A rising Kenyan fashion designer, stylist, model, and LGBTQ+ activist, Edwin Chiloba was best known for his striking personal style and vibrant presence on social media. But beyond just his creativity and flair, he also stood as a bold and visible figure in a country where LGBTQ+ identities largely remain criminalized. From his rural upbringing to his growing national prominence, Chiloba used fashion not just as a form of self-expression, but also as a tool of resistance—challenging societal expectations and asserting the right for queer Kenyans to live freely and authentically. Through his extravagant designs and eye-catching personal image, Chiloba made powerful statements about beauty, worth, and queer survival. His public presence radiated both confidence and joy, even as it deeply defied entrenched norms around gender and identity in his home country. At a time when he was just beginning to build a career and make a name for himself across Kenya, Chiloba’s life was tragically cut short under devastating circumstances. But today, Chiloba’s legacy endures as a symbol of both the possibility and the danger of living openly and unapologetically queer in Kenya.
An extraordinarily skilled poet, musician, and playwright, Wu Zao occupies a liminal yet luminous place in the history of Chinese literature—and increasingly, in the evolving narrative of China’s LGBTQ+ cultural heritage. Born at the turn of the 19th century, Wu Zao emerged as a singular voice in a literary canon typically dominated by men, and carved a space for herself within intellectual and artistic traditions that rarely welcomed women, let alone those who dared to defy gender and sexual norms. While many of the particular details surrounding her existence remain uncertain, Wu Zao’s surviving writings subtly but powerfully permeate with erotic ambiguity and convey the deep emotional bonds she forged with other women throughout her lifetime. Through careful translation and scholarly interpretation, Wu Zao has emerged in more recent years as a figure who, with quiet defiance, charted her own path on the margins of Qing Dynasty society to challenge socio-cultural constraints placed on gender and sexuality. Today, Wu Zao’s creative legacy not only enriches the canon of classical Chinese literature but also expands the landscape of Chinese queer history, offering a rare glimpse into the complexities of queer desire and expression from a time and place where such notions were seldom recorded.
The Bone People, published in February 1984, winning The Booker Prize the following year, depicts an asexual, aromantic main character, and has sold over 1.2 million copies. Written by Keri Hulme, it is in part based on her experiences as someone who self-identified as asexual and aromantic. The Bone People explores multiple layers of identity like queerness, mixed Maori heritage, autism, trauma, and a wide range of disability. The novel is remembered as a classic of New Zealand literature and deserves more recognition as a queer classic.
The term "trailblazer" often gets tossed around, but in the case of ABilly S. Jones-Hennin, it fits with unparalleled precision. A lifelong activist, ABilly dedicated his life to reshaping the landscape of social justice and intersectional advocacy, and as an esteemed champion for the bi+ community, the broader LGBTQ+ movement, and specifically the BIPOC queer community, his work transcended labels and united disparate causes. His unwavering commitment to advancing equity for numerous marginalized groups—whether fighting for bisexual visibility, African American civil rights, LGBTQ+ liberation, or disability justice—set a powerful precedent for what it means to champion both inclusion and solidarity. ABilly’s unique ability to bridge often-segregated struggles demonstrated his deep understanding that liberation is inherently interconnected. Reflecting this ethos, ABilly famously once stated in a Metro Weekly interview, “I am [an] activist till death do I part. Once it gets in your blood, you may step back, but you can’t take it away.” It is thus imperative to honor ABilly S. Jones-Hennin’s remarkable accomplishments and ensure that his transformative contributions remain an enduring part of history.
What does it mean to be travesti? This uniquely Latin American term defies simple translation into English, but its origins lie in the Spanish verb travestir, meaning "to cross-dress." While it shares some similarities with the term "transgender"—in this case referring to individuals assigned male at birth who embrace a feminine gender identity—travesti also holds many other distinct cultural and political connotations. Historically, the word was wielded as a slur, used to marginalize or dehumanize trans individuals and reinforce their social vulnerability and exclusion from fundamental rights. Over the past few decades, however, activists across countries like Peru, Brazil, and Argentina reclaimed travesti, transformed it into a term of pride and resistance, and adopted it as a rejection of colonial notions of the gender binary. Among these activists, Lohana Berkins emerged as a leader and trailblazer, championing the rights of travestis and transgender individuals in Argentina. Through her relentless activism, Berkins not only inspired significant legislative reforms within her home country, but also founded various institutions that continue to support the trans community today, cementing her legacy as a pioneering figure in the fight for social justice.
2024 has been a year of significant challenges, but also one of remarkable progress and hope for the LGBTQIA+ community. These victories remind us that change is possible and that every step toward equality matters. From legal reforms and historic firsts to bans on harmful practices, this year’s achievements showcase the resilience and determination of our community.
Born in apartheid-era South Africa, Sally Gross was a trailblazing figure whose life journey intertwined profound personal struggles, groundbreaking activism, and deep spiritual exploration. Much of her life was shaped by her intersex identity, as well by her commitment to social justice and her unwavering fight for equality. Gross’ complex and often arduous journey took her from her early embrace of Catholicism and anti-apartheid activism to a path of exile and eventual return to South Africa, where she became a vital voice for intersex rights. Her work not only helped to transform South African legal frameworks but it also inspired and sparked global awareness around intersex issues and intersex rights. Despite facing rejection from the Church, financial hardship, and profound personal challenges, Gross remained steadfast in her advocacy and left an indelible mark on both the intersex community and the broader human rights landscape. Her story is one of resilience, courage, and a relentless pursuit of justice, and her warm and gentle spirit in the face of perpetual adversity is one worthy of both study and praise.
History is often shaped by those who dare to break away from conventional paths, consciously forging new directions. Yet, it is also made by those who, through serendipity, find themselves in the right place at the right time, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Pearl Alcock, a Jamaican-born artist, activist, and community builder, embodied a blend of both. Through her self-taught art practice, grassroots formation of queer spaces, and quiet activism, Alcock left an indelible legacy within Britain’s LGBTQ+ community, helping to forge a queer legacy that continues to resonate today.
Throughout his lifetime in Brazil, Clodovil Hernandes wore several hats. From an early age, he became a widely recognizable public figure in his country, first as a fashion stylist and designer, then as a television personality, and finally as a politician. At each of these various stages of life and career, however, he maintained his brazenly flamboyant persona and unapologetic attitude, becoming both a trailblazing visibly queer icon and a contentious figure with numerous enemies. In the years since his sudden passing, Clodovil’s legacy has often been the subject of much debate, with some hailing him as a pioneer and others criticizing him for his lack of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Though many of his actions and remarks over the years were indeed problematic and perhaps worthy of his cancellation, Clodovil Hernandes nevertheless left an indelible mark on Brazilian culture and society, and his life continues to be a source of both fascination and controversy.
Born on September 6, 1926, in Saskatchewan, Canada, George Everett Klippert would move with his family to Calagry at a young age and would be raised in Alberta. He would become a bus driver in Edmonton, remembered as so friendly and kind that people would miss their bus if it meant getting on his instead. Many would be surprised by the turn his life would take. The last man in Canada to be imprisoned for being gay, Everett would change the shape of a nation through simply being openly himself at a time when any trace of queerness opened up the risk of legal punishment.
After enduring a transient childhood and a youth burdened with struggles surrounding both her gender and Māori identities, Georgina Beyer emerged as both a transformative and trailblazing figure in New Zealand’s political and social arenas. She became the world’s first openly transgender mayor, only to follow up that landmark achievement by being elected a Member of Parliament and becoming the world’s first openly transgender person to hold significant public office. Beyer thus broke new ground for trans visibility on an international level, and paved the way for both greater acceptance and wider representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in politics. Her serpentine path towards said life in government included both time spent as a sex worker as well as a tragic act of sexual violence enacted against her, each of which emboldened her with a sense of resilience, courage, and authenticity. Beyer ultimately weaponized her identities and life experiences in a political career marked by an unwavering commitment to advocate for marginalized communities, fight for human rights, and continuously challenge societal norms.
During an era in which Serbia was dominated by war, nationalism, and widespread violence, Dejan Nebrigić emerged as a stubbornly vocal pacifist and is widely considered to be one of the first publicly gay activists in his country. As one of the earliest leaders of the LGBTQ+ movement in Serbia, Nebrigić was able to make significant strides for queer rights during what would come to be a tragically shortened life, including co-founding his nation’s first ever LGBTQ+ organization. In particular, Nebrigić is remembered for boldly initiating the first legal trial in Serbia that centered on homophobic discrimination. This case would ultimately be a leading cause in his untimely demise.
Known as one of the greatest Navajo medicine men, Hosteen Klah was a master weaver and ceremonial singer. As a nádleehi person, he inhabited the societal role of “one who transforms” or “one who is changed”, combining the traditional masculine and feminine traits. His legacy remains in the many weavings he created, the people whose lives he touched, and the museum he helped form in Santa Fe.
Born perhaps a century too soon, Otake Kōkichi was a defiant and free-spirited feminist, author, painter and activist whose life and legacy offer profound insights into the complexities of gender identity and expression in early twentieth-century Japan. During her lifetime, Kōkichi defied societal norms by dressing in masculine attire, openly discussed her love of women, advocated for sex workers and actively rejected any traditions she deemed oppressive, particularly the long-held ideal that Japanese women should exist simply to be “Good Wives, Wise Mothers.” Much of the literature surrounding Kōkichi focuses on her brief same-sex affair with the more well-known writer, Hiratsuka Raichō, but Kōkichi’s entire being was highly radical for her time, and her courage to live authentically during a period marked by rigid gender roles was altogether groundbreaking. The story of Kōkichi thus highlights the rich–but often overlooked–history of gender diversity in a non-Western context. As a rather unique but vital queer figurehead, Otake Kōkichi deserves far more recognition than she has previously been awarded.
Though he lived and worked as an outspoken, openly gay, Cuban-born man, conceptual artist Félix González-Torres never wanted any singular aspect of his life to box him in or define his craft. He didn’t care for being labeled a “gay artist” or “Latino artist,” despite the fact that much of his work incorporated themes and imagery from these identities. Through his art, González-Torres addressed—albeit abstractly—a variety of urgent political and social issues, particularly when it came to matters regarding discriminatory public policies, censorship of LGBTQ+ artists, and perhaps most importantly, the global impact of the AIDS epidemic.