This Power Hour episode unites Walter Naegle and Senator Scott Wiener to discuss Rustin’s posthumous pardon and the broader restoration of his legacy, highlighting the power of coalition politics and the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ equality.
Bayard Rustin's 1953 arrest in Pasadena, California, for "lewd conduct"—having consensual sex with another man in a parked car—resulted in a 60-day jail sentence and mandatory registration as a sex offender. This conviction was weaponized throughout his career by political opponents seeking to discredit both Rustin and the broader civil rights movement. Despite being one of the chief architects of the 1963 March on Washington and a key strategist for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin was forced to work largely behind the scenes due to the era's pervasive homophobia. Even progressive allies within the movement distanced themselves from him, and segregationist lawmakers publicly attacked his sexuality to undermine his credibility.
In February 2020, after advocacy by Senator Scott Wiener and the California Legislative LGBTQ and Black Caucuses, Governor Gavin Newsom granted Rustin a posthumous pardon and announced a broader clemency initiative for LGBTQ Californians unjustly prosecuted under discriminatory laws. This came seven years after President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2013—the nation's highest civilian honor—in recognition of his lifelong commitment to civil rights, nonviolence, and economic justice. Walter Naegle's acceptance of the medal on Rustin's behalf was a watershed moment for LGBTQ visibility and acknowledgment of the intersectional nature of justice movements.
This Power Hour episode was recorded during Pride Month 2020, amid nationwide protests for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd, and just days after the Supreme Court's landmark Bostock v. Clayton County decision extending federal employment protections to LGBTQ workers. The convergence of these events underscored the ongoing relevance of Rustin's philosophy: that struggles for justice across race, class, sexuality, and identity are deeply interconnected and require sustained coalition-building and political action.
This BRCSJ Power Hour episode documents the first meeting between Walter Naegle, Bayard Rustin's longtime partner, and California State Senator Scott Wiener, the legislator who successfully advocated for Rustin's posthumous pardon in February 2020. The conversation unfolds as a profound exchange between two men representing different generations of LGBTQ activism—Naegle, who lived through the persecution of gay men in the 1950s and watched his partner face discrimination throughout his career, and Senator Wiener, a contemporary elected official working to rectify those historic injustices through legislative action. The episode also features commentary from Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama, discussing the decision to posthumously award Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, alongside footage of the White House ceremony itself where Walter accepted the honor on Bayard's behalf.
Throughout the hour, Senator Wiener explains how he partnered with the California Legislative Black Caucus, led by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, to request Governor Gavin Newsom's pardon of Rustin for his 1953 conviction under California's discriminatory "morals" laws. The bipartisan coalition effort—bringing together LGBTQ and Black caucuses—embodied Rustin's own philosophy of intersectional coalition-building. Newsom not only granted the pardon but expanded the initiative to allow all Californians convicted under similar homophobic laws to apply for clemency. Naegle shares the emotional weight of witnessing Rustin's legacy being restored, reflecting on how Rustin was forced to resign from organizations, endured public attacks by segregationists like Strom Thurmond, and yet never abandoned his commitment to justice. The two men discuss the importance of allyship, the necessity of concrete political action beyond protest, and the ongoing fight for full LGBTQ equality—themes central to Rustin's life work.
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice. "BRCSJ Power Hour: Walter Naegle Meets Senator Scott Wiener." Throwback episode originally aired June 17, 2020, reposted November 18, 2021. YouTube video, 1:02:11. https://youtu.be/Ja2AsScC1IM.
