Gay man in the Civil Rights Movement.

[TRANZEURO]

This great man truly deserves (and I personally would LOVE to see) a major hollywood picture based on his life. One done with the same care and of the same high standard as films such as 'Malcolm X' "Schindler's List' 'Milk' etc. History has blanked out his many strong contributions to the civil rights movement as well as his human rights activities abroad due mainly to his being gay. It's long overdue that he gets the recognition which eluded him in life.

[BrotherBob1000]

Those of us who were out and carefully reading about people we knew or suspected were gay knew what Adam Clayton Powell did, and what jesse helms did. And we carry that with us til today

[jafakin06]

Wasn't Langston Hughes gay? Just wondering.

[princessproll00]

tank you that was wonderful and inspiring!

black=white

gay=sraight

man=woman

PEACE

[omegawicked1]

their were rainbow gang members in tha 60s. they probably got killed on sight.

[bronzz]

Thank you so much for this powerful information.. i will spread the word, by the way what is the correct spelling of this man's name? Would like to look up more information about him :)

[longfootbuddy]

do you even know why people ask goverment for civil rights? because theyre civilians, and its goverment that grants civil rights... human rights, on the other hand, is a another matter.. and this goverment is denying your human rights, in which it has no right to do

[raycomb30294]

How is it that after graduating high school and three years of college I've never once heard of this man??.. I only found out about him through gay friends and looked him up out of determination of proving them wrong, adhereing to the mindset that If a black, gay man organized the march on Washington, I'm certain my teachers would have taught me in school. How naive on my part!!

[hornybodhisattva]

Bayard was both gay and and secularist!

powerful mindful combination.....!

effective no need for Poisonous Religion to get in the way!

[MegaMoonprince]

behind every great black man is a strong gay man 

[dodofrog2]

MLK hated fags

[22149SF]

@dodofrog2, oh I'm just SO curious what you think about the gays...please tell us, will you :D.

[khadijahanwar]

@SlaveMaster551 you are really insecure and sad. i can tell by your name you have NO testicular fortitude

[kylecoriza]

@khadijahanwar THANK YOU!!!

[EdNortonisMineLol]

It is deeply upsetting that this great man is not mentioned in Civil Rights history lessons in schools - I only found out about him in a book about inspirational homosexuals. 

[MrPedifil3d]

WHY ARE YOU SUBSCRIBED TO ME

[UtopiaMinor666]

why do we go one hating our homosexual men and women. Name we one openly homosexual dictator? Just one, name we one openly gay bigot, racist, anti-religious person, and i'll show you a made up person. I wont say all gays or lesbians are good people, but you never hear about gays beating up straight people becuase they are straight. Rustin was a great man, as was James balwdin, both black, both gay, both atheist...hmmm. I love these men.

[EdNortonisMineLol]

@UtopiaMinor666 Fantastic, what a great point - I so agree with you. I too am a big fan of James Baldwin and Bayard Rustin.

[UtopiaMinor666]

@EdNortonisMineLol I love to hear people say things like that. Baldwin was inspiration to write.

[reaisan]

@UtopiaMinor666 Wasn't Rustin a Quaker?

[TallenStreetz]

@reaisan yes

[babyxhil]

@UtopiaMinor666 no proof at all that rustin was an atheist...

[bohemianspiritmn]

@babyxhil - According to a documentary I watched (Brother Outsider), he was a Quaker (Society of Friends).

[collinsmichael0355]

There was Gay White men supporting segregation policy and the founding fathers of this country.

[monk209]

Poignant! So very sad. Thanks for posting this. I've shared this on my FB wall.

[gabsylv]

great video, thank you!

[privlidge]

It saddens me that I've never heard of this amazing and courageous gentleman. The black community continually omits any positive gay black leaders. This man was a HUGE part of the civil rights movement and we know nothing about him. There are thousands of books, news reels, news articles, movies, documentaries, text books, lectures, poems, etc detailing everything about the Civil Rights Movement and none of those historical accounts *read the rest of my post at* 3w's blueopt. blogspot dotcom

[Kumtekmeon]

I came to know of him by watching a documentary 'Brother Outsider' on Logo and I am so sadden to know that within the black community, gays are being marginalized and discriminated against so viciously, when it was the direct effort of a Black GAY man who GREATLY helped to make their freedom possible. But I think God allow it to happen for a special reason, ONE that will soon be revealed. The FULL liberation of gays will be reality. God will NOT sit by and allow His children to suffer forever.

[toni444444444444]

Some of the pionering Black atheletes would be Jackie Robinson, Joe Lewis, Wilma Rudolph, Arthur Ashe, Babe Ruth (his grandmother was Black) and Althea Gibson.

[toni444444444444]

Rustin was a genius! If Rustin was straight, he would be just as big in history as Martin Luthor King, Malcolm X, Mandela, Fredric Douglas, Rosa Parks,  Obama & Jesse Jackson.

[saw1261]

@toni444444444444

This is why black LGBTQ folk need to make the Bayard Rustins of the world more visible.

I am surprised at how many black gay folk don't know that the Stonewall Riots were started by black and Latino gay men or that one such, figure Marsha P. Johnson was murdered or that Stormy Delaverie lives in a nursing home in Brooklyn.

We have to counteract the imbalance in black and LGBTQ history that marginalizes the role of black gays in the movement for equality for all.

[BlackmanVision]

@saw1261 yeah speak it!

[righteousemusic]

It is upsetting to me, to see Martin Luther King Jr, receive all the credit for a march, and philosophy of non-violence, that was all put together by Bayard Rustin. Perhaps maybe because he was a secularist. Bayard Rustin was guy, yes, but he was also a human being who cared about his people.

Martin owes him all the credit!

[PyroHaven07]

This man only makes me proud to be Gay and Black.

[RassieDog]

@PyroHaven07 - You should always have been. It's a rich heritage (says the poster who is neither gay nor black but an admirer of both).

[gwengoadalso]

A Little bit of history repeated?? we shall not show them the hatered and igorance that will make them more igorant.

[thugz00]

I lost some respect for Mr. King. Bayard Rustin is my new found hero.

[Tommy4503]

Gay men and women has been behind everything BIG contributors to America history, Culture & society, Over the year we play our parts behind the sense. Believe it or not GAY Men and Women are GOD best kept secrets and special little creatures we are the greatest things since the creation of men

[Tommy4503]

Gay men and women has been behind everything BIG contributors to America history, Culture & society, Over the year we play our parts behind the sense. Believe it or not GAY Men and Women are GOD best kept secrets and special little creatures we are the greatest things since the creation of men

[LeBigMacDaddy]

Am I alone in having lost a little bit of respect for Martin Luther King having watched this? Could those in the civil rights movement not see the horrible irony of trying to airbrush this great moral exemplar for nothing other than his nature, while trying to secure rights for a persecuted minority? Tragic don't begin to describe it. Bayard Rustin is my new hero

[plonjcc]

@LeBigMacDaddy i think they were just choosing their battels so not to fight two major ones at the same time.

[LeBigMacDaddy]

@plonjcc I'm not saying they should have been fighting for gay rights as well as black rights, but to be marginalised for being homosexual when he was already marginalsed by white society for being black, well it's more than any man should have to take. The fact that he did take it and carried on regardless makes him a true hero

[RassieDog]

@LeBigMacDaddy - yes & no, dear We are all of "our time" and it is nearly impossible to imagine the fallibility of other times and other men when you did not march in their wingtips. MLK was just a man and hemmed in by his society and circumstances less than most. That you or I could have been in our lives half as blind during our lives as he was in his. I would worry less about losing "a little bit" of respect for MLK than wondering whether I might live up to 1/2 of his example.

[LeBigMacDaddy]

@RassieDog First off angel, please don't call me dear. I find it more than a little patronising. Second, all this "don't judge a man till you've walked a mile in his shoes" BS will only go so far. Surely the corrolary of that is that you can't judge a man's moral goodness if you don't 'march in their wingtips' as well? I'm not denigrating the man's life's work. He was a briliant chap, I'm just saying that failing to stick up for BR detracts from it a bit. Ok darling?

[howlinjo]

@Brianisforever: Thank you so much for posting this clip. This is what introduced me to this "unsung hero" of the civil rights movement. I've created a page on facebook called A Gay Man in the Civil Rights Movement. Feel free join a discussion.

[Steadno]

wow never knew

[trinidreamer85]

Wow, what an amazing man. Unfortunate that is story isn't well known. Thank you Mr. Rustin, we are forever in your debt!

[la9777]

I appreciate knowing of his contribution for the human race. I never heard of him and I am happy that youtube allowed this to be posted. Thank you Bayard Rustin...May God Bless you and your family

[la9777]

Everyone everywhere should know of this. And I 'm sure this hurt him so much. Sad and true we treat each other horrible and sometime we look for reason not to like someone else power. So, we look for what is not acceptable in our world. Bayard Rustin, Thank you for your contribution to history for the human race.

[IbnNero]

first you should fight for genital rights then you can fight for gay rights!

stop circ. first !!

genital integrity will lead to sexual integrity later dumb people!

[nazreen181]

great thanks

[MicrophoneRebel]

This is inspiring and upsetting. This man has been washed away from so many history books and lessons and class rooms and the minds of youth. He gives me the extra inspiraton I need to fight for equality and equal voice. A lot of my friends have never heard of him and I didn't know of him until I was 17, two years ago. Thank you for posting this: )

[alarob]

The man's name is Bayard Rustin. You might mention that in the "Info" to this video. His full name only gets mentioned once, after 1:00 into the video.

[stephenramsden]

what are you talking about. His name is mentioned 17 times in the video starting at about 3 seconds in.

[chillhouse2007]

another great american who's history is silenced because of bigotry and ignorance ...

[johnozed]

What a brilliant, brilliant man.

[jefgain]

Thank you for posting this moving video.

[JJTecumseh87]

if it wasnt for a racist bigot we wouldnt have civil rights.thats the irony of the movement

[piscescarodine]

odd that latino will talk on this now his are racistist

[Jboogie73]

Amazingly inspirational (but also sad!). America, (please, please, please) do the right thing!

[Bobsyermomsuncle]

The fear is not an excuse, it's just the way people thought. Heck in some states at that time it was illegal for people of vastly different ethnic backgrounds -- to marry. Supreme Court didn't rule banning "interracial" marriage as unconstitutinal until 1963.

Sexual politics in this country is sometimes more frightening than racially motivated politics.

[Holebis]

Remarkable story I never heard before.

What a man !!

Holebis ♥♂♂,♀♀♥

[Bobsyermomsuncle]

It's not mentioned here that Rustin is the person who went to meet Gandhi. I think by the time Dr. King went to India Gandhi had passed away-- Dr. KIng stuided with Gandhi's disciples.

Rustin was a Quaker and had already adopted non-violent protest before meeting Gandhi. Before he met Dr. King he encountered backlash from his associates because of his sexuality.

But I agree! This is an amazing man. Thanks so much for sharing Brian

[stinkyear]

Thank you for posting this! Happy early MLK day!

[AhnicB]

Man that really sad. I'm so ashame that we

(str8s) would do that to our own. What would they have done if he said no, then where would we be? Shameful!

[Bobsyermomsuncle]

I think there was some question of whether it was rivalry, or if Congressman Powell was homophobic, or if he was warning Dr. King that certain people in Washington were already planning on "exposing" Rustin's sexuality to discredit the movement. But it is sad; Powell coined the phrase Black Power, but he was put down by "black Power" advocates because of his fair skin. Nobody won on the field of self hatred. No one was more critical of Black people than Black people.

[AhnicB]

Yeah we have to stick together in his thing regardless of or sexual appitite.

[Bobsyermomsuncle]

The movement was about Civil Rights and human rights and equal rights for every US citizen. It shouldn't have come up, but those were the times, and we're still not comfortable with certain divsions.

[AhnicB]

True! I'm not Gay but I see the benefit in us being one people. We still have a lot to learn, and this man needs to be reconized for his part in the movement.

[Bobsyermomsuncle]

Oh I agree. He is not the only forgotten leader. Fourteen years before Montgomery, Congressman Powell led a boycott of the New York transit system to get jobs. But Doctor King was the first Black American leader to gain national notice -- thanks to television. And Mister Rustin is the person who was instrumental in inspiring Doctor King to choose non-violent protest. But honestly, I was alive at that time, and people were very afraid to have it known one of the leaders was gay.

[AhnicB]

Yeah that kind of stuff don't always seem to go well with narrow minds.

[Chris39206]

WoW this clip really touched me so deeply, and its truly an inspiration to know that this man despite him being socially outcasted still went after what he wanted. I am making sure that all my friends see this video especially the gay ones.

[ftriolo]

Out of the Past is a fantastic documentary. Great clip - more people should know about his contribution to the civil rights movement!

[harpoo12]

im very proud to be informed of a gay man who helped lead the civil rights movement.

[JustOchi]

I hope more people see this