Being African American and LGBTQ: An Introduction

Source: Human Rights Campaign
Topic: Social Justice
Population Focus: Racially/Ethnically Diverse LGBTQ

This article highlights the historical progress of LGBTQ civil rights among African-Americans in the U.S. While the Civil Rights Movement resulted in monumental legal changes for a country just 100 years removed from slavery, African Americans continue to experience bias, discrimination and prejudice at all levels of society. According to the Williams Institute, there are more than 1 million LGBTQ African Americans currently living in the United States, with approximately 3.7 percent of all African American people identifying as LGBTQ.