Top Ten LGBT+ People of 2018
One of the most successful TV writers of all time, Murphy has used his platform to not only tell powerful gay stories but also present the lives of trans people in a way mainstream media has never seen before – in his hit show Pose. Murphy uses his position to boost other queer voices, not just his own, frequently hiring trans and gay writers and actors.
Opoku-Gyimah is the founder, trustee and executive director of UK Black Pride, is a trustee of Stonewall, and also sits on the Board for Justice for Gay Africans. She once turned down MBE for her efforts, saying that “LGBTQI people are still being persecuted, tortured and even killed” because of laws installed by the British Empire.
With her hit talk show turning 15 this year, and a return to stand up on Netflix, DeGeneres has a lot to celebrate, most notably bringing queer visibility to a mainstream audience.
Waithe was the first black woman to him an Emmy for Outstanding Writing on her show Master of None, and was the first queer woman of colour to grace the cover of Vanity Fair. She continues to be a cultural juggernaut – when she shaved her hair it even made headlines: “I felt like I was holding onto a piece of femininity that would make the world feel comfortable with who I am,” Waithe had said. “Now, if people call me a ‘butch’ or call me ‘sir,’ so what? So be it. I’m here with a suit on, not a stitch of makeup, and a haircut.”
Cooper continues to fight against the Donald Trump administration and call the president out on his actions every week on an international stage – describing Trump’s infamous meeting with Putin as “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president.”
Tatchell marched in the UK’s first ever gay pride and continues to be a staunch activist to this day. Recently Tatchell made headlines by staging a one-man protest against Russia’s treatment of the LGBT+ community, he was arrested by Russian police while carrying a sign that read: “Putin fails to act against Chechnya torture of gay people.” Tatchell is also the founder and director of The Peter Tatchell Foundation, a human rights organisation.
Married transgender couple, Graf and Winterbourne, both campaign tirelessly for trans rights. Winterbourne is the highest-ranking transgender officer in the British Army, while Graf is a successful actor and director.
Romero heads up the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which fights a number of civil injustices wrought by the Trump administration, including the travel ban, trans rights in the military, and safeguarding equal marriage.
Baldwin became the first openly gay senator to serve in the US senate in 2013, since then she has fought for the rights for undocumented immigrants, universal health care, gun control, lowering student debt, and veterans’ rights.
Love him or hate him, RuPaul is dominating the LGBT+ entertainment industry. His show Drag Race continues to branch out in spin-offs (Holiday Specials, endless iterations of All Stars, a Thai and now a UK version of the series), while the drag queen superstar launches album after album (now available on iTunes). With the inclusion of Sonique and Gia Gunn RuPaul also appears to be learning the mistakes of his previous anti-trans comments earlier this year.
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