GO Staff

JESSIE GENDER Since childhood, shows like Star Trek have inspired Jessie Earl—better known as her YouTube handle Jessie Gender—in more ways than one. “They gave me the conviction and belief […]

JESSICA KIRSON Being female and gay “has made it a lot harder” to make it in comedy, says Jessica Kirson. “It has taken a lot longer to get to where […]

JOY OLADOKUN Joy Oladokun is cataloging her life through music. Her 2023 album, Proof of Life, is the most recent entry—and one that comes from a darkly reflective place. “I […]

KALI REIS “Being someone who identifies as Two -Spirit has impacted [me] in so many ways,” says boxer and actor Kali Reis. “I have always known I was ‘different’ in […]

KATIE BURRELL Katie Burrell is an award-winning marketer, entrepreneur, and advocate in the cannabis industry. She’s a cofounder of PufCreativ—a community-focused marketing agency that provides innovative and results-driven strategies to […]

KATIE GIATTINI Katie Giattini aims to create safe spaces and events for LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Coming back into the world […]

LAUREN SANDERSON “I’ve always loved music but growing up in a small town, I didn’t think it was a possible career path,” says singer-songwriter Lauren Sanderson. But when she didn’t […]

KIM PETRAS “Seeing the fans on tour everywhere and meeting them is so special every time. That’s why I do everything I do,” Kim Petras says. “I love writing songs […]

LEAH JOHNSON Young adult author Leah Johnson has quite the resume. Her debut novel, the critically acclaimed and bestselling You Should See Me in a Crown, was a Stonewall Honor […]

LEXIE PETERS “I’ve had the honor to wear many different hats while being on set: model, dancer, actress, musician, photographer, director, choreographer, production assistant, and many more,” says Lexie Peters. […]

LIANA GEORGI Musical artist and activist Liana Georgi first caught the public eye during the 2021 Pride in Istanbul—which had been banned by local authorities—when a video of her impeding […]

LIZ PATRICK Living in Seoul, South Korea, with her expat father, and having just lost her mother to cancer, teenage Liz Patrick found comfort in pop culture. “TV, film, and […]

LIZELLE JACKSON Growing up, Lizelle Jackson was surrounded by nature-loving family members who instilled a love for the outdoors in her from a young age. After spending years as an […]

MARY CONNELLY While working as a bartender in New York City in the early 1990s, Mary Connelly was approached with a life-changing offer: to be on the launch team for […]

MELISSA LI “I write stuff. And eat hotpot,” is the subhed of Melissa Li’s website, followed by a photo of Li in a palm tree-printed shirt reclining on a hot […]

MARIA-ELENA GRANT “I think society is always trying to push lesbians aside or silence us,” says Maria-Elena Grant. “I have found it necessary to spend my entire life being out, […]

MEY RUDE Mey Rude is a fat, trans, Latina, and lesbian writer, speaker, entertainment journalist, and cultural critic. She is known for her powerful voice and inspiring messages that challenge […]

MIMI GONZALEZ For Mimi Gonzalez, “Comedy gave me a way out of living as a Midwest Latina, stuck in a state of perpetual misidentification,” the legendary comedian recalls. It’s also […]

NADINE SMITH Few people have been busier this year in Ron DeSantis country than Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida. “Most of our organizations were in big, progressive cities […]

NEEMA AVASHIA Having grown up in Appalachia, teacher and author Neema Avashia knows that people often have a singular understanding of what being ‘Appalachian’ means. “One book in particular,” Avashia […]

NICKY CLICK “I’ve always been a performative Miss Piggy-type person on the outside, with a need to scream my experiences of what I perceive to be injustices towards women’s rights, […]

RACHEL SHATTO When Rachel Shatto chose to pursue a career in queer media, she looked to her passions: “queerness, pop culture, social justice, sex, and their intersections,” she says. “I […]

RUTH MCFARLANE Growing up, Ruth McFarlane wanted to make a difference—as her fully realized self. As a closeted teen from a conservative family in the Midwest, “I used to follow […]

REMEICE With a talent and passion for bringing people together through music, Remeice is a rising star in the DJing world. Born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Remeice […]

SELESTE DIAZ AND JOANA RUBIO Looking at Little Barn Coffee House’s cheerful Instagram feed, you’d never know that its co-owners and chefs caulked the cafe’s drywall, painted its walls, and […]

SELESTE DIAZ AND JOANA RUBIO Looking at Little Barn Coffee House’s cheerful Instagram feed, you’d never know that its co-owners and chefs caulked the cafe’s drywall, painted its walls, and […]

SELINA “CVGEBIRD” CARRERA For Selina “Cvgebird” Carrera, music has always provided a safe space. “I remember being homeless as a teen after being outed as LGBTQIA, going through some serious […]

SHAKIRA REFOS “I’ve always been active in the arts in some way,” arts educator, organizer, and activist Shakira Refos says. Her mother, a dance performer, instilled in her a love […]

SHALEY HOWARD Community organizer, fundraiser, volunteer, writer, and social media personality Shaley Howard has overcome homophobia, bullying, and addiction. After hitting rock bottom in 2006, she came out of rehab […]

SHAMIM SARIF Shamim Sarif is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and feature film director whose work is rooted in diversity, feminism, social impact, and humanism. As an individual of South Asian […]

SILVIA A. CANALES Since childhood, Silvia A. Canales has had an innate passion for helping her community. Her parents, both immigrants, believed in the transformative power of education, and while […]

SOPHIE B. HAWKINS Sophie B. Hawkins is a Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist known for her emotionally powerful material and eclectic musical style. With her breakout mainstream hit, “Damn, I Wish I […]

ZOOEY ZEPHYR “For me the question has always been, ‘What room can my voice do the most good in?’” Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr says. “Now that I find myself […]

T KIRA MADDEN T Kira Māhealani Madden is a writer, photographer, and amateur magician who has made a name for herself as a prolific writer and advocate for diverse voices. […]

TIFFANY DOCKERY “As the granddaughter of a sharecropper who picked cotton for half her life and the daughter of a lifelong civil servant who spent her working life doing data […]

ZURIEL HOOKS At the age of 19, Zuriel Hooks is already a powerful woman. As leader of the Youth Ambassador Program at The Knights and Orchids, a non-profit specializing in […]