As this year's Black History Month draws to a close, I'd like to take a moment to honor the African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people who are a continuing inspiration in the ongoing struggle for equality.
Many of us know Bayard Rustin's place in history beside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He played a pivotal role in Dr. King's strategic organizing throughout the country. However, it would be a sad thing for our knowledge of notable African-American LGBT people to stop there.
As we work for change, it's crucial to learn about those who came before us – brilliant, creative people like Octavia Butler, who explored issues of race, class and sexuality in her groundbreaking work in science fiction. Or to think about how much further Glenn Burke, who played for the L.A. Dodgers, could have gone in his career if he hadn't been forced out in 1980 because he dared to be openly gay.
Nationally, black LGBT Americans continue at the forefront of the struggle for full equality for all minorities. My friend, Kylar Broadus, an out African-American transgender man, was recognized at the Creating Change Conference for his longstanding service to the LGBT community, and then honored in Black Enterprise for his work in the National Black Justice Coalition, among other things. Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend http://www.pamshouseblend.com is a proud blogger of all things L, G, B and T. In Cambridge, Mass., E. Denise Simmons was elected the nation's first openly lesbian African-American mayor in 2008 – following previous Mayor Kenneth Reeves, the first openly gay African-American mayor elected in the U.S.
The Detroit metro area is also no stranger to powerful LGBT leaders of color – from Ruth Ellis in the twentieth century to Dr. Kofi Adoma, Michelle Williams, Michelle Brown, Curtis Lipscomb, Charles Pugh, Laura Hughes, and so many others today. Meanwhile, KICK, the metro Detroit agency for LGBT African-Americans, is growing by leaps and bounds. We can be proud to be home to an outstanding group of people who are out and visibly creating change.
At Equality Michigan, we are proud and humbled to be standing shoulder to shoulder with these leaders as we fight collectively against discriminatory policies and practices. Whether it was the anti-marriage Proposal 2 in 2004 or the anti-affirmative action Proposal 2 in 2006, all of us were in the electoral trenches educating the state about the importance of inclusion. And we will continue to work together to help our neighbors not only overcome the impact of these discriminatory laws, but to someday overturn them altogether.
It's been said many times, but it's been said because it's true – February is too short of a month to dedicate in observance of the many contributions that African-Americans have made to this country. It's also true, however, that no one month could be long enough. Though our country has come a long way, we are nowhere near far enough on the road to justice for people of color.
I hope to live to see the day when Black History Month can focus entirely on the triumphs of African-American activists because discrimination is a thing of the past. Until that day, though, I pledge to do whatever is in my power to bring that change about.
Yours in service,
Denise E. Brogan-Kator
Interim Executive Director
Equality Michigan
