“I believe in social dislocation and creative trouble.”
Bayard Rustin
(March 17, 1912 – 1987)
Sign: Pisces
Gay black writer who was a seminal figure during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Rustin incorporated the idea of non-violent resistance (or Satyagraha) into the Civil Rights Movement, and organized major events such as the 1947 Freedom Ride and the 1963 March on Washington. Despite his importance, Rustin is often left out of the larger Civil Rights narrative. Rustin wished to un-burden MLK from the distraction that his sexual identity would have caused the movement. A prolific writer, Rustin penned many gay rights essays, including the speech “The New Niggers Are Gays”.
“Faggot Forefathers” is a weekly series highlighting the lives of historically significant gay men and their contributions to our world.
