My colleague Derrick Bryson Taylor spoke with some of them. Here are two of their stories:
Lee Soulja: In the late 1970s and early 1980s, you could find Mr. Soulja working the dance floor in some of New York City’s exclusive clubs, including Studio 54 and Paradise Garage.
A Bronx native who now lives in Harlem, Mr. Soulja, 55, is a visual and performance artist who has performed off Broadway as well as at Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater. After a close friend died from AIDS in the early 1990s, Mr. Soulja became an H.I.V. and AIDS activist, volunteering with community organizations to connect with struggling young L.G.B.T.Q. people. He later became a promoter and event creator.
In 2009, Mr. Soulja created the NYC Center for Black Pride, which took over Black Pride, an annual event scheduled to run this year from Aug. 19 to 23. He said he established it “to give more visibility to L.G.B.T. people of color, saying we have a voice, we have contributed to history and to culture in this country.”
[Read more trailblazers’ stories.]
Brenda Holder: Ms. Holder, whose stage name is Brenda Continental, got her start in New York City’s ballroom scene in the early 1980s when she was 15. She was mentored by Paris Dupree and other ballroom legends.
Ms. Holder, 54, who was born in Guyana, began her transition in 1989, after four years in the Army. When she was growing up, and during her transition, there weren’t any dedicated spaces or centers for Black and brown L.G.B.T.Q. people in New York, she said.
Now living in Brooklyn, Ms. Holder said she talks to anyone in need, particularly people who want to transition. “The work I do, I don’t do it for accolades,” she said. “I do it because I love my community. I believe in my community. So why not help my community put the best version of themselves out there, because nobody else is going to do it.”
It’s Monday — support your communities.