Since California passed the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive & Respectful Education Act in July, which requires California schools to teach students about LGBT people and the contributions they've made to society throughout history, we've been wondering how the law will be implemented. These are figures I've been reading about all summer and seeing when, where, and how they influenced the broader LGBT movement.

That's why I was so excited to take on the project of compiling a list of the most essential LGBT figures in history. I've learned about the current state of the movement, the various ideologies and philosophies surrounding activism and momentum-building, and the importance of our history.

Since that first week, I've been challenged every day by the readers and contributors at The Bilerico Project and the rest of the LGBT media world, and I've learned so much in the process. Then I hung out with Bilerico Project founder Bil Browning for an hour, spent my first week interning for the blog, and realized how little I knew. At the beginning of this summer, as an aspiring journalist covering LGBT issues, I thought I understand the ins and outs of the LGBT community.