Pride Month commemorates the fight for civil rights and the ongoing pursuit for equal justice under the law for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. Rainbow flags and vibrant parade floats are a visual representation of pride in one’s gender identity and sexuality, and the freedom to express it. LGBTQ womxn of color have been at the forefront in the fight for equality, so much so that they helped change the way the country thought about LGBTQ rights.
For Pride Month, National Womxn of Color Collective celebrates the accomplishments of trailblazing womxn of color, both past and present.
Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera
Marsha P. Johnson (left) and Sylvia Rivera (right) were civil rights activists in the 1960s LGBT campaign for equality. They are transgender women known as key figures in the Stonewall Riots in 1969, which has since been acknowledged as the first-ever Gay Pride March. Marsha and Sylvia co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), a group dedicated to helping gay youth, drag queens, transwomen, and victim of HIV/AIDS.
Judge Kelli Evans
On January 2, 2023, Associate Justice Kelli Evans became the first openly lesbian justice on the California Supreme Court. Before joining the Supreme Court, Judge Evans served on the Alameda County Superior Court. She also served as a Chief Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary in the Office of Governor Newsom, where she advised on a variety of policy and legislative issues. Throughout her career, Judge Evans showed a commitment to making the legal system work for everyone, and especially those the system has traditionally overlooked or mistreated. She will continue her commitment to justice while on the Supreme Court.
By: Whitney Thompson
Regional Director
whitney@nationalwocc.org
Sources
- https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-pride-month-celebrated-in-june
- https://emtrain.com/blog/diversity/lgbt-women-of-color/
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/marsha-p-johnson-sylvia-rivera.htm
- https://apnews.com/article/california-race-and-ethnicity-biden-cabinet-gavin-newsom-a60ea5027a3ea3199791bcd5a0a658bc