June is Pride Month, an annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQIA+ community to history, society, and cultures worldwide. This Pride Month, we are celebrating the LGBTQIA + community and those that are products of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Here are 6 Influential LGBTQIA+ HBCU Alums!
Wanda Sykes – Hampton University
Iconic comedian, actress, producer, and Emmy Award-winning writer, Wanda Sykes graduated from Hampton University in 1986, earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She has ranked among Entertainment Weekly’s “25 Funniest People in America” and her peers have called her “one of the funniest stand-up comics” in the field. In 2008, Wanda married her wife Alex Sykes, and publicly came out as a lesbian a few weeks after their wedding at an equality rally in Las Vegas. Since then, Sykes has used her platform to champion LGBTQIA+ voices and equality through years of activism.
Hope Giselle – Alabama State University
Hope Giselle is an Alabama State University alum and a national organizer, author, artist, and activist. Giselle graduated with a Master’s in Fine Arts as the first openly trans woman to do so at the institution and hit the ground running with her modern social take on trans and black bodies in public spaces. She is the proud author of two books “Becoming Hope: Removing the Disguise” and “Until I Met Black Men” as well as the founder of the non-profit organization AllowMe, which supports LGBTQIA+ youth of color in their journey to becoming productive leaders, artists, and activists.
Misster Ray – Virginia State University
Ray Cunnigham, better known as “Misster Ray” is a two-time Virginia State University graduate, television personality, award-winning producer/multimedia expert, and best-selling author. He first gained recognition in 2006 as the first openly gay cast member on BET’s “College Hill.” Since then, he has made appearances on “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood,” released his first memoir, “Mess With a Message” in 2021, and launched the HBCU board game Yardopoly last year.
Tre’vell Anderson – Morehouse College
Tre’vell Anderson is an award-winning journalist, social curator critic, editor, and podcaster. They obtained their Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Morehouse College in 2013 and got their Master’s in communication from Standford University in 2014. Named to The Root’s 2020 list of the 100 most influential African Americans, they have dedicated their career to centering those in the margins, grey spaces, and at the intersections of life. Tre’vell co-hosts two podcasts, Crooked Media’s “What A Day” and Maximum Fun’s “FANTI.” Founder and Chief Imagination Officer of Slayzhon, Inc., they are also the authoress of “We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film” and “Historically Black Phrases: From ‘I Ain’t One Of Your Lil’ Friends’ to ‘Who All Gon’ Be There?’” Tre’vell is also the immediate past president of the National Association of Black Journalists of Los Angeles, co-chair of NABJ’s LGBTQ Task Force, and the organization’s Region IV Director.
Camerron Dangerfield – Alabama A&M University
After attending Alabama A&M University on a full academic scholarship, Chef Camerron Dangerfield is now an award-winning private chef, cookbook author, TV personality, and restaurateur. He went from selling soul food plates to Alabama A&M students and faculty to cooking at four or five different nightclubs around Huntsville, and private dinners in people’s homes. Dangerfield is a two-time Food Network champion (“Chopped” & “Cut Throat Kitchen”) and has his own show called “Cooking with Cam Live” on the Food & Lifestyle Network. He is also the chef at DINE VIBE Dining Experience, an Immersive Vibe Dining Experience curated by internationally acclaimed Celebrity Event Designer Courtney Ajinça.
George M. Johnson – Virginia Union University & Bowie State University
George M. Johnson is an award-winning non-binary writer, author, and executive producer, and proud HBCU alum. They are two-time HBCU alum, having graduated from Virginia Union University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and Bowie State University in 2012 with a master’s in human resources development. They are the author of the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which discusses their adolescence growing up as a young Black queer boy in New Jersey through a series of powerful essays. The book was optioned for television by Gabrielle Union. In 2021, Johnson released their second memoir “WE ARE NOT BROKEN,” which received the Carter G. Woodson Award which recognizes books that “accurately and sensitively depict the experience of one or more historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups in the United States.” They were also listed on The Root 100 Most Influential African Americans in 2020, The Out 100 Most Influential LGBTQ People in 2021, and in 2022, were honored as one of the TIME100 Next Most Influential People in the World.
