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Keturah Herron The summer of 2020 called many to rethink their lives, including Keturah Herron. “After Breonna Taylor was murdered, I would often speak in different spaces about [how] we […]

Maria Katsikadakou, aka Maria Cyber Maria Katsikadakou, aka Maria Cyber, has been using her voice for decades to fight for equal recognition and rights for Greece’s LGBTQ+ community. “I have […]

Kazi Thomas Kazi Thomas tried to avoid a career in education. She’d volunteer at summer programs, and as a soccer coach, but when it came to her professional life, she’d […]

Jaliessa Sipress At the start of her career, astrologer Jaliessa Sipress spent time at astrology conferences “where my elders’ versions of history and the astrology of it seemed to be […]

Stephanie Battaglino Stephanie Battaglino was corporate vice president of New York Life when she became the first transgender person to come out and transition in the company’s 165+ year history. […]

Shawn Skelly As a teenager, Shawn Skelly was fascinated with aviation. Her mentors were naval aviators, and she soon realized that she, too, could pursue a career in the field. […]

Dana Bolles Working with NASA has its perks, says Dana Bolles, a 27-year veteran with the venerated organization. As a child, she was fascinated with space and now, “I get […]

Rosanna Flamer-Caldera Everyone’s first Pride is life-changing, but Rosanna Flamer-Caldera’s was positively epic. “Harvey Milk headed the parade,” recalls Flamer- Caldera, who moved to San Francisco from her home in […]

Melissa King “Food has a way of connecting people and creating memorable experiences. I love embracing that superpower,” chef Melissa King tells GO. This superpower has helped King soar to […]

Jessica Ware Entomologist Dr. Jessica Ware loves bugs. “Insects are so numerous and there are not enough people studying them,” she enthuses. “Each insect we study is like a time […]

Nina Maresca Growing up in a family full of nurses, Nina Maresca had no plans to become one herself. As a fresh- man in college, she became ill and spent […]

Maura Healey Although originally from New Hampshire, Maura Healey has made a name for herself in neighboring Massachusetts: initially, as the first out Attorney General in the country, and now […]

Linda Villarosa Award-winning journalist and author Linda Villarosa experienced a major setback early in her career. “One of my bosses at the first magazine I worked at out of college […]

Samantha Marie Johnson “I found NYC Pride during a transitional period in my life,” Samantha Marie Johnson tells GO. Four short years later, Johnson serves as the organization’s senior event […]

Naomi Goldberg “I was always good at math, statistics and working with data, but I also wanted to do something that made the world a better place,” Naomi Goldberg tells […]

Tiara Moore Dr. Tiara Moore’s career started on spring break. As a biology major at South Carolina’s Winthrop University, Moore signed up for a Tropical Ecology course “because they were […]

Mercury Stardust Mercury Stardust’s rise to fame on TikTok is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Known affectionately as the “Trans Handy Ma’am,” she uses her platform to educate her audience of […]

Heather Leigh Cullum “I’m only 27, but they say age is just a number, right?” asks Heather Leigh Cullum. She’s already accomplished a lot. Cullum has worked as a freelance […]

Paula Boggs Throughout her childhood and teenage years, music had been central to Paula Boggs “until it wasn’t,” the singer/songwriter tells GO. Despite her early devotion to music, Boggs, a […]

Cindy Buckmaster Dr. Cindy Buckmaster is not an advocate for animal-based research, but she is an advocate “for the strongest science possible and, unfortunately, that still requires research with animals,” […]

Mayra Hidalgo Salazar Originally from Costa Rica, Mayra Hidalgo Salazar is among the first generation of undocumented youth who publicly shared their stories in order to effect positive immigration reform. […]

London Wilmot London Wilmot’s multipotentiality is equal parts impressive and awe-inspiring. She is a writer, athlete-celebrity fashion stylist, and CEO and creative director at Ricco Noir Studios, a bicoastal-based lifestyle […]

Storme Webber “My grandmother set me on this road,” poet and interdisciplinary artist Storme Webber tells GO. It was her grandmother’s “insistence upon joy and creativity [that] made my life […]

Kate O’Brien Kate O’Brien is used to pivoting. The out Canadian’s first (yes, first) championship sport was bob- sleigh pushing: from 2010-15, she competed in nine World Cup races and […]

Mariah Hanson For many queer women, making the pilgrimage to Palm Springs for the Dinah Shore Weekend—“The Dinah”—is a yearly tradition. For others, it’s a once-in- a-lifetime experience. Founder Mariah […]

Andrea Jenkins “I had worked in municipal government for many years,” Andrea Jenkins tells GO, “never really considering running [for office] myself, but in 2016, when America elected an orange […]

Marcia Bernard “My vision is to always be kind and empathetic to everyone I interact with because they might be fighting a battle I know nothing about,” Marcia Bernard tells […]

Margaret Cho Margaret Cho is loved by many, but the comic’s family still has notes. “My grandmother said ‘You look like bloated, as if you’ve been found dead in a […]

Jaime Grant Dr. Jaime M. Grant is no stranger to adversity and discrimination. She was kicked out of her family for being a lesbian. She’s “been fired for being too […]

Caroline Earleywine “I used to have to really help students unpack what they’d been taught about poetry, that it’s a riddle that has one right answer, that if you don’t […]

Caitlin Ryan “Every year there is more to do—not less—in the fight for equity and human rights,” Dr. Caitlin Ryan tells GO. Ryan is a well-respected pioneer in the field […]

Kate Dolan “Despite all my mother’s attempts to steer me towards a reputable career, I just kept being drawn to filmmaking,” writer and director Kate Dolan tells GO. As a […]

Kataluna Enriquez Kataluna Enriquez scored a big win for trans visibility when she was crowned Miss Nevada in 2021, and became the first out trans woman to compete in the […]

Alexandria Hollett “Being a queer woman is a gift, and my activism, art, teaching, and scholarship are impacted not just because I’m queer in terms of my sexuality, but because […]

Judy Gold “Representation is everything,” Judy Gold tells GO. And she would know. The out comedian with a mile-long resume—standup specials on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO, roles on everything […]

Joy Chia “My career has taken quite a lot of twists and turns,” Joy Chia tells GO, “but a thread that runs through all of my experiences is that I […]