Hello beautiful people! I want to say thank you to Saabirah for reaching out to me for this guest post, I had so much fun writing it!
Queer history within Black History Month isn’t often talked about however the educational and cultural impact of it is just as important during this month and after. Here are a few of the amazing Black queer icons paving the way today for beautiful change and necessary platforms that teach not only young black queer people that you are also bound for greatness, but that in a world that is very divided there is always hope for you and that the world you wish to create is very much possible.
Tanya Compass
Has created so much positive change for marginalised young people in the UK and is currently in the process to starting up her own youth organisation. I’m so excited to see the new developments she has in store, she is bound for further greatness and I’m not the only person that thinks this. Amnesty International selected her to be one of the UK’s top 100 most inspiring women and she has written for big publications such as Cosmopolitan and i-D all while being a devoted and compassionate youth worker. She is also works with UK Black Pride for youth engagement, as this inspiring and inclusive youth worker Tanya has certainly found her place and has continued to ensure the young people she works with have a bright future and opportunities no matter their background.
Paula Akpan
Co-founder of Black girl fest, a yearly event for black women by black women embracing all varieties of love, history and culture. Paula is definitely an icon, being shown in Time Out London, BET International and Forbes 100, her story as a black queer womxn is amazing. With her kitten Okoye and amazing community by her side she worked to build the foundations to a symbolic empire that will provide an endless narrative for Black women and femmes across the world. The life of a Black queer woman can be difficult with racism, queerphobia within the Black community and sexism however Paula also helps young women and femmes see the importance of self-empowerment and confidence, to create their own definitions of happiness and grow in this world, especially through her I’m Tired project.
Georgia Dodsworth
Known as the Self Care Queen, Georgia Dodsworth has spoken about her mental health and body positivity journey on her social media, teaching the world to have patience with themselves as they learn to understand their insecurities, how to seek help and to not be afraid to speak up for yourself. I had the pleasure of attending Georgia’s, ‘World of Self Care‘ event earlier this year, the evening was filled with good vibes, self-care education and a diverse and open community of love and acceptance, emphasizing that all bodies and minds are beautiful and should be embraced by society. Not only is she a body and mind queen she is also a writer and co-founder of Critics of colour described as “A collective for UK-based people of colour which aims to make writing about theatre, dance and/or opera more accessible.” Having more platforms that allows young people from all backgrounds to be creative and learn to love themselves is very important to Dodsworth, a truly magnificent environment she has created.
Lady Phyll
Co-Founder & Executive Director UK Black Pride, Lady Phyll is a proud lesbian and black womxn. I am in absolute awe of her work and had the best time at the latest Black pride event in London. She has been on the cover of Gay Times magazine and shared her story with millions of queer black people across the UK, what she has created is simply revolutionary to be remembered and continued for years and years. The events that stem off UK Black Pride is life changing, such acceptance on this big a scale is necessary to ensure the voices of all Black people across the UK are not only heard but allow necessary impact.
Queer African reads
The Queer African narrative within literature is often neglected within the media and book industry yet as a marginalized group Queer African Reads has helped to build an online community and enabled the voices within it know the stories they love are just as important. The books discussed on their Instagram page are very diverse, catering to all ages and book enthusiasts from YA (Young Adult) fiction, non-fiction, historical, poetry, anthologies and so much more.
Munroe Bergdorf
Style icon and social activist Munroe Bergdorf has confidently spoken up about the racism within the world, walked down several catwalks across the world and works to educate the world on how they can become more accessible and understanding of the world for transgender black womxn and also how to be a good trans ally. Within her UK documentary on Channel 4 “What Makes a Woman” (watch this guys!) it shows her exploring hate groups, support groups, her childhood and facial surgery that has empowered many trans young people to become more confident and build a relationship with Munroe in their own journeys. She also has been named one of the most influential people in the UK by Cosmopolitan and continues to inspire, motivate and educate!
All Black History Month content can be found here.
I hope you guys enjoyed this blog post, have a beautiful day and a fantastic Black History Month! Love J.O.D
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SAABIRAH LAWRENCE 
I love this article as a black bisexual mum my story us virtually never written, but to see the queer black community coming out strong like this is a beautiful thing!
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I realized I haven’t done anything on my blog that is focused on the black lgbtq experience so I had to have one of my favorite bloggers come and share her passion. I’m so glad you enjoyed this post, thank you! Definitely check out Dami’s site as well x
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