Uncategorized

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 […]

Laura Erickson-Schroth “The two aspects of my work I love the most are connecting with young people and creating resources that impact people’s lives,” says Laura Erickson-Schroth. A psychiatrist, author, […]

Kelley O’Hara Kelley O’Hara is a superstar in the soccer world, but that’s not the only athletic prowess she can brag about. “I’m above average at handstands!” she tells GO. […]

Deborah VanTrece Chef Deborah VanTrece is heralded as one of the South’s most renowned culinary personalities. The best-selling author and founder of the Atlanta-based VanTrece Hospitality Group is a successful […]

Angela Barnes & Renauda Riddle As Black queer women, long-time friends Angela Barnes (l) and Renauda Riddle (r) know what it’s like to be in uncomfortable and unwelcoming spaces. Armed […]

Jessica Esquivel Dr. Jessica Esquivel has always been drawn to science. As a young girl, she spent hours watching the Sci-Fi Channel with her aunt. She was then inspired to […]

Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner “Growing up in the early 2000s, I rarely saw queer people in the media and long wanted to change that,” recalls Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner. And she has. […]

Linda Lewis In 2008, Linda Lewis provided entertainment to one local Pride celebration. Eleven years later, she facilitated most of the entertainment for WorldPride NYC. Now, Lewis’s Left of Center […]

Natasha Jones For Natasha Jones, the most rewarding part of her job “is watching a young person connect with the com- munity in a way that is affirming, safe, and […]

Kimberleigh Joy Smith For Kimberleigh Joy Smith, Senior Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at New York’s Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, observing the effects of the AIDS crisis was pivotal […]

Jodie Dawson & Kristine-Ellis Petrik A clinical psychologist and an award-winning journalist walk into a coffee shop: what sounds like the setup for a joke is a dream fully realized […]

Siobhan Fahey Creative producer Siobhan Fahey is what you’d call an accidental archivist. As a self-described “radical punk dyke” who lived in London during the 1980s, “I realized that our […]

Hilary Price For award-winning cartoonist Hilary Price, the most rewarding part of her job is “when someone reads my cartoon and says, ‘That is SO true,’” she tells GO. “It […]

Lori Torres “I started LasReinasNYC for our Latina community because I realized that as large as we were in the scene, we didn’t have venues or bars that catered to […]