THE OTHER LEGACY OF ROSA PARKS
By Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum

Almost 50 years ago on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, Rosa Parks, then a middle-aged seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white man. Her non-violent defiance fueled the African-American civil rights movement and serves as a model for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender activism.

In 1955, there were few who paid even nominal attention to African-American history. When Rosa Parks defied authority, she became a civil rights pioneer and a role model. At a time when Negroes were marginalized, Rosa Parks symbolized racial pride, social justice and the need to teach African-American history.

The GLBT community should take a page from that lesson by highlighting our pioneers, heroes and civil rights history. African-Americans take rightful pride in Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barbara Jordon, Bayard Rustin, Jackie Robinson and other pioneers and heroes. African-Americans demanded that their history be respected and taught.

They understood the importance of history. A respect for history builds self-esteem and provides role models. It celebrates those who have made significant national contributions. It helps define the aspiration for equality as a civil rights movement. History places important events and progress within a context. It teaches valued lessons from collective experience and speaks to communal goals.

As a national organization, Equality Forum incorporates the teaching of GLBT history as one of its priorities. Equality Forum with PBS co-produced Gay Pioneers, a documentary about the start of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement by Gay Pioneers Frank Kameny, Lilli Vincenz, Jack Nichols and Barbara Gittings, our Rosa Parks.

In 2005, Equality Forum coordinated the National Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the GLBT Civil Rights Movement at Independence National Historical Park. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission approved Equality Forum’s application and installed a historic marker designating Independence Hall as the site of the first organized and annual gay and lesbian civil rights demonstration in 1965.

Equality Forum produced a GLBT history guide with photos and bios of the Gay Pioneers and 40 Heroes who over the past 40 years have led our civil rights movement. In collaboration with GLSEN, Equality Forum sent the GLBT history guide to 3,200 high school Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs).

Sadly, there are virtually no public schools and few colleges that teach our history. Because it is not taught by our parents or churches, we have a responsibility to learn and share our impressive history.

Rosa Parks should be an inspiration to all Americans. For GLBT Americans, she should remind us of how important it is to know and respect our roots.

ABOUT EQUALITY FORUM

Equality Forum is a national nonprofit and 501(c)(3) GLBT organization headquartered in Philadelphia. Equality Forum undertakes high impact initiatives, produces documentary films, highlights GLBT history and presents annually the largest national and international GLBT civil rights forum.

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