Lady Phyll
The Co-Founder and Executive Director of UK Black Pride, which was conceived as an event in 2005 to give a voice to the minority communities within the movement.
It has since expanded beyond a single event format to serve as a protest promoting “unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families, who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.”
Lady Phyll was recently awared a honourary doctorate from London south bank university for her outstanding work in the fight against homophobia, sexism and racism in the UK and globally.
Travis Alabanza
Performance artist, theatre maker, poet and writer.
Through their performance, social activism, writing and distinct style Travis has cemented themselves as one of the most prominent artistic trans voices, performing at venues such as The Tate, Roundhouse, Harvard University.
They're also the creator of a show titled Burgerz, which put a microscope on gender, and the transphobia that Travis and many other transgender people experience.
Jessica Kellgren-Fozard
Jessica'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 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.
Rebecca Sugar
American animator, screenwriter, producer, and singer/songwriter.
Rebecca is the creator of the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe- A series made up of a diverse cast of queer women, nonbinary characters, and queer relationships. The show was the first to include a same-sex wedding in a kid’s cartoon.
Sugar is also the first non-binary, bisexual animated cartoon creator at Cartoon Network.
Jake and Hannah Graf
Jake and Hannah Graf, have been making waves for some years now as transgender rights activists. Jake has inspired many with his filmmaking as a multi award-winning director and writer.
Jake transitioned in 2008 and drew on his experiences to make his first film, XWHY. He uses the medium to utilise trans representation in film in order to promote understanding and acceptance. He has written on the topic for a number of magazines and is a patron of the transgender youth charity, Mermaids. He also gives numerous talks about the importance of supporting transgender rights and recognising that trans people are people.
Coming out as a transgender woman in 2013, Hannah is one of the highest-ranking transgender soldiers in the British Army. Serving as a member of the Army LGBT Forum, she also became the Army’s Transgender Representative.
Hannah prides herself on being a visible role model for others and proving that trans women don’t have to live up to female stereotypes when it comes to their choice of career.
Hannah works both independently and with her husband as a transgender advocate and has made numerous TV appearances on UK chat shows.