Our history is bound up in the stories of women and men who have created and inspired, as Alice Walker wrote, in love, and in trouble. In honor of Pride, here are five gays to make you proud.

Included in this episode, musical genius Billy Strayhorn, Tomatsu Yato’s stunning photography of Japanese men, Sadao Hasegawa’s bravura graphic artwork put Asian men at the center of an erotic world, fashion designer Willi Smith revolutionized American fashion, and the internationally renowned sculpture Richard Barthe’.

Hugs and Happy Pride!