GO Proudly Presents: 100 Women We Love, Class Of 2020

Staceyann Chin

Photo by JP Robbins.

Staceyann Chin is a one-woman show — literally. An activist, author, poet, playwright, and actress, Chin prides herself on the many identities she holds within herself. It’s no wonder then, as a Black and Asian lesbian, that Chin constantly works to urge the LGBTQ+ community to consider everyone in the movement — not just the privileged. “We have to widen our platform for progress to include groups that are more vulnerable,” she tells GO. “None of us is free until all of us is free.” A powerhouse in her field and community, Chin has won numerous awards for her work, including the 2013 American Heritage Award from American Immigration Council, the 2016 Planned Parenthood Excellence in Media award, and the 2017 LGBTQ Humanist Award. She is the creator and host of “Living Room Protest,” a YouTube series in which she and her daughter speak on their lives and current events. Chin also has extensive theater experience, having debuted four self-written one-woman shows — “Hands Afire,” “Unspeakable Things,” “Border/Clash,” and “Motherstruck” — at the Culture Project as well as co-writing and starring in the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, “Def Poetry Jam.” “The best part of being a loudmouth activist lesbian,” she says, “is connecting to all the other activists who are still reaching me to take my voice back from all those oppressive powers who would rather me be silent.” Chin’s most recent book, “Crossfire: A Litany for Survival” was released by Haymarket Books in October 2019. —GP


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