Loud, Out, and Proud: Famous LGBTQ+ Icons
Each year, 31 icons are named for their work supporting the LGBTQ+ community and/or for their national prominence and courage to own their identities. Notable 2023 icons include Carl Nassib, the first publicly out National Football League (NFL) player; Roxanne Gay, a bestselling author; Leslie Jordan, a former actor and comedian; and Michael R. Jackson, an award-winning playwright.
LGBTQ+ History Month was first begun by Rodney Wilson, a high school teacher who believed in having a month to commemorate and teach LGBTQ+ history. Wilson, along with local leaders and other teachers chose October to honor this history since schools are open and special occasions like Coming Out Day – on October 11th – occur during this month.
Carl Nassib
After being active in five seasons of professional football, Carl Nassib came out as gay. In high school, he played three varsity sports. However, in college, it took him a few years to earn an athletic scholarship and until his final year to become a member of the football team’s starting lineup. He earned awards for his talent and was drafted by NFL team, the Cleveland Browns. Nassib also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders during his career.
He came out on social media in June 2021 (Pride Month) so he could be a role model for young LGBTQ+ individuals. In coming out, he also committed to donating $100,000 to a nonprofit organization, the Trevor Project, serving LGBTQ+ youth in crisis. The NFL also donated the same amount in solidarity with Nassib. He retired in 2023 and is currently an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and working on Rayze, his social media platform that assists nonprofit work.
Roxanne Gay
Roxanne Gay is an acclaimed author with experience teaching at multiple universities including Purdue and Yale. Gay has worked as a magazine columnist and has published works in multiple formats including short story, novel, and essay. Her essay publication, “Bad Feminist,” was a bestselling collection.
Gay wrote for the “World of Wakanda,” a set of Marvel Comics applauded for its LGBTQ+ inclusion. In collaboration with Medium magazine, she also started Gay Magazine and created “The Audacity,” a complementary newsletter and book club highlighting marginalized U.S. authors.
Leslie Jordan
Photos: CNN, The New York Times
Leslie Jordan was best known for his acting in the television series, “Will & Grace,” with his performance earning him an Emmy. He was also part of the “American Horror Story” series and the “Hearts Afire” sitcom. Jordan is remembered for his roles in multiple films too, including the book adaptation, “The Help.” He acted in plays and penned a musical modeled after his own life as well.
Jordan also volunteered with AIDS Project Los Angeles, giving food and providing company to people afflicted with the condition. He also cheered up many during the pandemic by creating videos on social media for millions of his followers and fans. Jordan released his autobiography in 2021 before passing away the next year.
Michael R. Jackson
Playwright, Michael R. Jackson revealed he was gay when he was 16 and later went on to earn degrees at New York University. He helped write the book and lyrics for a film and composed a cycle of songs published in the The New York Times Magazine. Jackson also wrote the musical, “A Strange Loop,” based on his personal experience as an usher for musicals on Broadway.
Jackson won the Pulitzer Prize for “A Strange Loop” in 2020. He is the first African American writer to do so and his play is the first to earn a Pulitzer Prize prior to a debut on Broadway.
Prominent LGBTQ+ individuals have supported the efforts of their community to uplift the voices of one another. Many continue to work to ensure the promotion and protection of their authentic self expression and advocacy. LGBTQ+ History Month acknowledges their important contributions.
Vocabulary List:
LGBTQ+ (noun): name for the community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and related identities
Icons (noun): people looked up to and respected
Commemorate (verb): to celebrate or honor
Came out (intransitive verb): publicly revealed their association with LGBTQ+
Varsity (adjective): highest level of sport played in a high school
Starting lineup (noun): players who actively participate
Career (noun): describes the pattern of jobs an individual decides to pursue
Nonprofit (noun): an organization that exists to serve the needs of others
Solidarity (noun): demonstration of allyship with someone or something
Marvel (noun): publisher of comic books, known for stories about superheroes
Highlighting (gerund): emphasizing, making clear or known
Emmy (noun): an award for excellence in television
Sitcom (noun): a funny television series
Adaptation (noun): to tell a story created in one form, in a different one
AIDS (noun): a condition caused by a virus that disrupts the immune system
Autobiography (noun): a written retelling of one’s own life
Composed (verb): created, formed
Broadway (noun): a series of shows in theaters on Broadway street in New York City, New York
Debut (noun): first showing
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phoebe McChesney is a student at Oberlin College in the United States, majoring in Politics. She has interned in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as a Page in the U.S. Senate. Phoebe would love to work in Congress, with a federal agency, or on foreign policy and international relations one day. She is a blogger for her college and is interested in America House Kyiv’s Ukraine-American work.