Tales from LGBTQ+ History

Preethi Rajgopal, Senior Analyst at Marsh McLennan, gave a fascinating insight into the queer-friendly history of India, pre-colonization.

“Hinduism actually has what we call three different gender categories,” she explained. “The two most common obviously being what is traditionally cis female and cis male, and then there’s a third category which was supposed to be a catch-all. Now interpreting text, that’s supposed to be anyone that’s trans or gender fluid, so civilization back then was really open to that.”

She went onto discuss the damaging impact of colonization on this queer-friendly culture, and the journey modern society has in educating young people about LGBTQ+ lifestyles. 

Alex Guiste, Content Strategy Executive at Hogarth Worldwide, drew focus on the role of queer fiction in LGBTQ+ history. Referencing groundbreaking classic novels like Giovanni’s Room to more recent popular entries like They Both Die at the End, he discussed why it’s important for LGBTQ+ people to have a prominent role in storytelling.

“Thanks to books like Giovanni’s Room, we’re moving away from queer realism, because we’ve had to be realistic in telling our stories because they’re not believed by a lot of people,” said Alex. “And we’re now having queer fiction that is fantastical and romanticized and beautiful and ends happily, so the biggest and most wonderful change for me is just being able to read queer text for pleasure.” 

Juan Pablo Italiano, Brand Integration Director at Warner Bros. Discovery, chose to discuss the history of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. He praised early film directors James Whale and George Cukor for their bravery in a time where homosexuality was frowned upon. He also shared some interesting thoughts on the future of LGBTQ+ representation.

“In my opinion, LGBTQ+ representation in the future will be organically integrated into stories,” he remarked. “I think it’s necessary to return to classic genres like comedies, dramas, romances or adventures, but without any labels. It’s not necessary for real inclusion to be labelled as LGBTQ+ representation.” 

Victor Ikie, who works in Global Tax Compliance at EY, wanted to shine a spotlight on an often-overlooked LGBTQ+ figure in history, the civil rights leader Bayard Rustin. He discussed the direct inspiration Rustin has had on him.

“To have a role model who is an openly gay black man in the 40s-50s, who was known for being such a relentless activist at such an important time in history, a time of extreme discrimination, it really empowers me to believe that in the times we live now, I can’t live my life in the shadows,” he said. “The outcome of the sacrifices he made means I can’t live a small life. I have to live a life that is as big and bold and free as I want it to be.” 

Kurt Macher, General Manager at Shangri La The Shard, also chose a specific figure from history to talk about throughout the panel: Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected into public office in California. Milk was assassinated following his sponsorship of a bill banning discrimination in public accommodation based on sexual orientation.

“We should never forget the older activists who helped us to be here so they can live a normal life and be out and proud,” he stated. “But it’s also important to remember what influence I have, running a business. If I’m loud and proud I can influence communities around the world.” 

Jen Kelly, Business Process Manager at Walgreens, wanted to discuss LGBTQ+ history in general, and how the role of queer history-making is much closer to home than many might think.

“Queer history happens every

e normative pieces. We’re not all straight, we’re not all cis. So, I think living our lives is history. The way we’re fighting against systems, we’re creating history now.”

You can connect with all of the participants from the Tales from LGBTQ+ History panel via their myGwork page. Watch the full panel discussion here.