Comic: Celebrating the women who’ve been there since Day 1 for gay people

Illustration of a man wearing a shirt that says "GRRRL POWER" under a pair of eyes and hands with fingernail polish on them

(Julio Salgado)

By Julio Salgado

March 25, 2024 12:24 PM PT

It’s Women’s History Month and for this installment we’re celebrating all the ones who’ve been there since Day 1 for gaypeople. And we look at how we can start to thank them by showing up for them in return!

Illustration of man under eyes and hands and Women have always been key in my gay survival as I navigated a homophobic world

Man under symbol and Whether it be family, friends or pop icons, I've always been surrounded and protected by feminine energy

Woman, boy and The first woman being my mother who made sure my self-esteem wasn't lacking because I was a little different.

Kids with Barbies and Like many gay boys before me, Barbies were one of the first tools I used to express my feminine side.

Boy and band posters, Then the Spice Girls, Shakira and No Doubt came around to be the soundtrack of a very confused puberty

Two girls and a guy, While I was figuring out my sexuality in high school, brown girls would put a stop to any homophobia.

Two men and a woman, When I was in college I had to reexamine the way other gay men and I were participating in misogyny.

Two men and a woman, While homophobia has done a number on our psyche, it's no excuse to turn our backs on women who had ours

Protest signs. Having women's backs means being there for your girls when their rights are under attack.

I cannot imagine where I'd be now if it weren't for all the girlies who came through when I needed them the most.

Julio Salgado (@juliosalgado83) is a digital illustrator based in Long Beach.

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