Stonewall 50 Ofrenda

Marsha P. Johnson 1945-1992 Marsha P. Johnson was an African American queen who was an active participant in the Stonewall riots. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Marsha moved to New York City in 1966. She was known by some as “Saint Marsha” due to her kindness and willingness to share what she had. She started [...]

Hector Xtravaganza 1958-2018 Hector Xtravaganza was a leader in the New York City ballroom community for nearly forty years. Born Hector Crespo, Hector helped found the House of Xtravaganza in 1982. He legally changed his last name and was house father of Xtravaganza from 1993-1997 and 1999-2003. He adopted the honorary title of House Grandfather [...]

Gertrude Stein 1874-1946 Known as an influential American writer who focused on character depth, Gertrude Stein spent most of her life in Paris. While in France she met her life partner, befriended famous artists and developed into an influential literary figure and feminist. Born into a wealthy family in Pennsylvania, Gertrude Stein grew up in [...]

Keith Haring 1958-1990 Keith Haring was one of the most influential visual artists of the late 20th century. His bold, cartoon-like images are indelible icons of American art and popular culture. As a young artist living in New York City in 1980, Keith Haring had an epiphany: “One day, riding in the subway, I saw [...]

Reinaldo Arenas 1943-1990 Reinaldo Arenas was a Cuban poet, novelist and essayist whose work focused on political and social injustices. Arenas was born into poverty in the Cuban countryside. He wrote his first poems by carving words into tree trunks. In 1961, Arenas moved to Havana and joined Fidel Castro’s revolutionary forces. He studied philosophy [...]

Gilbert Baker  1951-2017 Gilbert Baker was an American artist and LGBT activist best known for creating the rainbow flag. The flag provided a defining symbol for the LGBT civil rights movement and is considered the first and most widely recognized gay symbol today. Growing up gay in the small rural town of Chanute, Kansas, Baker [...]

Frida Kahlo 1907-1954 Frida Kahlo is a renowned Mexican painter, noted for her vibrant colors as well as nationalist and feminist themes. Her paintings have commanded higher prices than any other female artist. Born in Mexico, Kahlo was the third of Matilda and Guillermo’s four daughters. When she was 15, she was sent to the [...]

Brenda Howard 1946-2005 Brenda Howard was an LGBT activist. She organized the first Pride parade and is known as the “Mother of Pride.” Born in the Bronx, Howard was raised on Long Island. In the 1960s, she became involved in the anti-war and feminist movements. One month after the 1969 Stonewall riots that marked a [...]

Bayard Rustin 1910-1987 Bayard Rustin was the chief organizer for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of the 1963 civil rights march on Washington. Rustin’s expertise in nonviolent direct action assisted King in shaping the African-American Civil Rights movement. Bayard Rustin was raised in West Chester, Pennsylvania by Quaker grandparents who espoused pacifism. Rustin moved [...]

Sylvester 1947-1988 Before he became “Sylvester” and before he was crowned the “Queen of Disco,” Sylvester James Jr. was a member of a group of transvestites known as the Disquotays. While many Disquotays explored their identities as trans women in a cross-dressing party circuit, Sylvester identified as male. After the dissolution of the Disquotays, Sylvester [...]