Sylvia Rivera was born Ray Rivera to a Venezuelan mother and a Puerto Rican father in the Bronx, New York. She faced significant discrimination and hardship throughout her life. Orphaned as a young child and raised by an abusive grandmother, she nevertheless overcame these obstacles to become an important trans activist. She was a co-founder, along with Marsha P. Johnson, of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). STAR was an organization dedicated to providing support and shelter to transgender and homeless people in New York City.

In 2002, Sylvia passed away of complications from liver cancer, but she remained active until the end, and her legacy lives on in the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights and social justice. Her contributions to the movement have been widely recognized, and she remains an inspiration to activists working to advance the rights and well-being of transgender and queer individuals.  She was a tireless advocate for the most marginalized within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals of color.

Children’s Books
Sylvia Rivera by Kaitlyn Duling
Sylvia Rivera by Clauda Romo Edelman
Sylvia and Marsha start a revolution! : the story of the trans women of color who made LGBTQ+ history by Joy Michael Ellison

Online Resources
“Hell Hath No Fury like a Drag Queen Scorned: Sylvia Rivera’s Activism, Resistance, and Resilience” (outhistory.org)
“The Unsung Heroines of Stonewall” (National Parks Conservation Association)
INTERVIEW: Sylvia Riviera by Leslie Feinberg (queer bible)

Ocean Vuong is a literary sensation whose works have not only redefined contemporary poetry but have also brought to the forefront the complexities of identity, specifically as a member of the Asian American and LGBTQ+ communities. Born in Saigon, Vietnam in 1988, and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, Vuong’s experiences as a queer Vietnamese-American have profoundly influenced his writing and advocacy, making him a prominent figure at the intersection of these two communities.

Vuong’s poetry and prose delve into the intricacies of identity, migration, and belonging. His unique perspective, having emigrated from Vietnam as a child, provides a rich tapestry for his literary exploration. In his debut novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Vuong examines the immigrant experience and the challenges faced by Asian Americans trying to find their place in a predominantly white society. Through his words, he captures the nuances of cultural assimilation and the enduring ties to one’s homeland.

Simultaneously, Ocean Vuong’s identity as gay man has added another layer of depth to his literary and advocacy work. He has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. In his poetry, he courageously explores themes of love, desire, and the struggles faced by queer individuals in a heteronormative world. His openness about his own experiences as a gay Vietnamese American has resonated with many in the LGBTQ+ community, providing a voice for those who often go unheard.

Vuong’s writings have been instrumental in challenging stereotypes and breaking down barriers that exist within and between communities. His lyrical prose and poignant poems have created a space for dialogue about the intersections of identity. His storytelling encourages empathy and understanding, bridging the gaps that sometimes separate the Asian American and LGBTQ+ communities.

Adult Books:
Night Sky With Exit Wounds By Ocean Vuong
Time is a Mother By Ocean Vuong
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous By Ocean Vuong

Online Resources:
Ocean Vuong’s Official Website
“Ocean Vuong” (Poetry Foundation)
“Ocean Vuong Is Still Learning” (The New Yorker)
“Ocean Vuong: A Life Worthy of Our Breath” (On Being with Krista Tippett) (audio)
“Ocean Vuong: ‘When I write, I feel larger than the limits of my body’” (Louisiana Channel) (video)

Mr. Ailey was born January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. He was the only child of his parents and moved to Los Angeles in 1941. While in high school he was able to explore the arts and was exposed to a variety of African American performers at the Lincoln and Orpheum Theaters, which he frequently attended. Also, while in high school he discovered his homosexuality. He turned to dance to combat the racism and segregation that surrounded him. In 1949, Ailey began exploring modern dance at the dance studio of Lester Horton. While taking dance classes, Alvin Ailey studied romance languages and writing at UCLA, Los Angeles City College, and San Francisco State. In 1953, after Lester Horton’s sudden death, Alvin Ailey took over as artistic director and choreographer of Horton’s dance company. Under his tutelage, the company had many commercial engagements and successes.

In 1958, Ailey founded his own dance company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His choreography was different from other modern dance choreographers at this time – by keeping a focus on narrative, Ailey was able to draw audiences from New York and the Avant Garde. His dance company went on to work with the US State Department to tour Southeast Asia and Australia as part of President Kennedy’s Special International Program for Cultural Presentations in 1962. The company also worked with Duke Ellington. Ailey went on to be a Guggenheim Fellowship recipient and choreograph more modern pieces that depicted and shared the Black experience.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was the first American modern dance company to perform in the Soviet Union. Over the course of his career, Alvin Ailey developed 79 ballets for the public, created the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 1988, inducted into the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame in 1992, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, and received VH1 Trailblazer Honors in 2017 posthumously. Alvin Ailey died from AIDs related illness December 1, 1989.

Adult Books
Revelations : the autobiography of Alvin Ailey by Alvin Ailey

Children’s Books
My story, my dance: Robert Battle’s journey to Alvin Ailey by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Alvin Ailey by Kaitlyn Duling
Alvin Ailey : celebrating African-American culture in dance by Bárbara Cruz
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater by Jack Mitchell

Documentaries
Ailey direct by Jamila Wignot (on Kanopy)
Alvin Ailey: An Evening With The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (on Kanopy)

She wrote that traditional Native cultures’ respect for women, the complementary gender systems, family structures, and fluid sexualities allowed Native peoples to be more “spirit-centered” and accepting of those who bridged the worlds of men and women.

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1939 to a Lebanese father and a Laguna Pueblo, Lakota Sioux, and Scottish descent mother, Allen grew up near the Laguna Pueblo and Acoma Pueblo reservations. Allen identified closely with her Laguna Pueblo heritage and is related to famous Laguna Pueblo writers Carol Lee Sanchez and Leslie Marmon Silko. Graduating from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in creative writing, she earned her doctorate in American Studies from the University of New Mexico.

Allen had many accomplishments which included being awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Writing and the American Book Award. She was also awarded the Hubbell Medal and taught at prestigious colleges such as UC Berkeley and UCLA. She is best known for her books Spider Woman’s Granddaughters: Traditional Tales and Contemporary Writings by Native Women, Studies in American Indian Literature: Critical Essays and Course Designs, and her The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions.

Allen’s advocacy in American Indian oral traditions, literature, and gender studies challenged western views that dominated during her time. Her work has become the foundation for many Native scholars. It has encouraged them to more accurately portray cultural and relevant views and highlighted the importance of spirituality in these fields.

Adult Books
Spider Woman’s Granddaughters: Traditional Tales and Contemporary Writings by Native Women by Paula Gunn Allen
Studies in American Indian Literature: Critical Essays and Course Designs by Paula Gunn Allen
The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions by Paula Gunn Allen
Other works by Paula Gunn Allen

Online Resources
Paula Gunn Allen on her book Pocahontas (Booktv / C-SPAN)