100 Women We Love: Class of 2024

“I’ve been obsessed with the fashion industry since I can remember,” Britney Manson tells GO. “I always wanted to be a model and artist; it’s just something I knew when I was a child.” After starting her transition in middle school, and weathering the bullying and beatings that came with it, Manson walked her first runway at 12 years old. Since then, her childhood dreams have come true in a big way. Tall and blonde with an early 2000s supermodel aesthetic — think smoky eyes, the highest of heels and giant sunglasses — the Estonian-born Manson gained 40 million views and “insane comment activity” after posting her first video, “Walking Till I Get Noticed by a Modeling Agency.” She’s now a social media sensation, a trans rights advocate, a model for brands like Valentino and Etro, and has graced the runways of Fashion Weeks in Berlin and Milan. When asked how she deals with setbacks and adversity, Manson replies, “My sun in Cancer would cry, but my Virgo moon be like: get back to work! If you fail, put on more makeup, get your heels on and create something different.” She continues, “I made half of my most viral videos after crying my eyes off. So, my personal advice [is] take it easy and YOU BETTA WERK!” A movie that made an impact on Manson’s identity and outlook? “The Crow (1994) is [in] my DNA,” she says. “If you want to know me better, just watch this movie and remember: ‘it can’t rain all the time!’” –LE

“We never thought we would have a career in travel, especially together,” but when videographer Shanna Meit-Sciara and photographer Gabi Meit-Sciara met in 2016, they bonded over their love of seeing the world and documenting their adventures. Soon, the Brooklyn-based couple had plenty of vibrant footage to share, and they also noticed a significant dearth of information on travel for queer people. “There are a lot of safety precautions to think about when being a woman traveling this world, and even more to consider as a queer woman,” Gabi says. 27 Travels began as a private Instagram account and has evolved into a full brand, including a YouTube channel, a colorful blog, and an Expedia affiliate page that encourages queer travelers to “think of us as your two vegan lesbian travel moms!” “We… hope to inspire others to explore more of the world around them, and to spread the message that travel is inclusive to everyone, no matter your gender or who you love,” Gabi tells GO. “Seeing other people being able to travel being authentically themselves is beyond the most rewarding thing.” As they continue to share knowledge and tips, the couple continues to do what they love most: travel. In the past eight years, the Meit-Sciaras have ventured to over 30 countries and six continents, and they even hosted their own travel TV series on MSG Network. They eloped in Australia during World Pride in 2023. Why 27 Travels? “It’s the date of our anniversary, which is January 27, 2016,” says Gabi. “It’s kind of our lucky number. And it always reminds us that every trip we take we learn more and more about ourselves, our relationship, and the world.” –LE

Vials is a multi-faceted alien and award-winning artist currently filming her debut visual album, “Welcome to Vialsland,” where passengers are guaranteed “female supremacy and a safe space for all living creatures.” Warning: “all non-allies will be promptly deported.” The Canadian influencer’s presence on social media is unforgettable — from intricate makeup tutorials to contagious catch phrases, “Boom baby, it’s literally that easy!” and “Rule #1: Always Protect the Nails.” She’s garnered international attention. Her viral TikTok #GirlMath series was even featured in Vogue Business UK. Whether she is traveling the globe or expanding her brand with music production and DJ’ing, Vials is taking over the world, one acrylic nail at a time. Vials knows pursuing your dreams requires vulnerability and is thrilled to actualize the dreams of Baby Vials. “If you had told my eight-year-old self that one day I’d be traveling the world, creating music, art, and living my fantasy, I would have been SHOOK!…I feel profoundly grateful to wake up every day and pursue my true passion, while sharing this wild ride with millions of people worldwide.” As a queer woman in a predominantly male industry, Vials has experienced the “boys club” vibe, but it’s made her become less dependent on others in executing her vision. “You won’t find me waiting for validation or permission from anyone, especially not a man, to express myself authentically!” –MH

Arielle Orsuto is an Emmy Award-winning sports journalist with 9NEWS in Denver. A sports junkie from the get-go, Arielle began her career as a sports anchor in Rapid City, South Dakota, followed by a stop in Wichita, Kansas, and has spent the last five years in the Rocky Mountain region. She is admired for building a franchise at 9NEWS called Fair Game, which highlights underrepresented groups in sports. The concept took form after she noticed girls and boys got equal coverage in high school, but after graduation, women tended to disappear from the screen. Then in 2021, the South Jersey/Philadelphia native had an idea. She approached higher-ups with a proposal. “I wanted to elevate our coverage of women’s sports and then extend our coverage of other groups — LGBTQ, BIPOC, people with disabilities,” she says. “We are now the leader in all of Denver for coverage of women in sports, LGBTQ athletes, and athletes with disabilities.” Being a woman, particularly a gay woman, has had more of a positive impact on her work than anything else. “It took me until I arrived in Denver in 2019 to fully come out publicly because I wasn’t sure how my work would be perceived in smaller, more conservative markets. However, once I did, I felt like I was able to do my best work because I wasn’t hiding anything anymore.” Orsuto loves connecting with the community and telling their stories, and her authenticity has given many others the confidence to present in their own unique and fabulous way. She lives with her wife, Devaney, and cats, Norman and Harold. In her spare time, the University of Miami grad competes in a LGBTQ flag football league. –MH

After two decades in journalism and government affairs, Catherine Sumner knew she was done on one fateful day in early 2021. “If sitting Senators could literally call for the head of the Vice President, there is nothing stopping them from doing harm to some dyke lobbyist,” Sumner tells GO. “I had already been exploring other options, but January 6 was the end for me.” While contemplating her next step, Sumner considered her passion for preservation work, as well as the legacy of her late father, a former POW in World War II and a veteran of the Korean War. “He instilled in me a love of history and great admiration of veterans,” she says. “To serve one’s country, especially in a time of war, is truly an act of selflessness.” Now the curator of San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial, Sumner honors veterans every day and tells their stories through art and exhibits. Her next project for the memorial — compiling oral histories of military chaplains and service members — will make good use of her background in journalism. Sumner strives to incorporate narratives of all veterans, including female and LGBTQ+ members of the service, whether that’s reviewing a book about female pilots in World War II or displaying a queer veteran’s art. Any regrets about the career change? Nope. “Although the pay is nice, I would do this work for free,” Sumner says. “But don’t tell that to my Colonel!” –LE

“My entire career is due to the work and care of other women, especially queer women,” author Melissa Febos tells GO. “If not for the work of women like Audre Lorde, Jeannette Winterson, bell hooks, Leslie Feinberg, Dorothy Allison, Judy Grahn, Heather Lewis, and countless others, I would not have seen the path toward my life as an artist.” Since appearing in GO’s 2011 Women We Love, Febos has followed up her critically acclaimed debut memoir Whip Smart with three more books, and multiple awards, fellowships, and prestigious publications. Her 2017 essay collection Abandon Me was a LAMBDA Special Award Winner and 2021’s Girlhood became a national bestseller, won the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism, and was translated into eight languages. Febos’ 2022 craft book Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative was both a national and LA Times bestseller. Why did she choose a writing career? “I feel more like writing chose me than I chose it,” she says. “There weren’t going to be very many professions that I could sustainably perform; even as a kid, I was a passionate, obsessive, defiant sort of person. I feared very early on that there wouldn’t be a place in society for me.” Febos adds, “I’m incredibly grateful that I was born in a time when the pastime of artist and professor was something a girl could consider possible for herself. I never considered becoming anything else.” Febos is now a full professor at the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Program and lives in Iowa City with her wife, the poet Donika Kelly. –LE

PaulA Neves, a first-generation Portuguese-American, felt it was just as difficult to “come out” as Portuguese as it was to come out as queer. “Back in the 90s, I wrote stories and essays about being queer [as a way] to come out as Portuguese-American. This was long before everyone wanted to visit Portugal or won trips to go there on Wheel of Fortune,” she says. A poet, writer, filmmaker, and educator, she finds building community one-on-one the most rewarding aspect of her work. This is evident in her poetry collections, capricornucopia (the dream of the goats), and the forthcoming Passaic, both of which focus on community and micro-environments. The Remedy, a documentary she co-produced about immigrant and queer Newark hip-hop artists, similarly showcases community-building through personal journeys. She says, “Using your work to share the daily richness of lives, especially artists’, while honoring the richness of your own — that’s the reward.” Early in her career, she submitted her short story “Seven Days in August” to an anthology created by prolific lesbian photographer Tee Corrine, author of Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians. Not only was Neves chosen, but Corinne personally called to ask if the story could be featured as the first in the anthology. “I never forgot that generosity. [Tee Corinne] was an artistic trailblazer for lesbian/ queer/differently abled women’s visibility. Getting that validation from her when I was starting out was everything,” she shared. Neves hopes to help preserve lesbian and queer women’s legacies, and continue making a local impact. “The old saying that politics is local — seems counterintuitive now when so much is fraught at the national and global level — but matters now more than ever,” she says. –AL

“When I was growing up, I thought the person who wrote ‘the peek into the past’ section at the back of American Girl books had the coolest job in the world,” says Mary Mahoney. “I went to college knowing I wanted to learn how to research and write about the past in the service of our lives today.” As co-host of the Dolls of Our Lives podcast — which recently aired its final episode and has evolved into a nonfiction book of the same name, released last November — Mahoney and fellow historian Allison Horrocks explored the American Girl brand and the historical stories it offered in the context of the brand’s peak decades, mainly the 1980s and ‘90s. Mahoney also pens “Landline,” a pop culture and history newsletter available on Substack. “I’ve grown into a person who loves thinking about history and sharing it with the public in accessible ways, i.e. using headlines from US Weekly to explain historical narratives,” Mahoney tells GO. “[M]y goal is to tell inclusive stories through podcasting and writing.” As an open lesbian, Mahoney’s identity has led to rich interactions and community with listeners and readers. “A common trope among queer AG fans is debating who is the queerest American Girl of them all, and for me that is Molly,” Mahoney says. “Hearing from listeners that they had similar experiences with Molly, or Samantha, or Kit has made me feel less alone in my own attachment to a special thing from childhood that helped me grow into myself as a queer woman.” –LE

Amber Valentine is the founder of MISSTER, New York City’s longest-running party —it’s been going on for 12 years now — that centers queer women. Amber has been a DJ in NYC and beyond for more than ten years. Along with JD Samson, she co-hosts PAT, one of Brooklyn’s most loved parties. Amber can also be spotted frequently at Brooklyn’s House of Yes, as well as Susanne Bartsch’s On Top. Amber says she loves “being able to create spaces for people to connect with each other. It’s an honor to get to be a part of queer people’s joy.” Her style is rooted in house, hip hop, and disco, and she strives to bring love into every DJ set. In addition to being a DJ, Amber describes herself as a hardcore yoga girlie. She loves to make space for people to “come together in community, unity, and of course dance floor ecstasy.” This life of the party tells GO one thing people might be surprised to know is that she’s been sober from alcohol for nine years. You can catch her on Pride Friday, June 28 at Lady Land Festival alongside Kim Petras, SLAYYYTER, and more iconic queer artists. Follow Amber on Instagram @ambervalentinenyc to keep up with her gig schedule – and to admire her signature fire-red locks and campy outfits. –SS

Jeanette Winterson wrote, “What you risk reveals what you value,” and it’s a quote that resonates with Katie Carter, who from her earliest memories cared about changing the systems of injustice that affect so many. Now living in Seattle, Carter has worked as a nonprofit and foundation professional for the past 16 years, focused on LGBTQIA2S+, gender, and racial justice. In her current role as CEO of Pride Foundation, Carter builds community and institutional partnerships, develops communications strategies, and mobilizes resources in the Northwest. “During these extraordinary times, I get to wake up every day and have tangible ways to fight for LGBTQIA2S+, gender, and racial justice and the people and communities I’m a part of and I love. Especially these past few years, when despair felt particularly close, I have felt so lucky and privileged to be able to channel that energy into making meaningful and transformative change,” Carter tells GO. The Midwestern native earned a M.A. in Philosophy of Science from Indiana University and B.S. in Psychology and Philosophy from DePaul University. She is an avid reader of feminist and political writing, philosophy, poetry, and memoir, and has had a lifelong interest in science and the natural world, particularly animal cognition and behavior — a subject she studied before shifting to a field that felt more tangibly impactful in the communities she cherishes. “Being a queer woman isn’t just an identity for me; it is the foundation of my life. It has shaped the family and chosen family I have built. It has shaped the work I dedicate my life to. It has helped me build my political analysis and how I engage with the world,” Carter says. –MH

“Writing is the best way for me to make sense of everything swirling around in my head,” Grace Perry tells GO. “It satisfies me to put life’s big, messy, complexities into an organized essay, even if those neat boundaries are literally a figment of my imagination.” Today, the Los Angeles-based writer and cultural critic has contributed to multiple publications, including BuzzFeed, The New Yorker and The Cut, and the satirical sites The Onion and Reductress. Her book, The 2000s Made Me Gay, is an essay collection exploring how pop culture of the aughts — including Gossip Girl, The O.C. and Moulin Rouge — was formative to Perry’s queer identity. “I love connecting with queer folks who’ve read my book, because I love to hear what their version of it would be,” Perry says of the book’s reception. “Everyone has their own personal collection of books, shows, movies and music they consumed as a tween/teen that shaped who they are today. It’s especially fun chatting with folks older than I am and hearing how the ‘70s made them gay.” When asked how she deals with setbacks and adversity, Perry shares her multi-pronged approach: “Crying. Binging 30 Rock for the 40th time. Getting a dog. Channeling all my emotions into dog training. Making self-deprecating little jokes instead of answering questions that might make me feel vulnerable. Binging 30 Rock for the 41st time.” –LE

Ann P. Meredith is the ultimate Renaissance Woman. For almost 55 years, the artist, writer, director, producer, fine art photographer, and filmmaker has forged channels for others to be heard. She’s the founder of Swordfish Productions Pictures & Theatrical, a company that produces motion pictures, feature film, documentary productions, exhibitions, performances, and installations. “My vision and goal for my work has always been about giving a compassionate and realistic face and voice to people and cultures who have been injured, persecuted, marginalized, under-recognized and therefore underserved.” Throughout her career, she has taken on many undiscussed subjects including sexual harassment and rape; women with HIV/AIDS; women & LGBT victims and witnesses of The Holocaust. Her work is in Permanent Collections at The Smithsonian Institution, The Library of Congress, the San Francisco & New York Public Libraries, UCLA Film & Television Archives, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women at Harvard’s Permanent Core Collections. Her art has been featured in The New York Times, Art In America, Ms. Magazine, LIFE, Artweek, USA Today, Art News, and elsewhere. She has been exhibited in a dozens-long list of venues that range from The Brooklyn Museum to the U.S. Dept of State’s Embassies and The Royal Photographic Society in Bath, England, and The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. For inspiration during challenging times, Meredith talks with other women and queer filmmakers to regain perspective. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is to see and feel people light up when you ask them to tell THEIR STORY… to see people’s reaction to being SEEN and HEARD.” –MH

Christine Vachon came up when the strongholds of sexism made high-level filmmaking a strenuous battle for women. For three decades, Vachon has taken a jackhammer to cinematic ground, easing the walk for many, especially first-time female and queer directors. Her filmography is mountainous. She has co-produced more than 100 films — some of the most landmark and acclaimed American independent and queer features, including Academy Award-winner Boys Don’t Cry (1998), the first mainstream feature about a trans man; Swoon (1992) and Stonewall (1995), birthed out of the AIDS epidemic and fierce uprising of ACT UP, with which she aligned. She was the force behind Kids, I Shot Andy Warhol, Safe, Happiness, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Far From Heaven (nominated for four Academy Awards), One Hour Photo, Still Alice, and Carol (directed by long-time collaborator Todd Haynes). Vachon ex- ecutive-produced the Emmy and Golden Globe-awarded HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce and Emmy Award-winning Netflix series Halton. Recently, as producer of indie-studio hybrid May December and romantic drama Past Lives, Vachon earned her first, and much-deserved, Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Vanity Fair was spot-on in noting the accolade was “ridiculously overdue.” And while Vachon said a nomination would “mean an extraordinary amount,” getting movies in front of audiences is what really drives her work. “I will never forget showing Go Fish to a mostly lesbian crowd in London in the early 90s. They were absolutely silent at the end and then roared to their feet. They were finally seeing a movie about their lives!” The native New Yorker is no stranger to a good martini, but when she really wants to relax, she cooks. –MH

Becky Krause has been a sketch writer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2016, a role she prepared her whole life for. She bought a video camera with babysitting money in high school and has been creating ever since. Years ago, she found a note she wrote as a kid. “…I wrote to myself five times on one page saying, “I want to spend my days doing hilarious, creative things as my job. I may have manifested it,” she shares. Despite her silly and borderline absurdist sense of humor, Krause draws inspiration from the unremarkable. She has a 190-page Microsoft Word document detailing mundane interactions with strangers or coworkers, and she posts on social media to document everyday happenings, like sitting in a moderately comfortable chair. One of the most rewarding aspects of Krause’s work is seeing this ordinary inspiration come to life. A situation that happens to her in real life can be written down, portrayed by actors, and put on TV for other people to relate to. As Krause says, “real life is funny.” At work, Krause loves laughing with her coworkers and meeting new people. “In one week, I can be interacting with the Muppets, then helping a reality star with their lines, then giving notes to Irish step dancers, then showing an actress how to do the “flipping a water bottle” trend, then sitting in for rehearsal singing with the cast of a classic movie,” she shared. In the future, Krause hopes to keep creating and maybe turn her Mundane Interactions document into a book, but most importantly, she hopes to “keep being authentically myself.” –AL

At the age of 6, Maiah Manser won a talent show for singing “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music. After she won, she told her mom, “I’m going to be a famous singer when I grow up,” and nothing ever changed her mind. Now, she’s received critical acclaim for her EPs Second Skin and third degree and has recently began scoring for films and TV series. However, throughout her career, the most rewarding aspect of her work is the way she is able to interact with her audience. “When I make music, I never know how much it impacts others until I share it or get to perform live. It is the greatest gift to learn that my music helped someone through something, inspired them, or simply made them want to dance and sing along. For me, it’s always been about connecting with people from all over the world and all walks of life,” Manser tells GO. Manser is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, but letting that shine through in her music took some time, patience, and lots of inspiration and encouragement. She says, “I’ve written many songs about being a woman, but due to growing up in the church in a once conservative town, it’s been a journey to feel safe in my queer identity. However, I’m excited to say that through a lot of self acceptance I’ve finally started writing more forwardly queer songs. I’ve got my found family and every confidently out LGBTQ+ artist that came before me to thank for that.” –AL

For a then-teenage Marissa Limsiaco, a visit from her Filipino grandfather changed everything. “I vividly recall the scene: tossing aside a recruiting letter from West Point’s tennis coach, oblivious to the potential it held,” she tells GO. “It was my grandfather who saw beyond my initial dismissal, urging me to at least consider the opportunity.” The ultra-prestigious military academy isn’t for the faint of heart, but Limsiaco thrived. “By the time junior year arrived, the decision to pursue a career in the military felt like a natural progression — an acknowledgment of the debt I owed to a nation that had provided my family with boundless opportunities,” she says. Limsiaco graduated from West Point with numerous accolades, including the coveted Army Athletic Association Trophy, and she is now a decorated combat veteran of the U.S. Army. Her post-military career is equally impressive: she is a serial founder, having launched numerous successful ventures and raised venture funding for two companies, and cofounder of Otso, the industry’s first fintech company that specializes in commercial tenant screening. Rather than shun adversity, Limsiaco, now recognized as one of the most influential women in commercial real estate, embraces it. “In the end, my journey through adversity has been a testament to the power of growth, grit, and gratitude,” she says. “And as I continue on this journey, I carry with me the lessons learned and the wisdom gained — a steadfast reminder that adversity, far from being a foe to be feared, is often the greatest catalyst for growth and transformation.” –LE

Mickalene Thomas is one of today’s most influential visual artists. Born and raised in New Jersey, Thomas received her BFA from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and an MFA from Yale University School of Art. Since then, she has had solo exhibitions in countless venues, some of which include the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, the the Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO; Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON; Spelman College Museum of Fine Arts, Atlanta, GA; and Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. She says, “I was fortunate enough to be exposed to art from a young age, but it wasn’t until my early twenties that I really gravitated towards a creative practice.” That practice has expanded to include multiple mediums, and Thomas’s art takes the form of mixed-media paintings, photographs, and film. While known for her focus on Black female representation, she says one surprising fact about her work that people might not know is that, “the truth is that my work addresses different topics and realities simultaneously. The concepts that move and drive my artistic practice are just as complex and intricate as my visual language, compositional formal aspects, and personal aesthetics.” Her most recent show All About Love comprises 80 pieces and is currently being exhibited at The Broad in LA. It is the first major international tour of Thomas’s work. Thomas is also cofounder of the Pratt>FORWARD ‘Artist in the Market’ incubator for post-graduate students, and she serves on the Board of Trustees for the Brooklyn Museum and MoMA PS1. –SS

Amanda Whip moved to NYC when she was 17 to pursue her dream of being an illustrator. What started as attending a burlesque life-drawing group and sketching images she saw when she snuck into nightlife and fetish events eventually grew into friendships that encouraged her to come out of her shell and try performance. She says, even though going on stage was never her intention, “opportunities began to fall into my lap.” A self-described “shock performer,” her bio now includes artist, contortionist, pro domme, and painter. She’s been featured in TV and film, concerts, events, and fashion, including Penthouse Magazine. Whip tells GO, “I love to take people out of their heads and give them no choice but to feel something.” Her vision moving forward is to never limit herself and to keep finding ways to evolve in different ventures. “…when I first set foot here, I made a goal to never experience boredom again. I haven’t been bored for one day since and I hope that will carry on for the rest of my life.” For her, being a woman who identifies on the LGBTQ+ spectrum means challenging misogyny and heteronormativity. This includes empowering people to question their position on the Kinsey scale and their acceptance of gender roles. “Though many of my acts feature lesbian themes, they’re not for the pleasure of cishet men; rather it’s meant to disturb them and to disrupt the expectation that we should all pander to the society they’ve created.” –SS

When she was a senior in high school, Vanessa Schoening chose to go into the Fire Department of New York’s (FDNY) EMT Program, where she worked as an EMT for seven years. Then she was promoted to become a firefighter. Ten years later, she still works for FDNY and says the most rewarding part of her work, aside from helping people, is the “representation that not only a woman can do this job, but that I am also a woman of color and part of the LGBTQ+ community.” Schoening says there aren’t many women in the fire service, but that “being seen has shown young girls that this job is an absolute possibility.” She also serves in the Air National Guard, a role she’s been in for 14 years, and says she’s faced some challenges while in the military. For a while, she had fear of being kicked out “because ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ was still in place. I’m glad it was repealed and I was able to focus on my career [instead of] fearing possibly being forced out.” Schoening plans to move into another career field — maybe cybersecurity — in order to spend more time with her family. She’s been married to her wife for nine years, and they have two children and a cat. She also loves sports, Crossfit, and traveling, and says when she was growing up, “The L Word was my show. I’m a huge fan of Jennifer Beals.” –SS

You could say Kristen Kish is at the top of her culinary game, but really she just keeps expanding her repertoire. Kristen was born in South Korea and was adopted into a family in Kentwood, MI, an experience she wrote about in the introduction to her first cookbook Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques. She says she showed interest in cooking from a young age: “I started watching Great Chefs of the World, a cooking show, and I was enamored by the making of food. Cooking shows quickly became a place for me to escape and find calm.” Kish would go on to win season 10 of Top Chef, where she also became a fan-favorite. Since then, in addition to publishing her book, she’s become the host and producer of Restaurants at the End of the World on National Geographic/Disney+, co-star of Fast Foodies on truTV/Food Network and co-host of Iron Chef on Netflix. In 2023, Kish was named to TIME100’s Next, AdWeek’s Creative 100, and Marie Claire’s Power lists. In 2018, she opened her first restaurant, Arlo Grey at the LINE hotel in Austin, TX. Her success doesn’t mean she hasn’t faced her share of adversity. Kish tells GO she tries to learn from the challenging moments. “Each scenario is different and has been handled differently pending circumstances, but what I do know is that I never take what that setback was meant to teach me for granted.” Currently you can tune in on Bravo to find Kish as the new host of 21st season of the Emmy award-winning Top Chef. –SS

Sheri Ciprane is a NYC-based stand-up comedian, a self-described 42-year-old “elder queer” – born when queers had little support from family or peers and had to find safe spaces by word of mouth. Coming out as a teenager was traumatic, but Ciprane learned to find humor in the experiences that once made her callous. “I came out when I was 14-years old in 1996. I had an undercut and have always presented as masculine of center. This was not normal back then. I had girlfriends in secret and even got fired from jobs for being a lesbian,” she tells GO. Her path to the NYC comedy scene started 20 years ago when the Delaware native set sights on the Big Apple — a safe space to be her most authentic self. A lot has happened since. Ciprane was nominated as a finalist in the New York Queer Comedy Festival. She’s been on several well-established comedy and mental health awareness podcasts, like BIG Comedy Network’s Old School Gay! She says, “The most rewarding aspect of doing stand-up comedy has been being able to laugh at myself and make others laugh in the most healing way I never thought was possible.” Ciprane writes about stereotypical lesbian experiences, like being pulled over by cops because they think she’s a 14-year-old boy driving underage and the time the TSA found a strap-on in her luggage. “Being a lesbian in comedy can be a challenge but for me it’s the perfect time because the world was not ready to hear my jokes five to ten years ago,” she says. –MH

Jess Vanacore started The Queer Social podcast with her partner Andie just last year. Vanacore realized an important ingredient to a successful queer life was seeing queer people represented in the mainstream. “There’s no rule book to this stuff, so what do people do to help them navigate situations while seeking clarity? Usually, they turn to friends for advice or turn to the media that explain these situations in detail,” she says, noting that this is not always available to queer folks. “So we decided to combine the two and create a safe space through social media where you can hang with your friends and listen to advice, real-life queer experiences, and open relationship dialogue.” Since then, it has blossomed into a community of listeners who tune in for their relationship chat, life experiences, journey as parents and so much more. Vanacore has been with her partner since they were teenagers, so together they have had to navigate countless scenarios that have shaped their relationship and sense of self including coming out to their family and friends, family planning as a queer couple, and Andie’s transition–all of which they openly share on the podcast. Vanacore hopes to host events, such as live shows or meet-ups, that will bring a further sense of togetherness to the queer community. She understands how difficult it can be to make queer friends or meet love interests, and considers queer connections to be the most rewarding aspect of her work. When asked about her life’s greatest accomplishments, she says, “nothing will top the best thing I’ve ever done in this life, which is becoming a parent to our daughter, Milo Hendrix.” –AL

Debbie Millman’s podcast Design Matters is one of the first and the longest-running podcasts in the world. During the past 19 years, she’s interviewed over 500 of the most creative people in the world. An educator, author, curator, and illustrator, Millman graduated from State University of Albany in New York, where she thought she wanted to be a journalist. But she quickly realized she “wasn’t as interested in editing, once I was assigned a story idea, as I wanted to design it as well.” The most rewarding aspect of her work through the years has been her work to eradicate domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Through her work with the NO MORE movement, she met the founder of Joyful Heart Foundation, Law & Order SVU star Mariska Hargitay, who subsequently invited her to help with the branding and repositioning of the foundation. “We launched that work during the Obama administration with Vice President Joe Biden. I subsequently joined the JHF board, which, quite frankly, makes me feel like my whole life makes sense,” says Millman. Debbie came out at the age of 50 and tells GO, “being an out-and-proud lesbian woman is intrinsic to everything that I do and am.” She credits her first mentor Karin Lippert, feminist Gloria Steinam, and her wife Roxane Gay as the women who have helped her learn more about her identity. At the end of the day, Millman says, “I want to keep making things until the last days of my life and feel that both my work and my life has made a little bit of a difference.” –SS

Divinity Ray is a real-life Black Swan. After initially rebelling against others encouraging her to pursue hair and instead pushing herself too hard in dance, she finally went to beauty school and fulfilled her destiny. “Ironically, hair became my career, and ballet became the art form that destroyed me as much as it built me…Sometimes we think we know what we want, and sometimes the universe knows better,” she shares. She’s known for her dark, mysterious, tattooed aesthetic, but she says that many are surprised that she’s not as chaotic as she seems. “I’m incredibly intentional and spiritual. I’m highly intuitive and extremely observant. People who truly know would describe me as chill, low maintenance, and unbothered,” she tells GO. She started her career marketing herself as “the lesbian hairdresser” and bonded with many of her clients over discovering their gender and sexuality. But as she has grown into her identity after coming out while in hair school, she felt pressured to be a guiding light for others who were still discovering themselves. In the last couple years, she found balance between her identity and the rest of her being. “I think we’re all figuring it out as we go, and no one has the recipe…It’s important to be proud of who you are but equally as important to remember that one thing doesn’t make up everything that you are,” she says. In the future, Divinity sees herself opening an empowerment studio that hosts classes, workshops, and retreats as a “one-stop-shop for feeling sexy and confident.” A self-proclaimed “girl’s girl,” Divinity hopes to inspire women and young girls to be exactly who they are. “Take up space. Be loud. Be too much.” –AL

“I long for the day when our art can simply be seen as art. Until then, let’s all commit to creating and sustaining spaces for our art to exist as each of us was born to be.” Jordyn Jay not only dreams of Black trans liberation; she bends the arc of justice to make it real. A brilliant change-maker, she founded the BTFA (Black Trans Femmes in the Arts) Collective in response to lack of representation of Black trans femmes in art spaces and scholarship. She is Executive Producer of BTFA Productions, which produces and preserves artistic creations of Black trans femmes and addresses systemic inequality. During global uprisings and calls for racial justice in 2020, BTFA helped raise over $1 million to support Black trans protesters on the ground. A recipient of the Octavia St. Laurent Vision of Excellence Award and Marsha P. Johnson Institute Legacy Award, Jordyn was also named a LGBTQ+ Power Player by PoliticsNY and is on the Brooklyn Arts Leadership Council. She’s been celebrated in Ms. Magazine, ESSENCE, Forbes, and more. This visionary is a proud graduate of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, founded in 1922 during The Segregation Era. Jay also received her master’s degree in Art Politics and her B.A. in Imagining Abolition from NYU. She says, “I will keep telling my story — as someone with Southern roots whose journey took her to New York to be part of a community of visionaries, as a protector and curator of our innovations, and as a proud producer, writer and director — with the hope that it creates more space for all of our stories.” –MH

Her track record would make any guilty defendant tremble. Dafna Yoran, Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan has investigated and prosecuted scores of the city’s most high profile and notorious homicides. Dafna’s commitment to holding killers accountable is fueled by a sense of responsibility as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, with grandparents murdered by Nazis. In 2019, she had the opportunity to prosecute Neo Nazi James Harris Jackson, a Hitler fan who said he came to NYC with the intention of killing Black men, and murdered Timothy Caughman. It was the first time a white supremacist was prosecuted as a domestic terrorist in the U.S. “This prosecution closed a circle for me: I got to hold a Nazi accountable for killing an innocent person,” the Senior Trial Counsel says. But her idea of holding people accountable doesn’t necessarily mean prison time. When she prosecuted Matthew Lee for inadvertently killing an elderly professor while robbing him at an ATM, she felt that “a long prison sentence was not appropriate under these circumstances and determined to resolve the case in a different way.” In collaboration with the victim’s family who “got to see the defendant as a human being, not the monster they imagined,” she successfully spearheaded the first Restorative Justice case in a NYC homicide. Yoran, wife of Peruvian artist Ana De Orbegoso, began her career at a time when the unspoken rule was “women had to wear skirts in court.” Yoran said to her boss, “Do you want me to wear a skirt or do you want me to think, because I can’t do both at the same time! I was then the first woman to wear a pants suit on trial in New York County.” –MH

Native New Yorker and contestant on Season 15 of Ink Master, Jessica Valentine says she wanted to tattoo since she saw her first one at age five. So, at 22 years old, she started working in a shop as an assistant and worked her way up to being a full-fledged tattoo artist. She tells GO that when she got into the industry, “you could count on two hands the amount of lady tattooers in the city.” Tired of sexual harassment, homophobia, and racism that is common in the industry, Jessica dreamed of opening a space for women and queer people. From that dream she created a small, private studio called Haven in Brooklyn, NY. As she recognized the increased need for a safe, comfortable space, Jessica and her wife, Cameron Cox, expanded, and in 2022, they opened the doors to a bigger and safer tattoo shop. She says the biggest reward is seeing happy clients, and she feels humbled when “clients thank me for making a safe space for them, when they tell me their experience with me was the best one they’ve had getting tattooed.” Haven also gives back. They often raise money through tattoo flash fundraisers for causes related to Black Lives Matter, trans rights, displaced people, and others. For Jessica, being a queer woman has greatly impacted her work. She says, “My whole existence is about being a strong bitch [and] making it in this cishet male dominated industry.” It hasn’t been easy, though. Jessica says a lot of men aren’t happy about what she’s doing or about women having spaces for themselves, but she’s determined: “It just gives me more ammunition to continue to do what I’m doing.” –SS

“I have known since I was young that photography was my calling,” KayLa Ruiz tells GO. “As time went on, I felt like I lost sight of my creative outlet but the universe has a way of putting you back on track.” At seventeen, the Bronx, NY native almost lost her life, derailing plans for going away to college. At twenty, Ruiz moved to Virginia Beach and married her now ex-husband, “because he was going into the Navy and I felt like it was the next phase in what was expected of me,” she says. “All the while pushing down my queerness and pretending it didn’t exist.” After her then- spouse was deployed, 24-year-old Ruiz “faced myself one night in the mirror and I said ‘I’m gay.’” A decade later, Ruiz lives and works in upstate New York, is married to her “gorgeous” business partner Talia, and is creator/photographer of the series Stranger Sunday, which went viral in 2020. “I take two humans and match them and we do an entire steamy session as if they were a couple,” Ruiz says of Stranger Sunday. “Hell of a first date if you ask me!” In 2021, Ruiz matched up a couple who are now engaged, and she will officiate their wedding this October. In the meantime, Ruiz and her wife travel the country — and soon, the world — capturing humanity on film and celebrating authenticity. “I do work that helps humans be vulnerable and see themselves in a way they otherwise wouldn’t,” says Ruiz. “I’ve become that mirror for them.” -LE

Linda Villarosa is an award-winning contributing writer for The New York Times, covering race inequality and public health. The former executive editor of Essence Magazine authored Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation — a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. Her contribution to The New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project highlights race-based physiological myths that have endured in medical practice since slavery; an expanded version of her essay is in the book The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Other notable stories include “Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis” (2018), and “America’s Hidden HIV Epidemic” (2017). “Growing up, I had a deep interest in people and learned to be a good listener,” Villarosa says. “I leaned into covering social justice issues and health inequality for the same reasons: my parents and grandparents taught us to care for others and advocate for societal change.” Villarosa takes inspiration from Ann Allen Shockley, now 96, who wrote what is believed to be the first novel featuring a Black lesbian main character, Loving Her in 1974. “I respect and admire her for being so bold for her time, especially while living in our country’s Deep South. We exchange letters a couple of times per year.” When she’s not writing or teaching college journalism, the Brooklyn resident can be found throwing a fishing line into the ocean or lake. “Every summer, I go on an all-day, all-women’s fishing trip out of Orient, NY. It is one of the highlights of my year.” –MH

Michelle Demetillo’s endless skill set includes DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging), human services, marketing, and performing. Last fall, her five-week run as Joanne Jefferson in Smithtown Performing Arts Center’s production of Rent earned her a glowing review in BroadwayWorld. Whether she is singing on stage or serving on North Fork Women’s Board of Directors and the Patchogue Pride Committee, the lifelong Long Islander strives to create and maintain LGBTQ+ community. This mission led Demetillo to found Queerli — the title a play on “Queer Long Island” and the adverb “queerly.” “I knew that I wanted more queer connections,” she tells GO. “It became evident that people craved connection in the same way I did. NYC may be our close neighbor, but Long Island is in dire need of spaces for the queer, trans, and gender expansive communities.” What began as a social club in 2021 has grown into a nonprofit organization, and though the work can be challenging, the rewards are palpable. “I’ve watched folks find themselves, lean deeper into their queerness or transness, and discover their chosen family through Queerli,” says Demetillo. “There have been times I’ve been so close to giving up and throwing in the towel…but then I’m reminded that these spaces are indispensable for others, even more so than they are for myself.” –LE

Before (re)launching a substack newsletter last year, Shannon spent 8 years at BuzzFeed News, where she ran the LGBTQ vertical, and later worked as a Senior Culture Writer and Editor, leading a National Magazine Award-nominated team. One of her most-read essays at BFN was about meeting her wife Lynette on a lesbian cruise. Her work has also appeared in The Guardian, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Slate, BuzzFeed News, The Atlantic, Salon, and Bustle. Today, as a freelance writer, Shannon is dedicated to her newsletter about life as a married 30-something American lesbian living in Liverpool, England, as well as movies, books, politics, internet/lifestyle and big-picture criticism. Her personal essays take on marriage, family, and money, plus juicy topics like crushes, gossip, and shameful revelations. Connecting with readers is everything. “Getting emails from someone telling me that a personal essay I wrote made them feel less alone, or that a reported story I wrote helped someone think about the world in a new way, or taught them something they hadn’t known before — that makes all the vitriol writers get on social media feel (almost) worth it.” As for influences, Chloe Caldwell’s novella, Women, “captured the essence of my confusing, heartbroken early years after coming out with its gloriously messy depiction of a young woman’s first queer relationship,” Shannon says. “The work of Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, and the Combahee River Collective have all fundamentally shaped my politics and worldview.” Looking ahead, Shannon looks forward to publishing her first book. “But most of all I want to be happy, and I want my wife to be happy; I want our little family of two (plus our dog) to be happy.” –MH

Growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Mariama J. Lockington didn’t see her Black, queer, and transracially adopted self represented in books. So, she decided to create that representation herself. As an award-winning young adult and middle- grade author, her stories center on Black, queer, adoptee characters that are messy, brave, and beautifully human, affirming the nuances of intersectionality. Lockington finds the most joy in connecting with young readers who see themselves in her stories. She is motivated by these readers’ courage, creativity, innovation, and powerful voices. She views storytelling as “a connector, a community builder, an exchange of experiences, senses, and ideas that ultimately help us see humanity in one another.” Lockington believes that the work of writing involves interacting with other art forms. She grew up with classical musician parents and played flute and piano for many years. With music as a driving force in her life, she can only start a book or new writing project after first understanding it through music. Most of her writing starts with a playlist, inspired by jazz legends like Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, or modern greats like Esperanza Spalding, Samara Joy, Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, and Megan Thee Stallion. Beyond musical artists, Lockington finds inspiration and power through poetry, especially the work of Audre Lorde. “Whenever I am feeling stuck, hopeless, unheard, or unseen, I pull out The Black Unicorn and reread Lorde’s powerful words. I remember I am not alone. I remember to honor my rage, my heart, my joy, and all the fierce stories and truths that live inside,” she shares. In her free time, she finds inner strength through boxing. –AL

“One of many rewarding moments in my work is witnessing how subjects truly see themselves and feel seen through my photography,” Eva Woolridge tells GO. “This art form is only a vessel for storytelling, and to know that my work can contribute to a subject creating their own story that matches how they identify is a privilege.” The award-winning photographer has showcased her work in Berlin, Boston, Washington State, Washington, D.C., and Brazil, and most recently in New York City and Miami. Her photography is also part of private collections, including the NYC headquarters of Instagram. As a queer woman of Black American and Chinese American heritage, Woolridge explores the intricacies of femininity and her ancestry in the interest of shaping a new and inclusive narrative of feminine energy and social justice. As well as a photographer who’s been showcased in Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, and Harper’s Bazaar, Woolridge is a public speaker. Through workshops and seminars at Schomburg Center of Harlem Research, Leica Akademie, and Photoville — plus a TEDx Talk and appointed seat on the Diversity Advisory Council for Fuji Cameras of North America — Woolridge addresses racial disparities in photography. What’s next? Filmmaking. “There is a lot more feeling, introspection, and magical realism I wish to convey through film, but for a while it terrified me that photography wasn’t enough,” she says. “That’s the endless cycle of an artist. It’s a hunger that you’re trying to satisfy, and it requires searching for new tools, collaborations, and resources to nourish it.” –LE

Randi Romo, a queer Mexican-American author and visual artist, began writing at an early age as a way to cope with her hospitalizations. At 13, she spent stints in a state mental hospital, followed by a Christian reformatory — all because of her queer identity, which catalyzed a lifetime of advocacy. “The school deprived us of food, forced religious indoctrination, and inflicted a variety of brutal punishments that included isolation for days on end while having my hand handcuffed to my ankle. I was constantly targeted due to my being openly queer. Myself and 15 other girls worked together to document the abuse and smuggle evidence out to the parents we thought most likely to intercede.” Their efforts led to the school’s initial closing and saw the Texas legislature establishing the Child Care Licensing Act in 1974. Initially, Randi worked with an LGBTQIA+ youth and ally program called Diverse Youth for Social Change, a program of the Center for Artistic Revolution (CAR), co-founded by Randi and Sabrina Zarco. Over time, she expanded her work to include rights for farmworkers, LGBTQIA+ people, and women, as well as HIV/AIDS and anti-racism work. She lost her only child to an opioid overdose just before the pandemic, leaving her isolated and lost. This tragedy refocused her advocacy efforts toward medical cannabis. “I do believe that if [medical cannabis] had been an option, we might have saved her.” In addition to working to destigmatize cannabis, Randi also continues “to present authentically in all of who I am while also assisting in opening the industry doors to more people from the LGBTQIA+ community.” Her published collection, Othered, is currently housed in the Library of Congress Rare Books and Special Collections section. –AL

Kristen Kaza is an events curator with a mission: to foster community connection and activate joy! Originally from Vermont and a Chicago resident since 2003, Kristen has spent nearly 20 years creating welcoming spaces — and a more equitable nightlife and entertainment industry — for people of diverse identities and expressions. As Creative Director of No Small Plans Productions, she has produced hundreds of “parties with a purpose,” using the party platform to uplift local culture, women, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC creatives and communities. Her clients include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Navy Pier, Chicago Community Trust, Nike, HBO, and more. Kristen also co- founded legendary queer party institution Slo ‘Mo — a magical space with a sensual inclusive vibe, focused on live music and performance. It’s also where she met her wife. “Witnessing queer people feel joy and love makes everything worth it,” Kaza tells GO. “I love seeing moments of connection — whether to themselves or loved ones or the music.” The Slo ‘Mo collective has produced over 200 events, including 2021’s “Divas Through the Decades” at Millennium Park, an 18-piece band performance of over 25 women-powered classics, and Old Gold, an all-vinyl day party for people over 30. Since giving birth to identical twins (now toddlers!), she’s spearheaded many opportunities for LGBTQ+ families, including Queer Fam Pride Jam, Chicago’s largest queer family festival, taking place for its second year in the iconic Millennium Park June 2, 2024. Kristen also serves on Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council to the Mayor. “Hearing stories of how people fell in love, found their community, made their closest friendships… [it’s] everything to me,” she says. “Helping create an environment for queer connection, healing, joy, and FUN is the honor of a lifetime.” –MH

Lamya H. says she came to her politics “through feminism and challenging the patriarchy – from big things like sexual harassment to small things like, why does my brother not have to do a fair share of chores?” She describes herself as non- binary womanish “as an homage to how I learned to fight. This is what I aspire to do with my writing: fight racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia and others. I learned to do this by being raised [as] a girl.” Her memoir Hijab Butch Blues dives deep into juxtaposing her own queerness with the familiar stories from the Quran as a way to make space for both in her life. A former Lambda Literary Fellow, Lamya tells GO the most rewarding aspect of her work is hearing from people about the ways her writing resonates with them. “I wrote my memoir for people who didn’t grow up with models for how to live, and it’s been such an honor to see people connect with my writing.” Why? Because other writers impacted them in the same way. “Audre Lorde’s writing – Sister Outsider, in particular – taught me so much about being a queer person of color in the world…I learned so much: how to carve out a life for myself that felt true to who I was. And how to write: in ways that feel both personal and political at the same time.” In addition to her memoir, you can find her writing in Vice, Salon, Vox, and other places. –SS

Melissa Pateras, also known as “The Laundry Lesbian,” teaches TikTokers worldwide how to properly do their laundry. The social worker and author is raising three kids with her partner, but she always makes time to share tips with her massive audience. Melissa brings laughter and levity to mundane tasks and turns chores into entertaining innuendo-filled adventures, proving that a little humor goes a long way in tackling household duties and maintenance. “Laundry has always been a secret passion of mine but one that I just kept to myself. Who wants to talk about laundry? As it turns out, I’m not the only laundry nerd out there, and suddenly I was branded the Laundry Lesbian, and the rest is history,” she tells GO. However, Pateras noticed that TikTok was expecting something a little different than laundry content based on her appearance. “[On] TikTok, people see me as a masculine-presenting lesbian with tattoos, so they expect me to use power tools and know how to fix things, but they are surprised when I start folding a fitted sheet and have extensive laundry and cleaning knowledge…The LGBTQ+ community is often stereotyped, and I think TikTok’s booming during the pandemic has really helped by breaking some of those typical stereotypes down.” Pateras feels honored to share her laundry and cleaning knowledge with others who haven’t had the chance to learn from family members. She says, “I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to have been taught all things laundry, fixing, and cleaning. I took it for granted, and I thought everyone knew these skills…People would reach out via email or stop me in the grocery store to thank me for helping them with their laundry game.” –AL

“The queer community will read uncertainty to filth,” says Sarah Brown. “Companies, businesses and brands love supporting the homosexuals during pride month only to recede when they face a little backlash. We deserve and need businesses and spaces to be unapologetic in their support and their intentions.” As owner and co-founder of Lussi Brown Coffee Bar in Lexington, KY, where she lives with her partner, Annamaria, and rescue pit bull mix, Mika, Brown celebrates the community each day. Each staff member has a bio on the coffee and cocktail bar’s website that includes pronouns, astrological signs, and favorite childhood TV shows. Each month, Lussi Brown and local lesbian-owned bar Crossings Lexington come together and host Lex Lez Night. “We started this event because we knew there were plenty of queer women living here, but we never came out at the same time to meet each other,” says Brown. “This event that began in 2019 with a handful of people has blossomed into a 100+ attended monthly event full of beautiful sapphics meeting each other.” Brown and their business have been recognized by Google, TimeOut, Barista Magazine, and QueerKY Magazine, and she’s the recipient of several community awards, including the KY Youth Law Project Champion. “We want you to feel welcome and safe here in October just as much as in June,” they say of Lussi Brown. “The pride flags stay up all year.” –LE

“I (not really jokingly) say I want Wilkes County, NC, to be the P-town of Appalachia,” says LB Prevette. “But on a granular level, what I want is to live a connected life in a community full of kind neighbors.” After returning to her hometown of Wilkesboro, NC, the community advocate co- founded Forward Wilkes, which works to create safe spaces, particularly for minority and LGBTQ+ youth. Prevette used to host events at venues where “the business owners loved having our queer community there because we spent money, but they didn’t back us in the voting box nor in our local community,” she tells GO. In response, Prevette opened Merle’s, a craft cocktail bar in the historic heart of Wilkesboro that serves as a supportive queer gathering space. When asked about the work’s rewards, Prevette tells a heartwarming story. “We had a queer bluegrass band, Laurel Hells Ramblers, playing on St. Patrick’s Day [and] a woman came to order at the bar and told me it was her first visit to Merle’s,” she tells GO. “She had grown up in Wilkes and…she was telling me how healing it was to be back home and in such a celebratory queer space.” The revelation had a profound effect on Prevette: “I served her drink and had to step inside to cry for a second,” she says. “It has been the greatest honor and joy in my life to hear stories like these almost every weekend and watch folks experience being in Wilkes and being their whole authentic selves.” –LE

“My kindergarten teacher told my mother I was the funniest five year old she had ever met,” Dana Goldberg says. After getting her degree in physical education, “because I’m a lesbian and it’s the law,” Goldberg told jokes in a local show called Funny Lesbians for a Change, and the rest is stand-up history. Since then, she’s appeared on ABC, TBS, and LOGO. She has also shared the stage with figures like Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as Carol Burnett, Shonda Rhimes, and Sir Elton John. She’s one of Curve Magazine’s Top Five Funniest Lesbians in America, and one of The Advocate’s top three LGBTQ+ comedians. Goldberg has also raised over $50 million to support women’s health, LGBTQ+ rights, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention, and is currently developing her first TV pilot. As female comedians on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, Goldberg and her peers have had to work harder than most. “Oftentimes, when there’s a comedy bill, it’s three men and a woman if they even include a woman at all,” she observes. “I have seen that change through the years, but there’s still more work to be done.” For Goldberg, the results lie in the sold-out shows of Wanda Sykes, Jessica Kirson, Fortune Feimster, and herself. “Usually when you hear people say ‘women aren’t funny,’ it’s some male keyboard warrior who has never had the courage to step foot on a comedy stage,” she says. “Thanks buddy, but it’s hard to hear your bullshit over the laughter and applause.” –LE

“My memoir is about queerness, femininity, and power, and much of it centers on my experiences in sex work,” says Chris Belcher of Pretty Baby, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir. When the West Virginia native began college at eighteen, “I was one of those first-generation students who had only known work to be what I saw my parents doing: leaving for a midnight shift in steel-toed boots, carrying a hardhat and lunchbox,” she tells GO. “I had some young, female professors who encouraged me, and pointed out my writing talent.” Now a jointly- appointed Assistant Professor in the Writing Program and the Department of Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of Southern California, Belcher paid her way through the same school by working as a dominatrix. “I did the work to support myself in grad school, but the stigma against the work threatened my career after I finished my PhD,” Belcher says. Instead of hiding her past, Belcher took the opposite approach, for herself and for those like her: “I decided that being out in the most public way—really owning my past in my writing—would not just make the process safer for myself, but would hopefully do some work toward destigmatizing sex work for other women in similar situations.” Now based in LA, she’s working with a co-writer to adapt Pretty Baby for television. “This foray into TV writing has given my story a whole new life and has kicked off a new creative journey for me,” she says. “I can’t wait to see where this path takes me, on this adaptation project and hopefully more opportunities for queer storytelling.” –LE

Victoria Cruz, a self-identifying Trans Tiana LatinX Woman and entertainer, is fierce, proud, and embodies all the beautiful hues of the rainbow. Born in Guánica, Puerto Rico in 1946, as one of eleven children, she landed in Red Hook, Brooklyn when her family immigrated in pursuit of the American Dream. The 77 year old has devoted her lifetime to advocating for the oppressed, as well as witnessing and shaping history. After surviving the violent 1969 Stonewall uprising, Cruz emerged as a passionate activist, helping forge change in the direction of “gay liberation.” A former hairdresser, stripper, sex worker, and retired domestic violence counselor, Cruz had a 20- year career with the Anti-Violence Project in NYC, herself a survivor of domestic and sexual abuse. Her generosity extended to coordinating Alzheimer’s patients in a Cobble Hill nursing home and performing for seniors with the Saint Lucian Cultural Organization. In 2022, when NYC announced plans to demolish the long-abandoned Neponsit Hospital, a landmark of queer and trans territory at “The People’s Beach” in Queens’ Jacob Riis Park, Cruz was a bold and vocal advocate for preserving the structure and emphasized the need for a safe space for LGBTQIA+ beachgoers. “What inspires me to keep fighting as an activist is fighting for the injustice I witnessed towards my community in the past and it still is happening in the present. The main target is the transgender community. Some may say we have come a long way, however there is still work to be done so we can truly be accepted, not tolerated.” More recently, she took an investigative role in the Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, probing mysterious circumstances around the 1992 death of her contemporary, a fellow Stonewall activist and self-identified drag queen. –MH

Cristina Gonzalez has always loved learning. Born in Venezuela, the second of three daughters to a half-Chinese, half-Venezuelan mother, Cristina obtained her Bachelor of Science in Economics in Caracas. She then attended the University of Chicago on a full-tuition scholarship to obtain her Master’s Degree in Public Policy. From there, she went to NYC where she obtained her second Master’s from Bank Street College of Education. Her first job in the public school system was as a kindergarten dual language Spanish teacher at PS 94 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Now a Principal at the same school, one she loves, Gonzalez says, “I feel very fortunate to be in a position where I can create a learning culture that creates spaces for humans who are able to think about themselves and others in supportive ways.” After she had her one and only son, Cristina finally admitted what she’d always known about herself: she was queer. She tells GO that to be an advocate for all students, she must, “be authentically and unapologetically proud about all the identities [I] possess,” and says her wife Janice was her inspiration when she was coming out. To deal with setbacks, she relies on her passion: education. She says, “ignorance is something that can only be addressed through patience and education. Ignorance, more than hate, is a setback I have faced and overcome.” Gonzalez supports her students and their families in a myriad of ways. During the pandemic, she established a food pantry, clothing boutique, and laundry facilities within her school to address the systemic inequities already faced by her community. She says, “I firmly believe in the idea of everyone working together in small ways is what accomplishes big things.” –SS

“I wanted so badly to create a life in music,” says publicist Cara Wodnicki. A Public Relations highflier with a 20-year track record of bringing “up-and-coming” talent to the mainstream, including groundbreakers in the LGBTQIA+ community. She tells GO: “Being bullied through elementary and high school, I found my escape in songs. My rebellion came through punk music, my escape was in pop, and my queer identity was so intertwined with Riot Grrrl and powerful female fronted alt folk.” From making mixtapes for friends to creating shows around women in music and starting a zine as a teen, Cara fell into PR naturally. Her roster over the years has included the likes of La Roux, Ingrid Michaelson, Jared Leto’s Thirty Seconds to Mars, Disturbed, Nickelback, and J-pop techno girls PERFUME. Last year, she founded her own firm CSW Publicity and is especially excited to continue her work from past agencies where she focused on bringing trailblazing LGBTQIA+ artists — like MJ Rodriguez (Pose), LP, and Melissa Ferrick — to mainstream audiences. “I will always remember the day I got my copy of People Magazine with a review of The Cliks’ Dirty King in it,” says Cara. The album cover featured front-man Lucas Silveira. “A transman topless in People Magazine… That has to be one of my proudest moments.” She’s worked with Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean to raise awareness around trans rights and spearhead social media takeovers; his ode to love in all its forms, single “Love Song Love,” premiered on Variety and she was proud to watch him win Ru Paul’s Celebrity Drag Race as Poppy Love. Cara also enjoys working with mainstream musicians to help them refine their stories and brand, as well as build on careers in meaningful ways. “I’m doing what 13-year-old Cara could only dream of.” –MH

You probably know her by her viral internet comic Queer Chameleon or maybe even her Anxious Animals series, but Amee Wilson has been drawing way before she reached Instagram fame. She says, “I was obsessed with drawing and newspaper comics as a kid, and always dreamed of being an artist.” The British- Australian illustrator channeled her anxiety into comic- drawing during the COVID-19 lockdown. “Initially I made the comics as a distraction, and to bring a little bit of joy to people. I never imagined it would lead to where it has!” Wilson knows the impact art can have in helping people feel seen and accept parts of themselves. Perhaps it’s because she’s been there. “I draw from my own experiences of biphobia and homophobia…but also like to balance out the series’ messages with light-hearted content…there’s so much queer joy to be celebrated (or silly stereotypes to giggle at)!” Her day job involves working as an Art Director in Advertising, and she mostly works on comics and videos on nights and weekends, but she has hopes that she can turn to her art full-time. In terms of the works that have shaped her, she credits Bi: The hidden culture, history and science of bisexuality by Julia Shaw as giving her courage to be more open about her bisexuality and Rainbow History Class: Your Guide Through Queer and Trans History by Hannah McElhinney as a beautiful “reminder how rich and expansive our history really is. And that we’ve always been here; despite what we’re told!” –SS

“I have long identified as a lesbian, and due to the both internal and external oppression that identity can cause, other equally important issues became important to me,” says Deborah Emin. The writer and entrepreneur has dedicated her life to the good fight, starting with her diet. “[Veganism] to me is an umbrella term for opposing all oppression,” Emin tells GO. “The animals are oppressed…The living soil, water and air are oppressed.” Another way she works against oppression? Literature, and the dissemination of it. Growing up in Skokie, Illinois, Emin cultivated a lifelong love affair with books and writing. “As books themselves have formed the spine of my life – pun probably intended – I have been able to study and explore everything that interests me,” she says. “This is a freedom too many people either ignore, because they don’t read, or try to suppress, because they ban books.” She’s the published author of the Scags series, a four-volume set of novels following a lesbian political activist from childhood to adulthood. Emin combines her passions through The LOCALS’ Bookshop, a pop-up bookshop for the vegan community she owns with her wife, Suzanne. The shop, which travels to farmers’ markets and offers its wares online, offers a wide range of the written word, from vegan cookbooks to activist and farming manuals to children’s books about animal rescue and agriculture. Having sought purpose since her Skokie youth, Emin credits her work, her marriage and her Episcopal faith with giving her life meaning. “I am older now and full of abundance.” –LE