Amber Hikes
“I can’t talk about being out without talking about being out as a Black Queer Woman,” says Amber Hikes, the ACLU’s first Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer. “My unapologetic blackness, womaness, and queerness — and my existence at their intersections — are not just primary parts of my success; they are the foundation for it.” As a social justice advocate and community organizer, Hikes provides vision, leadership, and direction for the ACLU’s nationwide strategy to support equity, diversity, and inclusion. Before her work at the ACLU, Hikes has served as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. She is also known around the world for introducing the More Color More Pride flag that adds black and brown stripes to the traditional rainbow Pride flag to visually represent people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. Regardless of where Hikes is working or what project she’s leading, she looks at the world heavily through the lens of intersectionality and allows it to unwaveringly guide her work. “Being out means bringing all of my identities to my work — to every table I’m sitting at — and committing to creating space there for others with marginalized identities to join me,” Hikes tells GO. “Centering those identities for me, for others like me — it’s not just all of the success I’ve had, it’s the only success I want.” —GP
