Stacker has compiled a list of 25 LGBTQ+ historical figures who made significant contributions to various fields despite social pressures and oppositions. Some of these trailblazers were open about their identity, paving the way for others in their communities, while others may not have been out during their lifetime or their orientation and identity still under dispute. The list includes individuals from the sciences, visual arts, academia, literature, music, and politics. Each slide details a particular LGBTQ+ person from history, their accomplishments, and how their effects are still present today. Relevant s and evidence are provided for those figures whose orientation or identity remains unclear or under question.
As highlighted by a recent article from Stacker, some of the most significant figures throughout recorded history were members of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite the social pressures and oppositions present during their respective lifetimes, these trailblazers made monumental contributions to various fields such as the sciences, visual arts, academia, literature, music, and politics, among others. They overcame discrimination, political prosecution, social taboos, or undisguised bigotry, all while paving the way for others in their respective communities to operate and innovate in their field.
The list compiled by Stacker includes just 25 of these LGBTQ+ historical figures, spanning a range of disciplines and periods. Each slide details a particular LGBTQ+ person from history, their accomplishments, and how their effects are still present today. While some of these people were openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or “queer,” others may not have been out, with knowledge of their identity and orientation only known to a few during their lifetime, or have not come to light until after their life. In other cases, a person’s orientation and identity may still be under dispute between historians, descendants, and contemporaries.
One of the people on the list is Alan Turing, a mathematician and computer scientist who played a pivotal role in cracking the German Enigma code during World War II. Despite his contributions to the war effort, Turing was convicted of homosexuality in 1952 and forced to undergo chemical castration. He died two years later, and it wasn’t until 2009 that the British government officially apologized for its treatment of him. Today, Turing is widely recognized as one of the fathers of modern computing, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of scientists and engineers.
Another influential figure on the list is Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender activist and drag performer who played a key role in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. Johnson was a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and helped establish organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). She died under mysterious circumstances in 1992, and her death was initially ruled a suicide. However, many of her friends and supporters believe that foul play was involved, and her legacy continues to inspire new generations of activists fighting for social justice.
Other notable figures on the list include Virginia Woolf, a pioneering feminist writer who had relationships with both men and women; Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist whose work explored themes of gender, sexuality, and identity; and Harvey Milk, an openly gay politician who became the first openly gay person elected to public office in California before he was assassinated in 1978.
While the contributions of these LGBTQ+ historical figures are undeniable, it’s important to remember that their struggles are far from over. Even today, members of the LGBTQ+ community face discrimination, violence, and marginalization in many parts of the world. By celebrating the achievements of these trailblazers, we can honor their legacy and continue the fight for equality and justice for all.
