September 26th

09-26-1942 – 05-15-2004 Gloria E. Anzaldúa – Born in Rio Grande Valley, Texas. She was an American scholar of Chicana cultural theory, feminist theory, and queer theory. She loosely based her best-known book, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, on her life growing up on the Mexican-Texas border, and incorporated her lifelong feelings of social and cultural marginalization into her work. In an effort to expose her stance on linguistics and labels, she explained that “While I advocate putting Chicana, tejana, working-class, dyke-feminist poet, writer theorist in front of my name, I do so for reasons different than those of the dominant culture…so that the Chicana and lesbian and all the other persons in me don’t get erased, omitted, or killed.” She said, “I was born queer.” Anzaldúa died at her home in Santa Cruz, California, from complications due to diabetes. At the time of her death, she was about to receive her doctorate in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. It was awarded posthumously in 2005.

09-26-1978 Favianna Rodriguez – Born in Oakland, California. She identifies as queer and Latina with Afro-Peruvian roots. Rodriguez’s uses her art as a tool for activism. Her posters are a reflection of political issues she’s involved with, including globalization, immigration, feminism, patriarchy, and LGBT rights. Her work has appeared in collections at Bellas Rates, The Glasgow Print Studio, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Rodriguez has mentored dozens of emerging artists and helped establish a multi-use facility in East Oakland. She has also lectured at over 200 schools, including UC Santa Cruz, Stanford, Michigan State, and Syracuse University, on the use and power of art in civic engagement.

09-26-1979 Marcelo Gomes – Born in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil and raised in Rio de Janeiro. Gomes joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1997 as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to soloist in 2000 and to principal dancer in 2002. In 2008 he won one of the prestigious awards in ballet, the Prix Benois de la Danse in Moscow. In 2003 he came out as gay, the first ballet dancer to do so. He said, “People are always surprised, when they ask me if everyone is gay, and I say, ‘No, actually, everyone’s straight!’”

09-26-1965 Jill Soloway – Born in Chicago, Illinois. She is an American comedian, playwright, feminist, and Emmy-winning television writer. She also won the Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival for directing and writing the film Afternoon Delight. Soloway is also known for her work on Six Feet Under and for creating, writing, executive producing and directing the Amazon original series Transparent. Around 2011 Soloway’s father came out as transgender. She has been married and has a son. In a profile appearing in the December 14, 2015 issue of The New Yorker, it was revealed that Soloway is in a relationship with poet Eileen Myles. Soloway confirmed that she is out in an email to The Advocate.

09-26-1937 – 03-25-2006 Joop Admiraal – Born in Ophemert, Netherlands. He was a Dutch actor who was best known for his roles in The Werkteater and Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Admiraal had relationships with singer and actor Williams Vanessa and with actor Gerard Thoolen. For 22 years, he was life-partner of Jaap Jansen, former editor, and partner at the publishing company Van Gennep. Admiraal died at the age of 68 of a heart attack.

09-26-1966 Jillian Barberie (Reynolds) – Born in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. She is a Canadian actress, television and radio hostess, known for appearances on Fox Sports as the weatherperson on Fox NFL Sunday in the early to mid-2000s. She currently co-hosts Mid Day LA on Talk Radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles. She is known for being outspoken, so her fans weren’t surprised when she appeared on the Howard Stern Show in October of 2003 and told the world that she was bisexual.