25 Queer Celebrities to Help You Celebrate Pride Month

It is finally the loudest, proudest, queerest month of the year: pride month! Hopefully, this list of 25 queer celebrities can help inspire some queer joy throughout your month and year-round.

Willow Smith - Willow Smith is the first celebrity on this list and has a solid career. The queer musician is the daughter of actor Will Smith, but that doesn’t stop her from pursuing a solid music career. The artist has six albums and collaborated with everyone from Avril Lavigne to Machine Gun Kelly.

Bowen Yang - If you’re a Saturday Night Live fan like me, you’ve heard of Bowen Yang. The NYU graduate is the first Chinese American cast member on SNL and is subsequently the first openly gay Chinese American cast member. He isn't only on SNL; you can find him in the 2022 movie Bros and the upcoming Wicked movie starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Elliot Page - The actor announced that he was transitioning in 2019 and, ever since, has been very open to posting about his journey. The Umbrella Academy actor has amassed more of a following than ever before. Now the 36-year-old BAFTA winner has recently released a memoir titled Pageboy, detailing his struggles throughout his life.

Sarah Paulson - American actress Sarah Paulson is most recognized for her performances in American Horror Story. The queer actor has been with her partner, actor and playwright, Holland, since 2015. More recently, Paulson has been seen frequently with fellow actor and friend of three decades, Pedro Pascal. The actress has always been out and proud and has played queer characters a handful of times.

Janelle Monae - Glass Onion star Janelle Monae has been discussed since her career began. The eight-time Grammy-nominated performer came out as pansexual in 2018 and frequently used her platform to discuss queer issues. The nonbinary actor explained that their pronouns are “free-ass motherf— and they/them, her/she.”

Billy Eichner - The writer, producer, and star of Bros is the first openly gay actor to write and co-star in his major studio film. But the writer didn’t start this way. Eichner has done everything. From hosting his show, Billy on the Street, to appearing in Parks and Recreation and even voicing a recurring character on Bob’s Burgers.

Kate McKinnon - Kate McKinnon is the second SNL cast member on this list, but she was the first openly gay cast member on the show. Even though she no longer works on Saturday Night Live, Kate has continued her career as an actress and comedian and will be in the 2023 Barbie movie.

Sara Ramirez - The nonbinary and queer actor is most famous for their work on the tv show Grey's Anatomy. Besides being notable for their Grey's Anatomy character Callie Torres, Sara Ramirez has a phenomenal stage presence. The actor was on Broadway for a while and has even won a Tony for their performance in the musical Spamalot.

Miley Cyrus - Miley Cyrus has been a bit of a wild child to the public eye since her Disney career ended, allowing her to be open and express herself however she wanted. Most notably, Miley has never held her tongue when letting the world know she is pansexual. Because she was in a heterosexual relationship for a few years, it was especially remarkable that the artist continued to speak out on LGBTQ+ issues and was always true to herself.

Fletcher - Fletcher is an up-and-coming queer artist. Writing about everything from having a crush on her ex-girlfriend's new girl to the queer experience in general. Her 2019 single “Undrunk'' was her first popular hit and landed her on the Billboard Hot 100. Now the artist has four albums; we can’t wait to hear more!

Aubrey Plaza - Aubrey Plaza is currently one of Gen Z’s favorite queer actresses. Recently, returning to the spotlight after her role in White Lotus got her into the public eye again. Besides this, though, Aubrey has been working on quite a few projects. Starring in the film Emily, the Criminal and getting early fame on the tv show Parks and Recreation, this actress has always let her fans know that she falls in love with men and women all the same.

Lil Nas X - Lil Nas X is another of Gen Z’s favorites. The Montero singer is famous for his music, humor, and Met Gala looks. The 24-year-old Grammy-winning artist has quite the following on Twitter, and it’s no surprise why. After his four-month hiatus from the app in 2021 into 2022, the singer tweeted, “I’m so happy I’m back on the internet. I missed me so much.”

Andrew Rannells - Andrew Rannells is a Broadway star, singer, and actor. His talents aren’t limited to the stage, though. The gay actor has been a part of multiple on-screen projects, and not all were live-action. Rannells voiced Matthew on the show Big Mouth and was featured in Girls. He also had roles in the movies A Simple Favor and Welcome to Chippendales, among other projects he’s done.

Renee Rapp - This singer and actress has been very open about her sexuality and struggles to accept herself. The Sex Lives of College Girls actress has not only been on Broadway but recently released her first EP titled “Everything to Everyone.” Though only 23 years old, Renee Rapp is already starting to make her mark as someone who can do it all.

Hayley Kiyoko - Hayley Kiyoko is a former Disney Channel star, musician, and “lesbian Jesus.” The artist has been very open about her queer identity, and a lot of music revolves around this aspect of her life. She is most famous for the song “Girls Like Girls,” an LGBTQ+ anthem that states, “Girls like girls like boys do, nothing new.” The artist is currently on tour for her newest album Panorama.

Boygenius - This musical trio has been famous recently, trending on Tiktok constantly. Their sophomore album, “the record,” has taken the pop indie sad girl sphere by storm. The group comprises Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. All three women are queer and amazingly talented. Even though the supergroup makes music together, each artist has a solo career worth checking out.

Frank Ocean - Frank Ocean is a bisexual musician who has always sung openly about his sexuality. With lyrics like “My guys pretty like a girl…” and full songs dedicated to his queerness, it’s not surprising he is a favorite in queer circles. The artist has been releasing music since 2011. Even though he only has three full-length albums, the artist is still well-known and loved for his music and talent.

Dove Cameron - Dove Cameron is a former Disney Channel star and a current musician and actress. The bisexual artist nearly broke the queer sides of the internet with her song “Boyfriend,” which is all about how she could be a better boyfriend to a woman than any man. She got her start in the Disney show Liv and Maddie, playing both Liv and Maddie and recently has been a part of the Apple TV show Schmigadoon. The artist has broken away from her Disney bubble, and fans everywhere are excited to see what she does next.

Stephanie Beatriz - Stephanie Beatriz is an actress most famous for her work in the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and, more recently, the Disney global sensation Encanto. The bisexual actor is very proud of who she is, even incorporating her sexuality into her character in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Rosa Diaz.

Ariana DeBose - The West Side Story and Schmigadoon actress a seemingly unstoppable force of talent. She is staying booked and busy. Besides her many skills in performing, she is also openly queer and has been with her partner Sue Makoo since 2017. The actress has always spoken about queer issues through her performances and social media presence.

Kehlani - Kehlani is a musician with seven released albums and has been creating music since 2016. The artist has been more open with her journey with her sexuality in recent years, telling the story of her self-discovery in 2021 on Tiktok. The artist used to identify as queer, then bisexual, and now is out as a lesbian. Kehlani is proof that labels can change and that it is okay that sexuality is fluid. The artist has been with her partner Kiara Russel since late 2022 and shares photos and videos of them frequently on her many social platforms.

Hunter Schafer - Hunter Schafer is a trans model and actress who got most of her fame from the HBO show Euphoria. Hunter refuses to let her career stop there, remaining booked and busy and continuing to model actively. The actress will be seen as Tigris in the November 2023 movie The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Hunter has always been vocal about her place in the LGBTQ+ spheres, and her character in Euphoria had a storyline revolving around her trans and queer identities.

Tyler, the Creator - The “Dogtooth” singer has quite the coming out story. Originally coming out on Twitter, and then years later, he addressed his coming out by stating, “I tried to come out of the closet like four days ago, and no one cared.” The musician has multiple lyrics alluding to his identity throughout his discography but Flower Boy, a character he created for the album of the same name, being someone that “makes out with guys” is most notable in this discussion.

Dylan Mulvaney - Dylan Mulvaney is an openly trans content creator and influencer whose primary goal is to spread positivity and inform others of her journey. Her name has been in the news recently, making waves with specific advertising campaigns, but Dylan's brand and commitment to kindness have remained strong. The creator is most famous for her “Days of Girlhood” series that she did on Tiktok. This series allowed followers to see the highs and lows of her day-to-day life and gave them a better idea of what transitioning can be like.

Billy Porter - Billy Porter is a Carnegie Mellon graduate who has extensively used his education. Actors and public figures have always made waves by being out and proud. He has attended The Met Gala several times and starred in everything from the 2021 Cinderella to Ryan Murphy's Pose. The 53-year-old has been working, creating, and performing nonstop since he began his career. In 2021, the performer revealed that he is HIV positive, but this diagnosis has never changed his passion and sparkle that people worldwide love him for.

Written by Lucy Anderson

Hiding in the Closet and Watching TV

I’m 15 years old and it's around 11:00 pm. The whole house, except for me, is

asleep. I’ve been keeping something to myself and now it is stuck in my throat. I tried to push it down, make it go away, but it won’t. So, I wake up and wander around trying to ignore the urge to blurt it out. This has happened before, it goes away on its own. I turn on the lights and curl up onto a blue chair. I hug my knees, but now there is an ache. An ache that grows more painful the more I keep it in. I’ll make a voice memo then, yes, that is the solution. I’ll say what I am keeping inside in a recording and then I’ll delete it. No one will ever have to know. It starts smoothly, then gets rougher, and finally, it breaks me into pieces. I’m muttering the words “I just want to come out” as if I could magically wake up and have it be real. I hold my phone up to my mouth, saying the words over and over, trying my best to keep my crying to a minimum.

I’m queer. Maybe that isn’t very specific, but it’s all I choose to say for now. I’ve known

since I was 12. I’ve had crushes on guys and girls and people who don’t identify as either. I’m

currently in a relationship with a male partner, but that doesn’t erase my attraction to women. I

have gone through periods of wondering why I couldn’t just be “normal” to then being proud of myself and then back again. Naturally, I turned to my favorite TV shows for any kind of guidance or reassurance. Unfortunately for me, many of the shows I could find either pigeonholed their queer characters into the “gay best friend” trope, gave them an incredibly tragic story, or sometimes killed them off. Of course, as the years have gone by I have managed to find forms of representation that assured me that I could be understood and deserved love like everyone else.

One show that comes to mind is “Sex Education”. A British teen comedy-drama

that openly addresses the sex lives and sexualities of young people. Eric Efiong (Ncuti Gatwa)

is an openly gay character who embraces his femininity in the way that he dresses and his

makeup. However, as part of a religious family with a conservative father, he often feels out of

place and judged for the way he chooses to express himself. This leads to peers calling him

names and being bullied by Adam Groff (Connor Swindells). While walking home at night

dressed in drag, Eric is harassed by a group of men in a car. One of them gets out of the car

and assaults him. The attack leaves him deeply traumatized and pushes those around him

away. His father tells him to “toughen up” and the next day Eric stops dressing up and starts

wearing more toned-down, masculine-looking clothes. One of his sisters remarks that he looks “normal”. I’ve never gone through anything like that and I hope that neither I nor anyone close to me does either. However, being judged for not “properly performing” your gender is sadly something that I’ve heard a lot about, especially growing up in an Asian culture. When I first cut my hair short, it felt right. I had been wanting to cut my long, and extremely heat-damaged hair off for years. I was comfortable in my skin. I wouldn’t have to get up early to style it or bring extra hair ties for gym class. The long, wavy, feminine hair was like wearing a ridiculously heavy, hot wig every single day that broke bobby pins in half. Mostly, I enjoyed my

androgynous appearance. Of course, this came with being told “You look like a boy” in addition to relatives mistaking me for a boy. But it didn’t matter to me because, like Eric’s brightly colored wardrobe, my short, boyish hair was part of how I embraced myself.

As strange as it may sound, I had to practice saying the word “queer”. Something about

the “q” and “ee” sounds being so close together made me trip over the word. I would say “kee” instead of “quee”. My accent would switch back to British and pronounce the "r" too softly. I would hesitate to say it out loud. I would say it so stiffly, it wouldn’t sound natural. I knew my friends would accept me, but there was something about saying it out loud to other people that left me with mixed emotions. I would feel relieved, then scared, then ashamed, then regretful, then joyful, then unsure of what to do next. There’s no manual on how to come out to your loved ones. Believe me, I’ve tried to find one. Finding a label that worked for me and learning to accept myself was one thing, but then came the daunting task of telling people. As I watched Fabiola Torres (Lee Rodriguez) on the show “Never Have I Ever” navigate the same dilemma by herself, I saw that just being able to say it aloud was powerful. In the last scene of season 1, episode 3, Fabiola is programming her robot, Gears Brosnan. First, she starts with a “Hello. How are you?” command then “I am a robot”. She gets a text from her mom about going shopping for something to impress her “boyfriend” who she already broke up with. The last command she gives him is the phrase “I’m gay”. She looks at the robot and smiles. For a few seconds, she feels a sense of relief. In her way, she said it out loud and it felt right. In another episode when she comes out to her friend Eleanor, she says “That felt so great to say. I feel like I just solved an escape room I’ve been trapped in my entire life” and I couldn’t agree more. When I told my friends, it felt like I could breathe a bit easier and when they told me that they supported me, I felt even better.

Coming out to my friends wasn’t too bad. I knew they would accept me and support me,

but, like a lot of people, I have no idea how my family would react. I expect some questions

since “queer” can be interpreted as vague and indefinite. I expect to be told “You’re just

confused” even though I know I'm not. But, after the inevitable questions, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve played out my coming out multiple times in my head. I imagined myself sitting down with my parents and simply telling them. I would go back and forth between saying “I’m queer” or just mentioning in conversation that I had a crush on a girl before I started dating my boyfriend. Maybe I would pull an Emma Stone and make a PowerPoint presentation. I imagined my parents being supportive; hugging me and telling me that they love me no matter what. My dad might have a hard time with it at first but then my mother would talk to him and he would tell me he supports me. Maybe we would get a flag for Pride Month. I would have images of my family supporting me without question but then maybe I would get yelled at. Maybe I would be told that I was “confused” again. Maybe I would get called names. Maybe I would be sent away. Maybe I would get hurt. I don’t know which scenario is the most realistic.

Once more, I searched for a TV show that could help me solve this new puzzle. This

one was a show called “One Day at a Time”. In this case, it was two episodes of season 1; episode 11 and episode 13. In episode 11, Elena Alvarez (Isabella Gomez) comes out to her mother Penelope (Justina Machado). Afterward, Penelope spends the rest of the episode trying to come to terms with her daughter’s revelation. She admits that she feels “really weird” about it, but wants to show support to her daughter because she realizes just how impactful her reaction could be. Penelope’s reaction stands in contrast to Elena’s grandmother, Lydia (Rita Moreno), who quickly goes through the acceptance process. While this moment is somewhat played for laughs, her last statement concludes its meaning, “She is my granddaughter and I love her no matter what”. When Elena was shown this unwavering support she gleefully yells out “I love my family!”. In episode 13, she comes out to her father expecting the same reaction. She comes out during a sweet moment between the two of them while they are practicing a dance for her 15th birthday. She looks at him hopeful and he pulls away from her. Her father accusingly asks her “Why are you doing this?” and yes, tells her that she is “confused”. It’s the coming-out scenario that no kid ever wants to experience. Her parent doesn’t accept her, and he doesn’t want to. Penelope tells him “You’re going to have to find a way to be okay with this” but her father replies “I don’t have to be okay with anything”. To be honest, I found the parent trying their best to be supportive too romantic and this reaction to be more realistic.

I don’t know how my family would react. But I do know that if they loved me, they

would find a way to be okay with my queerness. Some angry part of me thinks that if I had to

hide who I am for 6 years while I hated myself, ashamed and afraid, then they can learn to live with me as I am. I don’t want to say “I’m still your daughter” because that should be a given. If my biggest fear is being discarded and unwanted by the people who brought me into this world while theirs is an embarrassment, then we are not the same. But, at the end of it, all I want is to know that the people closest to me will continue to love and care about me no matter what.

Isn’t that what all of us want? Don’t we deserve to take pride and live as we are?

Written by JD Valdepenas

Pride in Music

Pride Month is here, and in case you need some suggestions for your Pride and summer playlists, I have quite the list of queer artists and bands in a variety of genres for you to check out.

We’ll start with some icons, like Queen, of which the lead singer, Freddie Mercury, was gay or bisexual (those he was close to have said both). Obviously, Queen has some incredible classic rock hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Somebody to Love”, but there are over a decade's worth of albums to sort through. Despite the loss of their lead singer, guitarist, and drummer, Brian May and Roger Taylor have still toured over the years with Adam Lambert providing the vocals, who is another out gay artist.

If you’re looking for something more modern, you can’t go wrong with Lady Gaga, who has long been referred to as a gay icon. Gaga herself is bisexual, and she has been a longtime outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.

Some more pop artists you may be familiar with are Sam Smith, who came out as gay in 2014 and as nonbinary in 2019, and Kim Petras, who is a trans woman. The two recently collaborated, creating the song “Unholy”, which you’ve likely heard overplayed on the radio. Both musicians have quite the discography and are worth looking into. Smith released an album, Gloria, earlier this year, and Petras has an album set to release on June 23rd.

Frank Ocean is another amazing queer artist, and the singer has chosen to go without labels when it comes to his sexuality. Frank Ocean has two full-length albums and an assortment of collaborations with other artists such as Tyler, the Creator and Jay-Z. One of his most popular and explicitly queer songs is “Chanel”, off his 2016 album Blonde. Fingers crossed we get a new album sometime soon…

Moving into the realm of R&B and soul, there’s the incredible Janelle Monáe. Monáe has stated in the past that they identify with both bisexuality and pansexuality, and they recently came out as nonbinary, using they/she pronouns. Some of her hits include “I Like That” and “Make Me Feel” from her 2018 album, Dirty Computer. Monáe also has a new album titled The Age of Pleasure set to release on June 9th (just in time for Pride festivities) and just released the unapologetically sapphic song called “Lipstick Lover”.

Dua Saleh is another queer and nonbinary R&B/soul artist, and if you’ve seen Netflix’s Sex Education, you would have seen them playing Cal in the show’s most recent season. Dua Saleh has several EPs and singles that vary between pop and R&B, and xe released three singles last year: “Macrodosing”, “i belong to you”, and “Chosen”.

More alternative/indie is the supergroup known as boygenius, containing Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. Bridgers and Dacus are both bisexual, and Julien Baker is a lesbian. The three have rich solo careers, and boygenius allows the three to combine their songwriting talents as well as show off their vocals in three-part harmonies. The group released the record, their first album, in March, which is quite the emotional journey. Some more (rhythmically) upbeat picks include “Not Strong Enough”, “Satanist”, and “Anti-Curse”.

Another artist that has risen in popularity within the past year is Ethel Cain, whose 2022 album Preacher’s Daughter gained her quite the following. Her album concepts are quite dark, and Preacher’s Daughter especially follows a narrative that could easily be turned into a horror movie. Cain herself is trans and bisexual. Though most of her music is not exactly the kind you can dance to, her most popular and most upbeat-sounding song from her album is “American Teenager”.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise should come as no surprise as being a queer band, with both the lead singer and bassist being out as trans. I was introduced to this alt-rock band through one of my high school teachers who knew just how to get my attention by telling me about the band’s queer members, and I have grown to love this group. You may have heard their top hit “It’s Called: Freefall” from their album How To: Friend, Love, Freefall, and they just released a single in April, titled “Drop Stop Roll”.

Two smaller indie pop artists who mainly got their start online are Chloe Moriondo and Leith Ross. Chloe Moriondo is an indie/alt-pop artist who started out posting covers on Youtube. She has since released three albums and several singles. Moriondo is unlabeled and uses she/they pronouns. Some of their hits include “I Want To Be With You” and “Fruity”. Leith Ross gained popularity after their song “We’ll Never Have Sex” went viral on TikTok in 2021, which has since been added to their newest full-length album To Learn, More, which was released in May.

Chloe Moriondo

Leith Ross

If you’re looking for something a little heavier, Against Me! is a punk rock group with a trans lead singer, Laura Jane Grace. One of their most popular albums is the 2014 Transgender Dysphoria Blues, which includes several hits including a song with the same name and “True Trans Soul Rebel”.

The pop-punk band Meet Me @ The Altar, of which two out of the three members identify as gay. The band released their debut album in March, titled Past // Present // Future, which contains some of their top songs, such as “Kool” and “Say It (To My Face)”. Another prominent song from their discography is their 2021 single “Hit Like A Girl”.

Lastly, the queer rock trio, Pinkshift, whose debut album Love Me Forever was released last year. The band had previously released an EP in 2021, Saccharine, with their top songs “I’m Gonna Tell My Therapist On You” and “Mars”. Their album also has guitar-heavy hits like “i’m not crying you’re crying” and “GET OUT”.

Happy listening! I hope everyone has a fun and safe Pride Month.

Written by Alec Conwell