Joseph Beam was the editor of the ground-breaking anthology of black gay literature, In the Life. Published in 1986 by Alyson Publications, it provided a generation of black gay men with affirmations for their sexual identities and desires.

In the Introduction to In the Life he wrote, ''There are many reasons for Black gay invisibility. Hard words come to mind: power, racism, conspiracy, oppression, and privilege, each deserving of a full-fledged discussion in gay history books yet unwritten''.

Joe challenged the prevailing silence surrounding the lives of black gay men. ''We have always existed in the African-American community. We have been ministers, hairdressers, entertainers, sales clerks, civil rights activists, teachers, playwrights, trash collectors, dancers, government officials, choirmasters, and dishwashers. You name it; we’ve done it, most often with scant recognition. We have mediated family disputes, cared for and reared our siblings, and housed our sick. We have performed many and varied important roles within our community''.

Joseph Beam died of AIDs-related causes at the age of thirty-three in Philadelphia. Prior to his death he had begun editing Brother to Brother. While a board member of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays, he became the founding editor of the organization’s Black/Out magazine. His commitment to ending the silence surrounding the lives of black gay men has been a most empowering legacy. He was a cultural and political activist dedicated to ending racism, homophobia, hetero-sexism, and the debilitating oppressions spawned by patriarchy.

In his essay 'Making Ourselves from Scratch,' he writes, ''it was imperative for my survival that I did not attend to or believe the images that were presented of black people or gay people. Perhaps that was the beginning of my passage from passivism to activism, that I needed to create my reality, that I needed to create images by which I, and other black gay men to follow, could live this life.''

Joseph Beam was a respected and important figure in the gay and lesbian world. He actively contributed to the empowerment of black gay men. His pro-feminism made him well informed of women’s issues and a staunch supporter of women’s literature. Reverend Renee McCoy, former executive director of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays and a good friend of Joe’s, noted in an Au Courant tribute to him that his work enriched the community on multiple levels. Joe left behind a legacy of who we are as black lesbians and gays. His work is a resounding affirmation of our lives. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that ''Mr. Beam developed a national reputation as an articulate, sensitive voice for the black gay community.'' But he was also a man who cared deeply about 'black men loving black men.'

The bottom line is this"" he said. ''We are Black men who are proudly gay. What we offer is our lives, our love, our visions, We are coming home with our heads held up high.''