Carl Bean | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 26, 1944 |
| Died | September 7, 2021 (aged 77)
Los Angeles,
California, U.S. |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation(s) | Minister, singer, and HIV/AIDS activist |
| Organization | Minority AIDS Project |
| Known for | HIV/AIDS activism |
| Notable work | I Was Born This Way |
| Title | Reverend |
Carl Bean (May 26, 1944 – September 7, 2021) was an African-American singer and activist who was the founding prelate of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, [1] [2] a liberal protestant denomination that is particularly welcoming of lesbians, gay and bisexual African Americans.
Life and activism
Bean was born on May 26, 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland. [3] Before founding the first church of the denomination, the Unity Fellowship Church, Los Angeles, in 1975, Bean was a Motown and disco singer, noted particularly for his version of the early gay liberation song " I Was Born This Way." It inspired Lady Gaga's 2011 album and song of the same name. [4] He was openly gay. [5]
In 1982, Bean became an activist, working on behalf of people with AIDS in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, coinciding with the rise of the AIDS epidemic. [5] He was involved with several activist organizations, including the National Minority AIDS Council, which he co-founded alongside activists like Gilberto Gerald, Craig G. Harris, Paul Kawata, Calu Lester, Don Edwards, Suki Ports, Timm Offutt, Norm Nickens, Marie St.-Cyr, and Sandra McDonald in 1987. [6]
Bean founded the Minority AIDS Project in Los Angeles with the goal of supporting people with AIDS, especially young African-American men. It is still in operation. [7] [6]
In 1992, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation named an AIDS hospice center in South Los Angeles after him. It was in operation from 1992 to 2006. [3] [8]
Bean's autobiography, I Was Born This Way, came out in 2010. He died at the age of 77 on September 7, 2021. [5] [3] [9]
References
- ^ Rapp, Linda (2004), "Bean, Carl", glbtq.com, archived from the original on March 18, 2010, retrieved April 23, 2010
- ^ "Unity Fellowship Church Movement". LGBTQ Religious Archives Network. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c Genzlinger, Neil (September 10, 2021). "Carl Bean, Gay Singer Who Turned to Preaching, Dies at 77". The New York TImes. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ "Lady Gaga celebrates 10 years of 'Born This Way' and the gay Black preacher who inspired it". Today. NBC Universal. May 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c Smith, Harrison (September 8, 2021). "Carl Bean, minister and AIDS activist who sang 'I Was Born This Way,' dies at 77". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "Timeline: 30 Years of AIDS in Black America". Frontline. PBS. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ "Archbishop Carl Bean | Profile". LGBT Religious Archives Network. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ Kenslea, Ged (September 9, 2021). "AHF Mourns Passing of Archbishop Carl Bean". AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Jackson-Fossett, Cora (September 7, 2021). "Archbishop Carl Bean has passed away". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
Books
- Bean, Reverend Carl (June 1, 2010). I Was Born This Way. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-9282-2. – Bean's autobiography
External links
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| National | |
| Artists | |
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- 1944 births
- 2021 deaths
- 20th-century African-American male singers
- 20th-century American clergy
- 20th-century American LGBT people
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American singers
- 21st-century African-American people
- 21st-century American Christian clergy
- 21st-century American LGBT people
- African-American LGBT people
- American disco musicians
- American gay musicians
- American HIV/AIDS activists
- American LGBT singers
- American Protestant religious leaders
- LGBT Protestant clergy
- Motown artists
- LGBT rights activist stubs