By Annie Sisk
Every June, commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, and the historic fight for civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States and across the globe. As important as it is to honor the past, it鈥檚 crucial to acknowledge those advocating for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world. Here are eight LGBTQ+ leaders who are changing the world for the better.
The first openly gay immigrant to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Garcia is a former mayor and for California鈥檚 42nd Congressional district.
Born in Lima, Peru, he immigrated to America with his mother when he was five years old. He earned a doctorate degree in educational policy and taught communications and educational policy at area colleges and universities before becoming involved in politics.
Known for his socially progressive views, Garcia represents diverse communities and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in California and elsewhere. , when the Los Angeles Dodgers uninvited a well-known activist group from its annual Pride Night.
made headlines when she ran for Virginia state legislature and defeated a conservative incumbent who described himself as the state鈥檚 鈥渃hief homophobe.鈥� She became the first openly transgender state legislator to win election, and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021.
In 2022, Roem published her memoir, 鈥淏urn the Page.鈥� She , 鈥淚 want to encourage people to own their own narratives and set fire to the stories that they don't want to be in anymore. My worry is the 41% of trans people who attempt suicide because they feel that they don't have hope that others are trying to take away from them.鈥�
Charlie Sprinkman stumbled into grassroots advocacy and activism as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. During his post-graduation work as a traveling representative for a beverage company, he struggled to find LGBTQ-friendly spots. He decided to create a digital map for that purpose, allowing LGBTQ+ business owners to add themselves to the map.
The project is called 鈥溾�� and includes businesses of all types divided between pizzarias, florists, bars, gyms, hair stylists, and more. The map is still expanding and now includes LGBTQ+ businesses in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. Sprinkman also created an that shares LGBTQ-oriented travel tips and life advice.
The first lesbian elected governor in the U.S., Maura Healey was elected in 2022. Her was a watershed moment for the LGBTQ+ community and followed her earlier win as the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected as a state鈥檚 attorney general in 2015.
Among other initiatives, Healey has made it a for her administration to hire more women. Her staff includes 52 employees, 69% of whom are women. She鈥檚 also prioritized making her staff more representative of the state鈥檚 diverse population by bringing in more Black and Hispanic workers.
Justin Sylvester is a TV host whose past gigs include E! Network鈥檚 Emmy-nominated 鈥淒aily Pop,鈥� among other shows. He grew up in a small Louisiana town and says he knew from the age of five years old that he was gay, although he remained in the closet through high school.
After being featured on Bravo鈥檚 鈥淩eal Housewives of Beverly Hills,鈥� he began seeking other on-camera positions. In 2021, he was featured on the list, calling it his 鈥淏ar Mitzvah into the gay world.鈥� Sylvester says he always tries to help boost others up the media career ladder. You can hear more from him in our Motivational Mondays episode where he shares how you can create an amazing life.
For Sherent茅 Mishitashin Harris, being authentically themselves is a stunning act of courage. A member of the Narragansett tribe, Harris learned the traditional tribe dances of their father, a war dancer. They then began exploring their mother鈥檚 dances when they turned 16 and after coming out as .
Dancing is just a medium for what Harris sees as the real mission, which is storytelling. Harris believes it鈥檚 crucial to tell their people鈥檚 stories, especially those of people like them, as these stories have historically been suppressed and forgotten. Harris is a and was also named one of Teen Vogue鈥檚 2020 鈥�.鈥� You can learn more about Harris in a 2022 documentary, 鈥�.鈥�
Bruna Gil is the manager for channel sales at LinkedIn, and the global co-chair for Out@In, the platform鈥檚 LGBTQ+ network. There, she leads an international team of over 50 advocates and LGBTQ+ supporters to help foster a more inclusive and supportive world.
Gil also serves as a leading partner to LinkedIn鈥檚 diversity and inclusion team. She鈥檚 been featured in employee videos about relevant topics, including LGBT Pride Month. She also serves on the board of , an award-winning community foundation that funds global LGBTQ+ activism efforts.
Greg Louganis brought home gold medals in the 1980s and is the most decorated diver in U.S. history. He remains the only Olympic diver to sweep diving events in two consecutive games. He鈥檚 also a well-known and , author, and motivational speaker.
Louganis created a course called 鈥淔inding Your Rhythm鈥� that鈥檚 designed to help students uncover inner reserves of strength and power, and achieve goals using tools such as visualization. You can hear more about his activism and philosophy in this episode of Motivational Mondays.
These impressive leaders in the LGBTQ+ community have broken through personal and professional barriers. The 91桃色 is deeply committed to honoring their work and following the example they set through their advocacy and activism. To that end, we鈥檝e adopted our own diversity, equity and inclusion policy to encourage equality in every area of leadership.
There鈥檚 still work to be done to close the gaps in DEI policy and practice and that鈥檚 one reason why it鈥檚 important to honor LGBTQ+ leaders who are changing the world.