Richard Noble (activist)

Richard Noble is an American activist, civil rights leader, adventurist, spiritualist and aspiring politician whose accomplishments in support of the LGBT rights movement include his Walk Across America in which he became the first person to walk a Rainbow Pride flag across any nation in world history with the proposed civil rights bill to protect sexual orientation and gender identity, independent protests like hunger strikes,and his foundational work with the activist group Queer Nation Los Angeles which is known for protests at the 64th Academy Awards, confrontations with various churches and celebrities, and coined the iconic phrase "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it!"
Noble "came out" on national television where he exclaimed, "I'm gay" on the Arsenio Hall show a few years before Ellen Degeneres in one of Queer Nations protests against Andrew Dice Clay.
Noble has marched with renowned activists David Mixner and Larry Kramer, confronted Tommy Lasorda about his gay son, supported allies like Mark Wahlberg and attacked works by Andrew Dice Clay and Rush Limbaugh. Noble's activism goes back to his days as a teenager in West Hollywood during the gay rights movement's initial surge of momentum in the early 1990s. Noble's work has been recognized by more than a dozen mayors, state legislators, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, and President Barack Obama for, among other things, his work towards the completion of an American Equality Bill.
Noble has spent a lifetime supporting LGBT causes like AIDS awareness, legislative efforts to include gender identity and sexual orientation to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the Add 4 Words (sexual orientation gender identity) campaign, support for the American Equality Bill and public sentiments like the ENDA is Not Equal movement. Noble's participation in organized activism dates back to the surge of protests against the film industry, religious organizations and government officials including Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.
Though considered a militant activist in his early years, Noble, in a manner consistent with his spirituality and sobriety, has embraced passive activism through hunger strikes, the Walk Across America, and other non-confrontational methods of engaging the public.

Noble was born Richard Hansen in Oakland, California in 1965 to Richard Owens and Shirley Hansen. He was adopted at the age of one by Ken and Barbara Noble of Hayward, California. He has 3 half brothers and one half sister along with 2 brothers and 2 sisters related by adoption only. Growing up he played soccer, excelled at horseback riding, enjoyed the guitar and loved spending time sailing with his father in the San Francisco Bay.

Early years and coming out

Noble discovered his sexuality during puberty and almost immediately "came out" at Monte Vista High School in Danville, California. Noble's parents told him it was a phase and his classmates generally rejected or bullied him. After several incidents his father took him out of school and Noble went to live with his mother in La Verne, California.

Moving to West Hollywood

Though he had entered the La Verne police cadet program, Noble began using alcohol and marijuana which ultimately led to his quitting the program. Noble later moved out of his mother’s home and after a period of couchsurfing landed at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center housing facility. Noble struggled, but ultimately his move to Southern California resulted in the beginning of his political career. Between the large population of LGBTQ individuals and its proximity to Hollywood, Noble had been able to serve the community through events like the AIDS ride sponsored by Dan Aykroyd and the House of Blues, where Noble worked for 3.5 years.

Spirituality and recovery

Noble has had many pilgrimages to India. His inspirations come from Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Noble primarily identifies with the Hindu religion and follows the life and teachings of modern Avatar Sri Satya Sai Baba, but considers Jesus a religious icon and reinterprets his existence as a punar avatar. After an inner vision, Noble became a vegetarian in 2013 when the Avatar told Noble within, "No more animals". Noble states that he accepts homosexuality as an inherent privilege of the divine.

Noble practices Jyoti meditation, which means "auspicious flame" and is a form of light meditation.

The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power is an advocacy group focused on impacting the lives of people with AIDS and fighting the AIDS pandemic.

Larry Kramer, one of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis co-founders, spoke at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in New York in 1987 and his criticisms of the Gay Men's Health Crisis and call to action resulted in 300 people meeting and founding ACT UP in New York that Spring.

Despite being HIV negative in a political climate which was somewhat exclusive to HIV/AIDS sufferers, Noble worked with ACT-UP for nearly 25 years and has been affiliated with the movement’s progress.

Noble has also practiced non-radical activism throughout his career and is known for several hunger strikes. Noble spent 36 hours on the corner of Tahquitz and Palm Canyon Drive fasting to protest a gay sex sting in Warm Sands and in support of gay marriage rights and the right of gays to donate blood.

Following the suicides of Seth Walsh, Tyler Clementi and Asher Brown, Noble fasted for 9 days to protest bullying and Don't ask, don't tell.

Noble built a makeshift concentration camp during the AB101 protests and fasted in prison garb with the infamous pink triangle emblazoned on his chest.

Richard Noble's Walk Across America

On March 12, 2011, Noble set out on foot from San Francisco, California with a seven-foot-long flagpole flying the LGBTQI pride flag designed by LGBTQI rights activist Gilbert Baker. Noble proceeded to the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge where he commenced his Walk Across America, retraced his steps on the bridge and headed along highway 101 towards pier 59 in San Francisco. The entire journey would take him through ten states on his northwest and southeast 2 part route (thirteen states visited in total) before he reached Jacksonville Beach, Florida in June 2012.

Noble dedicated 56 miles of his walk to supporting gays in the military and the repeal of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy.

Part of Noble's walk crossed US Highway 50 in a desolate part of Nevada. Some stretches of the highway require several days walk between sources of fresh water, so fellow activist and one of the first openly transgender American politicians Lauren Scott aided Noble's journey through the practice of geocaching critical supplies. Every 12th mile marker along the highway, Noble would enter coordinates into a portable GPS device and locate cached provisions including water, food, and propane fuel for his stove.

Communication about Noble's progress was often made in advance of Noble's arrival through his Facebook and Twitter feeds and as a result Noble was often greeted with proclamations, supporters and well wishers. In one case, an LGBTQ activist met with him and made arrangements for them to visit the fence in Laramie, Wyoming where Matthew Shepard spent the last hours of his life.

Noble completed his 2,700-mile, 10-state journey on June 9, 2012. He had set out from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco 451 days earlier on March 12, 2011. Hundreds of fans and supporters showed up in Jacksonville for a rally and held up symbolic finish lines made of crepe paper as they cheered him across. Noble received proclamations and honors from 23 mayors, governors and legislators during his journey. He has had holidays bearing his name celebrated in Boulder, West Hollywood, and Houston, and was eventually invited to the White House where his group was permitted to meet with President Barack Obama.

Noble's work towards the federal Equality Act and the walk itself has been recognized and commemorated by dozens of mayors, members of Congress, the Governor of Nevada, the Human Rights Campaign and the White House.

Noble spent June 30, 2014 at the White House as a guest of the President and First Lady. Noble attended a gathering where the president made remarks on his administration's progress towards LGBTQ equality. The President made a historic proclamation that the month of June be known as LGBT Pride Month

Richard Noble and Todd Fernandez speaking with the President of the United States, Barack Obama in the White House

Noble received an historic recognition from Oglala Sioux, recognizing his oneness with the two-spirit identity, a name given to the idea that those who identify as LGBTQ have a spiritual connection to their atypical gender identification. He was officially recognized by Oglala Sioux President John "Yellow Bird" Steele, and named ‘Poo’e’ta’gwena’ or ‘Rainbow’ by a Paiute elder in Nevada.

May 3, 2010 was proclaimed "Richard Noble Day" by West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman for his outstanding commitment to queer activism. January 24, 2012 was proclaimed Noble Noble Day in Houston, TX by its openly gay mayor Annise Parker

Noble has never been acknowledge or given an award by any LGBT organization.

At the end of his walk across America, Noble received 3rd party, a hand painted canvass by Rainbow flag creator and icon, Gilbert Baker.

Foundations Recovery Network presented Noble, the Hero in Recovery Award. It was the first award every bestowed on an LGBT American for the foundation as a result of Noble's tireless efforts in the field of addiction and recovery.

Noble's primary objective over the last decade has been the production and adoption of an equality bill or modification to existing civil rights laws equating LGBTQ citizens with other protected classes.

Senator Jeff Merkley, the sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), has announced his intent to file a more comprehensive LGBTQ Nondiscrimination bill in the 114th Congress which will subsume part of ENDA and provide broader protections for LGBTQ citizens.

Noble has walked with Larry Kramer and David Mixner in the 1993 March on Washington.

Noble maintains a close working relationship with activist Todd "Tif" Fernandez who has written of Noble's accomplishments while working towards the same goals.