LGBTQIA+ Trailblazers

Larry Kramer

June 25, 1935 – May 27, 2020

Larry Kramer had no intention initially of getting involved in politics or activism, but ended up being among the first to call major attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s after it was deemed a type of cancer affecting gay men.

Kramer was living on Fire Island Pines at the time and became active after his friends became sick and little was being done to help.

Alongside his fellow activists he co-founded the GMHC (Gay Men ‘s Health Crisis) and ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), which is the organization that coined the iconic SILENCE = DEATH logo that because the symbol of the AIDS crisis. – CNN

“He was in the proverbial trenches fighting for LGBTQ rights and organized AIDS activists even before he was diagnosed as HIV positive.

Kramer rose to prominence battling what he cited as negligence from the FDA and the US government. Kramer and the activists he demonstrated with were fueled by rage. They led demonstrations, blocked roads during rush hour and staged “die-ins” that grabbed media attention, eventually forcing the government to address the AIDS crisis and provide access to new treatment methods.” – CNN.com

Image: Magnolia Pictures/Album/Alamy

Alan Turing

June 23, 1912 – June 7, 1954

Alan Turing was a brilliant mathematician born in London, England. He is most notably credited with developing the Turing machine, which was a model of a general-purpose computer.  Many refer to him as the father of theoretical computer science and AI.

During World War II, Turing worked with the Government Code and Cypher School and broke many German codes. ]Alan Turing was a mathematician who is often credited with creating the foundation of artificial intelligence and computer science. He also played a major role in World War II, helping break several German codes.

In 1952, Turing was arrested for homosexual acts and underwent hormone treatment as an alternative to prison. In 2009, the British government made an apology and gave Turing a royal pardon due to the appalling way he was treated. Three years later, the British government announced it would posthumously pardon other men convicted of abolished homosexual offenses. This came to be called “The Turing Law.”

Gilbert Baker

June 2, 1951 – March 31, 2017

Baker is an American artist and designer born in Kansas. In the early 1970s he served in the United States Army and was a medic in San Fransisco during the beginning of the gay right movement. He was close to activist Harvey Milk, who reached out to Baker for assistance in creating the pride flag as a symbol for the movement.

Baker originally created a glad depicting eight symbolic colors: hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, indigo, violet. Since this was a symbol for the LGBT community, Baker decided not to trademark the flag. Over time the flag has seen many variations. The first pride flag was raised on June 25, 1978, at San Fransisco Pride.

Image: Spencer Platt / Getty