100 Women We Love: Class of 2016

This Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor and writer, grew up in the Midwest, where she skateboarded the mean streets of her hometown: Akron, Ohio. Rhea Butcher’s “blue-collar brand of cool” is winning over audiences nationwide. She’s appeared on Comedy Central, NBC’ s “Last Comic Standing,” Buzzfeed and Funny Or Die Presents, and opened for fellow comics like Cameron Esposito, Pete Holmes, Anthony Jeselnik and Maria Bamford. She’s also made podcast appearances on “You Made It Weird,” and “How Did This Get Made?” This year, she’ll debut her first TV series “Take My Wife” for NBCUniversal’s new Seeso platform; appear next season on “Adam Ruins Everything,” (truTV); host the popular web series, “She Said” on Legendary Entertainment/Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls Network; and embark on a tour in support of her debut album “Butcher.” What she finds most gratifying in comedy is “meeting queer/nonbinary/trans people after my standup who tell me that my comedy helped them to come out,” she says. “I think that being out [myself] has been very positive, in that I can speak from a place of honesty and really connect with audiences—gay or straight—because they believe me.” –SLO

Critically acclaimed author and literary historian Emma Donoghue was born in Dublin, where she grew up attending Catholic convent schools, “apart from one eye-opening year in New York at the age of ten.” After graduating with hon-ors in English and French from University College Dublin, she moved to England and earned a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Since age 23, she’s supported herself as a writer, and in 1998 she emigrated to Canada to live and work. Today, she’s a resident of London, Ontario, with her partner Chris Roulston and their two children. Donoghue writes in myriad genres, but she’s best known for her fiction, which has been translated into more than forty languages. She adapted her bestselling novel “Room” into a screenplay for a film of the same name that received numerous awards in 2015, including four Oscar nominations. “Room” is about a five-year-old boy with lives in a single room with his mother and has never been outside. Her latest published book is “Frog Music” (2014), “a literary mystery inspired by a never-solved murder of a crossdressing frog catcher in San Francisco in 1876.” In a recent post on the Oberon Books blog, Mad About the Butch, Donoghue discusses her attraction to masculine-presenting women, and how women from history who rocked menswear have imbued her writing. –SLO

In 2003 (when she was 50 years old) Helena Hantzes started a noncompetitive women’s basketball program at the Pride Center in South Florida. “It was important to have someplace [to go] for women—and some men—who wanted to socialize and exercise,” Hantzes explains. Women of all sizes, ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate. “We have drawn women from really great skill levels to women who have never played at all,” she says. “It is gratifying to provide a space for women with physical and medical challenges to join in, including women with multiple sclerosis, cancer, diabetes, walkers and wheelchairs…We have experienced it all.” There is an emphasis on inclusion; therefore, the players as a group adjust their game to that end. “Some of us have had recent relationship disappointments, family issues, are newcomers to the area, or are looking to increase social networks through exercise and the love of basketball,” Hantzes says. In addition to coaching and organizing the program, she sends out a supportive, informative, weekly e-newsletter to players: The Basketball Enquirer and Gazette. –SLO

Dressing masculine doesn’t mean you can’t wear pastels. You can look fly even while you’re working out. Olive, cranberry and blue make a surprisingly beautiful color combina-tion. These are but a few of the fashion lessons awaiting you at Danielle Cooper’s blog, She’s A Gent. Cooper posts stunning pictures of herself in various New York locales—including Sutton Place Park, Coney Island, the Met and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden—look-ing cool, sophisticated and oh-so-handsome in her stylin’ threads. Blog entries are a mix of Cooper’s thoughts about her life and style, plus information on where to actually buy the duds. “Living in Europe is what inspired my transition into menswear,” Cooper says, “simply because I wanted to dress smarter, more elegant and, at the same time, create a signature look. I found that Europe encompassed all of that. So in 2015, I launched She’s A Gent in order to share my love for menswear and style through one outfit at a time. I see myself as a person who has the ability to connect not only those who appreciate fashion and menswear, but also those who understand that it is not limited to one gender.” –GH

“I went into this industry because of my mom,” says NYC-based designer Angie Chuang. “She dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, and then she passed her passion on to me. A lot of what I do is [about] making people feel like themselves and helping them see who they are.” After graduating from Parsons School of Design with a degree in fashion design, Chuang honed her technical skills at some of the industry’s most renowned fashion houses: Theory, Coach and Kenneth Cole, to name a few. While challenging conventions and blurring gender lines is at the core of Chuang’s aesthetic, the budding designer culls inspiration from all sources. No era or element is left unexamined, as some of the designer’s past collections have explored the visual arts (Russian Constructivism, for example), landscapes (Iceland) and even knotting details found in Japanese fishermen’s garments. Chuang’s storied collections have graced the runways of dapperQ fashion shows, in particular (most recently, “(un)Heeled: A Fashion Show for the Unconventionally Masculine” at the Brooklyn Museum). Aside from questioning convention and exploring new design innovations, the most gratifying aspect of her work is seeing people confident, empowered and in their own wearing her clothes, she says. –SLO

Meet Sara Geffrard, the Haitian-born editor-in-chief of A Dapper Chick—a celebrated menswear, travel and lifestyle blog. Before building her brand into a hub of carefully curated content, style advice and inspiration, Geffrard wore an assortment of hats in the hospitality industry. During that time, she also studied architecture at New York City College of Technology. After a decade of experience in customer service and personal styling, Geffrard has used her passion for art, design, menswear and inspiring women to create an online space that’s evolved into an outlet for women’s empowerment. As a pioneer in the women-in-menswear blogosphere, she aims to forge a path for the younger generation, influencing other women and girls to follow their dreams. Geffrard strives to instill confidence in them and make them feel empowered, one look at a time. “Girls reach out to me from all over the world to express gratitude for bringing visibility to our community,” she says. “I’m touched that I’m able to reach and inspire them.” –SLO

Claudette Duff is a clinical social worker who lives in Staten Island, NY and is the founder and director of Integrity Senior Services (ISS), an agency that provides in-home mental health counseling and auxiliary services to seniors, the disabled, caregivers and their families throughout NYC and its outer counties. She founded ISS on the principle that everyone has a right to quality mental health care. A native of Jamaica who was raised in Brooklyn, Duff has worked with older adults in mental health programs, long-term care facilities and in private practice as a counselor, therapist, clinical supervisor, consultant and administrator for decades. She’s been practicing in the mental health field since 1980. After graduating from Brooklyn College, Duff acquired an advanced degree in art therapy from Pratt Institute, and later pursued an MSW at New York University. She’s served on numerous boards and committees related to community health care and aging advocacy, and is also a board member of the Pride Center of Staten Island. Her work promotes a safe and welcoming place for the Staten Island gay and lesbian community. “Be yourself at all times,” she advises LGBTQ people like herself, “and be proud of who you are!” –SLO

Camille Barbone has worked with many superstars in the music industry. She discovered, managed and launched the music career of Madonna when she was still “like a virgin” in the industry. Barbone believes being open about her sexuality had a positive impact on her own success. “Instead of coping with sexual conquest mentalities, being out allowed me to concentrate on being competitive with men who dominated the industry.” Today, Barbone is the VP of Operations at Choices Women’s Medical Center in New York and is launching a full service transgender health program that has proved to be just as challenging and rewarding as turning talented unknown artists into household names. “Joining Choices, and working for and with activist/feminist Merle Hoffman, has enabled me to continue to empower and educate women and minorities. Everyone deserves to get the facts, to make informed decisions and be the mistresses or masters of their fate,” says Barbone. “In the same way that music continues to act as a messenger of social, political and sexual change and enlightenment, Choices strives to bring much-needed change to health care.” –GO Editors

Striker for the Matildas and Canberra United, there’s much more to Michelle Heyman’s passion for the game than meets the eye. She’s been playing football (soccer, for us Americans) since she was twelve, and she says her love for the game extends well beyond the playing time and far beyond the field: “It’s life. I play for my friends, I play for my family. I play for myself.” The award-winning professional athlete has been named top goal scorer of the Westfield W-League. She also played a stint in the United States for the Western New York Flash. Dubbed the “Smiling Assassin,” Heyman made her Matildas debut in 2010. Last year, she was honored to be a part of the Women’s World Cup and to be named as one of the first openly gay athletes. “To have that recognized by a mass audi-ence showed the world that no matter our sexuality, we are great role models,” she says. Also last year, her signature clothing brand MH23 Apparel was launched. “I’ve always had a love for fashion—and growing up, I never felt comfortable in typical girls’ clothes and ended up wearing their male counterparts,” she tells GO. “I have always wanted to feel comfortable in my clothes because I am comfortable in my skin.” –SLO

“Where I grew up [East Germany], you could not just say what you thought; we all had to find forms to express ourselves in very different ways,” says Connie Kurtew. “I chose mainly photography. I got to hide and to express what I wanted/needed to say. It is a very strong form of expression, and we [photographers] were able to get away with a lot more than other artists that chose a more direct form or way to criticize the Socialist/communist government.” Looking through the images on her website, kurtewphotography.com, it’s clear that Kurtew has a knack for capturing emotions. She says most people hire her after seeing her work and deciding that they want something beyond just run-of-the-mill photography. “Often they don’t like to take pictures, or they tell me they never look good in pictures. I know I can make them look great, and I don’t mean [by using] Photoshop,” she says. “I get them to relax and play, and the outcome is amazing. We take our time. And every single person is beautiful, and I am the lucky one who can show that. I get to meet and spend time with some of the most amazing, kindest people, and I create/build a picture to show everyone else exactly that. That’s the best part of my job.”–GH

“If you don’t see enough of what you want in the world, then it’s up to you to create it!” That’s the lesson to be learned from Ruby Polanco’s rise to entrepreneurial success. Polanco, who now has a multi-million-dollar beauty empire, was motivated to start it because there were too few products for the Latina population. So, in 2005, she developed Ruby Cosmetics, a cosmetics line aimed at Latinas. A year later, she created her first makeup school for those wanting to pursue a career in beauty but not wanting to go to cosmetology school. Ruby Makeup Academy now has four branches in Southern California that graduate more than 1,200 students annually. “Every time new students come to us, they arrive as insecure young girls, but after they gain confidence in the skills they’ve learned, they become elegant and savvy women,” she says. “Watching their amazing transformation is the most fulfilling part of my career.” The out businesswoman, honored in 2014 and 2015 by Inc. Magazine and more recently, in May, by Latina Magazine, says figuring out she was gay “felt like I was home.” –GH

Florida native Jodi Savitz is an independent documentary filmmaker based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She graduated from the prestigious Northwestern University with a degree in theatre and gender studies. Her passion for film and a vision “to create innovative and socially relevant work” propelled her to NYC to pursue a career in film-making. In 2010, while in Buenos Aires, Savitz produced her first film, “Yo Soy Asi,” about the Argentine lesbian community. Her current project, “Girl on Girl,” is nearing completion: a feature-length documentary that follows the personal stories of feminine-identified lesbians who, even after coming out, feel invisible and stigmatized. “’Girl on Girl’ evolved out of my lived experiences and those of the women around me,” Savitz says. “Ever since I came out, my identity has been challenged… I never understood the true scope of society’s skepticism toward my orientation until college. Not only did frat boys discount me, but also my own gender studies peers doubted me for being ‘too heteronormative-looking’ to be a real lesbian. The irony was enormous.” Nevertheless, she remembers having enough support growing up to let herself be open about her identity. She came out at 14, and has been passionate about LGBTQ activism ever since. Now her goal, she says, is to fill a void in LGBTQ programming and to create valuable media resources for our community and beyond. –SLO

Nothing says “lesbian” quite like “women’s softball league,” so the documentary “Grounders” will appeal to many in our community. But Melanie Hope’s film is not just for us, but rather “for anyone who has ever thrown a ball, high-fived a teammate or cheered from the bleachers,” as it says on her film’s website (grounders documentary.com). “The most rewarding aspect of my work, in directing and producing ‘Grounders,’” Hope tells GO, “has been interviewing people and gaining a deeper understanding of who these women are and what motivates them to play softball. I decided to take on the challenge of making a feature-length documentary because it is a compelling story that needs to be captured and shared.” Hope is pursuing other creative interests as well: as a poet, writer and playwright (not to mention her work as an attor-ney and social worker). “I have always been drawn to different forms of creative expression. I believe all of my life experiences, in conjunction with my education and work life, have taken me on a journey marked by twists and turns, leading me to exactly where I need to be today.” –GH

As co-founder of Henrietta Hudson, Lisa Cannistraci—along with her business partner, Minnie Rivera—has served the LGBTQ com-munity for more than 25 years. “I opened Henrietta Hudson in 1991, at the time of ‘lesbian chic’ and have seen the nightlife scene and the gay rights movement change throughout the decades,” Cannistraci observes. “It has been a wild ride.” An integral part of the marriage equality movement, she served as the vice president of Marriage Equality USA when DOMA was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. She takes activism seriously, having supported numerous LGBTQ organizations for over three decades. During that time, she also fought a personal battle. “As an entrepreneur in nightlife, I found myself drinking and doing a lot of drugs to stay awake and engaged,” she tells GO. “Luckily, I got the ‘gift of desperation’ and managed to get sober a number of years ago. What a beautiful thing it has been… I can now lead with patience in a gentle and productive way—something I was not capable of doing before sobriety, as my life and decisions were ruled by fear. I now live a life beyond my wildest dreams, full of gratitude.” With the insight gained from her journey, she conveys the following message to our community: “Sober is sexy!” –SLO

This 27-year-old, Stockholm-born ice hockey defender, whose full name is Emilia Ingrid Maria Andersson Ramboldt, played for Sweden in the 2010 Olympics. From 2008 to 2013, she tended goal in the U.S. for Minnesota State University, where she majored in business (and rocked the Maverick gear.) Before that, she competed in the European Champion Cup three years in a row, helping Sweden achieve three consecutive first-place finishes; and in 2006, her Swedish team took home the bronze medal in the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship. These days, she catches pucks for Linkoping Hockey Club. Ramboldt represented her country again this past spring in the 2016 Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship held in Kamloops, Britiish Columbia, Canada, where her team ranked second in penalty killing and fourth overall in goalkeeping. Last December, she was on Sweden’s roster for the 4 Nations Cup—an annual women’s tournament between the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland. Perhaps the highlight of her year, though, thus far, was her June wedding to blushing bride Anna. (She shoots, she scores!) The couple wore semi-matching, summery, white, sleeveless gowns and looked amazing. –SLO

Winter Mendelson, the founding editor of Posture magazine, “the creative exploration of identity,” became passionate about the arts at a young age. Not surprisingly, a B.A. in art history was in the offing; Mendelson graduated with said degree from the University of Georgia. After years of study, however, they became frustrated by the vast number of voices that are, as they put it, “purposefully written out of history and made invisible by heteronormativity and the patriarchy.” After relocating to NYC, Mendelson sought to create “a media platform focused on artistic practice and fashion specifically for marginalized communities and perspectives” which resulted in the launch of Posture magazine in 2013. Today, Posture is a digital and biannual print publication run by a growing team of talented contributors who are committed to the expression of queer, trans, nonbinary and feminist perspectives. Its third print issue is now underway and slated for release this fall. “Being able to collaborate to make something beautiful that fights binaries and hate is honestly why I’m alive,” Mendelson says. “The team comes through with more intense dedication and love than I could have ever imagined.” There are big things for Posture on the horizon and exciting announcements forthcoming—such as the partnership with Wayward Wild, a new independent publishing studio and content incubator launching in September. –SLO

A self-described “queer brown loverboi feminist,” Gabby Rivera is a writer, LGBTQ youth advocate and founder of The Speakeasy, Autostraddle’s QTPOC community space. Earlier this year, her young adult novel, “Juliet Takes a Breath,” was published by Riverdale Avenue Books. The novel’s protagonist is a lesbian Latina teen from the Bronx. Rivera created that central character, she explains, “because we need more POC representation everywhere, especially in LGBTQ literature and in mainstream culture at large. No one can tell our stories for us. We must do it ourselves and move forward in our truths.” Her short stories and poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals such as Aster(ix), Portland Queer: Tales from the Rose City (a Lambda Literary Award winner), OMG I’m Gay (a zine for queer youth) and The Best of Panic!En Vivo from the East Village. And she takes working with young people as seriously as her writing, she says, “because it is my duty as a supported, loved and thriving queer adult. We cannot be myopic in our vision for safe spaces and progress. Marriage equality should not be the end of our fight, especially where LGBTQ youth are concerned. We, as queer adults, must actively live and fight and center our work on honoring and protecting our youth.” –SLO

Poet, novelist, performer and art journalist Eileen Myles is guided by their approach to the concept of time. “Working in my own time,” Myles says, is the aspect of their work that brings the greatest reward. “Time shapes everything, and I celebrate in my life and my work being weird and on my own timetable. [I] have to be brave in the face of other people’s time too.” Myles seems to have made the utmost use of creative time, having authored nineteen books, including “I Must Be Living Twice: New and Selected Poems,” “Snowflake/different streets,” “The Importance of Being Iceland: Travel Essays in Art,” “Inferno (A Poet’s Novel)” and a 2015 reissue of their iconic autobiographical novel, “Chelsea Girls.” Myles has received a Guggenheim Fellowship in non-fiction, an Andy Warhol/Creative Capital Arts Writers grant, four Lambda Literary Book Awards and the Shelley Prize from the Poetry Society of America. This year, Myles received a Creative Capital grant, as well as the Clark Prize for excellence in art writing. Splitting their time between NYC and Marfa, Texas, Myles currently teaches at NYU and Naropa University. –SLO

Growing up in a trailer park, Angie Craig learned some valuable life lessons. She watched her mother work hard to get her college degree and become a public school teacher—all while raising a family and holding down multiple jobs. “I followed her example and took on two nearly full-time jobs while pursuing my college degree,” says Craig, now a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. She’s spent 20 years in the private sector and learned early on that through hard work and a commitment to education, she could make a better life and create opportunities for her family. (Her family includes wife Cheryl and their four sons.) Craig intends to help those who are struggling to do the same. “College debt has skyrocketed,” she points out. “Minnesota, my state, actually ranks fifth highest in the nation for average level of student debt with a $31,579 price tag for a bachelor’s degree. At least 70 percent of graduates here have some form of loan debt. The most rewarding part of running for Congress has been hearing from people impacted by issues like these—and discussing commonsense steps I’ll take in Congress to help put that path to opportunity back within reach for Minnesota families.” –SLO

A creative with more than a decade of experience, Athena Maroulis hails from Ocean Grove, N.J., where she spent her youth honing her artistic talents (in particular, her drawing skills) and reading encyclopedias. She knew then that creativity was her passion. Maroulis attended Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she majored in fine arts with a concentration in film and video. From there, she started Red Bank Post, a small creative and production house. After moving to NYC nine years ago, her creative horizons grew exponentially. She began shooting and directing videos with influential LGBTQ artists like Cazwell, Sherry Vine and Lady Bunny. In 2014, her documentary “A World of Dreams: Voices from the OUT 100” garnered an Emmy nomination. “Art and filmmaking are in my blood. Telling a story visually is something innate, intrinsic to who I am. If I couldn’t tell stories, I’d be without purpose and meaning. I blame it on too many episodes of ‘Guiding Light’ as a child,” she says. Currently, she works as a design director on new business and communications for a media agency in NYC. In her spare time, she’s developing two documentaries: one on her father—a Greek-American immigrant; the other on our nation’s growing opioid addiction. –SLO

A self-taught fine art photographer, creative collaborator, curator and publisher, Heidi E. Russell is also the founder of the International Women Artists’ Salon—a global, cross-disciplinary community supporting women in the arts. Through her lens, she focuses on “capturing the intersection of languages and dimensions through full-frame, non-manipulated imagery of cultural environs.” Based in NYC, the Oxford, N.Y. native got her first camera at six years old and has been a photographer ever since. The Cornell University graduate started her career path in advertising, business, human resource management and fundraising; but in 2004, she decided to follow her passions for photography and international cultural exchange. “I feel just as powerful, a natural high, from connecting people around the world as I do capturing photographs of the world,” Russell says, whose work has been exhibited worldwide. She also makes time for volunteer projects. Since 2005, she’s volunteered for Cuchifritos, a community nonprofit gallery on the Lower East Side. In addition, Russell holds curatorial positions with Manhattan Theatre Source and The New York Optimist e-zine. She’s currently expanding her creative outreach by establishing an indie publishing company “with the mission to publish works that utilize art as a bridge for cultural understanding.” –SLO

“I’ve always had a passion for fashion,” says E. Jaguar Beckford, an entertainment attorney who ventured into the designer clothing industry as the founder and CEO of Jag & Co. In 2013, Beckford launched the now-celebrated Rainbow Fashion Week—not only to showcase her own menswear-inspired clothing line, but also to highlight other designers, models, stylists and creative people who merited more exposure. Already revolutionary, this year’s event took social responsibility to a whole new level as the first-ever carbon neutral fashion week, celebrating “The Art of Fashion, Film, Art and Technology.” By working closely with strategic partners and industry leaders, this year’s RFW helped educate audiences about new ways to reduce our carbon footprints. When asked about her message to the LGBTQ community, Beckford says, “While we each struggle with our day-to-day life issues: trans, marriage equality, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, etc., we must also pay attention to global issues facing every member of humanity. We have been destroying this planet, one plastic cup and bag at a time. Each of us should do more, because we can do more.” –SLO

“A home is an investment and a place where friends and family gather. It’s my wish and hope to help you get there,” says successful Realtor and event producer Josephine Mineo, who, over the last 17 years, has built up an expansive portfolio of LGBTQ Realtor professionals nationwide. When Mineo launched JoZ Events 16 years ago, she “quickly learned it was obvious that women needed a place to be themselves with their partners, kiss, dance and celebrate.” JoZ Events have helped women from NYC, Westchester and Fairfield counties build lasting friendships and life partners. Sadly, she recently lost her own life partner to cancer. “The only way I am surviving today is from the outpouring of love all these wonderful women have shown towards me. If there is one thing I can share about this whole experience in my life it is this: Never be afraid. Be yourself, open up, and enjoy what you have and exactly who you are.” As the niece of Sal Mineo, the gay actor who starred with James Dean in the 1950s classic “Rebel Without a Cause,” she grew up experiencing firsthand how important it is to be out. “Because of him and my partner, I realized it’s worth every risk to be out. I only wish Uncle Sal were here today to see how the world has changed.” –SLO

Staci Michelle Yandle made history in 2014 when she was appointed U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Illinois. This made her the first out gay judge in the Seventh Circuit; the first African-American district judge to be on the federal bench in the Southern District of Illinois; and the first openly lesbian black judicial nominee to be confirmed during Obama’s presidency. (The first to be confirmed at all was Deborah Batts, during Clinton’s administration.) Yandle graduated with a B.S. in political science from the University of Illinois, went on to receive a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University School of Law, was an associate with the law firm of Carr, Korein, Schlichter, Kunin, Montroy, Glass & Bogard for almost 20 years, and until recently, had her own law offices, with a specialty in civil litigation in federal and state courts. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is that I am now able to tap into both my passion for the law and public service,” she says. “In private practice, I represented the interests of my individual clients. As a federal judge, I now serve my entire community and country.” –GH

Karen Akunowicz was a ‘cheftestant’ on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” but she’s far from a beginner. She is a two-time James Beard nominee for Best Chef Northeast. Akunowicz has been honing her craft for years—from studying at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, to helping create the Beehive restaurant, to becoming a chef in Italy, and the sous chef at Oleana Restaurant in Cambridge. Her current gig is executive chef/partner at Myers & Chang in Boston. Admirably, Akunowicz uses her position to give back. Her Fresh Roots Culinary Program at UTEC, an agency for at-risk youth, allowed her to teach young people about cooking and assist them in finding jobs, and she was the Culinary Chair for PFLAG’s most recent fundraiser. She sees her time on TV as another way she’s been able to help the younger generation. “It was important to me to be out as a queer femme on this season of ‘Top Chef.’ TV remains such a large, visible platform, and I wanted queer kids and young girls to see a version of themselves in the media.” –GH

At only 24, Kim Geronimo aka The Street Sensei is making a name for herself with her provocative, edgy, artistic, high-end fashion photography. Her work conveys a unique aesthetic philosophy and creative passion. She started out her career on an entrepreneurial track, but began dabbling as a photographer while she studied abroad and traveled in Asia during col-lege. Last fall, she got her foot in the door of New York Fashion Week SS16, which she took her photography to a much higher professional level. (She’s also blowing up on social media. You can follow her on Instagram: @thestreetsensei.) “Photography has been a different journey of finding myself,” she says. “It’s almost as if I’m learning how to love someone.” She hopes that those who encounter her stunning photographs will become inspired to be themselves, and then can express themselves however they want. When asked about the most satisfying aspect of her work, she says, ”I think [it’s] been meeting people that inspire me and push me to do better, and traveling to beautiful places I’ve either always wanted to go to, or never even once thought about going. That’s the beauty of my work; it leads me to discover my limit—and my worth.” –SLO

Kate Clinton—our favorite “faith-based, tax-paying, America-loving political humorist and family entertainer”—has had a successful career in comedy spanning more than three decades. And she’s at the top of her game, aiming sharp-witted sarcasm on “presidential campaigns ad nauseam, LGBTQ movements in transition, religion in extremis and media in rigor mortis.” (She loves Latin. It’s not a dead language. She’s keeping it alive.) She’s also been out and proud all the way. “If success is having a job you love for 35 years, being part of a historic movement for LGBTQ equal rights and making a living making people laugh, then I’d say being an out lesbian was a genius move,” she jokes. Clinton has released more than 10 comedy CDs and DVDs and has authored three books. Her second book, “What the L?” received a Lambda Literary Award nomination. (It didn’t win. She says she’s been bitter ever since.) She was cast in Broadway productions of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Vagina Monologues” (“though luckily not at the same time.”) Clinton has also written for The Advocate and other publications, and performed for several organizations, most recently a benefit for the Lesbian Political Action Committee (LPAC): Levity and Justice for All. Her latest project is a one-woman show, “Wake Up Call.” No need to set your alarm! –SLO

Lisa Halling-Aadland is a creative dynamo. A musician, songwriter, entrepreneur, traveler, wine connoisseur, producer and blogger, Halling-Aadland splits her time between Stockholm and San Diego. With a bachelor’s degree in business, she never settled into the corporate environment. So she launched a career that utilized her creativity: writing and playing music. Soon she was performing heroriginal songs in Sweden, London, NYC and Los Angeles. Thus far, she’s written and released two EPs, with one single becoming a Top 10 finalist in a Swedish National Radio’s Up & Coming contest. Last year, she and her wife, Lauren Aadland-Halling, started a film/photography/music production company, The Beatnik Group, which now takes them all around the world. If that didn’t keep them busy enough, they recently launched This Colorful World—a couples travel, lifestyle and music platform, catering mainly to the LGBTQ community. If you’re wondering where Halling-Aadland’s energy comes from, the answer is simple: “I do everything I love!” she says. “If I can inspire other women to do the same, that would be absolutely beautiful. Every day is an opportunity to get closer to pursue what you love doing. I remind myself of that every morning. It’s fantastic!” –SLO

Perhaps there’s no better way to say it: Lisa Kron is blowing up. She’s best known for “Fun Home,” her first musical, based on Alison Bechdel’s groundbreaking graphic novel. (Last year, she won both the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.) But success is not new to Kron. She’s been involved with the theater, both as an actor and playwright, since the 1980s, receiving critical acclaim along the way. As a theater student in college, she grappled with self-doubt. Faced with blatant sexism and typecasting in those productions, she tried to cope with the repercussions on her future career. “Theater had exploded into my consciousness as the most compelling, powerful thing I could imagine,” she says. “But it was becoming clear to me that this power to affect, to transform, was in someone else’s hands…” Luckily, her mindset changed one night in 1985, when she saw a performance of Split Britches. “I understand now that my life pivoted on that night… The Split Britches Company taught me the most important lesson I ever learned about theater: It is ours. We who make theater may be shut out of institutions, but we work in an art form that gives us total unfettered imaginative power to recreate the world on our own terms.” –SLO

After working in media and publishing—as a journalist, editor, public relations practitioner, event planner and promotions manager—Burrell founded Aziza Public Relations in 2000. A graduate of Kingsborough Community College, where she received the El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X) Award for Scholastic Achievement, she got her bachelor’s degree at the CUNY Baccalaureate Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, and is now working on a master’s degree in Emergency Management (on the Homeland Security track). Currently, she works as an instructional designer at Adelphi University. She’s also found time to be an active member of NYC’s LGBTQ community. She served for one year as the convener of Maranatha, a ministry of The Riverside Church, helping to promote equity for LGBTQ people. She’s also a member of the LGBTQ Faith Leaders of African Descent and a former board member of Harlem Pride. Her board service continues with Rainbow Fashion Week. Burrell takes community service seriously. “It is up to each and every one of us to protect and stand up for all members of the LGBTQ community,” she says. “We must share and talk about our experiences to enlighten those who have no connection to our community and remain ignorant to the violations of our basic human rights.” –SLO

Lee Bullitt, a Brooklyn-based fine art photographer, creates images with a narrative quality that gives viewers an intimate look at private, emotional moments in time. Bullitt started exploring photography in her teens. Now, she says, “I don’t really look at myself as being in ‘a field.’ I’m an artist. For so long in my youth, I feared calling myself an artist because I felt I couldn’t live up to it. Just like I was afraid to be a lesbian or use the word when I was younger… because I thought that was something far more complex. It was like, ‘OK, here is this title, and it actually feels right, but I don’t know if I am allowed to be this.’ I didn’t think I was allowed to be an artist.” It’s being an artist that gives Bullitt the opportunity to connect with other LGBTQ creatives. “As a QPoC [queer person of color], I am almost fostered into this sisterhood of those who are dedicated to the community and to us being able to live and work and create the way we see fit. And to know that people have the potential to recognize honesty in my photographs, which are representations of the sexuality of women, the emotionality of women, in a way that is bold and unapologetic, I think is wildly rewarding.” –SLO

Janel McCarville, a 6’2” forward for the Minnesota Lynx, was a first overall WNBA draft pick in 2005, and she’s been on fire ever since. Before turning pro, McCarville had a stellar career at the college level. She graduated from the University of Minnesota, where she became the Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2002). She went on to average 14.6 points per game and crushed it in rebounds. She was selected for the 2004 Final Four All-Tournament Team after setting an NCAA Tournament record with 75 rebounds. As a pro, she initially played for Charlotte and was acquired by New York in 2007. Six years later, Minnesota nabbed her in a three-team trade. McCarville helped the Lynx win its second title in three years, scoring 10 points in the third game of the 2013 WNBA Finals. In 2014 she appeared in all five playoff games, averaging 5.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. After a back injury last year, she’s returned to the court in 2016 in fine form, ready to play and enjoy the experience. “Just coming in with my teammates who’ve become my friends through the years, creating magic on the court together, being able to spend time with them and grow as people and as friends together is tremendous,” she says. –SLO

Marcia Alvarado, though stunning, does not fit the profile of your typical model. The mas-culine-presenting fashion plate is an licensed structural engineer who has mentored high school students in architecture, construction and engineering. She was also a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) scholarship basketball player for four years—enjoying a trip to NCAA March Madness over the 2000-2001 season—and has been listed in the Top 40 Under 40 by Building Design + Construction, a trade publication and website for the American architecture, engineering and construction industries. “My success in this business [engineering] has been led by the relationships that I have cultivated; essen-tially, the work speaks for itself,” she explains. As a “male model,” Alvarado has gone to New York Fashion Week two years in a row; been featured at many central Florida runway events; and has been a representative for Project Runway All-Stars Fabio Costa and Fade Zu Grau, suits and dresswear company Sharpe Suiting, style site dapperQ, and oth-ers. “I hope to use modeling as a platform to promote understanding that each individual is unique in their own way,” she says. “We all matter, and we are all connected.” –GH

A volunteer firefighter in her native Houston, Mel Huckabee has led an exciting life. But it’s saving other people’s lives that she finds truly inspiring. “I’ve been there for people on the worst days of their lives, and when I go home, I appreciate everything so much more because of it…Nothing replaces the peace I have in my heart for what I do.” She started out, however, on a somewhat different path. After graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in sound design, Huckabee moved to Brooklyn. Under the wing of Murray Hill (“my pops”) and The Pontani Sisters, she became a DJ and worked at recording studios. When the 2008 recession hit, Huckabee switched gears, went to EMT school and worked as medic, while DJing on the side. A few years later, she returned to Texas to join the Houston Fire Department. A broken hand derailed that plan, but she got a job with a company that expedites veterans’ medical claims, and in 2013, joined the volunteer fire department. Being gay hasn’t been a obstacle. “Honestly I’ve always been myself,” she says. “I’ve never had issues getting along with people because of my sexuality, and that is all because I’ve stayed true to who I am.” –SLO

Culinary superstar Chef Rossi aka Rossi (she needs only one name) has long been a food writer for publications such as The Daily News, The New York Post and Time Out New York. Since 1998, she’s penned BUST Magazine’s Eat Me column. In addition, she hosts a hit radio show, Bite This, now in its twelfth season on Cape Cod’s WOMR and WFMR. Rossi has appeared on The Food Network and NPR, and is a popular blogger for The Huffington Post. As owner and executive chef of a cutting-edge catering company, The Raging Skillet, Rossi has a reputation for breaking the rules. The New York Times dubbed The Raging Skillet “a new breed of rebel anti-caterer.” And every year since 2010, Rossi’s company has been listed among The Knot’s Best Wedding Caterers, an achievement that merits a spot in The Knot’s Hall of Fame. “Over the years, gay couples have come to me traumatized by homophobic wedding vendors, or wedding vendors who are kind but clueless,” she says. “I took them under my wing.” Last fall, Rossi’s memoir, “The Raging Skillet: The True Life Story of Chef Rossi” was published by The Feminist Press, garnering rave reviews. “I don’t know if it’s so much that being out and gay makes me more successful as much as living an honest, authentic life,” Rossi says. “I choose simply to be me.” –SLO

Michaela Mendelsohn knows how tough the closet can be, but “it wasn’t until suppressing my identity was making me so sick and I couldn’t function that I came out,” Mendelsohn says. Today, the transgender lesbian—who has worked for more than 40 years in the business world—is helping smooth the way for others as a Trevor Project board member and as a founder of the California Transgender Workplace Program. “There are opportunities I have to help transgender people find jobs with me or somewhere else,” she says. “They may have been looking for over a year and been turned down for no other reason than for their gender identity. Some have been in other jobs and forced to use the wrong restroom and were sexually molested. A recent girl I hired was viciously attacked twice by a customer for no apparent reason, and each time received little support from her employer. Having a decent job helps broaden their visions from ‘day-to-day survival’ to one of stability and possibly raising their own families. I believe that the children of LGBTQ families will be in an amazing position to change our world.” –GH

“I felt the spirit of singing at a very young age in church and branched out from there, so I was just following the path it led me on,” says Merav. “It came naturally to me, and I couldn’t imagine my life without singing.” We couldn’t imagine life without talented vocalists like Merav, who is slated to perform at NYC PrideFest on June 26. Her voice transforms with ease through interpretations of jazz, rock, blues, gospel, funk, R&B and adult contemporary songs. “Powerful and sultry yet soft as a kitten,” and “Meravelous” are just a sample of the rave reviews from her fanbase. Merav has performed all over the East Coast (The China Club, SAGE’s 25th Anniversary Dance and Provincetown’s Women’s Week, to name but a few) and has shared stages with such classic vocal groups as The Shirelles and The Coasters. She’s also entertained at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, the famous Maloe Melo in Amsterdam and numerous clubs in Germany. Her preferred audience, though, is us. “The most rewarding [part of] my career has been the opportunity to be true to myself, giving me the freedom to perform for my favorite audience, the gay community,” she says. –SLO

Odalys Nanin wears many hats in the entertainment industry: acting, writing (with three published plays), directing and producing. Her many years in the theater world also made her the ideal candidate to found the MACHA Theatre, the first (and only) lesbian- and Latina-owned theater that Nanin resurrected from its former life as The Globe Playhouse. One of her most memorable experiences in that theater happened during her first play, co-written with Marie Barrientos, “Love Struck.” A male audience member complimented her on the universality of her lesbian play, then asked her if she was gay. “It was a direct question made in front of my agent,” she remembers. “Back then, as an actress in Hollywood, being out was a big NO. But in my mind, I thought, ‘I’m the writer, director, producer and actress in this play; how can I deny that I’m gay and be true to myself as a writer/creator?’ I chose to be true to my writing, so I smiled and said, ‘Yes, I’m gay.’ He replied, ‘Too bad. I was going to ask you out to dinner.’ I just laughed.” In November 2017, look for Nanin’s new play “Frida—Stroke of Passion!” –GH

Poet and activist JP Howard aka Juliet P. Howard helps others find their voices as the founder and curator of Women Writers in Bloom Poetry Salon [WWBPS] (facebook.com/WomenWritersinBloomPoetrySalon). “So much of what I do as nurturer of the Salon is to bring a diverse group of writers, mostly women and many LGBTQ PoC, together in a safe, supportive space to write our way through the world each month,” she says. She describes “the gathering of community in someone’s home or welcoming community space to celebrate our voices” as “a necessary act of self-care.” The salons can go up to four or five hours, include food, wine and interactive workshops, and provide artists with a way to collaborate and express both frustrations and goals. “Hearing uplifting updates and self-affirmations from our Salon members is always rewarding. Women writers who once considered themselves closet poets [who] wrote in secret are now enrolled in MFA programs across the country; others who were once shy now participate in our monthly Salon open mics; many feature at venues across NYC and others have debut books and chapbooks forthcoming and/or are getting published in literary journals. The celebration of each other and our powerful voices is incredibly affirming for all who participate.” –GH

A stalwart icon in New York lesbian nightlife, Wanda Acosta is a producer and co-creator of the upcoming documentary, “Sundays at Café Tabac,” a film about a transformative and empowering time in lesbian history during the early 1990s in downtown NYC. (Find out more about the documentary at cafetabacfilm.com.) Acosta created and co-hosted Sundays at Cafe Tabac, and she’s been producing events in NYC for more than 20 years. She’s the former owner of WonderBar, Starlight and Clubhouse in the East Village; she also hosted and curated events at Bar d’O, The Box, Angels and Kings, BLVD, Liquids, NYC and Clit Club, among others. Over the years, Acosta has worked with a diverse range of clients and media, including NewFest, Mix NYC, Tribeca Film Festival, “The L Word” on Showtime and nonprofit organizations such as GLAAD, Astraea Foundation, HMI and The Center. “The LGBTQ community is a loving and resilient group of diverse individuals who have inspired and shaped my world,” she says. “I adore my tribe, and we need to remain strong, vigilant, and empowered. We have made many advances since I first started producing events back in 1993, but we cannot fool ourselves that homophobia and hate do not exist.” –SLO

When you watch a reality show, do you ever wonder how they find those people? Well, like scripted television, reality shows have to be cast, too. The House That Casting Built does just that—for series like Bravo’s “The Singles Project” and TLC’s “Curvy Brides.” Co-founder Risa Tanania, who runs the company with Anthony Lucente, sees unscripted TV not only as a guilty pleasure, but also as a venue where real stories can be shared. “Ellen’s coming out during college had an enormous impact on me,” she remembers. “Back then, I was a feminist artist with a tiny audience and leftist message. But when I saw the power of simple visibility in main-stream media, I shifted my focus entirely and instead sought out others’ stories and voices that weren’t being heard. Media wasn’t so diverse at the time and this thing called reality TV was just taking hold; there was room to push boundaries and showcase queer personalities, as well as other marginalized communities there, and I wanted to be at the forefront of that.” With her casting business, it’s fair to say that she’s helped secure a place for those falling outside the mainstream. –GH

It’s been 13 years since the release of Disney/Pixar’s “Finding Nemo,” so we’d given up the prospect of Ellen DeGeneres ever reprising her role as the voice of Dory, the forgetful tang fish. It’s nice to be wrong. “Finding Dory,” the long-awaited sequel opened in theaters in mid-June. And without adding spoilers here, the reviews are superb! The day after its release, DeGeneres tweeted: “Have you seen #FindingDory yet? Did you see the secret ending? Oops. Never mind. Ignore this tweet.” Meanwhile, the comedian/actor/philanthropist/talk show queen’s winning streak continues. She and Portia de Rossi, her wife, are going strong after 11 years together. Last year, DeGeneres was ranked as the 50th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes and number two on the World Pride Power list. She produced six episodes of the NBC sitcom “One Big Happy,” about a pregnant lesbian—and while the series was cancelled, DeGeneres rebounded with hits, including HGTV’s “Ellen’s Design Challenge” and “Little Big Shots,” a wunderkind talent show (also airing on NBC). Her eponymous Emmy-winning talk show is still high in the ratings, averaging 3.9 million viewers per episode. When she’s not busy with all of the above, DeGeneres does more than her share of philanthropic and humanitarian work. Yep, she’s gay—and yep, we kinda like her. –SLO

A cutting-edge New York City photographer who specializes in event photography, Grace Chu (pictured right, next to girlfriend Nicole Hoschuetzky) started out shooting LGBTQ nightlife for AfterEllen.com, and her client list increased exponentially from there. Since that time, she’s shot compelling images for corporate clients such as Alexander Wang and General Motors. Chu has also shot the runway at New York Fashion Week. Meanwhile, her work has appeared in Time Out New York, Vogue, The Huffington Post, Vice, GO Magazine and others. She’s also a successful writer and journalist with an impressive array of clips in many of those publications, in addition to Jezebel and AfterElton.com. Chu has been the official photographer for some of the hottest, most high-profile and avant-garde nightlife parties, fashion shows, celebrity red carpets and other events in NYC, particularly those in the LGBTQ and queer communities. As her website (stop-gracechu.com) jokingly puts it: “Grace Chu is everywhere, and she needs to be stopped.” To the very same community she immortalizes in photographs (us!), Chu sends the following message: “Love yourselves—and live large and in charge!” –SLO

You may recognize Susan Jeremy from her stand-up comic days in the early 2000s, when she was headlining Olivia Cruises and performing at Pride and women’s festivals. She also spent many summers entertaining in Provincetown. Since then, Jeremy has written and toured five solo shows—including “PS 69” and “Brazil Nuts.” Her latest show, “Teacher in the House,” is partly about surviving cancer and partly about her other career of teaching home-bound chil-dren. “The most rewarding aspect of my teaching job is engaging children to try, no matter what,” she says. “The most rewarding part of performing is transcending and educating audiences through thought-provoking stories told with laughter, lots of it.” Beyond the hilarity, Jeremy’s solo shows deal with strong female characters who inspire and overcome life’s many obstacles. Her next project? “She Was a Great Dad,” about a female-to-male, cross-dressing jazz musician. She’s currently in the midst of writing the new show and plans to have it finished to tour in 2017. We can’t wait! –SLO

Touted as the next E. Lynn Harris, Skyy is an author/screenwriter from Memphis, whose first novel “Choices” (2006) swiftly gained popularity within the LGBTQ and urban fic-tion communities. “I wrote Choices because of a broken heart,” she confides. “Dealing with a terrible breakup, the characters came to me in the midst of crying. I decided to write what they were saying. Four days later, I finished the first draft. This is why I always tell people to take your pain and let it fuel your creativity; you never know what might come from it.” She followed up with three more novels, thereby creating one of the most popular urban lesbian book series to date. Blurring the lines between LGBTQ and straight communities, Skyy’s books about the African-American lesbian experience resonate with women of all identities. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is meeting the people who’ve been affected by my books,” she says. “To hear people say they were or are just like a character, or a storyline helped them through a difficult situation in their lives, makes me feel blessed and proud.” Currently, Skyy is focused on bringing African-American lesbian stories to the big and small screen and hopes to turn “Choices” into a feature film. –SLO

We always love smart-as-a-whip Rachel Maddow, but in an election year like this, we want and need her more than ever. And what an election year it’s been! Apart from issue-focused, meaningful interviews with Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the MSNBC host and political commentator has also delivered top-notch election night coverage and in-depth analysis throughout the primary season and beyond. We’re counting on Maddow’s level head to get us to November—with our sanity intact. She can also be pretty damned enter-taining. In early May, on “The Rachel Maddow Show,” she performed anti-Trump Republican despair as angst-ridden beat poetry. On a sadder, more serious note, she interviewed a former Islamic extremist, a gay man, for his insight on the Orlando nightclub shooting. Now in its eighth year, the Emmy-winning “TRMS” continues to follow the machinations, drama and (often) outright spectacle of American political life. When not hard at work at 30 Rock, you’ll find Maddow unwinding in the Berkshires in her hot tub, or chilling with longtime partner Susan Mikula. –SLO

Celeste Belletti has performed at some of New York’s most iconic nightspots and for some of the most iconic names in the business. This GO Entertainer/Piano Player of the Year (in 2002 and 2006) studied classical piano for a decade before jazz and pop won out. Proving that she can conquer more than one world, she recently participated in the Ms. New York Senior America Pageant, garnering second runner-up and Ms. Congeniality. “This was not just a beauty pageant,” she explains. “The contest represents women 60 and over in the state of New York, who are living active and purposeful lives—women who have lovingly given of themselves throughout their lives to other women, their families and communities. … [It’s] a beauty pageant that really focuses on the beauty of the soul, not the curves of the body or the appearance of one’s face.” Belletti also wrote and illustrated a children’s book, and has entertained at assisted living facilities and rehab centers, as well as for veterans and the mentally challenged. “I feel music has afforded me to opportunity to touch souls and lift spirits,” she says. “And in return, my soul and spirit are lifted.” –GH

In January, Rev. Cynthia Meyer came out to her congregation at Edgerton United Methodist Church in Kansas. “I’ve been an ordained United Methodist pastor for 25 years,” she said from the pulpit. “At last, I am choosing to serve in that role with full authenticity, as my genuine self, as a woman who loves and shares my life with another woman.” Unfortunately, UMC does not allow openly gay people to be pastoral leaders. A charge has been filed against Meyer, with a church trial tentatively scheduled. “I join many faithful United Methodist Christians in challenging this discriminatory policy,” she says. “All are created in the image of God as God’s own beloved children and Jesus reached out in welcome, calling all, particularly the judged and outcast, to his table of love.” Regardless of what happens, Meyer stands by her actions. “I am willing to take this risk to help LGBTQI people know that they are beloved by God and by many Jesus followers, that they can connect with the church and serve as clergy and leaders in religious institutions and that we are of sacred worth and are entirely compatible with Christian teaching! It’s time for full inclusion and affirma-tion in the UMC, as well as in the broader society.” –GH

An art director working in fashion, Lauren Turbowitz is a “huge music geek” and a scenester in NYC nightlife. She’s also the creative genius behind the ultra-sleek posters, party flyers, web graphics and magazine ads promoting your favorite LGBTQ events hosted by the legendary Henrietta Hudson, Miss Mugshot Events, girlNATIONnyc, Danielle Presents, Stiletto and Hot Rabbit. After college, Turbowitz recognized her true passion for art, television and film. As an associate producer and designer at Zooma Zooma, a bicoastal production company, she worked on commercials, music videos and short films for clients such as GLAAD and the Clinton Global Initiative. She also served as the produc-tion designer for “Ptown Diaries,” a documentary on the history of Provincetown. By day, as an art director, she travels the country directing photo-shoots and designs fashion lookbooks. By night, she’s gone on to start her own company, Turbo Design Studio, where she also serves as creative director. Lauren’s experience of coming out shaped who she is today. “I came out when I was 16,” she confides. “I had never felt more alone. Gradually, I woke up and realized that there was much more to life and that I deserved to live it. I was exactly who I was meant to be.” –SLO