Rev. Jesse Jackson was a civil rights giant and an LGBTQ+ ally before there was such a thing

Reverend Jesse Jackson, one of the most consequential civil rights leaders in modern U.S. history and a pioneering advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84, his family announced. Jackson passed peacefully at his Chicago home, surrounded by family, after a longstanding battle with the rare neurodegenerative disorder progressive supranuclear palsy.

Best known as a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a two-time presidential candidate, Jackson’s impact on American political and social movements was substantial, but his commitment to LGBTQ+ equality set him apart among leaders of his generation. At a time when few national figures openly championed gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights, Jackson used his platform to broaden the definition of civil rights — insisting that justice for all meant all, including LGBTQ+ people.

“Our liberation is bound together,” said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, in a statement marking Jackson’s death. “Reverend Jackson also stood up when it mattered; when it wasn’t easy and when it wasn’t popular. His support for marriage equality and for LGBTQ+ people affirmed a simple, powerful truth.”

Jackson’s crowning political achievement — the creation of the Rainbow Coalition in the 1970s — intentionally built bridges across communities often marginalized in American democracy. Black workers, women, young voters, and LGBTQ+ Americans were invited into a coalition that sought not just rights on paper but full participation in civic life. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in that coalition was radical at the time, earning Jackson enduring respect in queer communities.

In 1984, Jackson became the first major presidential contender to publicly support gay and lesbian rights within a national campaign platform — a landmark moment in LGBTQ+ political history. He further insisted on protections against discrimination, including within federal employment and the military, and endorsed early calls for recognition of same-sex partnerships long before marriage equality was widely embraced in national politics.

“He realized early on that you can’t separate the struggle for racial justice from the struggle for LGBTQ+ dignity,” said Kierra Johnson, executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force. “Rev. Jackson understood that the fight for freedom must leave no one behind — and he lifted up LGBTQ+ lives when many others did not.”

National LGBTQ organizations were quick to pay tribute. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights group, praised Jackson as a fearless advocate whose moral consistency helped set the groundwork for later victories like marriage equality and workplace protections.

The National LGBTQ Task Force — one of the earliest and most dynamic queer advocacy organizations — released a statement highlighting Jackson’s role in expanding LGBTQ+ visibility among broader movements for justice. “His work reminded us that our liberation is interconnected,” the Task Force said. “He taught us that true equality cannot be parceled out in pieces.”

Friends, allies, and leaders across movements noted that Jackson’s support was profoundly personal and strategic.

“Jackson didn’t just include LGBTQ+ people in speeches — he made us part of political strategy,” said queer organizer and long-time Jackson ally Mara Keisling. “He helped open doors for queer leaders long before it was fashionable or politically expedient.”

LGBTQ activists also recall Jackson’s presence at demonstrations, rallies, and symbolic moments. In 1987 and 1988, as he crisscrossed the country for presidential bids, Jackson marched with LGBTQ+ advocates — a gesture that translated solidarity into millions of living rooms at a time when many Americans had never seen a national leader speak publicly about gay and lesbian inclusion.

For many in the queer community, Jackson’s death is a moment to reflect on how far the nation has come and how much work remains.

“He helped us see ourselves as part of the moral arc of justice,” said Dr. Alicia Boykins, Deputy Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. “We owe him gratitude for insisting that LGBTQ+ freedom was indeed part of the American promise.”

Jackson was also mourned by other civil rights and political figures.

“He challenged this nation to live up to its highest ideals and reminded our movement that hope is both a strategy and a responsibility,” the NAACP said in a statement.

Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton described Jackson as “a movement unto himself,” while Bishop William J. Barber II honored him as a moral leader who extended justice to all people.

Jackson’s family, in announcing his passing, asked that his legacy be honored by continuing the work he dedicated his life to: building coalitions, lifting the voices of the oppressed, and pushing the nation toward equality for every community.

“Our father was a servant leader, not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the family said. “His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions.”

“Keep hope alive,” many activists echoed — the phrase Jackson made famous, and the sentiment that LGBTQ+ advocates say will carry forward his legacy into the next generation.