He had friends who were sent to mental hospitals by the courts or their parents. That context makes the work of Mr. Rustin, who didn’t deny his sexuality, all the more remarkable, he said. Still, Mr. Naegle said, he believes it hurt Mr. Rustin to have made one part of his identity secondary as the civil rights movement picked up momentum. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that Mr. Rustin began to become involved with gay rights advocacy. “There were things that only he could do,” Mr. Naegle said.

Source: New York Times January 21, 2020 14:03 UTC