Bayard Rustin & Walter Naegle
The gay strategist of civil rights
Bayard Rustin, the Black gay organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, and Walter Naegle, his partner; unable to marry, Rustin legally adopted Walter to protect him — the only union then possible.
01Why it matters
Rustin mentored Martin Luther King and was an invisible pioneer because he was gay; today their love is a symbol of the LGBT struggle.
02The conflict
The homophobia that kept him from the movement's front line.
03The iconic moment
The legal adoption of Walter as the only recognized form of union.
04What survived
Rustin's posthumous Medal of Freedom (2013).
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Bayard Rustin & Walter Naegle famous?
Rustin mentored Martin Luther King and was an invisible pioneer because he was gay; today their love is a symbol of the LGBT struggle.
How does the story of Bayard Rustin & Walter Naegle end?
The legal adoption of Walter as the only recognized form of union. Rustin's posthumous Medal of Freedom (2013).
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