In Alphabetical Order
This category celebrates LGBT+ people that have used their online presence to speak out about LGBT+ issues or rights.
ADAM ELI
As founder of Voices4, a non-violent queer liberation group, Adam Eli first began their activism work through Gays Against Guns, before expanding to their own platform. In addition to the work of Voices4, Adam has also been outspoken on issues of religious persecution and discrimination. Currently, Adam is the editor-in-chief for the queer zine, The Chime Zine, a Gucci publication, and has recently published his first book, The New Queer Conscience. Evidently, Adam has produced an extensive repertoire of work, and we are excited to see what he does next!
CHAR ELLESSE
Char’s outspoken engagement in LGBT+ issues on social media has been widely recognised, but it is their work on Girlswillbeboys that is especially notable. Girlswillbeboys is a series of short films written and produced by Char. The series aims to open up discussions on gender fluidity and self-acceptance through a creative and visually interesting medium. Char’s work is not just focused on the LGBT+ community, but also sees them educate their audience frequently on issues of intersectionality and allyship in a factual yet innovative way.
ERICKA HART
Ericka’s outspoken advocacy for LGBT+ and Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority issues, especially Trans rights, have been a longstanding feature of their social media feeds. In addition, Ericka’s podcast, Hoodrat To Wrap: A Decolonised Podcast, confronts issues of racial discrimination head on. Erika utilises their social media following to educate their audience on the need for intersectionality within the LGBT+ community, and has brought awareness to issues facing Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority individuals.
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FLORENCE GIVEN
Florence’s work has taken her down many avenues, including feminist activism, authoring and illustration. Her first book, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, published in 2020, has achieved great success and high acclaim, with her being awarded a Sunday Times Best Selling Author. Her subsequent and consistent work on social media platforms to raise awareness of issues facing the LGBT+ community as a bisexual woman, and her uplifting content on TikTok has provided much empowerment not only to female-identifying people, but also to a wider LGBT+ audience.
JESSICA KELLGREN-FOZARD
Content creator Jessica Kellgren-Fozard’s unique style and educational content on LGBT+ topics, history, and her openness about her disabilities has made a great impact online this year. Her YouTube videos and Tik Tok content feature eloquent and humorous information on both queer history, and on issues of ableism and disability representation. It is through Kellgren-Fozard’s individual and honest approach to education that she has been able to reach such a wide audience, and highlight the absence of information on issues of disabled and same-sex parenthood.
ARIES MOROSS
Creative Director, illustrator and designer Kate Moross has produced work for everyone from MTV to the Spice Girls with a unique and colourful flair alongside their team Studio Moross.
Outside of their extensive achievements in the creative field, Kate has been open about their experiences of their gender identity on their social media, sharing their journey with honesty and vulnerability. Kate uses their platform to champion a variety of causes such as Trans rights and Black Lives Matter, while also educating future LGBTQI+ creatives with ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions on getting into the industry.
MARIE ULVEN RINGHEIM
Marie, or as she is more commonly known online, ‘Girl in Red’, rose to fame on social media platforms thanks to her bedroom-pop style music, which confronted LGBT+ love and mental health issues. Since then, Marie has been cited as a ‘Queer Icon’ by Paper, with some of her hits including ‘I Wanna be Your Girlfriend’ and ‘We Fell in Love in October’ already certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Marie’s work is fuelled by honesty and features a realistic depiction of LGBT+ relationships that is shared with her young audience.
PHIL LESTER
Having produced general content for an audience of over 4 million on his main YouTube channel @amazingphil for well over 10 years, Phil Lester has recently turned to creating LGBT+ focused content. Since coming out on his YouTubechannel in a video titled ‘Coming Out to You’ in June of 2019, Phil has been open about his sexuality, addressing issues of homophobia and self-acceptance in a fun, easily accessible manner through his videos and online interactions.
YVES MATHIEU
Model-turned-activist Yves Mathieu has long been outspoken on issues facing both Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities, and the LGBT+ community. Yves has been recognised for his success in the modelling industry, which has seen him featured in Vogue and The New York Times, and also for his political activism. His unapologetic and honest social media content is both inspiring and intelligent, and has allowed him to educate his audience on the issues most important to him. It is no surprise that his Instagram, @the_yvesdropper has achieved such a following.