LGBTQ Activists
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A list of notable LGBTQ rights activists who have worked to advance LGBTQ rights by political change, legal action or publication. Ordered by country, alphabetically.


Albania

* Xheni Karaj, founder of Aleanca LGBT organization and recipient of the Civil Rights Defenders of the Year Award 2022 * Kristi Pinderi, LGBT activist and journalist; founder of Pro-LGBT


Angola

* Carlos Fernandes, LGBT activist and a founder/director of the Iris Angola Association. *
Imanni Da Silva Imanni da Silva (born 1981) is an Angolan Model (person), model, human rights activist and visual artist, who is the first transgender model from the African continent. She has competed in several beauty pageants, and now is also a judge in them. ...
, Angolan model and transgender rights activist. * Titica, transgender Angolan singer and goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS.


Argentina

* Mariana Alarcón, human rights activist who worked for labor rights for transgender women *
Claudia Pía Baudracco Claudia Pía Baudracco (22 October 1970 – 18 March 2012) was an Argentine activist for the rights of women, sexual minorities, and LGBT people. Biography Baudracco was born on 22 October 1970 in La Carlota, Córdoba Province. She spent her ...
, led the movement to repeal laws criminalizing transgender identities; co-founder of the Argentine Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans Federation *
Lohana Berkins Lohana Berkins (15 June 1965 – 5 February 2016) was an Argentine travesti activist. Biography Berkins was born on 15 June 1965 in Pocitos, Salta. Her father, a soldier, kicked her out at the age of 13. As Berkins got older, she fought agai ...
, founder of the Association for the Fight for Travesti and Transsexual Identity * Lara María Bertolini, human rights activist advocating for the rights of travesti, transgender, and non-binary people * Claudia Castrosín Verdú, she and her partner were the first lesbian couple to form a civil union in Latin America; vice president of FALGBT *
María Rachid María Rachid (born 8 November 1974) is a politician, social leader of the human rights area and the collective LGBT community in Argentina. She served as vice-president of the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism fro ...
, politician and LGBT rights activist, partner of Claudia Castrosín Verdú *
Diana Sacayán Amancay Diana Sacayán (31 December 1975 – 11 October 2015) was an Argentinian LGBT and human rights activist who fought for the legal rights of travesti and transgender people in Argentina. She founded the Anti-Discrimination Movement of ...
, board member of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and a leader of the Antidiscrimination Liberation Movement


Armenia

* Lilit Martirosyan, trans right activist, founder of the
Right Side NGO Right Side NGO () is the first transgender rights organization in Armenia and the first trans-led organization in the South Caucasus region. Right Side NGO was founded in 2016 as a non-governmental organization and is headquartered in Yerevan. I ...


Australia

* Ron Austin *
Peter Bonsall-Boone Peter "Bon" Bonsall-Boone ( 1938 – 19 May 2017) was an Australian LGBT rights activist. He was a foundation member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and participated in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Biography Pe ...
*
Bob Brown Robert James Brown (born 27 December 1944) is an Australian former politician, medical doctor and environmentalist. He was a Australian Senate, senator and the parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens. Brown was elected to the Australian ...
* Lyle Chan, member of
ACT UP AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) is an international, grassroots political group working to end the AIDS pandemic. The group works to improve the lives of people with AIDS through direct action, medical research, treatment and advocacy, ...
*
Rodney Croome Rodney Peter Croome AM is an Australian LGBT rights activist and academic. He worked on the campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in Tasmania, was a founder of Australian Marriage Equality, and currently serves as the spokesperson for the Ta ...
*
Peter De Waal Peter de Waal (born 1938) is an Australian LGBT rights activist and author. He was a foundation member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and participated in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Biography Peter De Waal wa ...
*
Alex Greenwich Alexander Hart Greenwich (born 28 November 1980) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the seat of electoral district of Sydney, Sydney since the 2012 Sydney state by-election, 201 ...
*
Grace Hyland Grace Elizabeth Stevenson, known professionally as Grace Hyland, is an Australian internet personality and LGBTQ rights activist. Hyland rose to prominence on the social media platform TikTok, and has also amassed a large following on Instagram ...
*
Craig Johnston (politician) Craig Fredric Johnston (born 1951) is an LGBT activist and former politician. He was active in the Australian Labor Party, Communist Party of Australia. He is considered a founding member of the gay rights movement in Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s ...
*
Michael Kirby (judge) Michael Donald Kirby (born 18 March 1939) is an Australian jurist and academic who is a former Justice of the High Court of Australia, serving from 1996 to 2009. He has remained active in retirement; in May 2013 he was appointed by the United N ...
, Justice of the
High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is the apex court of the Australian legal system. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified in the Constitution of Australia and supplementary legislation. The High Court was establi ...
*
Julie McCrossin Julie Elizabeth McCrossin (born 2 October 1954) is an Australian radio broadcaster, journalist, comedian, political commentator and activist for women's and gay rights. She is best known for her role as a team captain on the news-based comedy ...
*
Sally Rugg Sally Rugg is an Australian LGBTIQ activist, feminist and political staffer. Rugg was the GetUp creative and campaigns director between 2013 and 2018. Rugg was one of the many public faces of the "YES" campaign in the Australian Marriage Law P ...
*
Magda Szubanski Magdalene Mary Therese Szubanski ( ; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian comedy actress, author, singer and LGBT rights advocate. She performed in '' Fast Forward'', '' Kath & Kim'' as Sharon Strzelecki and in the films '' Babe'' (1995) and ...
* Derek Williams (LGBT rights activist), co-founder of GaLTaS


Austria

*
Helmut Graupner Helmut Graupner is a lawyer in Vienna, considered a leading advocate in LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorp ...
, lawyer and LGBT activist * Gery Keszler, organizer of the
Life Ball The Life Ball in Vienna is the biggest charity event in Europe supporting people with HIV or AIDS. The event is organized by the nonprofit organization AIDS LIFE, which was founded in 1992 by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petrosian. AIDS LIFE suppo ...
*
Alex Jürgen Alex Jürgen (born September 7, 1976) is an Austrian intersex activist. Jürgen was the first person in Austria to receive a birth certificate and passport with legal recognition of non-binary gender after having fought for it in court. Life A ...
* Ulrike Lunacek *
Hermann von Teschenberg Hermann Freiherr von Teschenberg (6 July 1866 – 6 November 1911) was an Austrian barrister, translator, and an LGBT rights activist. Life Born in Austria, von Teschenberg was the son of a diplomat, Ernst Freiherr von Teschenberg (1836–1886) ...
, barrister, translator, and LGBT rights activist


Bangladesh

*
Xulhaz Mannan Xulhaz Mannan (, ; 12 October 1976 – 25 April 2016) was an employee of United States Agency for International Development, USAID at the United States embassy in Dhaka and the founder of LGBT history in Bangladesh, Bangladesh's first and only LG ...


Barbados

* Ro-Ann Mohammed, co-founder of the organization Barbados - Gays, Lesbians and All-Sexuals against Discrimination (B-GLAD) * Donnya Piggott, tech entrepreneur, human rights advocate, co-founder of the organization Barbados - Gays, Lesbians and All-Sexuals against Discrimination (B-GLAD)


Belgium

*
Sonja Eggerickx Sonja Albertine Jeannine Eggerickx (born 8 February 1947) is a Belgian secular Humanist who was president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), now Humanists International, a position she held for nine years until stepping down ...
, teacher, women and LGBT rights advocate * Eliane Morissens, teacher and LGBT activist for labor rights


Belize

*
Derricia Castillo-Salazar Derricia Castillo-Salazar (born 1988), also known as Derricia Jael Castillo, is a Belizean military officer, aircraft maintenance officer of the Belize Defence Force (BDF) and LGBT activist. She is the co-founder and president of Our Circle (Bel ...
* Caleb Orozco


Botswana

* Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile, performance artist, musician, writer and LGBT activist * Monica Tabengwa, lawyer and researcher on LGBT rights issues in sub-Saharan Africa * Caine Youngman, involved in court cases to legalize same-sex relationships


Brazil

* Luiz Mott * Jean Wyllys * Toni Reis *
João Silvério Trevisan João Silvério Trevisan (born June 23, 1944 in Ribeirão Bonito, São Paulo) is a Brazilian author, playwright, journalist, screenwriter and film director. He has published eleven books, including novels, essays, short stories, and journalism, a ...
*
Míriam Martinho Míriam Martinho (born 1954) is one of the leading Feminism, feminists in Brazil and part of the second generation of feminist journalists, who emerged in the 1980s. She was one of the first people to bring lesbianism openly into the fold of femi ...


Bulgaria

* Desislava Petrova, LGBT activist, former president of
Gemini Gemini most often refers to: * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Gemini (astrology), an astrological sign Gemini may also refer to: Science and technology Space * Gemini in Chinese astronomy, the Gemini constellat ...
*
Monika Pisankaneva Monika Pisankaneva (, born 1968) is a Bulgarian lecturer and LGBT activist. She worked for the Bulgarian organization BGO Gemini, Gemini, an LTBT rights group, between 1998 and 2001. She founded the Bilitis Resource Center (), an organization whic ...
, lecturer and activist; founder of
Gemini Gemini most often refers to: * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Gemini (astrology), an astrological sign Gemini may also refer to: Science and technology Space * Gemini in Chinese astronomy, the Gemini constellat ...


Cameroon

* Bandy Kiki, blogger and LGBTQ activist * Joel Gustave Nana Ngongang * Alice Nkom, first woman lawyer in Cameroon and LGBTQ rights activist


Canada

* Barry D. Adam (born 1952) – sociologist, author, and HIV/AIDS prevention researcher * Enza Anderson (born 1964) – trans rights activist and journalist * Florence Ashley – activist and academic who specializes in trans law and bioethics * Chris Bearchell (1953–2007) – gay liberation activist and
right to privacy The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 185 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. Since the globa ...
advocate *
Alec Butler Alec Butler (born Audrey Butler; 1959) is a Canadian playwright and filmmaker. Life and career Butler was born in 1959, and is non-binary and intersex. Butler uses ''they''/''them'' and ''he''/''him'' pronouns. Assigned female at birth, he ...
(born 1959) – filmmaker and playwright *
Michelle Douglas Michelle D. Douglas (born December 30, 1963) is a Canadian human rights activist who launched a landmark legal challenge in the Federal Court of Canada against the military's discriminatory policies against LGBTQ+ service members.''The Current (ra ...
(born 1963) – human rights activist who challenged military anti-LGBTQ discrimination policies * Jim Egan (1921–2000) – early LGBTQ rights activist known for his role in ''Egan v Canada'' *
Brent Hawkes Brent Hawkes (born June 2, 1950) is a Canadian gay rights activist and clergyman at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), also known as the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), which is an international LGBT-affirmi ...
(born 1950) – gay rights activist and clergyman * Alan Herbert (1944–2003) – LGBTQ rights activist and one of Canada's first out gay politicians *
George Hislop George Hislop (June 3, 1927 – October 8, 2005) was one of Canada's most influential gay activists. He was one of the earliest openly gay candidates for political office in Canada, and was a key figure in the early development of Toronto's ga ...
(1927–2005) – gay rights activist and one of Canada's first out gay politicians *
k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang (stylised in all lowercase), is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical pe ...
(born 1961) – music artist and LGBTQ rights activist * John Alan Lee (1933–2013) – sociologist and early LGBTQ rights activist * Michael Lynch (1944–1991) – gay liberationist and AIDS activist *
Irshad Manji Irshad Manji (born 1968) is a Ugandan-born Canadian educator. She is the author of '' The Trouble with Islam Today'' (2004) and ''Allah, Liberty and Love'' (2011), both of which have been banned in several Muslim countries. She also produced a P ...
(born 1968) – educator, human rights activist, and advocate for LGBTQ Muslims' rights *
Tim McCaskell Tim McCaskell (born 1951) is a Canadian writer, educator, and activist involved in gay rights, HIV/AIDS, and anti-apartheid advocacy. McCaskell began his career as a writer for the gay liberation magazine ''The Body Politic.'' After the 198 ...
(born 1951) – gay rights and AIDS activist * Christin Milloy – LGBTQ activist and Canada's first out transgender provincial-level political candidate * Arsham Parsi – activist and founder of the International Railroad for Queer Refugees * Gordon Price – urban planner, gay rights activist, and former politician *
Svend Robinson Svend Robinson (born March 4, 1952) is a Canadian politician. He was a member of Parliament (MP) from 1979 to 2004, representing suburban Vancouver-area constituencies in the city of Burnaby for the New Democratic Party (NDP). He was the first ...
(born 1952) – Canada's first MP to come out as gay while in office * Bill Siksay (born 1955) – first out gay non-incumbent man to be elected to Canada's House of CommonsBill Siksay's biography at his personal Web site
 * Clara Sorrenti (born 1994) – Twitch stream, political commentator, and trans rights activist * Richard Summerbell (born 1956) – scientist, author, and gay activist *
Jenna Talackova Jenna Talackova (born October 15, 1988) is a Canadian model, television personality and beauty pageant titleholder who gained media attention in 2012 when she successfully waged a legal battle to be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe Canad ...
(born 1988) – model who successfully waged a legal battle to be allowed to compete in the
Miss Universe Canada Miss Universe Canada or ''The Beauties of Canada'' is an annual national beauty pageant that selects Canada's official representative to Miss Universe—one of the Big Four beauty pageants The Beauties of Canada Organization gained the exc ...
*
Mark Tewksbury Mark Roger Tewksbury, (born February 7, 1968) is a Canadian former competitive swimming (sport), swimmer. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He also hosted the first season of ...
(born 1968) – competitive swimmer who challenged homophobia in the sports world *
Kai Cheng Thom Kai Cheng Thom (born March 12, 1991) is a Chinese-Canadian writer, performance artist, mental health community worker, youth counsellor, and former social worker.Harron Walker"How to Choose Love at the End of the World" ''Vice'', February 14, 2020. ...
(born 1991) – writer, performance artist, and activist *
Thomas Waugh Thomas Waugh is a Canadian critic, lecturer, author, actor, and activist, best known for his extensive work on documentary film and eroticism in the history of LGBT cinema and art. A professor emeritus at Concordia University, he taught 41 years ...
(born 1948) – academic, film critic, and activist


Chile

* Luis Larraín *
Pedro Lemebel Pedro Segundo Mardones Lemebel (21 November 1952 – 23 January 2015) was a Chilean essayist, chronicler, performer and novelist. He was coming out, openly gay and known for his cutting critique of authoritarianism and for his humorous depictio ...
*
Jaime Parada José Jaime Parada Hoyl (born November 2, 1977, in Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile) is a Chilean gay rights activist and politician who became the first openly gay person elected to public office in Chile. He serves as the spokesperson for M ...
*
Pablo Salvador Pablo Salvador is a Chilean gay icon born in Panama as Salvador Sepúlveda Montoya. Salvador is Master in Direction of Communication of Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain and Professor of History and Management. The greatest success of Ch ...


China, People's Republic of

* Li Tingting, LGBT rights and feminist activist *
Li Yinhe Li Yinhe ( zh, t=李銀河, s=李银河, p=Lǐ Yínhé; née Li Sanfan; born February 4, 1952) is a Chinese sociologist, sexologist, and activist for LGBT rights in China. Her main academic interests have been sexual norms in contemporary Ch ...
Cornelia Falenius, president of China 1998–2015《同性恋亚文化》 (Subculture of Homosexuality)'', China Today Press,1998.'' *
Cui Zi'en Cui Zi'en (), born 1958, in Harbin in the People's Republic of China, is a film director, producer, film scholar, screenwriter, novelist and an outspoken LGBT activist based in Beijing. He graduated from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences wi ...
*
Xian Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...
, LGBT rights activist and founder of Beijing-based lesbian organization Tongyu


Colombia

* Virgilio Barco Isakson (b. 1965) * Armando Benedetti Villaneda (b. 1962) * Blanca Inés Durán Hernández *
Angélica Lozano Correa ''Angelica'' is a genus of herbs, especially the cultivated species ''Angelica archangelica'' Angelica or Angélica may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television * ''Angelica'' (1939 film), a French-Italian film * ''Angélica'' (1952 fi ...
*
Tatiana de la Tierra Tatiana de la tierra (May 14, 1961 – July 31, 2012) was a Colombian writer, poet and activist. She was the author of the first international Latina lesbian magazine ''Esto no tiene nombre.'' Early life Tatiana de la tierra was born in Villavic ...
* Juliana Delgado Lopera


Costa Rica

* Victor Madrigal-Borloz


Croatia

* Merlinka *
Mima Simić Mima Simić (born Ana Marija Simić; 4 February 1976) is a Croatian writer, an awarded film critic, translator and an LGBTIQ+ media activist. She holds degrees in Comparative literature, Comparative Literature and English Language and Literature fr ...
, LGBTQ activist and Croatia's first openly out LGBTIQ+ political candidate


Cuba

* Ada Bello, LGBTQ rights activist and medical researcher *
Mariela Castro Mariela Castro Espín (born 27 July 1962) is the director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education in Havana, as well as the National Commission for Comprehensive Attention to Transsexual People, and an activist for LGBT rights in Cuba. C ...
, director of the National Commission for Comprehensive Attention to Transsexual People


Denmark

* Axel and Eigil Axgil, Danish gay rights advocates *
Lili Elbe Lili Ilse Elvenes (28 December 1882 – 13 September 1931), better known as Lili Elbe, was a Danish painter, transgender woman, and one of the earliest recipients of gender-affirming surgery (then called sex reassignment surgery). Elbe was a p ...
(b. 1882), Danish painter, transgender woman


Ecuador

* Orlando Montoya, Colombian who led Ecuador's decriminalization of homosexuality *
Diane Rodríguez Diane Marie Rodríguez Zambrano (; born 16 March 1982) is an Ecuadorian activist and politician who focuses on human rights and LGBTQ rights in Ecuador. She is the transgender chairwoman of the :es:Asociación Silueta X, Silhouette X Associati ...
* Carina Vance Mafla * Sandra Álvarez (born 1967), founder of the Ecuadorian Organization of Lesbian Women and the first openly LGBT person to hold an elected position in Ecuador’s National Assembly


Egypt

* Maher Sabry * Omar Sharif Jr. *
Sarah Hegazi Sarah Hegazi (; 1 October 1989 – 14 June 2020; also rendered Hegazy or Higazy) was an Egyptian writer, LGBTQ activist, and socialist. She was arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Egypt for three months after flying a Rainbow flag (LGBT), rainbo ...
* Shrouk El-Attar


El Salvador

*
Ruby Corado Ruby Corado (born in San Salvador, El Salvador) is an activist who founded Casa Ruby, a bilingual, multicultural LGBTQ organization in Washington, D.C. Established in 2012, Casa Ruby identifies its mission as "to create success life stories amon ...
, Salvadoran LGBTQ rights activist


Estonia

* Lisette Kampus *
Peeter Rebane Peeter Rebane (born 24 April 1973) is an Estonian film director, Film producer, producer and entrepreneur. Education He studied at Oxford University and graduated from Harvard University ''cum laude'' majoring in economics, psychology and visual ...


Finland

*
Sakris Kupila Sakris Kupila (born 1996 and from Humppila, near Forssa) is a Finnish transgender Medical school#Medical students, medical student and the former Chairperson, chair of Seta (organization), Seta from 2019–20, a major Finnish LGBT movements, LGBT ...
*
Sofi Oksanen Sofi-Elina Oksanen (born 7 January 1977) is a Finnish writer and playwright. Oksanen has published six novels, of which "Purge" has gained the widest recognition. She has received several international and domestic awards for her literary work. ...


France

* Camille Cabral *
Pierre Guénin Pierre Guénin (19 February 1927 – 1 March 2017) was a French journalist and gay rights activist. He was an early publisher of LGBT magazines in the late 1960s and the 1970s, and the founder of the LGBT film awards in France. He was the founder ...
*
Fabrice Houdart Fabrice Houdart, FRSA is a human rights advocate and academic specialized on LGBTQ+ rights and corporate governance. Education Houdart holds a Bachelor of Art in Economics from Dauphine University and a Master of Business Administration from ...
*
Christiane Taubira Christiane Marie Taubira (; born 2 February 1952) is a French politician who served as Minister of Justice of France in the governments of Prime Ministers Jean-Marc Ayrault and Manuel Valls under President François Hollande from 2012 until 20 ...
*
Lilian Thuram Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien (; born 1 January 1972) is a French author, Philanthropy, philanthropist and former professional association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football), defender. Widely regarded as one of the g ...
, former French soccer player * Rama Yade, former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights of France


Germany

*
Adolf Brand Gustav Adolf Franz Brand (1874–1945) was a German writer, egoist anarchist, and pioneering campaigner for the acceptance of male bisexuality and homosexuality. Early life Adolf Brand was born on 14 November 1874 in Berlin, which was then par ...
*
Manfred Bruns Manfred Bruns (1934 – 22 October 2019) was a federal prosecutor at the Federal Court of Justice of Germany, and a famous German gay civil rights activist. He was until 2016 a member of the Board of Directors of the Lesbian and Gay Association ( ...
* Volker Beck *
Benedict Friedlaender Benedict Friedlaender (8 July 1866 – 21 June 1908; first name occasionally spelled Benedikt) was a German Jewish sexologist, sociologist, economist, volcanologist, and physicist. Life Friedlaender was born in Berlin as the son of Carl Fr ...
*
Magnus Hirschfeld Magnus Hirschfeld (14 May 1868 – 14 May 1935) was a German physician, Sexology, sexologist and LGBTQ advocate, whose German citizenship was later revoked by the Nazi government.David A. Gerstner, ''Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer ...
* Corny Littmann *
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (28 August 1825 – 14 July 1895) was a German lawyer, jurist, journalist, and writer. He is today regarded as a pioneer of sexology and the modern LGBT rights movement, gay rights movement. Ulrichs has been described as ...


Greece

* Jason-Antigone Dane, LGBT activist, first person to ask for official recognition as a non-binary person *
Marina Galanou Marina Galanou (died 8 October 2021) was a Greek Transgender, trans activist, publisher, writer, and columnist. Early life Galanou was born in Piraeus, in the city quarter of Piraiki, Greece. She was an active participant in Intersex and LGBT, ...
, trans activist, publisher, writer, and columnist * Zak Kostopoulos, Greek-American LGBT, AIDS, refugee, sex-worker activist * Menelas Siafakas, filmmaker and LGBT activist *
Panos H. Koutras Panos H. Koutras () is a Greek film director, film producer and screenwriter, who made his debut with the feature film ''The Attack of the Giant Moussaka'' (1999), an independent science-fiction parody who gained international recognition in Fra ...
, filmmaker and LGBT activist


Guatemala

* Aldo Dávila, politician and first openly gay man and first HIV-positive member of Congress * Sandra Morán, first out LGBT person ever elected to Congress; LGBT and human rights activist


Honduras

* Erick Martínez Ávila, journalist and LGBT and AIDS activist * Claudia Spellmant, LGBT and transgender activist * Walter Tróchez, political activist and LGBT rights leader


Hungary

*
Gergely Homonnay Gergely Homonnay (24 August 1969 – 1 January 2022) was a Hungarian writer, journalist, teacher, author, human rights, political and LGBTQ-activist Life and career Born in Gyula, Hungary, he studied English and German at the Faculty of Arts in ...
, journalist and LGBT activist * Ildikó Juhász *
Karl Maria Kertbeny Karl Maria Kertbeny (born Karl Maria Benkert, ; also Kertbeny Károly Mária; 28 February 1824 – 23 January 1882) was an Austrian-born Hungarian journalist, translator, memoirist and human rights campaigner. Kertbeny coined the words ''heteros ...
, journalist and human rights activist who coined the terms "homosexual" and "heterosexual"


Iceland

* Owl Fisher, youngest trans person to medically transition in Iceland and LGBT activist *
Hörður Torfason Hörður Torfason (born 4 September 1945) is an Icelandic songwriter and activist. He has written plays and poetry, played numerous roles on stage and in several films, directed about 50 stage productions and designed and built stage sets for mos ...


India

* Akkai Padmashali * Anand Grover * Anjali Gopalan * Ashok Row Kavi *
Gopi Shankar Madurai Gopi Shankar Madurai (born 13 April 1991) is an Indian equal rights and Indigenous rights activist. Shankar was one of the youngest, and the first openly intersex and genderqueer statutory authority and one of the candidates to contest in 2016 ...
*
Harish Iyer Harish Iyer, also known as "Aham", ''hiyer'' and "Harrish Iyer" (born 16 April 1979) is an Indian equal rights activist. Iyer engages in advocacy for a number of causes, including promoting the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transge ...
*
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi Laxmi Narayan Tripathi (known as Laxmi, sometimes transliterated as Lakshmi) is a transgender/ Hijra rights activist, bollywood actress, Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and motivational speaker in Mumbai, India. She is also the Acharya Mah ...
*
Manvendra Singh Gohil 'Manvendra Singh Gohil (born September 23, 1965) is a son and probable heir of former Maharaja of Rajpipla. He is considered to be the first openly gay prince in the world, and he is known for being one of India's foremost LGBT activists. He i ...
*
Menaka Guruswamy Menaka Guruswamy (born 27 November 1974) is a Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India. She was the B.R. Ambedkar Research Scholar and Lecturer at Columbia Law School, New York from 2017 to 2019. Guruswamy has been visiting faculty at Yale L ...
* Ramachandrapurapu Raj Rao * Rose Venkatesan *
Sonal Giani Sonal Giani is an Indian LGBTQ activist and actress. Known for her advocacy and youth work, she focuses on the social impact of India's anti-LGBTQ law, Section 377. She is the co-founder of LGBTQ youth initiatives ''Yaariyan'' and ''Umangin''. ...
*
Sridhar Rangayan Sridhar Rangayan (also spelt Sridhar Rangaihn; born 2 April 1962) is an Indian filmmaker who has made films with special focus on queer subjects. His queer films, '' The Pink Mirror'', '' Yours Emotionally'', '' 68 Pages'', '' Purple Skies'', ...


Indonesia

*
Dede Oetomo Dede Oetomo (born 1953) is a campaigner for LGBT rights in Indonesia and an expert on gender issues in East Java. He pursued postgraduate studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Whilst there, he founded Lambda Indonesia, a gay support ...


Iran

* Alireza Shojaian * Arsham Parsi * Elham Malekpoor *
Shadi Amin Shadi Amin (; born 1964) is an Iranian writer and activist. She was forced to leave Iran in early 1980s because of her political activities. Amin is currently living in exile in Germany. Biography Prior to leaving Iran, Amin had to hide her sex ...


Iraq

* Amir Ashour *
Zhiar Ali Zhiar Ali (Kurmanji, Kurdish: ; Kurdish alphabets#Sorani alphabet, Sorani alphabet: , , born September 2, 1999) is a former animal rights activist and a Kurdish advocate for LGBT rights. He presently resides in the Netherlands after having been ...


Ireland

*
Mary Dorcey Mary Dorcey (born October 1950) is an Irish author and poet, feminist, and LGBT+ activist. Her work is known for centring feminist and queer themes, specifically lesbian love and lesbian eroticism. She has published ten books, including seven p ...
*
Lydia Foy Lydia Annice Foy is an Irish trans woman notable for leading legal challenges regarding gender recognition in Ireland. In 1992, Foy had sex reassignment surgery, and began a 20-year battle to have her birth certificate reflect her gender ident ...
* David Norris *
Tonie Walsh Tonie Walsh (born 25 December 1960 in Dublin, Ireland) is an LGBT rights activist, journalist, disc jockey, founding editor of Gay Community News (Dublin) and founder of the Irish Queer Archive. Biography Walsh spent most of his childhood in ...
*
Katherine Zappone Katherine Zappone (; born 25 November 1953) is an American-Irish independent politician who served as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs from May 2016 to June 2020. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-West constituency from ...


Israel

*
Imri Kalmann Imri Kalmann (; born June 17, 1986) is a social Activism, activist and former co-chairperson of the Israeli Israeli Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association, LGBT Association. He is an entrepreneur and a Tel Aviv nightlife personality w ...
, former co-chairperson of the Israeli LGBT Association * Yair Qedar, founder of Israel's first LGBT newspaper


Italy

* Franco Grillini *
Vladimir Luxuria Vladimir Luxuria (; born 24 June 1965) is an Italian activist, television personality and actress. Luxuria was a Communist Refoundation Party MP, belonging to The Union (political coalition), The Union coalition led by Romano Prodi. She was the ...
* Imma Battaglia


Jamaica

*
Maurice Tomlinson Maurice Tomlinson (born 1971) is a Jamaican lawyer, law professor, and gay rights activist currently living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has been a leading gay rights and HIV activist in the Caribbean for over 20 years and is one of the only ...
, LGBT and HIV/AIDS activist who challenged the homophobic
Sodomy Law A sodomy law is a law that defines certain sexual acts as crimes. The precise sexual acts meant by the term ''sodomy'' are rarely spelled out in the law, but are typically understood and defined by many courts and jurisdictions to include any ...
*
Brian Williamson Brian Williamson (4 September 1945 – 9 June 2004) was a Jamaican gay rights activist who co-founded the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG). He was known for being one of the earliest openly gay men in Jamaican society ...
, co-founded the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays


Japan

*
Taiga Ishikawa is a Japanese politician and LGBT activist. He was elected to the House of Councillors in the 2019 Japanese House of Councillors election, becoming the first openly-gay man to be elected to either chamber of the National Diet. Previously, he bec ...
* Wataru Ishizaka *
Maki Muraki is a Japanese LGBTQ activist. She is the head of the Osaka-based Japanese LGBT rights organization, Nijiiro ("Rainbow") Diversity. Through lectures and media appearances, she is an advocate for gay-friendly policies in office environments in Japan ...
(born 1974), head of Nijiro Diversity in Osaka *
Kanako Otsuji is a Japanese LGBT rights activist, member of the House of Representatives for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and retired karateka and taekwondoin. She is also former member of the House of Councilors, and a former member of the ...
, first openly lesbian politician in Japan


Kenya

* Denis Nzioka * Edwin Chiloba (deceased)


Kyrgyzstan

* Dastan Kasmamytov


Latvia

* Kristīne Garina, LGBT activist and co-founder of Mozaīka


Lebanon

* Georges Azzi *
Hamed Sinno Hamed Sinno (; born April 25, 1988) is a Lebanese-American musician and writer. They were the lead singer of the alternative rock band Mashrou' Leila until the group disbanded in 2022. Early life Sinno was born to a Lebanese father who had liv ...
* Sandra Melhem


Lithuania

*
Romas Zabarauskas Romas Zabarauskas (born 31 May 1990) is a Lithuanian film director, screenwriter, author, and producer. He established the film company Naratyvas in 2012. Zabarauskas, a member of the European Film Academy, completed film studies at the Paris 8 V ...
*
Marija Aušrinė Pavilionienė Marija Aušrinė Pavilionienė (born 6 April 1944 in Kaunas, Lithuania) is a Lithuanian philologist, professor, human rights activist, feminist writer and politician. She had been a member of Seimas from 2004 to 2008 as a member of Liberal Demo ...


Malta

* Ruth Baldacchino * Gabi Calleja * Mina Tolu


Mexico

* Ociel Baena, activist and Mexico's first non-binary magistrate * Nancy Cardenas, playwright, director, and LGBT+ activist * Gloria Angélica Careaga Pérez, social psychologist and activist *
Agnés Torres Hernández Agnes Torres Hernández, or Agnés Torres (born 1983, Tehuacán – d. 10 March 2012, Atlixco) was a Mexican psychologist, researcher, and transgender activist. Torres advocated for the legal recognition of transgender people in Mexico, and wa ...
, psychologist and transgender activist *
Claudia Hinojosa Claudia Hinojosa is a Mexican academic and an LGBT and human rights activist. She is also noted for being one of the first openly gay candidates to run for Congress in Mexico. She also served as adviser to the Mexican politician, Enoe Uranga. ...
, LGBT and human rights activist, academic *
Patria Jiménez Patria Jiménez (born Elsa Patria Jiménez Flores in 1957 in San Luis Potosí, Mexico) is a Mexican politician and head of '' El Clóset de Sor Juana'' (Sister Juana's Closet). In 1997, representing the PRD. Openly lesbian, she became the firs ...
, the first openly gay member of any Latin American legislature *
Bamby Salcedo Bamby Salcedo (born October 12, 1969) is a Mexican American transgender rights activist. She is the founder of the Los Angeles-based TransLatin@ Coalition. Early life and education Salcedo was born at El Hospital Civil de Guadalajara in Guad ...
, Mexican-American transgender activist * Julio César Martín-Trejo, Anglican bishop


Morocco

* Ibtissam Lachgar, psychologist and human rights and LGBT activist


Myanmar

* John Lwin, model agency founder, LGBT rights activist * Shin Thant, one of the leading LGBTQ+ rights activists in Myanmar


Nepal

*
Sunil Babu Pant Sunil Babu Pant (; born 28 June 1971) is a Nepali human rights activist, monk, and former politician who served as a member of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly between 2008 and 2013. Pant's campaigning for LGBT rights led to the Supreme Court ...
, first openly gay Nepali politician, former head of
Blue Diamond Society The Blue Diamond Society (BDS; Nepali: नील हीरा समाज) is an LGBT rights organization in Nepal. It was established in 2001 to advocate for change in the existing laws against homosexuality and to advocate for the rights of N ...
* Bhumika Shrestha


Netherlands

*
Willem Arondeus Willem Johan Cornelis Arondéus (22 August 1894 – 1 July 1943) was a Dutch artist and author who joined the Dutch resistance, Dutch anti-Nazi resistance movement during World War II. He participated in 1943 bombing of the Amsterdam civil regis ...
*
Vera Bergkamp Vera Alida Bergkamp (; ; born 1 June 1971) is a retired Dutch politician. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party, she served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 7 April 2021 to 5 December 2023. She was a member of the House of R ...
, former chairman of the world's oldest LGBT organization * John Blankenstein * Boris Dittrich * Coos Huijsen, first openly gay parliamentarian *
Henk Krol Henricus Cornelis Maria "Henk" Krol (; born 1 April 1950) is a Dutch journalist, publisher, entrepreneur, activist and politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2013, and again from 2014 to 2021. Having served as t ...
* Betty Paërl *
Marjan Sax Marjan Sax (born 26 December 1947) is a Dutch feminist lesbian activist, member of Dolle Mina and co-founder of a number of feminist organisations, ethical bank Mama Cash among them. Sax is also an advisor for charity organisations. Life S ...


New Zealand

*
Georgina Beyer Georgina Beyer (November 1957 – 6 March 2023) was a New Zealand Labour Party politician who represented Wairarapa in the Parliament of New Zealand from 1999 to 2005, after serving as mayor of Carterton from 1995 to 1999. Beyer was the worl ...
, first openly transgender mayor in NZ. * Suran Dickson *
Kevin Hague Kevin Grant Hague (born 18 March 1960) is a New Zealand public servant, activist and a former politician. Hague was a Member of Parliament for the Green Party from 2008 to 2016. Previously he had been a human rights and gay rights advocate, th ...
* Kassie Hartendorp * Ngahuia Te Awekotuku * Derek Williams (LGBT rights activist), co-founder of GaLTaS.


Nigeria

* Richard Akuson, lawyer and founder of Nigeria's first LGBT magazine * Bisi Alimi, British-Nigerian LGBT and HIV/AIDS activist * Aderonke Apata, LGBT activist and barrister


Norway

* Kim Friele * Christian Møllerop, leader of the
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
and
Akershus Akershus () is a county in Norway, with Oslo as its administrative centre, though Oslo is not located within Akershus. Akershus has been a region in Eastern Norway with Oslo as its main city since the Middle Ages, and is named after the Akers ...
LLH


Pakistan

* Faisal Alam * Nayyab Ali * Almas Bobby * Sara Gill * Nadeem Kashish * Aradhiya Khan * Bindiya Rana * Nisha Rao


Palestine

* Khader Abu-Seif * Rauda Morcos * Bashar Murad * Ghadir Shafie *
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Ahmed Shihab-Eldin (; born September 16, 1984) is a Kuwaiti journalist and media personality of Palestinian descent. Career He formerly worked at ''Huffington Post'' and Vice Media, Vice, and was a senior reporter for Al Jazeera Plus from 20 ...


Panama

* Gilberto Gerald, gay rights and HIV/AIDS activist, co-founder of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays


Peru

* Belissa Andía Pérez * Luisa Revilla * Giovanny Romero Infante


Philippines

*
Tonette Lopez Tonette Lopez (died April 25, 2006) was the first transgender woman activist in the Philippines and a popular Asian Activism, LGBT activist, HIV/AIDS researcher and journalist. Lopez led the 16th International AIDS Conference in 2005. Gahum Ph ...
*
Boy Abunda Eugenio "Boy" Romerica Abunda Jr. (; born October 29, 1961) is a Filipino television presenter, publicist, and talent manager. Known as the "King of Talk", Abunda has presented several talk shows centered on the Philippine entertainment indus ...


Poland

*
Robert Biedroń Robert Biedroń (; born 13 April 1976) is a Polish politician, former mayor of Słupsk, and LGBT activist who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019. He is the Chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equal ...
* Anna Grodzka * Krzysztof Garwatowski *
Krystian Legierski Krystian Legierski (born 22 April 1978 in Koniaków) is a Polish LGBT activist, entrepreneur, member of the The Greens (Poland), Greens. In 2010 Polish local elections, local elections in 2010 he won a seat in the Warsaw City Council, thus becomi ...
*
Paweł Leszkowicz Paweł Leszkowicz (born 17 December 1970) is a Polish art historian and art curator. He works as a lecturer and researcher at the Department of History of Art, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and lectures at the University of Fine Arts in ...
*
Szymon Niemiec Szymon Niemiec (born 5 October 1977, in Warsaw) is a Polish priest, gay rights activist, journalist, photographer, and politician. He is the founder of the first Polish Gay Pride parade, ''Parada Równości'' held in 2001. From 2000 to 2006, Nie ...


Portugal

* Miguel Vale de Almeida *
António Serzedelo António José Serzedelo Silva Marques (Lisbon, 15 May 1945) is a Portuguese human rights activist, radio broadcaster, actor and a scholar. He is the oldest live LGBT, LGBTI activist in Portugal (since May 1974). He was the author of the 1st LBGTI ...


Qatar

* Naser Mohamed


Romania

* Lucian Dunăreanu * Péter Eckstein-Kovács


Russia

* Nikolai Alekseev * Ali Feruz * Igor Kochetkov, head of the LGBT Network *
Yekaterina Samutsevich Yekaterina Stanislavovna Samutsevich (; born 9 August 1982) is a Russian political activist. She was a member of the anti-Putinist punk rock group Pussy Riot. Criminal history On 17 August 2012, she was convicted of hooliganism motivated by re ...
* Evgeny Shtorn * Mikhail Tumasov * Yulia Tsvetkova


Serbia

*
Dejan Nebrigić Dejan Nebrigić (; 29 December 1970 – 29 December 1999) was a Serbian gay and peace activist, writer and theatre critic. He was known as the initiator of the first trial of homophobic discrimination in Serbia. He was one of the founders of t ...
* Sonja Sajzor * Sajsi MC * Merlinka *
Goran Jevtić (actor) Goran Jevtić ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Јевтић; born 18 January 1978) is a Serbian actor; director and LGBT activist. During his two decade long career, Jevtić has composed a prolific range of performances notable in film, television and theate ...
* Lepa Mladjenovic * Kristian Ranđelović *
Boban Stojanović (activist) Boban Stojanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Бобан Стојановић; born 1978) is a Serbian activist. He has participated in events and actions promoting the rights of the LGBT community. Career Born in the Serbian city of Zaječar, Stojanovi ...


Sierra Leone

* FannyAnn Eddy


Singapore

*
Alex Au Alex Au Waipang, () also known by his Internet pseudonym as Yawning Bread, is an advocate of LGBT rights in Singapore. Au is a blogger and activist who provides analyses of Singaporean politics, culture, gay issues and miscellaneous subjects on ...
* Paddy Chew, first person in Singapore to come out as HIV-positive * Jean Chong


Slovakia

*
Zuzana Čaputová Zuzana Čaputová (; Strapáková; born 21 June 1973) is a Slovak politician, lawyer and environmental activist who served as the fifth president of Slovakia from 2019 to 2024. Čaputová is the first woman to hold the presidency, as well as the ...
* Imrich Matyáš *
Romana Schlesinger Romana Schlesinger (born 28 July 1986) is a Slovak LGBT rights activist. Between 2010 and 2017 she was the main organizer of the annual Bratislava Pride march. Biography Romana Schlesinger was born on 28 July 1986 in Trenčín in a family of Je ...
*
Michal Šimečka Michal Šimečka (born 10 May 1984) is a Slovak politician, journalist, and researcher, who served as a Vice-President of the European Parliament between 2022 and 2023. He also became a Member of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2023. In ...


Somalia

* Amal Aden * Farah Abdullahi Abdi * Sumaya Dalmar


South Africa

* Muhsin Hendricks * Abdurrazack "Zackie" Achmat * Dawn Cavanagh * Busi Khewsa *
Simon Nkoli Simon Tseko Nkoli (also spelled Simon Nkodi; 26 November 1957 – 30 November 1998) was an Internal resistance to South African apartheid, anti-apartheid, gay rights, and HIV/AIDS activism, AIDS activist in South Africa. Active in the Congress ...
, LGBT activist, founder of the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand *
Noxolo Nogwaza Noxolo Nogwaza (1987 – 24 April 2011) was a South African lesbian LGBT rights activist and member of the Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee. She was raped, then stoned and stabbed to death by assailants in KwaThema, Gauteng. Nogwaza had bee ...
*
Funeka Soldaat Funeka Soldaat is a lesbian community activist from South Africa, who works with the Triangle Project and is a founder of Khayelitsha-based lesbian advocacy group, Free Gender - both of which are non-profit, non-governmental organizations that ben ...
, leader of Free Gender Organisation in Khayelitsha, Western Cape * Midi Achmat, LGBT activist, co-founder of Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Association of Bisexuals, Gays, and Lesbians (ABIGALE) and the National Coalition of Lesbian and Gay Equality (NCLGE)


South Korea

* Jeong Yol *
Kim-Jho Gwangsoo Kim-Jho Gwang-soo (; born 26 March 1965), also known as Peter Kim, is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, film producer and LGBT rights activist. Career Kim Gwang-soo was born in Seongbuk District, Seoul. He disclosed his sexual orien ...
* Kwak Yi-kyong * Lee Gye-deok * Lim Tae-hoon * Yun Hyon-seok


Spain

* Oriol Pamies *
Ángeles Álvarez Ángeles Álvarez Álvarez (born 12 February 1961) is a Spanish politician and feminist activist. She served as a deputy for Madrid from 2011 to 2019. She was also a spokesperson for equality of the PSOE in the Congress of Deputies. She has a lon ...
* Carla Antonelli * Lucas Platero Spanish
educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
and
researcher Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...


Sri Lanka

* Sherman de Rose *
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera Rosanna Flamer-Caldera is a Sri Lankan LGBTIQ rights activist. She is the founder and executive director of EQUAL GROUND (2004-to present), the oldest LGBTIQ advocacy organisation pursuing LGBTIQ rights as part of the larger Human Rights fram ...


St. Lucia

* Kenita Placide


Sudan

* Ahmed Umar


Sweden

* Anna Mohr


Switzerland

*
Röbi Rapp Röbi Rapp (27 May 1930 – 26 August 2018) was a Swiss actor influential in the European LGBT social movement. He was a female impersonator and cabaret star as well as a member of ''Der Kreis'' (''The Circle''). Biography Rapp was born in Z ...
* Anna Rosenwasser *
Anna Vock Anna Vock (13 January 1885 – 4 December 1962) was a Swiss journalist, organizer, and LGBT activist during the interwar period in Switzerland. Although lesbianism was not criminalized like male homosexuality in Switzerland during her activist per ...


Syria

*
Abdulrahman Akkad Abdulrahman Akkad (Arabic: عبدالرحمن عقاد) is a Syrian political blogger, public speaker, and human rights activist. He currently resides in Berlin. Biography Early life and education Akkad was born in Aleppo to Syrian Muslim p ...


Taiwan

* Josephine Ho *
Chi Chia-wei Chi Chia-wei (; born 2 August 1958) is a Taiwanese gay rights activist. In 2020, he was included on ''Time (magazine), Time''s Time 100, list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Activism In March 1986, Chi became the first pers ...


Thailand

*
Matcha Phorn-in Matcha Phorn-in (; born 1979/1980) is a Thai feminist and activist for indigenous and LGBT rights. Early life Matcha grew up in Isan,' and was raised by a poor single mother.' These factors led her to be bullied in school. Starting at ag ...
* Vitit Muntarbhorn


Trinidad and Tobago

* Jason Jones *
Jowelle de Souza Jowelle De Souza (born May 12, 1974) is a hairdresser and community organizer active in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. She is well known for being an activist for gay and transgender rights and animal welfare. She is a successful business owne ...


Tunisia

* Mounir Baatour


Turkey

* Barış Sulu *
Demet Demir Demet Demir (born March 12, 1961) is a Turkish LGBT activist. She was awarded the Felipa de Souza Award in 1997 for her activism. Biography Demir was born in Yalova on March 12, 1961. After her parents divorced, she and her sister moved to Ista ...
*
Hande Kader Hande Kader (1993 – August 2016) was a politically active Turkish transgender woman. Kader was familiar to millions of Turks as a figurehead for the LGBT community after being photographed at the forefront of the resistance against police forc ...
(deceased) * Mehmet Tarhan *
Yasemin Öz Yasemin Öz is a Turkish lawyer and LGBT rights activist. Whilst studying law, she founded KAOS GL and writes reports monitoring human rights issues in Turkey. Öz participates in UN Women groups and was given the Felipa de Souza award by OutRigh ...


Uganda

*
David Kato David Kato Kisule ( – 26 January 2011) was a Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement and described as "Uganda's first openly gay man". He served as advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities ...
*
Kasha Nabagesera Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera (also known as Jacqueline Kasha) (born 1980) is a Ugandan LGBT rights activist and the founder and executive director of the LGBT rights organization Freedom & Roam Uganda (FARUG). She received the Martin Ennals Award ...
*
Pepe Julian Onziema Pepe Julian Onziema (born November 30, 1980) is a Ugandan LGBT rights and human rights activist. He began his human rights work in 2003. Onziema is the Director of Programs at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an Intersex and LGBT, LGBTI advo ...


Ukraine

* Bogdan Globa * Vitalina Koval


United Kingdom

*
Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham (; 4 February Dual dating, 1747/8 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.
5 February 1748 Old Style and New Style dates, N.S. 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. Humans, and many other animals, have 5 digits on their limbs. Mathematics 5 is a Fermat pri ...
– 6 June 1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of mo ...
, 19th-century jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. *
Bette Bourne Bette Bourne (; born Peter Bourne; 22 September 1939 – 23 August 2024) was a British actor, drag queen, and activist. His theatrical career spanned six decades. He came to prominence in the mid-1970s when he adopted the name "Bette" and a rad ...
, actor, performer, founder of the Gay theatrical troupe Bloolips, and one of the first modern-day UK LGBTQ+ activists and campaigners. * Michael C. Burgess, courier and co-treasurer of
OutRage! OutRage! was a British political group focused on lesbian and gay rights. Founded in 1990, the organisation ran for 21 years until 2011. It described itself as "a broad based group of queers committed to radical, non-violent protest, non-viol ...
* Christine Burns, trans rights campaigner, formerly a vice president of PfC, awarded MBE for work with PfC and on the GRB * Tanya Compas, queer Black rights activist based in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
* A.E. Dyson, literary critic and founder of the
Homosexual Law Reform Society The Homosexual Law Reform Society was an organisation in the 20th century that campaigned in the United Kingdom for changes to the set of laws which criminalised homosexuality at the time. History In 1954, the Conservative government set up a D ...
*
Jackie Forster Jackie Forster (née Jacqueline Moir Mackenzie; 6 November 1926 – 10 October 1998) was an English news reporter, actress and lesbian rights activist.p.270 From the Closet to the Screen – Jill Gardner Early life Forster's father was a c ...
, actress, TV personality and lesbian campaigner * Moud Goba, LGBTIQ+ human rights activist. * Ray Gosling, writer, broadcaster and gay rights activist in the
Campaign for Homosexual Equality The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) was a membership organisation in the United Kingdom with a stated aim from 1969 to promote legal and social equality for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in England and Wales. Active throughout the 1970s ...
. *
Antony Grey Anthony Edgar Gartside Wright (6 October 1927 – 30 April 2010), better known by his pseudonym Antony Grey, was an English LGBT rights activist. Grey was credited by Lord Arran to have "done more than any single man to bring this social prob ...
, Secretary of the Homosexual Law Reform Society; the public face of the
Albany Trust The Albany Trust is a British organisation which describes itself as a "specialist counselling and psychotherapy charity, focusing on a positive approach to sexuality and relationships". It was founded as a registered charity in May 1958 to compl ...
* Liam Hackett, founder of anti-bullying website and charity Ditch the Label *
Derek Jarman Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman (31 January 1942 – 19 February 1994) was an English artist, film maker, costume designer, stage designer, writer, poet, gardener, and gay rights activist. Biography Jarman was born at the Royal Victoria Nursing ...
, film director * Craig Jones (Royal Navy officer), LGBTQ+ rights campaigner for the UK armed forces, founder of Fighting with Pride and author.

*
Paris Lees Paris Lees is an English author, journalist, presenter and campaigner. She topped ''The Independent on Sunday''s 2013 Pink List, came second in the 2014 Rainbow List, and was awarded the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT in the 2012 National ...
, trans rights campaigner, part of
Trans Media Watch Trans Media Watch (TMW) is a British charity founded in 2009 to improve media coverage of transgender and intersex issues. By improving media coverage, TMW strives to "foster social acceptance and civil recognition for trans persons", and to pr ...
* Denis Lemon, Editor of ''Gay News'', involved in blasphemy prosecution brought by Mary Whitehouse * Andrew Moffat, LGBT education advocate, author and founder the ''No Outsiders'' programme *
Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...
, actor and spokesperson for
Stonewall (UK) Stonewall Equality Limited, trading as Stonewall, is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) rights charity in the United Kingdom. It is the largest LGBT rights organisation in Europe. Named after the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York ...
* Robert Mellors, 20th-century writer and
Gay Liberation Front Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was the name of several gay liberation groups, the first of which was formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the Stonewall riots. Similar organizations also formed in the UK, Australia and Canada. The GLF p ...
campaigner *
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah Phyllis Akua Opoku-Gyimah (born November 1974), also known as Lady Phyll, is a British political activist known for her work for racial, gender and LGBT+ equality. She is Co-Founder and Chief Executive of UK Black Pride and former executive dire ...
, British political activist and co-founder of
UK Black Pride UK Black Pride (UKBP) is a black gay pride event in London that has taken place since 2005. It is Europe's largest celebration of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Caribbean heritage lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ...
* Paul Patrick, anti-homophobia activist and educator *
Saima Razzaq Saima Razzaq is a British political activist and educator, co-chair of SEEDS (Supporting the Education of Equality in Schools) and Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Birmingham Pride. Razzaq actively campaigns for LGBT inclusive education in sc ...
, LGBT inclusive education activist and
Birmingham Pride Birmingham Pride is a weekend-long LGBTQ+ festival held annually in the Gay Village, Hurst Street, Birmingham, England, over the spring bank holiday weekend. Birmingham Pride is the UK's largest two-day gay pride festival. It usually featur ...
Head of Diversity and Inclusion * Michael Schofield, sociologist and early gay rights campaigner *
Michael Steed Michael Steed (25 January 1940 – 30 August 2023) was a British psephologist, political scientist, broadcaster, activist and Liberal Democrat politician. He wrote extensively on political parties and elections. Education and early life Mich ...
, Liberal politician, academic and gay rights activist in the Campaign for Homosexual Equality *
Ben Summerskill Ben Jeffrey Peter Summerskill (born 6 October 1961) is chair of The Silver Line and director of the Criminal Justice Alliance, a consortium of 135 charities working across the GB criminal justice pathway. He was the chief executive of the UK- ...
, former chief executive of Stonewall *
Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is an Australian-born British human rights campaigner, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party's Parliament of the United Kingdo ...
, politician, human rights and LGBT rights campaigner *
Stephen Whittle Stephen Thomas Whittle (born 29 May 1955) is a British legal scholar and activist with the transgender activist group Press for Change. Since 2007, he has been Professor of Equalities Law in the School of Law at Manchester Metropolitan Univers ...
, trans rights campaigner and former vice president of PfC and president of HBIGDA, Law Professor at MMU, awarded
OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
for work with PfC and on the GRB * Derek Williams (LGBT rights activist), co-founder of GaLTaS.


United States

* Kimball Allen, author of '' Secrets of a Gay Mormon Felon'' and ''
Be Happy Be Mormon Kimball Allen (born February 22, 1982) is an American writer, journalist, playwright, and actor. He is the author of two autobiographical one-man plays: ''Secrets of a Gay Mormon Felon'' (2012) and ''Be Happy Be Mormon'' (2014). The latter premi ...
'' * Jacob Appel,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
-based lawyer, advocate for reparations for gays and lesbians * Gilbert Baker (1951–2017), designer of the
rainbow flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the seven spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. History In the 18th century, American Revolutionary ...
*
Christopher R. Barron Christopher R. Barron (born December 15, 1973) is an American political activist best known as the cofounder of GOProud, a political organization representing gay conservatives. He is the president of CapSouth Consulting, a political consulting ...
, co-founder of
GOProud GOProud was an American tax-exempt 527 organization supported by fiscally conservative gay men, lesbians, and their allies. GOProud advocated for "free markets, limited government, and a respect for individual rights" and worked at the federal an ...
, a
political organization A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, and special interest advocacy groups. Political organizations are those engaged in polit ...
representing
gay conservatives LGBTQ conservatism refers to LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) individuals with conservative political views. Terminology LGBTQ conservatism is an umbrella term which may be divided into two specific sub-categories, ea ...
* Paul Barwick *
Vic Basile Victor Basile is an author and American LGBT rights activist who was the first executive director of the Human Rights Campaign (then the Human Rights Campaign Fund), serving in that position from June 1983 to June 1989. Basile served in the Clin ...
, first executive director of the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
* Wayne Besen, founder of
Truth Wins Out Truth Wins Out (TWO) is an organization formed by Wayne Besen to fight what he considers "anti-gay religious extremism", especially the ex-gay movement. History Besen formed Truth Wins Out on June 7, 2006, as a response to the belief that a p ...
, former spokesman for the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
* Elizabeth Birch, former executive director of the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
*
Dustin Lance Black Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. He is known for writing the film ''Milk'', for which he won the Oscar for best original screenplay in 2009. He has also subsequen ...
, founding board member of the
American Foundation for Equal Rights The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) was a nonprofit organization active in the United States from 2009 through 2015. The organization was established to support the plaintiffs in ''Hollingsworth v. Perry'' (formerly ''Perry v. Brown'' ...
*
Chaz Bono Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonn ...
, transgender son of
Sonny Bono Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono ( ; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician. In partnership with his second wife, Cher, he formed the singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republican Pa ...
and
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
*
Jennifer Finney Boylan Jennifer Finney Boylan (born June 22, 1958) is an American author, transgender activist, professor at Barnard College, and a former contributing opinion writer for the ''New York Times''. In December 2023, she became the president of PEN America ...
(1958 - ), transgender author, professor, and trans rights activist, former co-chair of
GLAAD GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...
's National Board of Directors. * David P. Brill (1955–1979),
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
-based journalist * Blake Brockington (1996–2014), African American transgender rights activist. * Jenny Bruso, hiker, influencer, and an activist for inclusivity and body positivity *
Judith Butler Judith Pamela Butler (born February 24, 1956) is an American feminist philosopher and gender studies scholar whose work has influenced political philosophy, ethics, and the fields of third-wave feminism, queer theory, and literary theory. In ...
, philosopher and gender theorist *
Margarethe Cammermeyer Margarethe "Grethe" Cammermeyer (born March 24, 1942) is a Norwegian-American former military officer. She served as a colonel in the Washington National Guard and became a gay rights activist. Early life and education Born in Oslo, Norwa ...
, former
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in the
Washington National Guard The Washington National Guard is one of the four elements of the State of Washington's Washington Military Department and a component of the National Guard of the United States. It is headquartered at Camp Murray, Washington and is defined by ...
whose coming out story was made into the 1995 movie ''
Serving in Silence ''Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story'' is a 1995 American television film that aired on NBC on February 6, 1995 and stars Glenn Close and Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress. In a career sp ...
'' *
Gloria Casarez Gloria Casarez (December 13, 1971 – October 19, 2014) was a groundbreaking American civil rights leader from Philadelphia. A proud Philadelphian, she dedicated her life to advocating for marginalized communities and advancing social justice. ...
(1971–2014), Latina lesbian civil rights leader and LGBT activist in Philadelphia. Philadelphia's first director of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) affairs. * Ryan Cassata, transgender activist, public speaker and singer-songwriter *
June Chan June Chan (born June 6, 1956) is an American lesbian activist and biologist. As the organizer and co-founder of the Asian Lesbians of the East Coast (ALOEC), Chan raised awareness for LGBTQ issues relating to the Asian American community. Biogra ...
, Asian American lesbian activist * RuPaul Andre Charles, known as RuPaul, drag queen and gay activist known for the TV show ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' * Madonna Louise Ciccone, known as
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
(born 1958), entertainer and long-term human and civil rights activist; has offered outspoken support for the gay rights movement * Joanne Conte,
trans woman A trans woman or transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria (distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their ...
, former
Arvada, Colorado Arvada () is a home rule city located in Jefferson and Adams counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 124,402 at the 2020 United States census, with 121,510 residing in Jefferson County and 2,892 in Adams County. Arvada is ...
City Councilor, currently hosts a radio show on
KGNU KGNU (1390 AM) & KGNU-FM (88.5 FM) are a pair of community radio stations licensed to Denver and Boulder, Colorado respectively. KGNU is owned by Boulder Community Broadcast Association, Inc. History KFML 1390 AM was first licensed on April ...
*
Lynn Conway Lynn Ann Conway (January 2, 1938 – June 9, 2024) was an American computer scientist, electrical engineer, and transgender activist. In the 1960s, while working at IBM, Conway invented generalized dynamic instruction handling, a key advance ...
, trans woman computer scientist and electrical engineer *
Ruby Corado Ruby Corado (born in San Salvador, El Salvador) is an activist who founded Casa Ruby, a bilingual, multicultural LGBTQ organization in Washington, D.C. Established in 2012, Casa Ruby identifies its mission as "to create success life stories amon ...
, Salvadoran activist and founder of Casa Ruby * James Dale, known for landmark US Supreme Court case ''Boy Scouts of America v. Dale'' (2000) that challenged the Boy Scouts of America policy of excluding gay youth and adults * Alphonso David (born 1970), the first person of color to serve as president for the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
, as of August 2019, served as a staff attorney for
Lambda Legal The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, better known as Lambda Legal, is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS ( PWAs) throug ...
where he worked on New York State's first same-sex marriage case, ''
Hernandez v. Robles Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in New York since July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act. The Act does not have a residency restriction, as some similar laws in other U.S. states do. It also allows religious organizations t ...
'' also the Former Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights for
New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
under
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...
*
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...
(26 January 1958,
Metairie, Louisiana Metairie ( ) is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. With a population of 143,507 in 2020, Metairie is ...
), comedian, television host, actress, writer, producer, and LGBT activist * Stephen Donaldson (1946–1996), early
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...
activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...
founder of the first American gay students' organization, first person to fight a discharge from the U.S. military for homosexuality, also an important figure in the modern bisexual rights movement *
Julie Dorf Julie Dorf (born February 28, 1965) is an international human rights advocate best known as the founding executive director of OutRight Action International (then known as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission). She started th ...
(born 1965, Milwaukee, Wisconsin), international LGBT human rights advocate and founder of
OutRight Action International Outright International (Outright) is an LGBTIQ human rights non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. OutRight International documents human ...
*
Fran Drescher Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress and trade unionist. She is currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She pla ...
, (born 1957, Flushing, New York), outspoken healthcare advocate and LGBT rights activist. *
Mason J. Dunn Mason J. Dunn (born 1985) is an American lawyer, educator, and LGBTQ+ rights advocate based in Massachusetts (MA). Dunn is known for their long-standing work in transgender rights and public policy, including co-chairing the "Yes on 3" campaign, ...
(born 1985), lawyer, educator, and LGBTQ+ rights advocate based in Massachusetts. * John Duran *
Sarah Kate Ellis Sarah Kate Ellis (born November 27, 1971) is an American media executive and activist. After Ellis's graduation from Russell Sage College in 1993 with a degree in Sociology and minor in Women's Studies, she began her career in media through the ...
(born 1971), President & CEO of
GLAAD GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...
. *
Steve Endean Stephen Robert "Steve" Endean (August 6, 1948 – August 4, 1993) was an American gay rights activist, first in Minnesota, then nationally. Endean was the first lobbyist for LGBT rights at the Minnesota State Capitol. He was the director of ...
, (1948–1993), founder of the
Human Rights Campaign Fund The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LG ...
* Arden Eversmeyer (born 1931), Founder of Lesbians Over Age Fifty (LOAF) and the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project (OLOHP) * Matt Foreman (born 1953), executive director of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force The National LGBTQ Task Force (formerly National Gay Task Force; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force) is an American social justice advocacy non-profit organizing the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBT ...
(NGLTF) *
Barney Frank Barnett Frank (born March 31, 1940) is a retired American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Frank served as chairman of th ...
(born 1940), member of the Democratic Party who served as a member of
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
from
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
from 1981 to 2013 *
Aaron Fricke Aaron Fricke (born January 25, 1962) is an American gay rights activist and author. He was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He is best known for '' Fricke v. Lynch'', a legal case in which he won his first amendment legal right to attend prom and ...
(born 1962), sued the
Cumberland, Rhode Island Cumberland is the northeasternmost town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, first settled in 1635 and incorporated in 1746. The population was 36,405 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-largest municipality and the largest ...
school system in 1980 and won a landmark First Amendment case granting him the legal right to attend prom with another boy, an experience he chronicled in the gay coming-of-age memoir ''Reflections of a Rock Lobster'' *
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
,
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
singer/songwriter who campaigned for the
DADT "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of homosexual people. Instituted during the Clinton administration, the policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December 21, ...
repeal; released pro-gay anthem "Born This Way" (2011) *
Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...
(1926–1997), Beat poet and political activist. *
Barbara Gittings Barbara Gittings (July 31, 1932 – February 18, 2007) was an American LGBTQ movements, LGBTQ activist. She started the New York City, New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) in 1958, edited the national DOB magazine ''The Ladde ...
(1932–2007), founder of the New York City chapter of the
Daughters of Bilitis The Daughters of Bilitis (), also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955, was initially conceived as a secret soc ...
who also pushed for the
American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...
to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM). *
Neil Giuliano Neil Gerard Giuliano (born October 26, 1956) is an American politician who served as mayor of Tempe, Arizona for four terms, from 1994 to 2004 (Three two-year terms and one four-year term). After serving in elected office he served as president of ...
* Alexander John Goodrum (1960–2002) was an
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...
* Chad Griffin (born 1973), Former president of the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
, and founder of
American Foundation for Equal Rights The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) was a nonprofit organization active in the United States from 2009 through 2015. The organization was established to support the plaintiffs in ''Hollingsworth v. Perry'' (formerly ''Perry v. Brown'' ...
, a nonprofit organization that supports the plaintiffs in the California Proposition 8 trial * James Gruber (1928–2011), original member of the
Mattachine Society The Mattachine Society (), founded in 1950, was an early national gay rights organization in the United States, preceded by several covert and open organizations, such as Chicago's Society for Human Rights. Communist and labor activist Harry Ha ...
* Hardy Haberman, author, filmmaker, prominent member of the Leather/Fetish/BDSM community, and activist involved in founding of first LGBT group in Dallas, TX * David M. Hall, author of ''Allies at Work: Creating a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Inclusive Work Environment'', speaks to corporate audiences across the country, co-founder of Out & Equal Philadelphia. *
Harry Hay Henry Hay Jr. (April 7, 1912 – October 24, 2002) was an American gay rights activist, communist, and union organizer, labor advocate. He cofounded the Mattachine Society, the first sustained gay rights group in the United States, as well as th ...
(1912–2002), co-founder of the
Mattachine Society The Mattachine Society (), founded in 1950, was an early national gay rights organization in the United States, preceded by several covert and open organizations, such as Chicago's Society for Human Rights. Communist and labor activist Harry Ha ...
* John Heilman *
Essex Hemphill Essex Hemphill (April 16, 1957 – November 4, 1995) was an openly gay American poet and activist. He is known for his contributions to the Washington, D.C. art scene in the 1980s, and for openly discussing the topics pertinent to the African-Ame ...
(1957–1995), African American poet * Daniel Hernandez Jr. (born 1990), member of Tucson's city commission on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, who was credited with saving the life of U.S. Representative
Gabby Giffords Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun violence prevention advocate. She served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when ...
after the
2011 Tucson shooting On January 8, 2011, United States Representative Gabby Giffords and 18 others were shot during a constituent meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in the Tucson metropolitan area. Six people were killed, inclu ...
* Brenda Howard (1946–2005),
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...
activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...
, an instrumental figure in the immediate post-Stonewall era in New York City, also an important figure in the modern bisexual rights movement *
John Paul Hudson John Paul Hudson (March 21, 1929 – February 18, 2002) was an American gay activist, writer, and actor. He was one of the organizers of the first gay pride march in New York City and is recognized as one of the first gay activists and preservers ...
(1929–2002), activist, journalist, actor, and author; helped organize NYC's first gay pride parade following the Stonewall riots, serving as the parade's first grand marshal * Sally Huffer (born 1965), board member of multiple LGBT non profit organizations * Richard Isay (1934–2012) * Cheryl Jacques (born 1962), former member of the
Massachusetts State Legislature The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. The name "General Court" is a holdover from the earliest days of ...
and the president of the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
from January through November 2004. She resigned from this post less than a month after the passage of 11 state constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. * Helen G. James * Dale Jennings (1917–2000), co-founder of the
Mattachine Society The Mattachine Society (), founded in 1950, was an early national gay rights organization in the United States, preceded by several covert and open organizations, such as Chicago's Society for Human Rights. Communist and labor activist Harry Ha ...
* Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992) *
Cleve Jones Cleve Jones (born October 11, 1954) is an American AIDS and LGBT rights activist. He conceived the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which has become, at 54 tons, the world's largest piece of community folk art as of 2020. In 1983 at the onset ...
(born 1954), conceived the
NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, often abbreviated to AIDS Memorial Quilt or AIDS Quilt, is a memorial to celebrate the lives of people who have died of AIDS-related causes. Weighing an estimated 54 tons, it is the largest piece of communit ...
and worked with Harvey Milk; co-founded the
San Francisco AIDS Foundation The San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services for people with HIV/AIDS, with a mission to end the HIV/AIDS in the United States, AIDS epidemic in the United States. They were founded in 1982, ...
*
Christine Jorgensen Christine Jorgensen (; May 30, 1926 – May 3, 1989) was an American actress, singer, recording artist, and transgender activist. A trans woman, she was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having Sex reassignment ...
(1926–1989), first person to become widely known for having sex reassignment surgery in the United States *
Frank Kameny Franklin Edward Kameny (May 21, 1925 – October 11, 2011) was an American gay rights activist. He has been referred to as "one of the most significant figures" in the American gay rights movement. During the Lavender scare, in 1957, Kame ...
(1925–2011), participant in many gay rights rallies of the 1960s and 1970s, most notably the push in 1972–1973 for the
American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...
to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the ''
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (''DSM''; latest edition: ''DSM-5-TR'', published in March 2022) is a publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a com ...
'' (DSM) * Norm Kent *
Morris Kight Morris Kight (November 19, 1919January 19, 2003) was an American gay rights pioneer and peace activist. He is considered one of the original founders of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement in the United States. Biography Early life Kigh ...
(1919–2003), founder of Los Angeles' Gay and Lesbian Front and
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center The Los Angeles LGBT Center (previously known as the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center) is a provider of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The organization's work spans four categories, including health, so ...
* Lisa Kove (born 1958), executive director of the Department of Defense Federal Globe and President of Empowering Spirits Foundation *
Larry Kramer Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...
(1935–2020), author and playwright who helped form the prominent gay rights organizations
Gay Men's Health Crisis The GMHC (formerly Gay Men's Health Crisis) is a New York City–based non-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based AIDS service organization whose mission statement is to "end the AIDS epidemic and uplift the lives of all affected." Foun ...
and AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT-UP) *
Kiyoshi Kuromiya Kiyoshi Kuromiya (, May 9, 1943 – May 10, 2000) was a Japanese-American author and civil rights, anti-war, gay liberation, and HIV/AIDS activist. Born in Wyoming at the World War II–era Japanese American internment camp known as Heart Mo ...
(1943–2000), author and
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
,
anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...
,
gay liberation The gay liberation movement was a social and political movement of the late 1960s through the mid-1980s in the Western world, that urged lesbians and gay men to engage in radical direct action, and to counter societal shame with gay pride.Hoff ...
, and
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
activist. *
Janice Langbehn Janice K. Langbehn (born September 22, 1968) is a gay American activist, social worker, and attorney who became an activist as a result of the events surrounding the death of her partner, Lisa Marie Pond (October 8, 1967 − February 19, 2007). La ...
(born 1968), campaigner for same-sex marriage and same-sex hospital visitation after being denied access to her dying partner, Lisa Marie Pond, in 2007 *
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
(born 1953), founder of the True Colors Fund charity which promotes equality for members of the LGBT community * Malcolm L. Lazin *
Audre Lorde Audre Lorde ( ; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, professor, philosopher, Intersectional feminism, intersectional feminist, poet and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "Bl ...
*
Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, Love has had a career spanning four decades. She rose to promi ...
(born 1964), a musician and singer, has advocated for LGBT rights and acceptance since the beginning of her career in the early 1990s * Scott Long (born 1963), executive director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
. *
Phyllis Lyon Dorothy Louise Taliaferro "Del" Martin (May 5, 1921 – August 27, 2008) and Phyllis Ann Lyon (November 10, 1924 – April 9, 2020) were an American lesbian couple based in San Francisco who were known as feminist and gay-rights activis ...
(1924–2020), lesbian activist who co-founded the
Daughters of Bilitis The Daughters of Bilitis (), also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. The organization, formed in San Francisco in 1955, was initially conceived as a secret soc ...
with longtime partner Del Martin *
Del Martin Dorothy Louise Taliaferro "Del" Martin (May 5, 1921 – August 27, 2008) and Phyllis Ann Lyon (November 10, 1924 – April 9, 2020) were an American lesbian couple based in San Francisco who were known as feminist and gay-rights activis ...
(1921–2008), lesbian activist who co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis with longtime partner Phyllis Lyon *
Tim McFeeley Tim McFeeley (born 1946) is an American lawyer and gay activist. Formerly the executive director of the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), a progressivism in the United States, progressive political non profit, he is currently a Vice President ...
*
Aldyn Mckean Aldyn Mckean (August 7, 1948 - February 28, 1994) was a singer, actor and advocate for gay rights and the rights of people with AIDS. Early life Aldyn Mckean was born John Baldwin McKean in Troy, Pennsylvania and raised in Lewiston, Idaho. He atten ...
, singer and gay rights/AIDS activist. *
Harvey Milk Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised i ...
(1930–1978), openly gay city supervisor of
San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
who was assassinated (along with mayor
George Moscone George Richard Moscone ( ; November 24, 1929 – November 27, 1978) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 37th mayor of San Francisco from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. He was known as "The People's ...
) in 1978 by
Dan White Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was an American politician who assassinated George Moscone, the 37th mayor of San Francisco, and Harvey Milk, a fellow member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, inside San ...
* David Nelson (born 1962), founder of Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats, and Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah. * Jack Nichols (1937–2005), journalist, writer, activist and co-founder of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C., with Frank Kameny * Barbara Noda, advocates for LGBT rights in the San Francisco Bay Area *
Tyler Oakley Mathew Tyler Oakley (born March 22, 1989) is an American YouTuber, actor, activist, author, television personality and Twitch streamer. Much of Oakley's activism has been dedicated to LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ rights, as well as social issues including ...
*
Romaine Patterson Romaine Patterson (born March 31, 1978) is an American LGBT rights activist, radio personality, and author. She first received national attention for her activism at the funeral of murdered gay student Matthew Shepard; the two became friends whe ...
(1978–), lesbian talk show host and founder of Angel Action *
Troy Perry Troy Deroy Perry Jr. (born July 27, 1940) is an American cleric who founded the Metropolitan Community Church, with a ministry with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, in Los Angeles on October 6, 1968. Early life Troy Pe ...
* Charles Pitts *
Sylvia Rivera Sylvia Rivera (July 2, 1951 – February 19, 2002) was an American gay liberation and transgender activism, transgender rights activist September 21, 1995. Accessed July 24, 2015. who was also a noted community worker in LGBT history in New Yo ...
* Brandan Robertson *
Geena Rocero Geena Rocero (born 1983) is a Filipino-born American model, TED speaker, and transgender advocate based in New York City. Rocero is the founder of Gender Proud, a media production company that tells stories of the transgender community worldwi ...
*
Craig Rodwell Craig L. Rodwell (October 31, 1940 – June 18, 1993) was an American gay rights activist known for founding the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop on November 24, 1967 - the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors - and as the prime mo ...
* Abby Rubenfeld *
Vito Russo Vito Russo (; July 11, 1946 – November 7, 1990) was an American LGBT activist, film historian, and author. He is best remembered as the author of the book '' The Celluloid Closet'' (1981, revised edition 1987), described in ''The New York Ti ...
*
Bayard Rustin Bayard Rustin ( ; March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was an American political activist and prominent leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. Rustin was the principal organizer of the March on Wash ...
(1912–1987), openly gay
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
activist, principal organizer and co-leader of the 1963
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (commonly known as the March on Washington or the Great March on Washington) was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...
and advisor to
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
; gay rights activist in later life * Ryan Sallans (born 1979), out
trans man A trans man or transgender man is a man who was assigned female at birth. Trans men have a male gender identity, and many trans men undergo medical and social transition to alter their appearance in a way that aligns with their gender identi ...
and public speaker – travels around US educating high school and college students on LGBT issues *
Graciela Sanchez Graciela Sanchez (born April 24, 1960) is a community organizer and social justice activist based out of San Antonio, Texas. She is the founder and executive director of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, known for being a long-time organi ...
(born 1960), American social justice activist and founder of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center *
José Sarria José Julio Sarria (December 13, 1922 – August 19, 2013), also known as The Grand Mere, Absolute Empress I de San Francisco, and the Widow Norton, was an American political activist from San Francisco, California, who, in 1961, became the f ...
(born 1922 or 1923), first openly gay candidate for political office in the United States, founder of the
Imperial Court System The International Imperial Court System (IICS) also known as the International Court System is one of the oldest and largest LGBT organizations in the world. The Imperial Court System is a grassroots network of organizations that works to build ...
* Tully Satre *
Dan Savage Daniel Keenan Savage (born October 7, 1964) is an American author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBTQ community activist. He writes Savage Love, an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column. In 2010, Savage and his husband, ...
*
Richard L. Schlegel Richard Lamar Schlegel (February 11, 1927 – February 25, 2006) was an American LGBT rights activist and civil servant from Pennsylvania. Fired from federal and state government jobs on account of his sexual orientation, he filed a wrongful term ...
(1927–2006), Pennsylvania activist whose wrongful termination suit is considered an early landmark case for gay rights. * Josh Seefried, United States Air Force first lieutenant and co-director of OutServe, the association of actively serving LGBT military. *
Drew Shafer Drew Shafer (April 9, 1936 – September 30, 1989) was an American gay activist from Kansas City, Missouri. Early life Shafer was an only child who had "a happy upbringing" in a middle-class home, with supportive parents Phyllis and Robert Sha ...
(1936–1989), gay activist from
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, known for bringing the homophile movement to KC, and publishing '' The Phoenix: Midwest Homophile Voice''. *
Michelangelo Signorile Michelangelo Signorile (; born December 19, 1960) is an American journalist, author and talk radio host. His radio program is aired each weekday across the United States and Canada on Sirius XM Radio and globally online. Signorile was editor ...
* Charles Silverstein (1935–2023), gay psychologist who was the founder of the ''
Journal of Homosexuality The ''Journal of Homosexuality'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research into sexual practices and gender roles in their cultural, historical, interpersonal, and modern social contexts. History The founding editor-in-chief was Ch ...
'' and key in testifying against the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder.'''' * Ruth Simpson (1926–2008), founder of the first lesbian community center, former President of Daughters of Bilitis New York, author of ''From the Closet to the Courts'' * Nadine Smith (born 1965), LGBTQ+ rights activist * Joe Solmonese (born 1965), former political fundraiser and past president of the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
* A. Latham Staples (born 1977), founder and Chairman of the Empowering Spirits Foundation, current President & CEO of EXUSMED, Inc. *
Abby Stein Rabbi Abby Chava Stein (; born October 1, 1991) is an Israeli-American author, rabbi, activist, blogger, model, and public speaker. A member of New York's ultra orthodox Jewish community and an ordained rabbi, Stein made headlines after she cam ...
(born 1991), advocate for transgender people of
Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tra ...
background *
Lou Sullivan Louis Graydon Sullivan (June 16, 1951 – March 2, 1991) was an American author and activist known for his work on behalf of trans men. He was perhaps the first transgender man to publicly identify as gay,Highleyman, Liz"Who was Lou Sullivan?" ...
* Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network *
Urvashi Vaid Urvashi Vaid (October 8, 1958 – May 14, 2022) was an Indian-born American LGBT rights activist, lawyer, and writer. An expert in gender and sexuality law, she was a consultant in attaining specific goals of social justice. She held a series of ...
(1958–2022), Indian-American activist who has worked for over 25 years promoting civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. * Elisha Wiesel (born 1972), hedge fund manager and activist *
Phill Wilson Phill Wilson is an American activist who founded the Black AIDS Institute in 1999, and served as its CEO, and is a prominent African-American HIV/AIDS activist. Career Phill Wilson's career in activism started after he and his partner, Chris ...
(born 1956, Chicago, Illinois), co-founder of the National Black Lesbian & Gay Leadership Forum and founder of The Black AIDS Institute. *
Evan Wolfson Evan Wolfson (born February 4, 1957) is an American attorney and gay rights advocate. He is the founder of Freedom to Marry, a group favoring same-sex marriage in the United States, serving as president until its 2015 victory and subsequent wind ...
*
William E. Woods William Everett Woods (October 9, 1949 – September 28, 2008) was an American Gay rights activism, gay rights activist. He advocated for better treatment of gay people through his political organizing and public commentary. In 1990, he took thr ...
(1949–2008), a gay rights activist in Hawaii who in 1991 set in motion the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. *
Chely Wright Chely Wright (born Richell Rene Wright; October 25, 1970) is an American Activism, activist, author, and country music artist. She initially rose to fame as a commercial country recording artist with several charting singles, including the numb ...


Uruguay

* Delfina Martínez * Marcela Pini


Venezuela

*
Tamara Adrián Tamara Adrián (born 20 February 1954, in Caracas) is a Venezuelan politician, who was elected to the National Assembly of Venezuela in the 2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election.Daniel Arzola, writer, artist, and activist * Quiteria Franco * Feliciano Reyna


Vietnam

* Lương Thế Huy


Zambia

* Kapya Kaoma * John Abdallah Wambere


Zimbabwe

* Moud Goba *
Rikki Nathanson Rikki Nathanson (born ) is a Zimbabwean Transgender rights movement, transgender activist. She founded the organization Trans Research Education Advocacy and Training (TREAT) in 2015. After an arrest for entering a women's bathroom in Bulawayo in 2 ...
* Tsitsi Tiripano


See also

*
List of LGBT rights organizations This is a list of LGBTQ rights organizations around the world. For social and support groups or organizations affiliated with mainstream religious organizations, please see ''List of LGBT-related organizations and conferences''. For organization ...
*
LGBTQ social movements Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBTQ people in society. Although there is not a primary or an overarching central organization that represents all LGBTQ people and their i ...
* List of LGBT firsts by year * List of years in LGBT rights


References


Further reading

* *


External links


Gay rights and LGBTQI movements in Europe
at Encyclopedia of European History
LGBT Rights Movement & Activitsts
at Gale Publishing {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Lgbt Rights Activists
LGBT rights activists A list of notable LGBTQ social movements, LGBTQ rights activists who have worked to advance LGBTQ rights by political change, legal action or publication. Ordered by country, alphabetically. Albania * Xheni Karaj, founder of Aleanca LGBT org ...
Activists Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...