#PRIDE50
The 2019 NBC Out #Pride50 list is here: Meet the honorees.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion, in addition to recognizing 30 contemporary change-makers, innovators and rising stars during Pride Month, we are also honoring 20 veterans of the LGBTQ movement.
Kansas City, Kan.
Trailblazing lawmaker Sharice Davids
Kansas City, Kan.
Trailblazing lawmaker Sharice Davids
See storyRep. Sharice Davids is the first openly gay native American woman elected to Congress and the first LGBTQ person Kansas has ever elected to federal office.
1945-1992
Transgender rights pioneer Marsha P. Johnson
1945-1992
Transgender rights pioneer Marsha P. Johnson
See storyFollowing the Stonewall uprising, Johnson co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with her friend and fellow trans activist Sylvia Rivera.
Los Angeles
Actor, producer and disability advocate Ryan O'Connell
Los Angeles
Actor, producer and disability advocate Ryan O'Connell
See storyRyan O'Connell, the creator and star of the new Netflix series "Special" is giving a voice to LGBTQ people with disabilities.
New York, N.Y.
Stonewall Inn co-owner Stacy Lentz
New York, N.Y.
Stonewall Inn co-owner Stacy Lentz
See storyAs one of the owners of the iconic Stonewall Inn, Stacy Lentz is both preserving the LGBTQ community's history and also working toward bettering its future.
New York, N.Y.
The Trevor Project CEO Amit Paley
New York, N.Y.
The Trevor Project CEO Amit Paley
See storyDuring his tenure, Amit Paley has consistently built on The Trevor Project's existing tools to further increase its ability to help LGBTQ youth in crisis.
San Francisco, Calif.
Pioneering lesbian activist Phyllis Lyon
San Francisco, Calif.
Pioneering lesbian activist Phyllis Lyon
See storyThrough protest, advocacy, and the lesbian magazine The Ladder, Phyllis Lyon worked to secure representation and rights for the LGBTQ community.
Los Angeles
'Billions' breakout star Asia Kate Dillon
Los Angeles
'Billions' breakout star Asia Kate Dillon
See storyAsia Kate Dillon, of Showtime's hit series "Billions," is the first nonbinary actor with a starring role on American TV.
Washington, D.C.
National Black Justice Coalition's David Johns
Washington, D.C.
National Black Justice Coalition's David Johns
See storyWhether in politics, academia or the nonprofit world, David Johns is dedicated to making the world a better place for the black LGBTQ community.
New Haven, Vt.
Co-founder of first NYC Pride March Fred Sargeant
New Haven, Vt.
Co-founder of first NYC Pride March Fred Sargeant
See storyFred Sargeant was a leader in the Homophile Youth Movement and an organizer of the 1970 Christopher Street Liberation Day gay pride march.
1924-1987
Literary icon James Baldwin
1924-1987
Literary icon James Baldwin
See story“There isn't a single black gay writer of literary fiction or nonfiction that has not been influenced by James Baldwin on some level," the Counter Narrative Project's Charles Stephens said.
1921-2008
Pioneering lesbian activist Del Martin
1921-2008
Pioneering lesbian activist Del Martin
See storyActivist Del Martin,along with her long-time parter Phyllis Lyon, founded the Daughters of Bilitis, one of the first national lesbian organizations.
New York, N.Y.
Epidemic-fighting physician Dr. Demetre Daskalakis
New York, N.Y.
Epidemic-fighting physician Dr. Demetre Daskalakis
See storyDemetre Daskalakis, the deputy commissioner at the NYC Department of Health, is credited with helping to drive down the city's HIV rate.
Chicago, Ill.
Chicago's first LGBTQ mayor Lori Lightfoot
Chicago, Ill.
Chicago's first LGBTQ mayor Lori Lightfoot
See storyEarlier this year, Lightfoot made history as the first LGBTQ and black female mayor in America's third-largest city.
New York, N.Y.
YouTube star and future TV host Lilly Singh
New York, N.Y.
YouTube star and future TV host Lilly Singh
See storyLilly Singh, a Canadian-born YouTuber and comedian has been successfully building an online audience for nearly a decade, and now she’s taking that energy to TV.
Florida / Washington, D.C.
LGBTQ student advocate Seth Owen
Florida / Washington, D.C.
LGBTQ student advocate Seth Owen
See storyAfter the kindness of strangers helped Seth Owen realize his dream of attending Georgetown University, he's now dedicated to giving back to others.
1951-2002
Transgender rights trailblazer Sylvia Rivera
1951-2002
Transgender rights trailblazer Sylvia Rivera
See storyRivera co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization that provided housing and other forms of support to homeless LGBTQ youth.
Little Rock, Ark.
Trans community leader Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
Little Rock, Ark.
Trans community leader Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
See story"Pride means the freedom to be who I am, as I please, in whatever attire that pleases me ... and be respected for that," Miss Major told NBC News.
Seattle, Wash.
Grammy-winning musician Brandi Carlile
Seattle, Wash.
Grammy-winning musician Brandi Carlile
See storySinger-songwriter Brandi Carlile's sixth studio album, “By the Way, I Forgive You," won three Grammy Awards earlier this year.
Boulder, Colo.
United Methodist Church's first lesbian bishop Karen Oliveto
Boulder, Colo.
United Methodist Church's first lesbian bishop Karen Oliveto
See storyKaren Oliveto, the United Methodist Church's first lesbian bishop, said “For me, being an LGBTQ Christian is claiming my unique identity as a child of God."
Minneapolis, Minn.
Professional soccer star Collin Martin
Minneapolis, Minn.
Professional soccer star Collin Martin
See storyMajor League Soccer player Collin Martin is currently the only openly gay man playing in one of the major U.S. sports leagues.
Tulsa, Okla.
Oklahomans for Equality CEO Toby Jenkins
Tulsa, Okla.
Oklahomans for Equality CEO Toby Jenkins
See storyToby Jenkins, a former Baptist minister, has been advocating for LGBTQ people in the heartland for more than two decades.
Washington, D.C.
Muslim LGBTQ advocate Urooj Arshad
Washington, D.C.
Muslim LGBTQ advocate Urooj Arshad
See storyUrooj Arshad, co-founder of the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, is rewriting the narrative on queer and Muslim identities.
New York, N.Y.
LGBTQ historian Eric Marcus
New York, N.Y.
LGBTQ historian Eric Marcus
See storyEric Marcus is keeping the legacy of LGBTQ icons like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera alive with his "Making Gay History" podcast.
Los Angeles
Queer Latinx showrunner Tanya Saracho
Los Angeles
Queer Latinx showrunner Tanya Saracho
See storyTanya Saracho, the showrunner for "Vida" on the Starz network, is dedicated to telling stories from an LGBTQ and Latinx perspective.
Los Angeles
'Pose' co-creator and writer Steven Canals
Los Angeles
'Pose' co-creator and writer Steven Canals
See storyThe beloved and award-winning FX drama about the ballroom scene of the 1980s was the brainchild of Bronx-born writer Steve Canals.
Atlanta, Ga.
Sexual assault survivor advocate Venkayla Haynes
Atlanta, Ga.
Sexual assault survivor advocate Venkayla Haynes
See storyAfter being sexually assaulted her freshman year of college, Venkayla Haynes decided to advocate for survivors like herself.
Cleveland, Ohio
Body-positivity blogger Alysse Dalessandro
Cleveland, Ohio
Body-positivity blogger Alysse Dalessandro
See storyAlysse Dalessandro's popular blog, Ready to Stare, is a destination for fashion, travel and lifestyle content for the plus-size and LGBTQ communities.
New York, N.Y.
'Saturday Night Live' writer Bowen Yang
New York, N.Y.
'Saturday Night Live' writer Bowen Yang
See storyPopular comedian Bowen Yang's career skyrocketed after he landed a writer gig last year on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
Dayton, Ohio
Advocate for LGBTQ elders Jerry Mallicoat
Dayton, Ohio
Advocate for LGBTQ elders Jerry Mallicoat
See storyJerry Mallicoat, 58, has fought for LGBTQ rights in Ohio his entire adult life. Now, he’s helping LGBTQ elders lead active and fulfilled lives.
Birmingham, Ala.
Chronicler of Southern LGBTQ history Joshua Burford
Birmingham, Ala.
Chronicler of Southern LGBTQ history Joshua Burford
See storyJoshua Burford is the co-founder of the Invisible Histories Project, a historical archive that has collected a trove of history from LGBTQ Southerners.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Trans Army Captain Alivia Stehlik
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Trans Army Captain Alivia Stehlik
See storyArmy captain Alivia Stehlik, 32, testified before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel in Washington in February.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Barrier-breaking trans boxer Patricio Manuel
Los Angeles, Calif.
Barrier-breaking trans boxer Patricio Manuel
See storyPatricio Manuel made boxing history in December, when he became the first transgender male to fight professionally in the United States.
Minneapolis, Minn.
Traveler with a cause Mikah Meyer
Minneapolis, Minn.
Traveler with a cause Mikah Meyer
See storyMikah Meyer took a three-year trek across the U.S. to visit all 419 national parks in a mission to honor his father and spread a message of inclusive Christianity.
Orlando, Fla.
Teen advocate Drew Adams
Orlando, Fla.
Teen advocate Drew Adams
See storyWhen school officials told Drew Adams he couldn’t use the boy’s bathroom because he is transgender, he and his supportive mother fought back.
New York, N.Y.
Nonbinary performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon
New York, N.Y.
Nonbinary performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon
See storyThrough writing, performance art, event curation and public speaking, Alok Vaid-Menon advocates for transgender and gender-conforming communities.
1935-2018
Gay rights pioneer Dick Leitsch
1935-2018
Gay rights pioneer Dick Leitsch
See storyIn 1966, Mattachine Society member Dick Leitsch led a historic “sip-in” demonstration to protest New York laws that prevented gays from being served liquor.
Greenville, S.C.
Southern LGBTQ advocate Ivy Gibson-Hill
Greenville, S.C.
Southern LGBTQ advocate Ivy Gibson-Hill
See storyIvy Gibson-Hill founded the South Carolina-based nonprofit Gender Benders, an advocacy organization for trans people in the Southeastern U.S.
1920-2014
Iconic drag performer Stormé DaLarverie
1920-2014
Iconic drag performer Stormé DaLarverie
See story“It was a rebellion, it was an uprising, it was a civil rights disobedience — it wasn't no damn riot,” the drag king and LGBTQ rights activist said of Stonewall.
1932-2007
Mother of the gay rights movement Barbara Gittings
1932-2007
Mother of the gay rights movement Barbara Gittings
See storyAs people suggested gays keep their heads down, Gittings "wanted to picket and be an activist and come out of the closet and be out in the sunshine."
1934-1992
Activist and author Audre Lorde
1934-1992
Activist and author Audre Lorde
See storyLorde was, in her own words, a "black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet, warrior." As an activist-author, she never shied away from difficult subjects.
Kennett Square, Pa.
Chronicler of the movement Kay Tobin Lahusen
Kennett Square, Pa.
Chronicler of the movement Kay Tobin Lahusen
See storyKay Tobin Lahusen, an early LGBTQ rights activist and photojournalist, took many of the most iconic images associated with the early "homophile" movement.
1925-2011
Father of the gay rights movement Frank Kameny
1925-2011
Father of the gay rights movement Frank Kameny
See storyKameny, one of the fathers of the LGBTQ rights movement, started fighting for gay rights more than a decade before the 1969 Stonewall rebellion.
1937-2003
Gay psychiatry trailblazer Dr. John Fryer
1937-2003
Gay psychiatry trailblazer Dr. John Fryer
See storyHis 1972 speech in before fellow members of the American Psychiatric Association is credited with helping homosexuality get declassified as a mental illness.
Portland, Maine
TV's first transgender superhero Nicole Maines
Portland, Maine
TV's first transgender superhero Nicole Maines
See storyNicole Maines made history last fall in the fourth season of CW's "Supergirl" as the first ever trans superhero on television.
1912-1987
Civil rights freedom fighter Bayard Rustin
1912-1987
Civil rights freedom fighter Bayard Rustin
See storyRustin was an LGBTQ and civil rights activist best known for being a key adviser to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
Florida
America's first out lawmaker Elaine Noble
Florida
America's first out lawmaker Elaine Noble
See storyElaine Noble is the first openly gay person elected to statewide office. In 1974, she was elected to the Massachusetts General Assembly.
1907-1960
Harlem renaissance performer Gladys Bentley
1907-1960
Harlem renaissance performer Gladys Bentley
See storyBentley was a gender-bending performer during the Harlem Renaissance. According to the New York Times, she was "Harlem's most famous lesbian" in the 1930s.
1941-2010
Veteran of the Stonewall uprising Raymond Castro
1941-2010
Veteran of the Stonewall uprising Raymond Castro
See storyRaymond Castro is remembered as one of the first people arrested during the 1969 Stonewall uprising that sparked the modern-day LGBTQ rights movement.
1926-1989
World's first trans celebrity Christine Jorgensen
1926-1989
World's first trans celebrity Christine Jorgensen
See storyJorgensen, a U.S. Army veteran and Bronx native, was the first American woman to publicly announce her gender reassignment surgery.
1951-2017
Creator of the rainbow pride flag Gilbert Baker
1951-2017
Creator of the rainbow pride flag Gilbert Baker
See storyGilbert Baker is the seamster responsible for creating the most enduring symbol of the LGBTQ rights movement: the rainbow pride flag.