Two men, two movements and our call to seek justice

The impetus for this thesis was the 2004 grassroots effort to defeat Amendment 1 in my home state of Georgia. During that experience I witnessed some of the unfinished racial and relational work that exists between members of the African American and GLBT communities as well as the tension of those who identify as both African American and GLBT. This paper offers insights regarding some of the similarities and differences of the Civil Rights and Gay Rights Movements in order to continue the dialogue between members of these two important social movements. This body of work examines the lives of two dedicated men, Bayard Rustin and Troy D. Perry, Jr. and their unwavering commitment to their respective movements: Civil Rights Movement and Gay Rights Movement. The question, “what can the Gay Rights Movement learn from the Civil Rights Movement in order to