Every June, communities across the United States come together to celebrate Pride Month- a time to honor the history, resilience and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community. The start of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights began in June of 1969 when police raided Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. This led to violent confrontations between members of the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement. The Stonewall Uprising lit a fire under the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. A year after the raid, the first gay pride march occurred, paving the way for the annual celebrations we now know as Pride Month.

Pride Month is not just a celebration of identity, it is a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for civil rights. This year, The League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville chose to highlight Bayard Rustin, a civil rights strategist and openly gay Black man who fought for democracy long before it was safe to do so; Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender state senator in the United States; and Andrea Jenkins, a trailblazing leader and the first Black transgender women elected to public office in the country.

Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin, born on March 17th, 1912, was an openly gay American political activist and leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence and gay rights. He was raised by his maternal grandparents in West Chester, Pennsylvania and spent his childhood believing his biological mother was his older sister. His grandmother, Julia Rustin, was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). NAACP leaders such as W.E.B Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson were frequent visitors in Rustin’s house growing up. These influences led Rustin to campaign against racially discriminatory Jim Crow Laws. Rustin worked behind the scenes, due to constant criticism over his sexuality, to advise other civil right leaders. In the 1980’s, he became a public advocate on behalf of gay causes and spoke at many events and protests. His efforts eventually led to him winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2013.

Sarah McBride

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Deleware’s at-large district, Sarah McBride is the first openly transgender member of the United States Congress and the nation’s highest ranking openly transgender elected official. McBride was born in Wilmington, Delaware and has been interested in politics since she was a child. In 2012, McBride interned at the White House and was the first openly transgender woman to work there in any capacity. She spent her time there advocating for LGBTQ+ issues. In 2020, McBride became the first openly transgender person elected as a state senator in the United States. Prior to her election, she lobbied to pass legislation in Delaware that banned discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment, housing, insurance and public accommodations. McBride has been credited with shaping President Biden’s personal and political views on transgender issues. Her story breaks barriers and is an inspiration for generations of LGBTQ+ individuals to come.

Andrea Jenkins

The third figure we want to spotlight this month is Andrea Jenkins. Jenkins is a groundbreaking figure in the LGBTQ+ community; in 2017, she became the first Black openly transgender woman ever elected to public office in the United States when she won a seat on the Minneapolis City Council. She later served as the Vice President of the council, and in 2022 made history again by becoming the first openly trans person to lead a major council as president. Born in Chicago in 1961 and raised by a single mother, Jenkins moved to Minnesota for college and came out as transgender in her thirties. Throughout her whole life, Jenkins has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She uses her background as a poet, artist and community organizer to amplify marginalized voices. Through her work in government and the Transgender Oral History Project, she has empowered queer youth and opened conversations surrounding equity and representation.

–Tasya Xiao