Barclay and Christopher Mason. 2008-10-08. advocate.com. en. 2019-02-20.
  33. News: André Leon Talley on His Fashion Career, His Weight Struggle, and His Sexual Pastg . The Hive blog on Vanity Fair . en. 2019-02-20.
  34. Guess Who's Gay in Hip-Hop. Romero. Frances. 2008-05-15. Time. 2019-02-20. en-US. 0040-781X.
  35. Web site: Audre Lorde on Being a Black Lesbian Feminist. english.illinois.edu. 2019-02-20. 2017-08-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20170802091129/http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/lorde/feminist.htm. dead.
  36. Web site: Women's History Month Heroes: Alice Walker . March 9, 2011 . GLSEN . 2019-06-27.
  37. News: Wajid . Sara . Sara Wajid . December 14, 2006 . No Retreat . The Guardian . 2019-06-27.
  38. News: RuPaul's Partner Of 19 Years Is A Rancher From Wyoming (VIDEO). Okura. Lynn. 2013-11-12. Huffington Post. 2019-02-20. en-US.
  39. News: Moonlight's Tarell Alvin McCraney: 'I never had a coming out moment'. Lee. Benjamin. 2016-10-21. The Guardian. 2019-02-20. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  40. News: James Baldwin's sexuality: Complex and influential. NBC News. en. 2019-02-20.
  41. News: Janet Mock: 'I'd never seen a young trans woman who was thriving in the world – I was looking for that'. Hattenstone. Simon. 2018-04-15. The Guardian. 2019-02-20. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  42. News: Model Isis King Talks Her Transition, Homelessness and 'Top Model'. Qween. Hey. 2017-06-20. The Huffington Post. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  43. Web site: Alvin Ailey Gay African American Dance Pioneer. 2007-12-21. Lavender Magazine. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  44. Web site: 36 celebrities you never knew are bisexual . Ciara Appelbaum. Business Insider. 2019-02-20.
  45. Web site: Nell Hardy Carter (1948-2003) • BlackPast. 2015-03-06. BlackPast. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  46. Web site: Benjamin . Jessica . Billy Porter on London Pride and being a fashion icon . Evening Standard . 2021-02-02 . 2023-11-20.
  47. Web site: Laverne Cox. Biography. en-us. 2019-02-20.
  48. News: Pansexual is not the same as bisexual. Janelle Monáe is bringing visibility to us all.. USA Today. en. 2019-02-20.
  49. Web site: Duncan . Charlie . 2023-04-07 . Mo'Nique comes out in Netflix special and slams religion for 'ripping apart motherf**king families' . 2023-04-08 . . en-US.
  50. Web site: Black History Month: Sir Lady Java was a transgender trailblazer who challenged police harassment. Zonkel. Phillip. 2018-02-15. Q Voice News. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  51. News: 'Hunger Games' star Amandla Stenberg: 'Yep, I'm gay, not bi or pan'. USA Today. en. 2019-02-20.
  52. Web site: Tessa Thompson Comes Out as Bisexual and Says She and Janelle Monáe "Love Each Other Deeply". Gonzales. Erica. 2018-06-29. Harper's Bazaar . en-US. 2019-02-20.
  53. Web site: Pioneering ballet star with Winston-Salem, UNCSA ties, dies at age 65 . Jenny Drabble . Winston-Salem Journal. 8 February 2019 . en. 2019-02-20.
  54. Web site: 'Queer Eye' Star Karamo Brown Opens Up About Discovering He Had a 10-Year-Old Son. Pardee. Lauren. 2018-02-23. Parents. en. 2019-02-20.
  55. Web site: Mister Rogers's Gay, Black Friend François Clemmons Wears Tiaras Now. Azzopardi. Chris. HWD. June 27, 2018 . en. 2019-02-20.
  56. News: Lil Nas X Comes Out on Last Day of Pride Month. The New York Times . July 2019 . en. 2019-07-01 . Jacobs . Julia .
  57. News: Rapper Lil Nas X Seemingly Comes Out as Gay. Hollywood Reporter. en. 2019-07-01.
  58. Web site: This playwright may be the busiest Minnesotan in show business. 2018-02-08. Minneapolis Star Tribune. en. 2019-12-27.
  59. Web site: Patti LaBelle Says Luther Vandross Didn't Want To 'Upset' His Mother, Fans By Coming Out As Gay. 2017-12-07. Essence Magazine. en. 2020-11-25.
  60. News: Rule . Doug . Todrick Hall on Straight Outta Oz, living openly, and being a role model on YouTube . 24 March 2024 . 15 July 2016.
  61. News: Le1f, Gay Rapper, Blasts Macklemore For 'Same Love' Success. 2017-12-07. Essence Magazine. en. 2017-12-06.
  62. Web site: Colman Domingo Explains How He Met His Husband On Craigslist. February 23, 2021 . 2021-02-23. en-US.
  63. Book: Guilbert, Georges-Claude . Gay Icons: The (Mostly) Female Entertainers Gay Men Love . 2018-05-30 . McFarland . 978-1-4766-7433-9 . en.
  64. Web site: Stone . Martha E. . Jan 1, 2006 . The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide - Passages 2005. . The Free Library.
  65. Web site: Treacy . Christopher . 2023-01-05 . Q&A With Terry Blade • Country Queer . 2023-01-20 . Country Queer . en-US.
  66. Web site: Meet Emira D'spain, The First Black Transgender Model To Work With Victoria's Secret. March 7, 2022. Nylon.
  67. Web site: News . A. B. C. . Niecy Nash makes wife Jessica Betts' prom 'dreams come true': See the photos . 2024-06-26 . ABC News . en.
  68. Web site: 2019-06-05 . Drag Race star Shea Couleé on why we should all be uplifting trans women of colour for Pride . 2022-09-20 . GAY TIMES . en-GB.
  69. Web site: The True Story Of The Drag Performer With A Mummy In Her Closet Portrayed On 'Pose' . 2022-09-20 . Investigation Discovery . en.
  70. Web site: Cooridinator . DNA Online . 2019-10-24 . Honey Davenport In Australia To Raise Awareness Of Queer People Of Colour . 2022-09-20 . DNA . en-AU.
  71. Book: Goudsouzian, Aram. Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon. registration. 365. 2004. Univ of North Carolina Press. 9780807828434. en.
  72. Web site: Award Stripped From Lesbian Civil Rights Icon Angela Davis. 2019-01-09. The Advocate . en. 2019-02-20.
  73. The Transgender Crucible. Erdely. Sabrina Rubin. Sabrina Erdely. 2014-07-30. Rolling Stone. en-US. 2019-02-20.
  74. News: #BlackLivesMatter Protester Deray McKesson to Teach at Yale . Mediaite.com . 2015-09-11 . 2016-02-07.
  75. News: DeRay Mckesson Wants You to Come Out of the Quiet . The Advocate . 2015-12-24 . 2016-02-08.
  76. News: Marsha P. Johnson, a Transgender Pioneer and Activist. 2018-03-08. The New York Times. 2019-02-20. en-US. 0362-4331.
  77. News: Bayard Rustin: the gay black pacifist at the heart of the March on Washington. 2013-08-23. The Guardian. 2019-12-27. en-US.
  78. Book: African Americans doing feminism : putting theory into everyday practice . 2010 . State University of New York (SUNY) Press . Aaronette M. White . 978-1-4384-3143-7 . Albany . 794698965.
  79. Book: Johnson, E. Patrick . Black. Queer. Southern. Women : an oral history . 2018 . 978-1-4696-4111-9 . Chapel Hill . 1057725887.

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