The Gay Civil Rights Activist Nearly Erased From History

Unknown to many, Bayard Rustin was the heart and soul of the civil rights movement in the United States. As Martin Luther King Jr.’s chief organizer, he helped translate the philosophy of nonviolence into direct action by organizing the 1963 March on Washington. So why isn’t he more famous? Bayard’s commitment to speaking truth to power was matched by his commitment to living out his own truth as an openly gay man. But being his authentic self in an era of widespread, open homophobia often kept Bayard away from the spotlight. From the home they once shared in New York City, his longtime partner Walter Naegle reflects on the life, love and legacy of an American hero.

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