In this letter to Mayor Ed Koch, Bayard Rustin forcefully defends New York’s Gay Rights Bill, urging leaders to protect it in its strongest form as a measure of true democracy. Drawing on his civil rights experience, Rustin frames LGBTQ+ rights as a universal human rights issue and asserts the responsibility of political power to safeguard those most vulnerable.
Morris Abram on Rustin’s Later Advocacy
In this interview, Morris Abram reflects on the evolving “nature of politics,” using Bayard Rustin as a model of strategic, coalition-based activism. He highlights Rustin’s commitment to universalism and the “long game” of democracy, emphasizing that lasting social change depends on broad alliances and sustained political engagement.
