The Incredible Life of Louis Hughes, Jr.: The Community's Gay Uncle

Louis Hughes, Jr. has been a Baltimore stalwart for decades. He was born in Virginia in 1944. His father was a fierce advocate for equality, as he had to sue to get his plumbing license. His lawyer was the prolific Thurgood Marshall before he became a SCOTUS Justice.

Baba Louis, as he is affectionately known, has been a trailblazer for LGBTQ civil rights for years. He graduated from Hampton University. He pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated during his matriculation at Hampton. At Hampton, he met a young Aretha Franklin at a concert during a campus event. At that time, Ms. Franklin was young and had just started making a name for herself. As always, she preferred all her fees in cash, of course.

In the summer of 1970, Baba Louis moved to Baltimore. He came out as gay on Halloween in 1974. He was 30 years old at the time. For the record, 30 is not gay middle age. He became an advocate for gay and lesbian rights. He joined the movement of liberation in 1975. Louis began volunteering at the new Baltimore Gay Alliance. The name was changed to the GLCCB (Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore). During that time, the GLCCB started a clinic for AIDS/HIV patients. Volunteers wrote grants for the clinic. The clinic was named Chase Brexton as the Center was on Chase Street and Brexton Street.

As the years rolled on, Louis began working with gay and lesbian youth at the Center. His mentorship provided a safe environment for kids who were searching for belonging. The name of the group was called Sufficient As I Am (SAME). He and Paulette Young took the kids to New York Pride and other outings to encourage them to live their dreams. Paulette and Louis raised a generation of kids who would go on to be pillars of the Baltimore community. This includes therapists, political leaders, community organizers, and philanthropists.

One of the most remarkable things about Louis is that he is a fountain of wisdom and history. He is an elder who cares for the health and well-being of our community. In this time of anti LGBTQ/SGL hate and fearmongering, Louis and his peers continue to fight for the rights of queer and trans communities. They are determined to make sure our history is never erased. He insists that we must educate LGBTQ/SGL youth about our history and culture. Our community continues to grow, thrive, and speak up. Louis and his friends inspire us to keep moving toward freedom, justice, and equality. We will not be deterred.