Bayard Rustin organized the 1963 March on Washington but was nearly written out of civil rights history because he was openly gay. He was also my life partner.

• Bayard Rustin was a civil rights leader who organized the 1963 March on Washington.
• Rustin was marginalized for his identity as a gay Black man, but continued to fight for equality.
• His surviving partner Walter Naegle spoke with Insider reporter Yoonji Han about keeping Rustin's legacy alive.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Walter Naegle, an artist and photographer who is the surviving partner of Bayard Rustin, the late American Civil Rights leader. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.