Sadly, one of my favorite months of the year is coming to an end. Black History Month, a month that celebrates the legacies of prominent Black people and their efforts to pave the way for future Black generations, has amplified my own consciousness and pride in my identity. Black people, whether our ancestry has descended from America, the Caribbean, Latin America, the African continent or elsewhere, are polylithic: we have different stories, different cultures and different histories.

That being said, to fully embrace all Black stories and identities is to showcase prominent Black queer icons. In media representations, Black queer people have historically been excluded, stereotyped or “othered.” For these reasons, I feel the inclination to showcase different narratives of prominent Black queer folks — past and present.

Audre Lorde
One of the most prominent writers in American history, Lorde described herself as a “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.” Descending from a West Indian background, her proclamation of her intersectional identities was revolutionary for her time and exclaimed visibility.

Bayard Rustin
Helping organize the March on Washington, Rustin played a key role in civil rights history, right along with Martin Luther King Jr. Though frequently persecuted for being gay, he still persisted openly through a time that fostered institutional racism and homophobia.

Marsha P. Johnson
Who threw the first brick to start the Stonewall riot? Legend says that Johnson could have been one of the throwers, along with her friend Sylvia Rivera. A Black, transgender, activist queen, the gay rights movement would have not survived without her.

Langston Hughes
Reading Hughes to immerse yourself in Harlem Renaissance poetry will provide a new perspective on Black consciousness. Based on implications in his writing, many historians have described him as asexual and homoromantic.

James Baldwin
Baldwin is a famous writer and playwright who published works on discourses about race, sexuality and humanity. Open about his romantic experiences, especially those homosexual, Baldwin expressed his belief in the fluidity of sexuality and the rejection of binaries.

Lorraine Hansbery
Ever read “A Raisin in the Sun” during high school? Hansberry wrote that and other wonderful, prominent works. Additionally, she wrote articles to “The Ladder,” a magazine by the first lesbian civil rights organization Daughters of Bilitis, expressing her lesbian identity under a pseudonym.

Ernestine Eckstein
A hard-working activist, she was one of the first lesbians of color publicly involved in the gay rights movement in New York City. She did not, at the time, know that she was homosexual, but she later realized her lesbian identity through romantic exploration.

Richard Bruce Nugent
Nugent, a famous writer, revolutionized the representation of Black gay literature. He published his more “taboo” work under a pseudonym to avoid familial backlash. His story “Smoke, Lilies, and Jade” is considered the first gay-oriented work published by a Black writer.

These eight historical Black queer icons only represent eight of many folks. A lot of queer history has been redacted, and to live queer and to live openly has been a fairly new and fairly western phenomenon. Considering that these individuals fought white hegemony and heteropatriarchy through their writing, art and activism illustrates that living as an openly queer Black person was possible. Gender, sexual and romantic fluidity all existed back then. These icons had pseudonyms, had changes in their identity and had challenges when confronting gender and sexual binaries with their non-normativity.

I look up to these queer icons because they deemed that marginalized intersectional identities existed even before the language to represent “intersectionality” even did. What fascinates me personally are the myths that radical identities never existed, and displaying one’s intersectional marginalization is a new and “liberal” ideology. The fact that Black queer icons found that they did not fit into these normative binaries, while providing representation through their work and activism, has contributed to the collective Black consciousness that is emphasized during times like Black History Month.

Nevertheless, representation does not stop here. There have been Black queer icons today that are making history, “herstory” and “theirstory” everyday. Want to listen to some music by Black queer women? Immersing yourself into the various albums of Janelle Monáe and Kehlani may suffice. Want some representation in TV journalism? Research the amazing work of Don Lemon and Robin Roberts. Want to learn more about icons representing African diasporic communities in the West? Learn about the works of Nigerian activist Bisi Alimi and Jamaican artist Christopher Udemezue. Want to watch entertainment with Black queer representation? Check out the phenomenal art by writer, producer and actress Lena Waithe, as well as the creativity of transgender actress Laverne Cox.

These are only a few of many Black queer icons today. Many contemporary Black queer icons, activists, artists and entertainers are either not represented enough or do freelance work. Start supporting and donating to Black queer artists — across the diaspora. Although Black History Month is ending, the fierce, queer and melanated representation and support for these historical, current and rising icons does not stop here.