Writer.
In June of 2018, I began posting a brief bio and picture/video of a different queer hero every day to Facebook to celebrate Pride. The posts became invigorating to write and research; a way to commemorate the reasons Pride exists.
#QueerHeroes Day 25. Nina Simone. It's extremely daunting to try and distill the magnificence that is Nina Simone into just a few paragraphs. For decades, her voice has been the fuel for strides towards liberation and justice. Her work is an example of the necessity of art in revolution. Born Eunice Waymon, Nina was trained as …
#QueerHeroes Day 24. Lucy Hicks Anderson. From the time she was born in 1886, Lucy knew she was a girl. Her parents took her to a physician when she was 10 years old—in 1896—and the doctor said they should just raise her as their daughter. That's exactly what they did. At 15 years old, Lucy left …
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#QueerHeroes Day 23 Jean-Michel Basquiat Basquiat was born in Brooklyn in the 60s. Poor and often homeless in his youth, he and a friend began collaborating on graffiti murals downtown under the name SAMO. SAMO became an underground celebrity. Soon, a homeless Basquiat went from selling paintings and tee shirts on the streets to selling paintings …
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#QueerHeroes Day 22. Lucy Stoole. There's a reckoning happening right now in the Chicago drag scene, and Lucy Stoole is one of its main catalysts. In response to a racist climate in numerous Chicago queer bars—including instances of Black queens only being booked for "Beyoncé night" at some venues, being humiliated by white emcees in front …
#QueerHeroes Day 21. Sylvester. As a child, he stopped singing at church (because of the congregation’s disapproval) to pursue secular music. His grandmother was a blues singer in the 30s and supported the expression of his sexuality and his artistry wholeheartedly. After moving to San Francisco in 1970, he began performing in a queer cabaret called …
