Lighting The (Gay) Way #1

Video + Heroes + Pioneers

While some are doing their best to hate and erase LGBTQ folks from human history, I’m doing my best to celebrate and spotlight our collective contributions, pioneers, and stories.

The montage above and list below include a few of my favorites.

Thanks for watching!
Clint

WE’RE QUEER. WE’RE HERE.
WE‘VE BEEN MAKING HISTORY, DEAR.

HEROES + PIONEERS

• Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) 16th President of the United States, known for leading the country through the Civil War and abolishing slavery.

• Adolf Brand (1874-1945) German writer, publisher, and gay rights activist, one of the earliest LGBTQ advocates.

• Al Hakam II (915-976) Caliph of Cordoba, known for his love of learning and contributions to Islamic culture.

• Alain Locke (1885-1954) American philosopher, writer, and educator, considered the Father of the Harlem Renaissance.

• Alan Ball (1957- ) American screenwriter, director, and producer, known for works like American Beauty and Six Feet Under.

• Alan Cumming (1965- ) Scottish-American actor, singer, and activist, known for roles in stage, film, and TV.

• Alan Turing (1912-1954) British mathematician and computer scientist, a pioneer of computer science and codebreaking during WWII.

• Albrecht Becker (1906-2002) German actor, photographer, and production designer; persecuted for his homosexuality during WWII.

• Alexander McQueen (1969-2010) British fashion designer, known for his provocative and avant-garde designs.

• Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) King of Macedon, military genius, and conqueror who created one of the largest empires in history.

• Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) German naturalist, geographer, and explorer, a major figure in scientific exploration.

• Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) American poet, a key figure of the Beat Generation, best known for Howl.

• Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) American dancer and choreographer, founder of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

• Anderson Cooper (1967- ) American journalist and television personality, known for his work on CNN.

• André Baudry (1922-2018) French activist, founder of the “homophile” review magazine Arcadie.

• Andrew Haigh (1973- ) British filmmaker, best known for writing and directing Weekend and All of Us Strangers; also wrote and directed Looking for HBO.

• Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria (1842-1919) Younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I, known for his eccentric and scandalous behavior.

• Armistead Maupin (1944- ) American writer, best known for his Tales of the City series, which explores LGBTQ life in San Francisco.

• Arthur Mitchell (1934-2018) American ballet dancer and choreographer, the first African American male dancer in a major ballet company.

• Bayard Taylor (1825-1878) American poet, travel writer, and diplomat, known for his literary works on his global travels.

• Cary Grant (1904-1986) British-American actor, a leading man known for his charm and style in films like North by Northwest.

• Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) British photographer, designer, and diarist, known for his fashion photography and set/costume designs for film and theater.

• Charles Sorley (1895-1915) Scottish war poet, known for his poignant poetry written during World War I.

• Chip Kidd (1964- ) American graphic designer, known for his book covers, including the iconic Jurassic Park design.

• Christopher Wood (1901-1930) British painter, known for his post-impressionist and surrealist works.

• Chuck Palahniuk (1962- ) American novelist, known for works like Fight Club and Choke.

• Cole Porter (1891-1964) American composer and songwriter, known for his witty and sophisticated Broadway tunes.

• David France (1959- ) American filmmaker, journalist, and writer, known for his work on LGBTQ issues and AIDS activism.

• Federico García Lorca (1898-1936) Spanish poet and playwright, a key figure in the Generation of '27, known for his lyrical, dramatic works and tragic death during the Spanish Civil War.

• Félix González-Torres (1957-1996) Cuban-American visual artist, known for his minimalist, conceptual art dealing with LGBTQ themes.

• Félix Vallotton (1865-1925) Swiss/French painter and printmaker, associated with Les Nabis and known for his woodcuts.

• Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) Portuguese writer, poet, and literary critic, known for his heteronyms and modernist works.

• Frank Kameny (1925-2011) American astronomer and gay rights activist, a pioneer in LGBTQ activism.

• George Bellows (1882-1925) American realist painter, known for his depictions of urban life and boxing scenes.

• Gregg Araki (1959- ) American filmmaker, a pioneer of the New Queer Cinema movement, known for The Living End and Mysterious Skin.

• Henry James (1843-1916) American-British author, known for works like The Turn of the Screw and The Portrait of a Lady.

• Henry Paget (1875-1905) British nobleman and eccentric, known for his extravagant theatrical productions and flamboyant lifestyle.

• James Ivory (1928- ) American filmmaker, known for directing works like A Room with a View and Call Me by Your Name.

• Jared French (1905-1988) American painter, associated with the Magic Realism movement, known for his homoerotic themes.

• Jason Mraz (1977- ) American singer-songwriter, known for I'm Yours and his uplifting, folk-influenced music.

• Jasper Johns (1930- ) American painter and sculptor, known for his contributions to Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art.

• Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) French poet, playwright, and filmmaker, known for his avant-garde works.

• Jean Genet (1910-1986) French playwright and novelist, known for works exploring criminality, existentialism, and homoeroticism.

• Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) American artist, known for his graffiti-inspired, neo-expressionist paintings.

• Jeffrey Schwartz (1969- ) American filmmaker, known for documentaries like Vito and The Fabulous Allan Carr.

• John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) American expatriate artist, known for his portraits and contributions to the Gilded Age style.

• Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) German fashion designer, known for his work as creative director of Chanel and Fendi.

• Liberace (1919-1987) American pianist and entertainer, famous for his flamboyant performances and costumes.

• Marsden Hartley (1877-1943) American modernist painter and writer, known for his abstract works inspired by European modernism.

• Paris Barclay (1956- ) American television director and producer, known for his work on NYPD Blue and Sons of Anarchy.

• Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) Italian film director, poet, and writer, known for his controversial and often explicit works.

• Scott Kennedy (1965-2013) American comedian and LGBTQ activist, known for performing for U.S. troops as an openly gay man.

• Truman Capote (1924-1984) American novelist, known for In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

• William Johnson Cory (1823-1892) British poet and educator, best known for his homoerotic verse and influence on his students.

• William S. Burroughs (1914-1997) American writer and visual artist, a major figure of the Beat Generation, known for Naked Lunch.

• William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English playwright and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language.

• Wolfgang Tillmans (1968- ) German photographer, known for his exploration of contemporary culture and abstract photography.

• Yukio Mishima (1925-1970) Japanese author, playwright, and nationalist, known for works like The Temple of the Golden Pavilion.

• Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008) French fashion designer, a pioneer in modern high fashion and luxury.

• Zachary Quinto (1977- ) American actor and producer, known for his roles in Star Trek and Heroes.

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MUSIC

• Gavin Luke / The Simplest Things

• Gavin Luke / The Universe Between Us

• Gavin Luke / Fragile Civility

• Gavin Luke / The Burdens We Carry

• Courtesy Of Epidemic Sound