SARAH PRAGER
Founder and CEO, The Communicationist LLC
Before Sarah Prager developed Quist, a free mobile app for iOS and Android focusing on LGBTQ and HIV history, she worked for a variety of LGBTQ nonprofits as an activist and communications director. She realized a need for a unique way to access information about the heritage of the community. “People today are used to getting their information easily and instantly,” says Prager. “There are so many incredible ways groups are sharing our stories from the past, but I wanted to make sure this information would be so readily accessible you would not even have to Google it.” With more than ten thousand downloads in the first two weeks, it was clear the world needed Quist, which presents LGBTQ history in an engaging, relevant way. The app doesn’t show up on your web browser search history. “Quist may be one of the safest ways for someone to access LGBTQ history and news,” Prager explains. The app name, Quist, intentionally makes no reference to its LGBTQ content and has been downloaded in Russia and other countries with anti-gay laws. “Twenty-five percent of the downloads came from outside the U.S., spread over 60 countries on six continents,” says Prager. “Seeing the LGBTQ rights movement in the big picture, over centuries across all countries, inspires me to keep going as an activist today.”
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