100 Women We Love

STEVI SHARI “When I was in the military you were not allowed to be gay,” says Stevi Shari of her time in the U.S. Navy. “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was […]

TANYA SARACHO Tanya Saracho’s journey began on a table. “I started with my parents plopping me on top of the dining room table to tell a joke or recite a […]

ZOLITA Zolita grew up writing songs and playing bluegrass, but filmmaking was her ultimate goal—until she had an epiphany. “When I was studying film at NYU, I fell in love […]

IRENE TU Irene Tu got into comedy for two simple reasons. “A girl I liked in high school told me I was funny,” she says. “And also, I was a […]

JENNIFER LANIER A Two-Spirit Native American and African American writer, actor, and director, Jennifer Lanier has always felt at home on the stage. But as a queer person of color, […]

JEWEL CADET Jewel Cadet, aka Jewel The Gem, is a Brooklyn-born and raised survivor, healer, educator, entertainer, and entrepreneur. As an unapologetic abolitionist and freedom fighter for Black queer and […]

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 […]