Nancy Andrews
In the late 1980s, photographer Nancy Andrews (b. 1963) began a project to tell the everyday stories of gay and lesbian Americans and their loved ones.
In the late 1980s, photographer Nancy Andrews (b. 1963) began a project to tell the everyday stories of gay and lesbian Americans and their loved ones.
The first openly transgender person elected to a state senate in the United States, Sarah McBride won a seat in the Delaware Senate on November 3, 2020. She was also the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention when she spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. McBride was instrumental in lobbying the Delaware state legislature in 2013 to pass a law that prohibited discrimination based on gender identity.
Rachel Levine became the highest-ranking openly transgender government official in U.S. history when she was confirmed by the Senate as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health in March 2021. Her clinical and public health work has helped people dealing with a range of medical issues, including eating disorders, the opioid crisis, and COVID-19.
Cecilia Chung is a groundbreaking advocate for the transgender community and those living with HIV/AIDS. For decades, she has worked on the local, state, and national levels to end the discrimination and violence that her communities face.
A prominent actress and the first openly transgender person nominated for an Emmy, Laverne Cox has promoted visibility and awareness on behalf of the transgender community.
New York Times bestselling author Janet Mock continues to make history as a writer, director, and advocate. In 2018, Mock became the first transgender woman of color to write and direct an episode of television. Most recently, she signed a three-year multimillion-dollar contract with Netflix, making her the first openly transgender woman of color to sign a deal with a major content company.
Andrea Jenkins made history in 2017 when she became the first African American, openly transgender woman elected to public office in the United States. As a politician, poet, activist, and community historian, Jenkins strives to bring “the notion of love into the public discourse.”
Folk singer and social rights activist Joan Baez uses her voice to advance social change.
American political activist
Activist for woman’s suffrage, protective labor legislation for women, the abolishment of child labor, and world peace.