100 Women We Love: Class of 2018

Kiersey Clemons is only 24 and already taking over the world. Where have you seen her? Where haven’t you seen her? The queer actress, who trained with the iconic Groundlings improvisational and sketch comedy troupe, starred with another one of our favorites, Ellen Page, in the remake of the science fiction/horror film Flatliners; garnered a role in The Only Living Boy in New York along with Jeff Bridges and Kate Beckinsale; played Bianca in Transparent; starred in Lady Gaga’s video “’Til It Happens to You;” and of course, we can’t forget her role as Diggy in Dope, a film about a nerd who gets involved with the wrong crowd. She’s also been called an “actor to watch” by Variety, and pointed, in that article, to fellow actors Page and Zoë Kravitz as inspirations for how to select roles. “It’s funny,” she says. “I was just telling someone else how interesting it was to grow up and be a young woman and figure yourself out on camera and in your personal life at the same time. It sounds a lot more vulnerable, I think, than it is. It’s just really self-reflective, and it feels cool to watch yourself, and it helps you understand yourself. It’s been a blessing for me.” Look for her in the horror film Sweetheart as well as the highly anticipated feature film Hearts Beat Loud and on your playlist when she drops that debut EP she’s been working on. —GH

An actor in film, television, and theatre, Alice Kremelberg has worked alongside luminaries such as Tina Fey, Melissa McCarthy, Nathan Lane, Cynthia Nixon, and Debra Messing. Now, she gets to join the incredible team behind Orange is the New Black. Kremelberg will appear in a recurring role as Nicole Eckelcamp in the new season, which premieres later this summer. You can also revel in Kremelberg’s acting prowess in Doomsday as Sorrell, and in Caroline Stucky’s film Us as Helen, to name a couple of her other projects. On stage, she originated the role of Reba in Ruby Rae Spiegel’s play Dry Land. “I find it incredibly rewarding to meet and collaborate with LGBTQIA people, to seek out and tell these stories,” Kremelberg says. “To see and be seen… is everything.” Kremelberg is also taking up directing, writing, and producing, with the documentary series HERassment and the film Jack and Jane. “I feel like one of the most rewarding aspects of this work is that I am constantly learning — about myself and others,” Kremelberg says. “It’s a never-ending game of discovery. I keep meeting myself again and again in the work and in these characters. I think that this can be a place where real empathy and understanding meet, which are vital to thrive as a community.” To the LGBTQ community, her message is to “Know that you are important. Your experience and your voices are necessary.” —SEJ

Born in Xi’An, China, the now-Queens-based actor, poet, and doula Poppy Liu (who uses the pronouns “she” and “they”) is actively “decolonizing queer and femme stories about sex, body, love, and healing.” As the lead actor in the drama series Mercy Mistress, Liu tells the story of a queer Chinese-American professional dominatrix living in New York City. Recently, she went on two Bible Belt abortion storytelling tours with Names of Women, a short film based on Liu’s personal abortion story. Liu crowdfunded $20,000 to make the film and accompanying educational toolkits on reproductive justice, which she hopes will launch open conversations about the complexity of abortion — dialogues that include gender non-conforming and transgender voices. Names of Women premiered in New York City the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, and it’s been screening around the country ever since. Liu also founded Collective Sex, a storytelling initiative. “The future is queer, it’s immigrant, it’s hyphenated, and diasporic,” Liu says about the pulse that drives her career. “It is our stories that are going to be the blueprints for our collective liberated future.” —SEJ

Competition is stiff for eyeballs out there on YouTube, so when someone manages to gain a large following, chances are, they’re doing something unique. Stephanie Frosch boasts over 377,000 dedicated subscribers to her channel; her videos get hundreds of thousands of views. Frosch was inspired to start her channel when a fan said they loved her blog but didn’t like reading. She’s covered everything from polyamory to Pride to pumpkin carving. She left YouTube for a bit, frustrated with some aspects of the platform, but soon returned with a promise to create deeper content. (You can hear her story about this in the video “Why I Left YouTube/The Future of My Channel.”) These days, though, she’s focusing on the positive. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is that I get to be the person I wish I had when I was younger — to hundreds of thousands of people who are exactly where I used to be. When I was in middle school, I never imagined that I could be happy and out of the closet, and the fact that I get to support and be a resource for so many in their coming out process is such an honor.” —GH

First she was a bookkeeper. Then the owner of an art gallery for 22 years. Then the owner of a brokerage firm on Wall Street. Linda Gottlieb never balked when it came to making daring career moves. After September 11th, she felt it was time to give back, she says. So Gottlieb initiated another switch, and this time, she made her own community the focus of her career. Gottlieb founded Women’s Pride in the Pines, a dance, silent auction, and dinner that raises money for LGBTQ causes. To date, she has amassed over $650,000 for beneficiaries such as The Center, SAGE, HMI, the Ali Forney Center, and Callen-Lorde. Her most recent event gave to the Family Equality Council in support of LGBTQ families. Why? “The fight is not over,” she says. “We now have gay marriage and we march in the gay parade in New York. Outside of New York, gays are still being beat up and killed and bullied. Children are being thrown out of their homes on the street when they tell their parents they are gay. We must remember this could all be taken away from us in a flash. We must keep fighting for our rights.” —SEJ

“I could not just sit and wait for a world that is designed to erase me off the face of the Earth to do just that,” states Dr. Lourdes Ashley Hunter, Trans Women of Color Collective’s Executive Director. Born out of necessity, TWOCC is a leading grass-roots global initiative led by trans and gender non-conforming people of color that works to uplift their narratives, experiences, and leadership in social justice movements. They build towards collective liberation for all oppressed people, using art as a conduit for healing and restorative justice. Hunter’s dynamic lecturing, research, and academic work has played a transformative role in developing and implementing culturally competent practices at government agencies such as the United Nations, the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the NYPD, just to name a few. Hunter seeks to create a world where Black trans people thrive, and recounts that it wasn’t until she saw another Black trans woman with a job, with a degree, or leading within their industry that she knew those were real possibilities for herself. “My greatest source of inspiration is Black trans people. Our mere essence, our existence, our capacity to love, to build community, to move mountains, to calm seas, to slay dragons, and to shine bright literally inspires me every single day.” Dr. Hunter’s work creates pathways for Black trans folk to see themselves reflected, affirmed, and celebrated. —JDG

Xena: Warrior Princess was the backdrop for many a young queer girl’s sexual awakening, and actress Alexandra Tydings, who starred as Aphrodite, hasn’t forgotten the powerful role the show played for fans. “With Xena, I have met people who were really touched by the show, and I feel honored to have been part of that.” If only something like that had existed when Tydings was coming out. Instead, she and her friends would go to the video store and rent anything that sounded even remotely queer. “I know Liquid Sky, Another Country, and The Hunger by heart,” says Tydings, who most recently had a role in the horror film What Death Leaves Behind. “I can imagine we would have really loved to be able to watch Xena every week.” Her own coming-out in the late ‘80s was both glorious and tumultuous. Growing up in D.C., she and her friends would go to a gay club every weekend. But when someone spotted her there with her girlfriend, she was outed to her whole school and to her mother. “Mom, however, was very cool,” Tydings remembers. Her message to the LGBTQ community, including those many Xena fans is: “Thank you for being there for me when I needed you. You are fabulous. You inspire me. And if any of you aren’t yet safe or ready to be out loud and proud, know that I love you and I will always have your back.” Perfect words from the woman who portrayed the goddess of Love — and we love you and have your back, too! —SEJ

For many, Trump’s election was a soul-crushing moment, but for Democrat Christine Hallquist, it led to something positive: a decision to try to become the first trans governor in America. Her decision to run for office is even more stunning when you consider that, according to Broadly, this former CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative only came out as trans in 2015, and even then feared pushback. (“I was pretty sure I would lose [my job],” she told Broadly. “… But when I transitioned on December 2nd, 2015, Vermont welcomed me with open arms. It was a miracle.”) The fact that Hallquist can run as her authentic self — and that other trans folks have and are as well, including famed Danica Roem, who recently became the first trans state legislator in Virginia — shows that not only have we come a long way as a society, but we can still move forward under our current “unfriendly” administration. If she wins the potentially pivotal race, Hallquist wants to help Vermonters secure job opportunities and healthcare. “In running for governor, I am so grateful that I have met so many good people,” Hallquist tells GO. “There are many people who are down on our democracy. I would tell them to not let the negativism get you down. The majority of the people who I have met on the campaign trail really do want to make things better and are very welcoming and supportive.” The next step for Hallquist is the Democrat primary in August — and we wish her all the luck! —GH

As the president and CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis has a mission to ensure the fair and accurate portrayal of the LGBTQ community in the media, and the work goes beyond that. With a successful career as a media executive behind her before she took on her current role in 2014, Ellis has a deep understanding of how media influences acceptance. In addition to providing resources to media on how to better cover the community (such as when Caitlyn Jenner came out), GLAAD also works with prominent media figures to get their opinions heard on issues important to LGBTQ people, such as discriminatory bills in Tennessee and Georgia. For Ellis, the goal isn’t just to see more queer characters on TV shows, though that’s certainly important, too. Instead, she considers and helps propagate the positive role media can have on society as a whole. “When I look at my two children, I want them to be able to grow up in a world where their moms have full acceptance and equality under the law,” she says. “I want my wife and I to be able to freely show affection anywhere without fear of retaliation or violence.” In the current political climate, in which fake news runs rampant — some of it with a decidedly homophobic streak — she says, “This is more important than ever — and I am more resolved than ever to make the world I want to see for my family.” —SEJ

A lifelong music lover who would always share her melodic discoveries with her friends, Michelle King took her passion and channeled it into a career of helping artists reach larger audiences. King is the owner of Austin, Texas-based public relations company Noisy Ghost PR. “Now,” she says, “I get to share new music with the world.” Her company mainly focuses on spreading the word about indie musicians, with many queer artists among her clients. Xiu Xiu, Sick of Sarah, Shirlette Ammons, Kerchief, and Frankie Simone have all been on her client roster. One of the ways she gets queer artists noticed is through her other role, as Public Relations Manager for The Dinah, the massive Palm Springs women’s festival. It was at The Dinah earlier this year that King experienced a career highlight, when rapper Brooke Candy told her she is a “good publicist” during a backstage conversation. Noisy Ghost’s latest work involves partnering with the Contrast Film Festival, a queer- and female-focused film and performance art fest in Austin. “Creating exposure for artists whose work deserves to be appreciated by larger audiences is immensely rewarding,” King says. “I enjoy remaining behind the scenes while still working in a creative field and using my skills as a communicator to put others in the spotlight.” —SEJ

Guinevere Turner always had something to say, and when she was in her 20s, she finally figured out how to say it: through film. “I thought, ‘A lot of people see movies. If I want to say something, a movie is the smartest vehicle.’” Her debut, Go Fish, became a cult lesbian classic. The 1994 film, which she co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in, focused on a woman whose friends try to help her find a new girlfriend. While many fans are still discovering that groundbreaking lesbian comedy, others know Turner from The L Word, on which she served as a writer and story editor, and had an unforgettable recurring role as Alice’s girlfriend, Gabby. Turner co-wrote the films American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page with director Mary Harron. She can also list American Psycho and Chasing Amy among her acting credits. In her latest venture, Turner is going from being the screenwriter of a cult film, to being the screenwriter of a film about a cult: She penned the screenplay Charlie Says, an upcoming film directed by Harron. It’s about “the women who killed for Charles Manson as they serve out the first few years of their decades-long prison term.” Whether telling the stories of an LA lesbian crew or of a serial killer’s followers, Turner knows how to serve up compelling tales about real(ish) people. “The simple act of representation is powerful,” she says. “And then, of course, there are all the people who are seeing characters they’ve never seen before and learning. It starts conversations. I live for that!” —SEJ

There are some who simply never want summer camp to end. Kayla Weissbuch, left, attended and worked at a summer camp from the ages of eight to 18. Two years later, at 20, she was starting one of her own, along with her wife, Jessica Weissbuch. The pair founded Brave Trails, which provides leadership summer camp experiences for LGBTQ teens and families, and now serves 250 campers each summer. Camp gave Kayla “some of the most formative and impactful experiences,” she says, and she wanted to pass that on to other LGBTQ youth. “I get to witness as shy, awkward, anxious teenagers become powerful young adults in just a matter of years,” says Kayla, who is one of the youngest non-profit executive directors in Los Angeles. “Youth are leading the way on so many local and national fronts. Our team is honored to walk beside them and give them the tools they need to change the world.” Jessica, a marriage and family therapist, has worked with LGBTQ youth for more than a decade, launching her career at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. At Brave Trails, she helps campers build their leadership skills so they can in turn give back to their own communities. “I choose to work with queer youth because of my own experience being a queer youth,” Jessica says. “As I grew up, I always felt like an ‘other’ and I want to make sure that the queer youth of today have a place to go and not feel like an ‘other.’” At Brave Trails, they do. —SEJ

Colloquially (and in practice), the early bird catches the worm. And no one has harnessed the wisdom embedded in that old adage more adeptly and passionately than foodie maven Nekisia Davis. Back in 2008, Davis was working as a manager at the now-defunct Brooklyn pizzeria Franny’s when she started making her own granola and selling it at local markets like the Brooklyn Flea. And so began the journey of Davis’ Early Bird Foods & Co., which quickly caught on like wildfire with foodie celebs such as Martha Stewart. Ten years later, her olive oil-and-salt-baked granola is now a sweet-and-salty staple in breakfast bowls everywhere. Davis’ recipes have been featured in The New York Times, New York magazine, and Food52. The original recipe, Farmhand’s Choice, is a yummy gluten-free mix of maple, sunflower seeds, pecans, coconut, brown sugar, pumpkin seeds, and oats. But that’s not all Davis’s company is known for — Early Bird has garnered a reputation for the inclusivity and positivity propelled by the culture of its workplace. The home cook and frequent Riis Beach reveler shares this message with the LGBTQ community: “Aren’t we lucky AF to have the superpower of being queer? Fly your freak flags as high as you can — and I’ll see you all at the queer beach this summer!” —SEJ

Turkey basters and syringes took all the fun out of trying to make a baby, so Stephanie Berman came up with something totally novel. She and her wife wanted to conceive at home, without a trip to the doctor’s office. But the reproductive options for women were, well, just not sexy. Plus, they didn’t work for her. Berman, who had previously worked for her family’s business, which specialized in distributing products for women’s reproductive health, had a better idea: the Semenette, an ejaculating strap-on dildo. “The Semenette allows partners to engage in an exponentially more intimate act, through its proprietary inner-tubing and pump system, recreating penetrative sex and the fertilization process in the privacy of their own home,” says Berman, the CEO and founder of the product. The company now produces a more pleasure-focused option that maintains its unique function, but is designed to be more universal and inclusive, specifically addressing the needs of all LGBTQ+ communities. The latest version is called POP Dildo. Not only have the products been helping same-sex couples make babies on their own at home, but they’ve worked for Berman and her wife, too. The pair conceived two children with the help of the Semenette and POP Dildo. Stephanie is deeply invested in her clients’ success. “There is nothing more rewarding than waking up to an email with a picture of a positive pregnancy test sent by a client. The fact that people want to share this exciting news with me and invite me into their world in such a beautiful way is something I’m very grateful for.” —SEJ

Brooklyn-based DJ and event producer ADAIR makes sure women, people of color, and the queer community are heard — and that they can hear one another. The intentional, consistent safe spaces she creates like Haute Sauce and Rose Gold foster much-needed community within the music scene. And ADAIR echoes whole worlds, too, within her music, with diasporic soundscapes of Brazilian baile, house, disco, funk, dancehall, hip-hop, and the fringes of these genres. Audiences have been taught by her music at the Brooklyn Museum, the Ace Hotel, and the Apollo Theater; they dance hard to it, too. “If there is a gap in your local community, fill it,” ADAIR says, “Don’t spend too much time thinking of how to make the event or function happen. Execute. Do it. Then learn and improve and build on your original idea.” Though programming spaces and building awareness has been a process of learning, ADAIR says it’s so worth it to fill a void. “I started DJing and event producing because I wasn’t seeing the community I was desiring, and I wasn’t hearing the music that I knew our queer community appreciates,” she says. Those who hope to bring this kind of haven to their neighborhoods should take things step by step, ADAIR advises, and watch their own pursuits flourish in feats of karma and connection, too.She recently set sail with Lez Journeys as their official DJ for the 2018 cruise to Cuba. —LK

A child of the ‘90s, Kelly Rakowski got on the internet just as it was starting a revolution by reaching into people’s homes for the first time. There, she found “a space to find friends and connections with people.” Later, in her career as an art book designer and photo director, Rakowski loved researching and producing “compelling, informative imagery to share with the world.” Those two interests merged when she came out at the age of 34, and soon after, launched the Instagram account @h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y. The account presents “herstoric” images: black-and-white portraits and high school yearbook photos of lesbian legends; photos of protest signs, pins, and posters; archival documents and manifestos; and other relics of our collective lesbian past. Rakowski started the account “partly because I love old photographs and learning about lesbian culture,” she says, “and partly to feel a connection with people, even if it’s strangers on the internet.” From there, she spun off another Instagram account, @_personals_, and now, she’s going full retro with PERSONALS, a text-based LGBTQ dating app inspired by old-school newspaper personal ads. It’s all about bringing people together, and it still gets her feeling all mushy inside. “So many stories have come through my DMs or emails about people finding each other via @_personals_ Instagram,” she says. “Heartwarming is an overused but applicable word that comes to mind. So, so, so sweet.” —SEJ

As the project coordinator for Asia and the Pacific at Outright Action International, the LGBTQ international human rights organization (formerly IGLHRC), Ging Cristobal’s work touches on domestic and family violence, police protocols, and anti-discrimination laws in countries in Asia. A graduate of the University of the Philippines, Ging Cristobal got more than a classroom-based education. There, “it is like a civic responsibility as a student to be involved in social awareness and being involved [in] development and change,” Cristobal says. In the 1990s, however, there were no LGBTQ groups that she knew of. “No printed materials, no positive images [in] media, so the need to be in one group was strong.” One night in 1996, Cristobal gathered with other women to watch and discuss the now-classic lesbian film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. “After hearing the experiences of lesbians in the room,” she says, “I never looked back.” She has devoted her life’s work to LGBTQ rights activism ever since, because “I believe everyone should be free and be able to reach one’s dreams.” Just being out is the first step in making change. “Laws do not change hearts and minds,” she says. “We, as LGBTQ persons, change hearts and minds through engaging and being part of the different communities in our society.” —SEJ

High school should have ended differently for Emma González. As a senior and President of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., her biggest concern was her college plans. That is, until February 14, 2018, when 17 people were killed in a mass shooting at her school. In that moment, González went from student to survivor. Days later, she became a nationally-known activist for her blunt and passionate speeches calling for gun control. “We call B.S.!” became her signature call-and-response cry. “The people in the government who are voted into power are lying to us…,” she said at a rally in Florida days after the shooting. “And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and are prepared to call B.S.” Since then, González — who identifies as bisexual — became one of a handful of Parkland students to become the face of the #NeverAgain movement. She’s been called an icon, profiled in numerous publications, and featured with her fellow students on the cover of Time magazine. Together, Parkland students organized the March for Our Lives protests in Washington, D.C., and around the country, in March 2018. González’s speech in front of thousands of protesters once again went viral. There, she took the stage for exactly as long as it took the Parkland shooter to kill his victims. She stood silent for six minutes in what many journalists (and spectators) hailed as one of the most powerful moments of protest in recent history. —SEJ

In the game of love, Lauren Ashlee Comp is making sure queer people feel welcome to play. A video game developer, Comp is a junior producer for Lovestruck, an interactive romance novel where the player is at the center of the love story. Comp has led the charge in creating diverse content at Voltage Entertainment USA, the producer of Lovestruck. She has overseen the release of 15 exclusively queer “routes,” or character paths, in settings that range from Greek mythology in modern Astoria; a pleasure cruise gone dangerous; missions in outer space; to the intrigue of the White House. Her hope is that LGBTQ and non-binary players have a chance to see themselves represented — maybe for the first time — and picture themselves as the star of both a game and a love story, showing players that “you can and you will find love, success, and happiness.” It’s something she wished for from a young age. “I’ve loved video games since childhood,” she says, “but always wanted to see me and my diverse group of friends on the screen. As I got older and learned that I would have to be the change I wanted to see, I pursued it intensely.” Comp’s achievements wouldn’t have been possible without opening up at work about her own experience as a queer woman. “Had I not come out at work, none of the 15 exclusively queer routes would have ever been produced or seen the light of day,” Comp says. “I’m proud of that every day.” —SEJ

Standout singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and self-described “cultural instigator” Toshi Reagon serves up soulful rock, R&B, country, folk, funk, and blues for queer and mainstream audiences around the country. She has been in the music game for almost 30 years now and has enjoyed a number of career highlights — from starting her own well-known band, BIGLovely, in 1996, to opening for Lenny Kravitz to creating Word*Rock* & Sword, a musical festival that’s all about honoring women. She is especially excited about an opera she and her mother (Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, of Sweet Honey in the Rock fame) have created, Parable of the Sower, based on the Octavia E. Butler novel. “This story reminds me of truths my own people have passed down to me through their love, stories, songs, and frontline vision,” she says. For those feeling down about the state of the world, Reagon offers these words to inspire you to do something: “To persist in these times, it will take each of us being active from our strength and widening our circles to include people and issues we maybe didn’t know belonged to us. … All over the world, LGBTQI rights are challenged. The world is in a state of war. Being a musician who is blessed to travel and be in collaboration with so many great people teaches me that simple truth over and over again. We are more the same than different and our differences expand us all.” —GH

Not so long ago, Stephanie Sandberg could very well have been out of a job. LGBTQ equality, both legally and socially, was at an all-time high in the United States, and a woman was on the way to the White House — or so she thought. But things didn’t go according to plan. As the new executive director of LPAC, the only political organization that specifically focuses on LGBTQ women’s issues, Sandberg works to make sure the hard-won progress for the LGBTQ community and women in recent decades isn’t reversed under the current administration. LPAC strives to get LGBTQ women and women of color elected to office, and has garnered support from the likes of Billie Jean King, Jane Lynch, and Urvashi Vaid. Sandberg got her start in the business of media — she was publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review and president and publisher of the New Republic. But in recent years, she began applying her expertise in business, organizing, and thought leadership to the issues of LGBTQ diversity and equality. She was the managing director at Out Leadership, a network of LGBTQ leaders working to help businesses strive for inclusion. Sandberg also helped launch and oversee OutWOMEN, which connects and promotes women executives who identify as LGBTQ. And now at the helm of LPAC, she is helping to make sure what happened in November 2016 doesn’t happen again. “I can’t imagine a better or more important time to bring my skills and experience to helping elevate LGBTQ women and women of color to elected office,” Sandberg says. “Not only are they the future of progressive politics, but the time for women’s and LGBTQ equality and social justice is now.” —SEJ

Flor Bermudez found her calling soon after she graduated from college. She had landed a job as a labor organizer with United Farm Workers, and was appalled by the plight of 80 employees who were wrongfully fired for participating in a protest on their lunch break. “It was very challenging to find legal representation for all the workers and at that point, I realized how important it is for me to gain the legal skills required to provide much-needed legal representation to the people,” she said. Bermudez pictured above on the right with her daughter Angela and IIona Turner, became a lawyer, and today serves as Legal Director of the Transgender Law Center, where she advocates every day for transgender and gender non-conforming people’s rights. “I identify as queer and the discrimination I have encountered as a queer, immigrant woman in the legal profession and in my life have taught me resilience and that being unapologetic and unafraid is key to stand up for oneself,” Bermudez says. When she is feeling depleted, she looks for inspiration in the Zapatista indigenous women who led and organized autonomous movements for liberation and self-sufficiency. Additionally, she draws inspiration from her nine-year-old daughter. Bermudez advises LGBTQ youth to build their professional lives in tandem with their personal journeys. “All areas [are] connected and require equal amounts of attention and patience. I hope people also have their chosen family and close network for support and to help them get back up when adverse situations arise.” —SEJ

Even when money was its tightest, Kerri Evelyn Harris always made time to make a difference. It was amid the start of the Great Recession when Harris returned to civilian life after almost a decade in the U.S. Air Force, and she was struggling to make ends meet. Harris cut grass, worked on cars, even fried chicken at a gas station. But she also volunteered with the Red Cross and at homeless shelters, and coached her daughter’s soccer team. Today, she’s an advocate and community organizer in Delaware, where, in her many roles, she works with youth to close the educational achievement gap, teaches young people how to fight for social change, works to find solutions to the opioid crisis, and strives to increase engagement throughout the state. Now, she can add U.S. Senate candidate to her list of accomplishments. Harris is running as a Democrat in the state of Delaware “because there is a need for balance in our Congressional body,” she says. “We need representation that reflects America’s diversity… in order for legislation to begin to fully meet the needs of all [residents] of our state and nation. Otherwise, we risk continuing to leave individuals and entire communities in the margins.” She found her calling in organizing and advocacy “because oftentimes people are ready and hungry for change but don’t know the steps to take,” she says. “This work allows me to empower others to fight for themselves and their communities, to turn their words into action, and amplify their voices by uniting with others they may never have thought they would because they connected on an issue.” —SEJ

“Because so much of my adult working life has been dedicated to queer causes and organizations, I often joke that I am a professional lesbian,” says Karman Kregloe. “I have worked as a buyer for an LGBTQ bookstore (when those were a thing); taught college courses on LGBTQ history and culture; and worked as the Editor-in-Chief of a lesbian/bi entertainment news site (AfterEllen.com, from 2009-2014). If I weren’t a lesbian, I’m not sure I would even have a viable resume!” (GO just wants to go on the record as saying we highly doubt that!) What readers of her journalism may not know is that Karman is also a singer, songwriter, and actor with a debut EP, Hummingbird, scheduled for release this summer, plus a host of the show Happy Wife, Happy Life with her wife Bridget McManus, as well as Cat Davis, and Kristen Smith. (She co-hosted Logo’s Dara and Karman’s Hit List, as well.) “I’ve been out at every job I’ve ever had,” she says, “and I think any success I’ve achieved has been due to the fact that I didn’t feel the need to lie, hide, or be anything but my authentic self when I showed up to work. The same is true now in my work as a performer. I’m grateful to those who have paved the way for people like me to enjoy the privilege of being out in my professional life. I can’t imagine it any other way.” —GH

From Leslie Jones to nipple insecurity, Rachel Charlene Lewis’ repertoire is varied and vast. The North Carolina-based freelance writer and Social Media Editor regularly tackles sexuality, queer identity, race, pop culture, beauty, and sex. Her passion is bringing feminist perspectives to mainstream women’s media, such as Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Refinery29. She often writes about her personal experiences, something for which her identity as a queer person of color has proven to be a double-edged sword, especially when she gets asked to write about being a Black gay person but not to write about skincare or celebrities. “Some days, I feel nothing but powerful as a queer person. I get DMs from young queer women and non-binary folks thanking me for writing a certain piece, or recommending a certain book, or simply posting openly about who I am on the internet,” she says. “But that’s the internet. Often, in real life, I feel tokenized as a QPOC, as if the only value I bring to the table is trauma, or ‘diversity.’ I feel like I have to be queer in a certain way, or else it doesn’t count; or I feel like I can’t be out at all, because the fear of being punched in the face or called a slur is often in the back of my mind. When am I going to become ‘too much?’” While she struggles with not feeling “really known, or seen, in any real way,” Lewis—who currently serves as Social Media Editor for Her Campus — continues to deliver her feminist POV to the masses and “find ways to make it accessible without diluting its message.” —SEJ

The passage of the FAIR Education Act in California, which requires California’s public schools to teach LGBTQ history, opened the door for educators to pass on our history to the youth. The only trouble was, there was a shortage of content. Robin Lowey, founder of the online magazine Epochalips: Smart Lesbian Commentary, saw it as an opportunity. She wrote and designed “Game Changers: 20 Lesbians You Should Know About,” a graphic-novel-style resource that introduces students to some of the significant contributors to LGBTQ history over the past three decades. Lowey didn’t just profile the usual suspects with pop-culture clout. Instead, she gave ink to a broad cross-section of activists and artists, like Crystal Jang, who founded Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Transgender Community (APIQWTC); Kate Kendell, who headed the National Center for Lesbian Rights for 22 years; and award-winning comedian and playwright Marga Gomez. “They are true American heroes,” Lowey says, “well known in the LGBTQ community but not necessarily in the world at large.” Lowey crowdfunded $20,000 to support the project and to gift a copy to every public high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. Next step: every school in California. If only something like that had been around when she was in school! “Growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I didn’t have any positive role models to help guide me through my struggle of coming out,” Lowey says. “Years later, after moving to San Francisco and raising two boys with another woman, I began to realize the importance of what some of the women in my generation had done to create queer culture, and I was inspired to write the book.” —SEJ

LaShawn McGhee doesn’t just curate; she “queerates.” As one of the co-founders of Revry Inc., a digital streaming platform devoted to LGBTQ content, McGhee is dedicated to showcasing the queer experience through media while amplifying the voices of the artists making that content. It was a dearth of representation in mainstream television and media “for girls like me who are masculine-of-center lesbians” that led her to throw her own point of view into the digital media ring. She wanted to see more diverse stories being told and knew she could help get them in front of audiences. “We are a multicultural, multi-ethnic, multi-gendered group of people with rich and interesting stories to tell, and we need to share our stories with the world,” she says. The platform streams domestic and international works of narrative, documentary, originals, music, podcasts, and more. Some of the original projects that Revry has jumped behind: Room to Grow, a documentary screening at Outfest, and The Drag Roast of Heklina, a feature headed to festivals this summer. In addition to McGhee’s work with Revry, the film editor (and former army nurse) also lends her taste and expertise as head of production for OUT Web Fest, a short-form digital media festival in Los Angeles that focuses on queer stories. McGhee credits the current way audiences consume media with her success. “I get to help filmmakers and content creators reach global audiences in a way that wasn’t possible until the current cord-cutting revolution,” she says. —SEJ

Nicci Take wanted to fly fast jets for the RAF, but she was kicked out “for not having the right blood,” she says. So, she decided to make enough money to buy her own jet — by starting her own company. For more than 20 years, Take, right, seen her with her business partner Alice Felstead, has been in the business of winning. Her enterprise, m62|vincis, is a pitch consultancy that helps coach businesses into coordinating successful sales pitches that lead to profitable deals. The “complex and unusual” CEO and father of three shares her wisdom as a transgender woman and as a highly sought-after sales coach in more than 100 YouTube videos, three Edinburgh Fringe shows, and two books that cover topics such as women in the workplace, domestic and sexual violence, anti-trans violence, and church-sanctioned transphobia. She also helps charities supporting transgender kids and victims of domestic violence, coaches rugby, teaches makeup skills, and does stand-up comedy. Take’s latest venture, the memoir Prey, tells the story of how she went from “alpha male to yummy mummy,” a story she hopes will invite a “new type of gender debate.” Along with business partner Alice Felstead, Take advises businesses to remain authentic and clear about the vision behind their brands. But just as important to Take as what those companies sell is who their teams are as people. She filters clients based on diversity and inclusion, and her own gender expression has had a “profound” effect on her company’s profitability and success, she says. “If you treat your people badly, if you only promote straight, white men, we don’t want you to win — we want you to be our client’s competition, and we will help them beat you,” she says. “Game on.” —SEJ

As the Chair of GLAAD’s Board of Directors and Vice President of National Retail Sales for Coca-Cola North America, Pamela Stewart sees her roles in both business and advocacy as going hand-in-hand. “In all areas of my life, I focus on growth and impact, working to create inclusive environments of accelerated equality and acceptance so that everyone has the best possible chance to experience their best life,” she explains. “Creating that space is the most rewarding aspect of all of my work.” Her success in both arenas wouldn’t be possible without being out and open as a lesbian, she says. “[It] has made me more successful because I am always my authentic self. Sharing my truth makes me emotionally accessible, which has allowed me to have relationships that are more honest and authentic.” At GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, Stewart is able to share her own story in order to “help create a culture of acceptance and love for LGBTQ people.” Her many accolades run the gamut, with awards from diverse organizations such as the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to Progressive Grocer. Stewart also serves on Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ LGBTQ Advisory Council and the Coca-Cola Company’s Global Women’s Leadership Council. What’s driving her success? “My mission in life is twofold: To create an environment where people feel more comfortable in their own skin, and to stretch people beyond their own perceived potential,” Stewart says. “Both of these come back to love and inclusion.” —SEJ

More than 70 countries still criminalize same-sex relationships, but Maria Sjödin is working to end that discrimination — and change the world. As deputy executive director of OutRight Action International, the organization fighting for LGBTQ human rights around the world, Sjödin leads the fundraising and communications departments. Under her tutelage, OutRight’s Individual Donor Program has doubled its revenue, and the organization has hosted international events that highlight the work of activists. “I get to work with amazing, courageous activists and colleagues who won’t settle, and who stand up for their rights every day, sometimes in extremely hostile environments,” Sjödin says. “The rights we have in the U.S. and in my native Sweden today came about because some people refused to accept the discrimination that they faced and fought to make the world more open and more accepting. This is now happening everywhere in the world and being part of this global movement is incredibly inspiring.” Prior to her work with OutRight, Sjödin served as Executive Director of Sweden’s largest and oldest LGBTQ organization, RFSL, where the budget and staff tripled under her leadership. She has also led human rights and leadership trainings for hundreds of LGBTQ activists worldwide. “Many of us live lives today that would have been impossible just a couple of decades ago,” Sjödin says about what drives her. “We owe a lot to the generations of activists before us that pushed for change. I personally feel it is my job to pay it forward.” —SEJ

When New York legalized same-sex marriage in 2011, Gov. Andrew Cuomo garnered a lot of press for our community’s victory — and unmentioned behind the scenes, many activists worked tirelessly to ensure that historic moment happened. DJ Missy B was one of them, as a member of the now-defunct Empire State Pride Agenda, the group that worked to advance LGBTQ rights in New York for a quarter of a century. As a DJ, Missy B has been supporting the queer community by proffering music at Pride. She’s actually been a DJ for 40 years, which she attributes to knowing her craft and word-of-mouth. She started at age 11 out of her basement, then worked at all of her friends’ birthday parties. (Oh, and she also has a secondary gig as a finance consultant.) If you’ve been partying for any period of time in New York, you’ve likely seen her around: She’s worked at LoverGirl, The Octagon, The Warehouse, and Nanny’s. Beyond New York, she’s spun in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, racking up a variety of awards throughout the years. (A highlight of her career was meeting the ultimate club music diva, Grace Jones!) DJ Missy B, who believes “music is food for the soul,” prides herself on her ability to play at any type of gathering, for any age, and in any genre, which — along with her experience — separates her from many other DJs in the game. In these stressful times, we need to party and purge our worries more than ever, so we’re thrilled to have Missy B playing our soundtrack. —GH

Pushcart Prize-winning poet Joshua Jennifer Espinoza is “deeply interested in human connection,” and yet has a hard time expressing herself socially. “With poetry,” however, “I have a chance to reach out and communicate with other gay, queer, and trans people. Nothing in the entire world is more rewarding than having someone message me or come up to me after a reading to tell me that my writing has helped them feel more understood and valid. On the hardest days this is enough motivation to keep me going,” she says. Espinoza’s work has been featured in the American Poetry Review, Hyperallergic, Lambda Literary, and them. She is the author of of two collections of poetry, with another forthcoming this fall. She also recently toured with queer-feminist spoken-word collective Sister Spit. Following her own coming-out as a trans woman, Espinoza says she “lost 90 percent of my family, and that was tough, but there was relief, too.” On top of that, she hasn’t always been able to find her place in the lesbian community. “It’s complicated because as a trans woman it is not always easy to claim a lesbian identity,” she says. “There can be a lot of pushback from people, and weird assumptions are made about my body and what my experience with gender was like before I transitioned. There are lots of supportive lesbians out there doing their part to combat transphobia, but being a trans woman and a lesbian often remains an uncomfortable position to be in.” She urges people to come out “on their own terms, in their own time. This world does not make it safe for us to loudly be ourselves, so no one should be pressured to come out in a way that they are not comfortable with.” —SEJ

Comedian Elsa Waithe learned early on that breaking into the mainstream wasn’t for her. Rather, LGBTQ audiences have given her a comedic home. “Being a QTPOC performer, not everywhere will be welcoming to what I am bringing to the table,” says Waithe, a Virginia native, who hosts GOLD Comedy Live at the Williamsburg Hotel and her own show, Affirmative Laughter, at the Bureau of General Services, Queer Division. Rather than “exhaust myself” trying to please mainstream audiences and “eat at that table, I will just make my own,” she says. “And then I’ll invite all the queerdos to eat with me.” Waithe delves into the nuances of sexuality and race in her comedy, and isn’t afraid to lay onto both topics with a critical eye. “But mainly,” she says, she just talks about herself — “and weed.” Offstage, Waithe gives back by coaching teen girls in the art of standup, as the founding teacher of GOLD Comedy School for Girls. “Humor is a powerful tool that isn’t often encouraged in girls,” Waithe says. “I love to work with them to help them process the world around them and turn it into something funny.” —SEJ

She was on the front lines of the battle for LGBTQ equal rights since her teenage years, but by the age of 29, Laura Heller “traded those front lines for those of a more literal type.” She joined the U.S. Army. As an active duty soldier during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” years, she found herself having to go back into the closet in order to pursue her “lofty goals” of being a “progressive advocate for the rule of law” as an Army lawyer. Heller’s specialization in Operational Law and Detainee Operations took her to Guantanamo, Baghdad, and Bagram. All the while, she had to walk a fine line between being herself and protecting her job. “More often than not, I worked harder than I had to, to ensure that I never gave any commander, supervising attorney, or client a reason to question my credibility or counsel,” she says. “It was likely apparent to all of them that I was a lesbian, but they trusted and respected me.” Heller has since transitioned into the civilian world, first as an administrative law attorney at the U.S. Military Academy West Point, and later as a teacher and mentor to students of International Relations and Global Studies. When students ask her how she served in the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” “I explain that personal sacrifice of all types is demanded in many professions, especially those that aim for aspirational ideals.” Heller is proud that she never changed her appearance or the way she acted in order to fit in. She was taking her own advice, which she gives students to this day: “Know yourself and be yourself.” —SEJ

Makeup isn’t just for straight, cis women or queer femmes. It’s for anyone who believes it will make them feel beautiful and authentic. Fluide, the makeup collection that Brooklyn-based Isabella Giancarlo co-founded and is the Creative Director of, gives queer folks a more thought-out option than that stale makeup counter at the mall. “Fluide came together around the idea that makeup can be a tool of transformation and a powerful means of self-actualization,” she says. “I believe it is important to showcase and celebrate the self-expression of people of all gender expressions and identities — and, as Creative Director, my goal is to continue to represent an inclusive and expansive definition of beauty.” Fluide’s love of queer people also translates to some of their nail polish names (House of Yes, Riis Beach, Cherry Grove); their blog (Future Fluide) that highlights creative queer folks doing big things; and to whom they give back: Callen-Lorde and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. “It’s inspiring to see the infinite ways that people use fashion and style as a means of self-expression — to be glamorous, irreverent, defiant, political, otherworldly. It feels so good to support and be a platform for showcasing that radical, forward-thinking style.” Giancarlo is also queen of the side hustle. Her other work includes being an artist, an art director, creating the popular Instagram project Eat Your Heart Out (partially inspired by the times she’s had her own heart broken), and working on various aspects of Relish, the brunch she co-founded. —GH

Growing up, Tomi Afolabi loved music so much it would move her to tears. So it was natural for her to forge a career path in the industry. “It’s important for me to be a part of creating that feeling for others, whether it’s by sharing a mix I just finished making or watching a crowd get lost during a performance I booked.” She got her start in talent relations while in college, booking weekly coffeehouse performances on campus. Now, she works as a music assistant at MTV. Her coming out process hasn’t been as smooth a transition as her career, she says. She calls it “a little uncomfortable,” because people tend to “grasp on to” the ambiguity of terms like “queer” or “bisexual.” “If they don’t hear the word ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ then it doesn’t really count to them,” Afolabi says. “I literally find myself having to remind people of who I am sometimes. I’m like, okay, cool. You either get it or you don’t.” Even within the community, she hopes diversity will soon be better recognized and celebrated. “As much as we are all the same, we are all so different,” Afolabi says. “Understanding and advocating for the marginalized within the already marginalized LGBTQ community will do us so much good.” She has taken comfort in the beauty she has encountered in LGBTQ folks. “Not just in appearance, but in nature,” she says. “Being able to love openly and freely is a gift that we should continue to so effortlessly do.” —SEJ

Growing up in a California town of less than 500 people in the pre-internet days and with no television, Renée Periat “had no clue there were options outside the gender binary.” Instead, she felt awkward, not fitting in with the boys or girls in school. After high school, she moved away to San Luis Obispo, and “discovered there was a world of endless identity options waiting for me on the other side.” When she became aware of androgyny and gender neutrality, “I had a huge inner awakening,” Periat says. “Finally, everything clicked into place and for the first time in my life, I could clearly see who I was.” With her newfound self-awareness, clothes shopping became a hurdle. Periat was drawn to outfits that confused people about her gender. But there wasn’t much out there. “After too many failed shopping trips in the men’s and boys’ department, I decided to take the lack of gender-neutral clothing options into my own hands.” In 2015, Periat launched Androgynous Fox, a clothing brand making classic tees, tanks, button-ups, and accessories. It definitely struck home for many in the LGBTQ community. Since then, the company has quadrupled in size, and is about to release an underwear set, shorts, and a “much-needed androgynous bathing suit.” Periat’s been getting tons of positive feedback, and it’s been rewarding “knowing that I’m helping people feel comfortable in their own skin.” —SEJ

R&B singer/songwriter Kehlani, who rose to fame as a little girl singing with Stevie Wonder on America’s Got Talent, gave Twitter a much-needed lesson in sexual orientation this past April when she spoke about being both queer and poly. She defined queerness (for her) as “not bi, not straight,” and “pansexual.” She said she was into a wide variety of people, such a girls, guys, queer men, nonbinary folks, those who are intersex, and trans peeps. She explained she was the “LEAST attracted to straight men,” and commented that “bisexual men really are little gifts from [G]od.” The declaration should have come as little surprise to anyone following her career. She did, after all, write that song “Honey,” on which she sang, “I like my girls just like I like my honey: sweet.” And she kissed Demi Lovato on stage while on tour with her. (And if you weren’t queer before kissing Demi, you probably do become queer soon after.) In late May, Hayley Kiyoko dropped the extremely queer music video she and Kehlani worked on together, “What I Need,” and in early June, Kehlani showed support to her LGBTQ fans by performing at LA Pride. And, yes, she keeps on making those bold statements about sexual orientation, no matter what you think about it: “There’s always this need to fill that binary outline out,” she recently told Paper. “That’s what stops a lot of people from stepping out and exploring their queerness — especially women — because they get nervous about what role they’ll be ‘taking on.’ Once they get through that, the world just opens up.” —GH

After a (predictably) disappointing 2016 media season filled with the “bury your gays” trope, and the death of yet another queer female character — this time Lexa from The CW’s The 100, played by Alycia Debnam Carey — the outrage created a tipping point. And thus what began as a small idea for a fan gathering, shared by the dynamic team of (from left) Holly Winebarger, Danielle Jablonski, and Ashley Arnold, became the first and largest multi-fandom event specifically for LGBTQ women and their allies: ClexaCon (named after the relationship between Lexa and The 100’s leading lady, Clarke). Within a year, it grew into an internationally-recognized media convention. Jablonski is a Yale graduate with an impressive background in graphic design, overseeing the convention’s graphics and branding; Winebarger brings a decade of marketing experience to the table and manages the day-to-day logistics; while Arnold’s background is in public relations: She manages ClexaCon’s guest relations and sponsorships, as well as their ever-growing social media strategy. The dynamic team has garnered epic success. Last year, ClexaCon attracted over 22,000 people from 43 countries and 40 U.S. states. It’s a convention that “brings together fans, actresses, content creators, academics, and artists for panels, workshops, meet and greets… social, and charity events in order to celebrate LGBTQ characters and stories in TV, film, and print media… to discuss how we can be better represented within the media.” We’ll cosplay to that! —JDG

Actor and screenwriter Lena Waithe made history last year as the first Black woman to win an Emmy for writing in a comedy series. That she won it for an episode of Master of None that centered on her character Denise’s coming out to her family was icing on the cake. Her co-writer, Aziz Ansari, deferred to Waithe to accept the award for the renowned “Thanksgiving” episode, which Waithe said was inspired by her own coming out to her mother. Waithe singled out her LGBTQ family in her speech. “I see each and every one of you,” she said. “The things that make us different — those are our superpowers. Every day when you walk out the door, put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world because the world would not be as beautiful as it is without us in it.” Waithe’s star just keeps on rising. In a win for Black queer visibility, she was featured on the March 2018 cover of Vanity Fair, in a striking portrait by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. In her VF interview, Waithe discusses how the Emmy win has changed things for her — and how she’s using her new power in Hollywood to pay it forward. “How has the Emmy changed me? It got me all these meetings that I go in and say I’m too busy to work with you — you should have hollered at me. You can take my call when I call you about this Black queer writer over here who’s got a dope pilot, or this person over here who’s got really cool ideas, or this actress who’s really amazing but nobody’s seen her.” —SEJ

While forging her own stellar career as an award-winning architect and leader in preservation and adaptive re-use in urban environments, Jane Greenwood fought to make sure other underrepresented architects — particularly women and the LGBTQ community — could find visibility in her profession. In the 1990s, she co-founded the Organization of Lesbian and Gay Architects and Designers (OGLAD), the first national design advocacy and networking organization for the LGBTQ community. Jane’s efforts led to the first documentation of LGBTQ historic sites in New York City, which influenced the formation of the New York City LGBT Historic Sites Project. Though Greenwood says she never experienced discrimination in the workplace for being out, she witnessed it first-hand among colleagues. “I was raised to speak up and be heard, which became a great confidence-builder as I began my career in architecture, which at the time was a very male-centric profession,” Greenwood says. “Being out, proud, and confident gave me a boost as I honed my professional skills and set my sights on a leadership position in architecture.” While her work as a Principal with Kostow Greenwood Architects has won her accolades from BUILD Magazine, the Women Builders Council, and the New York Business Journal, it is her commitment to mentorship and advocacy that has been most rewarding for her. “Earlier in my career… I joined others to fight hard to break down barriers to employment, healthcare, and outright discrimination for the LGBT community. I am still proud of these accomplishments today.” —SEJ

Irreverent, unapologetic, and raw…underwear? Married at heart and in vision, Fran Dunaway, left, and Naomi Gonzalez are the couple that supply the brains, the power, and the inclusively positive vision of TomboyX. The word “tomboy” ended up opening the door to a conversation about being oneself. “If I wasn’t a queer lesbian, I wouldn’t see or experience the world through the lens I’ve had. We are a gender-neutral brand because our community matters to us,” says Gonzalez, a first-generation Cuban-American who grew up in New York City. The first design the entrepreneurial duo created sold out in two weeks, and they’ve been thriving ever since, with a product whose models are shot from a stance of empowerment. Members of the LGBTQ community must “Be true to yourself. Be passionate about serving. And never give up. Never. Ever. Give. Up,” says Gonzalez. What TomboyX and its founders are doing is working and resonating. But most importantly, Dunaway says, “We need to work together to help one another achieve success, particularly financial success. Because the truth is, no one else cares as much about our community as we do.” The care — and the pride — shows. —JDG

Whether through her films or writing, Ji Strangeway’s art shares a common coming-of-age thread from an LGBTQ perspective. Her short film Nune features a 15-year-old social outcast who has her first love affair with a cheerleader. Strangeway’s young adult graphic novel set in the 1980s, Red as Blue, tells the story of two youths who find themselves in a forbidden love. Her stories come from “the margins of gender, orientation, and circumstance,” riding “the shoulders of a misunderstood anti-hero, exploring the crash zones between society and self, the physical and existential.” Being an out lesbian is empowering, she says, and at the same time has contributed to her success as an artist. “It is more about expressing my authentic self than being lesbian. The power of owning one’s individuality is what leads to self-acceptance and success. Success is waiting for all of us to meet it at a place where we feel utmost happiness. This is usually when we are being who we truly are.” Audiences notice how Strangeway channels her individuality into her work. “When the stories I create make a person feel loved or redeemed in some way,” she says, “I have done my highest work as an artist.” —SEJ

Writer, director and producer Jody Wilson stands out as one of many dedicated folks working behind the scenes to make the industry run. If you’ve seen Uh Huh Her’s “Human Nature” video, or the short films Indigo or Takumi’s Dream, you’ve seen her work. Wilson, who describes herself as “equal parts city and country girl,” spends half her time in Los Angeles and the other part in Alberta, Canada. She enjoys her two dogs, Roux and Francis; flying; writing sci-fi and fantasy, bands like Fleetwood Mac and The Rolling Stones, and activism. “All the stories I tell expose some sort of issue that needs addressing, that needs a voice. I love the challenge of having to create characters that provide that voice within storylines that are palatable for all types of audiences,” she explains. “It all roots back to activism for me — a lot of my personal driving force each day, even, is to kick ass and take no shit so I can help continue to pave the way for other females in my industry.” At the same time, though, she acknowledges those who came before. “I think my biggest role models are ‘regular’ queer women in history, who even through potentially dangerous persecution and cultural pressure loved who they loved anyway. There is nothing more admirable to me than someone who follows their heart with conviction. Love isn’t always convenient, and these women remind me of just how precious that kind of love is — and it’s worth protecting.” Something to think about this and every Pride. —GH

“I am so over my sexuality and what people think,” says E. Jaguar Beckford, who is genderfluid. “At first I tried to fit in, wearing dresses and all to court appearances. So not me. Then I started making dope-ass suits, and my male counterparts would compliment me.” (You see? Authenticity pays off!) Beckford is the Founder and Executive Producer of Rainbow Fashion Week, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year and offers exposure to companies that center queer style and opportunities to models who might not have them otherwise. According to Beckford, the event has put a spotlight on problems like bullying, domestic violence, trans and immigration justice, the environment, and breast cancer, such as when it showcased two survivors after their double mastectomies. “Fashion has always been my passion and, as a designer, I used that talent to support myself throughout law school,” Beckford says. This fashion superstar’s philosophy? “Stop letting people tell you the rules of how to get things done and just start!” Beckford, who also has over 15 years’ experience in litigation, says, “Make mistakes, learn, fall down, get back up, join support groups, realize that most people want you to fail, and just don’t give two hoots what anyone thinks.” —GH

Forget drink specials — the hottest thing being dished up at one Brooklyn-based queer party is soup! Eaters have Liz Alpern to thank. The chef and cookbook author mined the recipe cards of Eastern European bubbes and their descendants to resurrect the glory of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking: as co-author of The Gefilte Manifesto, and co-founder of The Gefilteria, an artisanal producer of that oft-maligned Passover classic, gefilte fish. Alpern also created Queer Soup Night, the party where local chefs contribute, of all things, soup. Alpern sees each of her ventures as having one common goal: community. “My passion for food is motivated by my passion for bringing people together,” she says. “I love being surrounded by friends and family, and what better way to make that happen than by feeding everyone?” That alone would be a noble goal, but Alpern doesn’t stop there. Instead, she uses her ventures to give back to her own community. Every installment of Queer Soup Night benefits a charity; most recently, the proceeds went to the Audre Lorde Project. “Community is the key word here,” Alpern says. “Because we have become more accepted in mainstream society, it’s easy to take our new acceptance for granted. I think we should be investing in our community now more than ever. Whether that means supporting queer-owned businesses, showing up to queer-led events, or mentoring a young person, I truly believe that our blossoming is contingent on our own strength and interconnectivity as a community.” —SEJ

Amy Borsetti is a leader: Part of the reason LinkedIn has become a household name over the past few years, she now heads the Enterprise Sales team for LinkedIn’s Learning Solutions business in North America. And as a leader, Borsetti tells us that being open about her sexuality and the family she’s lovingly cultivated has empowered her to be a more effective one. “My beautiful wife and two little girls are my greatest source of inspiration. Seeing the world through the eyes of my girls inspires me to be the change I want for them and helps me be a much better leader.” It’s also helped those around her bring their authentic selves to work by creating a safe and welcoming work environment. Hyper-focused on creating a consciously inclusive work environment at LinkedIn, Borsetti encourages her coworkers and teams to have the courage and vulnerability to bring their whole selves to the job. She advises that we bring our, “authentic selves to work each day. To openly talk about their journey, their struggles, their wins. To have the courage to be vulnerable and to model for young people around them so the workplace continues to be one where everyone can thrive.” —JDG

At 3 years old, Jessica Ransom would walk around with a box over her head, saying she wanted to be “in TV.” She wasted no time making her dream come true, interning at 14 at the local cable access station in her hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich., ditching her liberal arts college to go to film school, and moving to New York City in her 20s, then promptly getting a job at MTV. Now a writer, producer, and director of reality TV, commercials, music videos, documentaries, and more, Ransom continues to tap into that primal desire for her voice as a queer person of color to be heard. “I find it rewarding to see people like me on screen,” Ransom says. Her first short film, #Roommates, featured a Black lesbian lead character. Since then, she’s produced a multitude of diverse content for Budweiser, New York Life, Panera, MLB, Telemundo, etc.; written a pilot about a Black lesbian and a bisexual Latina falling in love; worked with various LGBTQ publications; and produced YouTube’s “#ProudToBe” Pride campaign video last year. “My goal in life has always been to create diverse content that features all aspects of the queer community,” Ransom says. And that goal has become especially important since Ransom came out, first as a lesbian, and later as queer after encountering issues with racism among lesbians. “I did not feel a true sense of belonging within the lesbian community,” she says. “I want to be able to freely love a woman AND love my Blackness at the same time.” She sees her relationship to her community and to her career as parallels. “As a producer, I love the fact that people can escape in my films, shows, or commercials, while getting a glimpse of my life as a single, Black, feminine, queer woman.” —SEJ

“I was brought up to believe that our job on Earth is to do as much good as we can while we’re here. And part of our work is figuring out the right way to do that — what do we love to do? What are we good at? What is the most useful contribution we can make to some greater good? It took some exploration to get to the place where I am today, as a non-profit leader in a social justice movement,” says Dr. Eliza Byard, the Executive Director for GLSEN, which works to make schools a positive place for queer youth. Byard’s mother was a founding GLSEN chapter volunteer, and it was through her that Byard met GLSEN Founder Kevin Jennings, who eventually asked her to join the staff. Under Byard’s direction, GLSEN has received recognition from President Obama as a “Champion of Change” and was called a Top National Nonprofit by GuideStar. Byard, who lives in New York with her wife and children, says the students, educators, and chapter leaders keep her going. “In my work at GLSEN, I see students and teachers all across the country who stand up in the face of serious bias and even violence, and who remain committed to making things better. I also work with incredible GLSEN chapter leaders who are making things happen in their local communities — reaching out to schools, speaking at school board meetings, and running GLSEN programs. Our job here is to be there for them, to be their partners in creating change by providing top-notch materials, training, and programs; by establishing powerful partnerships throughout the education world; by building the reputation that will make the name ‘GLSEN’ a powerful asset for them. They are so brave and committed, and I never want to let them down.” —GH