The Angelic Troublemaker Volume 1 Issue 1
[Illustration: painted portrait of a man in glasses and a suit]
Art by Camil Williams
VOL. 1 ISSUE 1 · MAR 2025
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
Official Quarterly of the Bayard Rustin Society
[Logo: National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ+ Institute]
A Note From Our Executive Director
BY TIM’M WEST
[Photograph: two men standing together by a staircase]
It’s only been a few months since we launched the Bayard Rustin Society in December, with chapters already in Atlanta, NYC, and the Bay Area – all places that I fondly consider old stomping grounds. I recall first hearing about Rustin in 1996 as a graduate student at NYC’s New School for Social Research. As an aspiring educator and professor at the time, I recall the mixed feelings of pride and betrayal, knowing that the person behind the momentous March on Washington was a Black gay man, but also how life-altering it would have been to know about Rustin as a suicidal 16-year old in Taylor, Arkansas.
It has always been a personal challenge to lead in a way the elevates his legacy and core values he held dearly: the commitment to a non-violent, democratic means for social change, a belief in the power of cross-generational mentorship, his genius as a strategist harnessing people power to fight for justice, and certainly the idea that community care is central to advocacy.
As we continue to meet in living rooms, host more formal programmatic events, and even come together virtually, it’s my firm belief that we are meant to be here, in this moment, for each other and our world, right now. As many of us prepare for the forthcoming Bayard Rustin Day in Atlanta on March 15th at the historic Saint Mark United Methodist Church just days before Bayard Rustin’s Birthday (March 17), we recommit ourselves to being the Angelic Troublemakers our world needs. Also in late March, as some of us prepare to attend the Speaking Truth To Power exhibit at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, we embrace the hope and joy of our collective power. The late poet June Jordan reminds us that “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” It’s our time.
[Image: exhibition poster showing Bayard Rustin's driver's licence over a background of protest signs]
[Logo: National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel]
SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER
THE LIFE OF BAYARD RUSTIN EXHIBITION
MARCH 28 - DECEMBER 31, 2025
This issue:
Bay Area Chapter Spotlight Page 2
LGBTQ+ Institute Board Spotlight Page 2
Bayard Rustin Day 2025 Page 2
Putting Our Money Where Our Rights Are - Fireside Chat Page 3
Youth Artist Spotlight Page 3
Atlanta Member Spotlight Page 3
Join the Bayard Rustin Society Page 4
Announcements, Events, Updates
March 12, 2025, 7:00-8:00 PM
Bayard Rustin Society Fireside Chat
Lee Badgett, The Economic Case for LGBT Equality
Virtual Event: REGISTER HERE
March 14, 2025, 6:00-8:00 PM
Rustin Society Members Reception
Hosted by Doug Jones
East Point, GA
DETAILS FORTHCOMING
March 15, 2025, 2:00-4:00 PM
Bayard Rustin Day 2025.
Saint Mark UMC
781 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
REGISTER HERE
March 28-29, 2025
Rustin Society Members Trip to Memphis
Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin, National Civil Rights Museum
Memphis, TN
DETAILS FORTHCOMING
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
PAGE 01
Bay Area Chapter Spotlight
BY TOM SILVERMAN
[Photograph: portrait card headed "I AM AN ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER", with "BAYARD RUSTIN SOCIETY" and the LGBTQ+ Institute logo]
Tom Silverman
As part of the national effort to expand the LGBTQ+ Institute’s Bayard Society, I’m excited to help launch a Bay Area chapter, creating a space for intergenerational community-building, advocacy, and service. To kick off this effort, we recently gathered at my home in San Francisco for a special evening with Tim’m West, Executive Director of the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia.
The event brought together about 15 passionate individuals—an intergenerational group of activists, allies, and changemakers—who share a commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ rights and uplifting our wider community through direct service. It was a powerful night of conversation and connection as we honored Rustin’s legacy and built momentum for the work ahead. The evening was filled with warmth and inspiration as we reflected on our shared history and the legacy of those who came before us. A highlight of the night was Brian Freeman’s powerful storytelling about San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ history, particularly the So Different Club. Through Brian, we learned of the groundbreaking nightclub that became a safe haven for gender-nonconforming performers and drag artists at a time when visibility and acceptance were scarce. Opening in the 1930s, it was one of the first venues in the country where audiences could openly celebrate queer expression, making it a vital part of LGBTQ+ history in the Bay Area. Brian’s stories brought to life the spirit of those who paved the way for today’s movement, reminding us that our fight for justice is rooted in generations of resilience, artistry, and courage. As we laughed, learned, and envisioned the future together, we honored Bayard Rustin’s legacy by reaffirming our commitment to justice, inclusion, and the enduring power of community.
If you're in the Bay Area, we welcome you to be part of our chapter as we work together to uphold Rustin’s legacy through service and activism. If you're elsewhere, we encourage you to find a chapter near you or even start one in your own community. Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive future for all.
[Photograph: a group of people seated together in a living room]
Friends gathered at Thomas Silverman’s home in December to welcome Institute ED, Tim’m West, to strategize starting a Bay Area chapter in his old stomping grounds, where he started rap group DDC, wrote his first books, and helped launch Oakland School for the Arts.
BAYARD RUSTIN DAY 2025
[Photograph: portrait of Bayard Rustin]
BAYARD RUSTIN
[Logo: National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ+ Institute]
READY TO MEET THE MOMENT
CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BAYARD RUSTIN
JOIN US ON MARCH 15, 2025
2:00-4:00 PM
SAINT MARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
781 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
The day will include contributions from youth poets and a panel dedicated to addressing how we show up for trans, non-binary, and gender expansive community members, followed by a fireside chat feat. Dr. Terence Lester: "Coming Out As an Ally."
SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY!.
LGBTQ+ Institute Board Spotlight
Umut Dursun (he/him)
[Photograph: portrait of a smiling man in glasses]
Where do you call home and why?
Umut: There are pieces of me in many different places: San Diego Miami, my family in Turkey, and even Pflugerville, TX as they bravely continue their drag shows beyond pushback, but also the home I’ve made for me and my wife in Denver, CO.
What do you most look forward to in 2025:
Umut: My dad visits me from Turkey in March and my sister and her family area also moving to CO. For the first time in 25 years we will live within an hour of each other!
What does mentorship look like in your world?
Nick Teich, founder of Harbor Camps-- which helps build community for trans and non-binary kids and families--is my mentor. As a trans guy and its Executive Director, I’m moved by how powerful it is for trans and non-binary kids to see people a few years or decades older thriving and living happy successful lives.
- For more on Harbor Camps visit: harborcamps.org
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
PAGE 02
[Image: book cover]
THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR LGBT EQUALITY
WHY FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT BENEFITS US ALL
M. V. LEE BADGETT
[Photographs: portraits of two people]
[Illustration: a dollar bill on a striped background]
Putting Our Money Where Our Rights Are
Join the Bayard Rustin Society for the first of our quarterly, virtual Fireside chats on March 12th from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. EST as we join Lee Badgett, author of “The Economic Case for LGBT Equality” and Atlanta society member and executive strategist, Calvin Pegus. We will reflect on the history of boycotting and talk about viable strategies to impact the economy in ways that protect LGBTQ+ rights.
REGISTER TODAY!
Youth Artist Spotlight
[Photograph: a young man standing in front of a mural of Bayard Rustin]
Brandon Moultrie (he/they), also known as LaSalle, is a mixed media artist, coordinator, curator, and muralist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Born in Stamford, Connecticut and raised in Savannah, Georgia he stays connected to his Gullah and Geechee roots. He reached out to LGBTQ+ Institute Executive Director Tim’m West after seeing an Instagram post about the Bayard Rustin Society, which was created in 2024 to mobilize leaders nationally aligned with Rustin’s values, such as cross-generational mentorship, principles of non-violence, and a commitment to community-care as a central part of advocacy.
He'd met Tim'm at Atlanta Pride 2024, through his friend "Willington," who marched with Institute staff at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and who first introduced him to Bayard Rustin when he visited the Center. Like many young people, he'd never heard about Bayard Rustin and the host of other leaders without whom major Civil Rights accomplishments, including the March on Washington, Voter Rights Act of 1964, and Civil Rights Act of 1965 would not have been possible.
LaSalle’s mural "Bayard Rustin" celebrates the often-overlooked leader in the Civil Rights Movement. “I used bright colors to bring his image to life, surrounded by forget-me-not flowers to symbolize how he should not be forgotten. These flowers remind us of his impact on civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy, work that is sometimes overshadowed in history,” says the artist. The piece was created and approved by the City of Dunwoody, after a call to artists for Black History Month in 2025. LaSalle has received his second consecutive grant and has been grateful for Dunwoody's support in enabling other young people who frequent the Dunwoody Skate Park to learn about Rustin's legacy.
Atlanta Member Spotlight
Evan Malbrough (he/him)
[Photograph: portrait card headed "I AM AN ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER", with "BAYARD RUSTIN SOCIETY" and the LGBTQ+ Institute logo]
Evan Malbrough
As a GenZer with lots of advocacy work behind you, what was your entry point into social justice?
My church was the entry point. I got to hear from civil rights icons like Andrew Young, John Lewis, and C. T. Vivian. That’s how I got the history and the examples.
As a cis-heterosexual Black man, what does it mean to be an ally to the LGBTQ Community?
I value an understanding that a world that is safe for queer people is a world that is safe for me. The systems that affect me also affect them, and we should work to deconstruct them together.
What do you find most inspiring about Bayard Rustin’s legacy?
He is a phenomenal planner. In my current and past roles as an organizer and diplomat, creating community is essential.
What would you like to see the Atlanta Bayard Rustin Society commit to over the next year?
More advocacy! I think we should be in the halls of power and start building a long-term political base.
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
PAGE 03
Join the BAYARD RUSTIN SOCIETY
[Logo: National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ+ Institute]
“We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.”
- Bayard Rustin
[Photograph: portrait of Bayard Rustin]
Who is Bayard Rustin?
The society is named for Bayard Rustin, a trailblazing gay civil rights leader and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rustin was the key architect for the 1963 March on Washington whose pioneering thought leadership supported many key Civil Rights leaders.
What is the Society?
We are a philanthropic community of advocates who come together to advance key values central to Rustin’s legacy:
- We value cross-generational mentorship.
- We advocate for justice.
- We use non-violent, democratic means to bring about social change.
- We believe that racism and bigotry undermine the “oneness of the human family.”
- We support community care as a necessary part of advocacy.
- We elevate courageous, strategic leadership.
What We Support
[Photograph: portrait of an older man in a scarf]
“Bayard Rustin worked to build a society based on human rights for all, equal opportunity, and social justice achieved through democratic, nonviolent action.”
- Walter Naegle (he/him), Bayard Rustin’s partner
[Photograph: portrait of a young woman in glasses]
“Youth programs at the LGBTQ+ Institute have been life-changing, from monthly YOU(th) Belong programs where I perform spoken word to the National Youth Advocacy Corps where I’m co-creating a graphic novel on the experiences of trans and non-binary students in schools.”
- Treasure Von-Holland (she/they), Youth Advisory Council Member, YOU(th) Belong Atlanta
TIM’M WEST
Executive Director, LGBTQ+ Institute
[Email address and mobile number omitted]
Join the Society Today!
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