History's hidden gems, 10 LGBTQ+ heroes you haven't heard of (yet)
Happy LGBTQ History Month!
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While many may take time to carve pumpkins this month, I’m carving out space to honor the legends who paved the way for folks like us. October is LGBTQ+ History Month, a time when we not only celebrate the trailblazers who came before us but reflect on the wild, wonderful, and sometimes messy history of those who dared to live their truth—long before it was hashtag-worthy.
Though the world has come to recognize and celebrate giants like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Bayard Rustin, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, there are plenty whose flowers have yet to be given. These figures refused to stay in the shadows in a world that often tried to make them invisible. From sword-wielding opera singers to transgender spies, they didn’t just make history—they redefined what it means to live authentically.
Julie d'Aubigny: The Opera Singer Who Fought for Love and Freedom
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The opera singer who sword-fought her way into history, Julie was the original “hot mess,” but oh, what a glorious one. She broke the hearts of men and women, threw punches, and had the nerve to run away with a nun after trying to burn down a convent. Julie didn’t just live outside the lines; she scribbled all over them.
Chevalier d'Eon: The Trailblazing Trans Aristocrat Who Defied Gender Norms
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If Julie was a tempest, the Chevalier d’Eon was the storm’s eye. d’Eon is one of the first well-documented trans women in history, a French aristocrat in 18th-century France who served as a diplomat and spy. An expert swordswoman, she fought for her right to live authentically centuries before trans rights were acknowledged.
William Dorsey Swann: The Queen of Drag Who Stood Up to the Law
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The drag queen who stood up to the law! Before RuPaul was sashaying on our screens, William Dorsey Swann organized underground drag balls in 1880s Washington DC. Swann not only claimed the title of “Queen” but also led the first known protest for LGBTQ+ rights in America.
Simon Nkoli: South Africa's LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighter
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Simon Nkoli wasn’t just a South African LGBTQ+ activist, he was an author and freedom fighter who stood on the front lines of both the anti-apartheid, gay liberation, and AIDS awareness movements in South Africa. With courage as big as his heart, Simon turned his experiences of imprisonment into a platform for equality, making it clear that freedom meant freedom for everyone.
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil: India's Openly Gay Royal Who Fought for Love
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Being a prince comes with expectations—like, say, marrying a princess. But Prince Mavendra Singh Gohil had other plans. A scion of a former Indian ruling family, this modern-day royal made international headlines as the first openly gay royal in India, using his platform to champion LGBTQ+ rights in his country. The prince later found his happily ever after in his husband, the American-born DeAndre Richardson. If Bollywood ever needed a real-life love story, this one’s a royal epic.
We'wha: The Indigenous Two-Spirit Who Bridged Worlds
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In the Zuni culture, We’Wha was a Two-Spirit in their indigenous community. We’wha was a beloved cultural ambassador in the 19th century, and when they traveled to Washington DC, they were even introduced to then President Grover Cleveland. Little did the president know, he was meeting the epitome of gender fluidity centuries before the world caught up.
Billy Tipton: The Jazz Musician Who Kept His Secret Until the Very End
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Billy Tipton was a talented jazz musician and bandleader who got his start in the mid-1930s. It was not until after his death that it was revealed Tipton was assigned female at birth. For decades, Billy navigated the world as a successful musician, proving that talent was what mattered, not his gender. Billy blurred the lines in more than one, and history is finally catching up.
Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum: The Ancient Egyptian Lovers Who Lived Before Labels
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Long before social media allowed us to upload picture-perfect images of queer couples, two royal manicurists in ancient Egypt were way ahead of the trend. While some historians may shout “They were just really good friends,” images of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum show them in intimate poses, forever side-by-side, in an eternal relationship that defied labels but never doubted love.
King David and Jonathan: Biblical BFFs...or More?
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The Bible tells us that David and Jonathan loved each other “as their own soul,” and whether or not their relationship was platonic or romantic is still debated. But let’s face it, their emotional bond and fierce loyalty give “epic bromance” a whole new meaning. I’m sure a harp is playing a slow jam for these two somewhere.
Gerry Studds: The First Out Gay U.S. Congressman
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When U.S. Congressman Gerry Studds came out in 1983, it wasn’t by choice. Outed amid a scandal, Studds didn’t back down—he stood tall and continued to fight for LGBTQ+ rights, becoming a trailblazer for gay representation in American politics. You know you’re making history when even a scandal can’t keep you down.
We're here, we're queer, get used to it!
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Whether it’s a Congressional office, an Egyptian tomb, or freeing your partner from a convent, love and identity have always found a way to thrive—even when society wasn’t ready for them. These figures didn’t just bend the rules: they broke them, redefined them, and handed them back to us with a wink and a strut.
