The World Pride Power List 2014 celebrates the achievements of influential lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
1. Laverne Cox, actor and activist
A new entry at number one is actor, activist and trans woman Laverne Cox, best known for her character Sophia Burset in the television series Orange is the New Black, broadcast on Netflix in 2013. In 2010, the VH1 makeover series TRANSform Me, made her the first African American transgender person to produce and star in her own television show. In April 2014, Cox was honoured by Glaad (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) with its Stephen F Kolzak award for her work as an advocate for the transgender community. Cox made the cover of Time magazine on 9 June 2014.
2. Ellen DeGeneres, comedian and TV presenter
This year, not only did Ellen DeGeneres host the Oscars for the second time (she came out at the 2007 Academy Awards, remember), she was also awarded favourite daytime talk show host in the People's Choice Awards for the third year running, she even managed to break the world record for most retweeted image of all time. Her selfie with a dozen other celebrities, including Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt, at the awards ceremony, was retweeted 3.3m times over the following week.
3. Tom Daley, diver and TV presenter
In at number three is diving champion, twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games 2010, bronze medal-winner at the Olympic Games 2012 and now TV presenter, Tom Daley. The ratings for his second series of Splash! broadcast on ITV in January, may have taken a dive, but his coming out on a YouTube video the month before boosted his appeal among the LGBT community. Announcing that he had been in a relationship with a man since early 2013, he added: "I still fancy girls, but at the moment I've never been happier." No one seemed more surprised than Daley himself.
4. Stephen Fry, polymath and TV presenter
Stephen Fry has slipped down a couple of places this year, despite the recent two-part documentary he made for BBC Two, Stephen Fry: Out There, in which he travelled the world to look at how LGBT people are treated in their particular communities and wider society. Russia, Uganda and India all came within his sights. The programme won him an award for best presenter at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards 2014. Of course, Fry continues to spread the LGBT message through his sometimes hard-hitting and hilarious tweets (6.82 million followers and counting).
5. Sir Ian McKellen, actor
Up from last year's number 10 is Sir Ian McKellen, who has reprised his role of Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past, released in May, appeared in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, a comedy hommage to Doctor Who, to mark the BBC television series' 50th anniversary in November 2013, and co-starred opposite Derek Jacobi in the ITV sitcom Vicious, which has been commissioned for a second series to be broadcast later this year. He continues his charity work and activism in many fields, but says "legal and social equality for gay people worldwide" is his most pressing concern. Last year, he hosted the Make Believe on Broadway gala, during which he stripped down to his Lord of the Rings underwear. Go Gandalf!
6. Gok Wan, TV presenter
Gok Wan's near ubiquity as a presenter of several TV series has nudged him up from last year's position of number nine. Gok's Style Secrets, Hotel GB, Baggage, Gok Cooks Chinese, Made in China and Gok's Teens: The Naked Truth, all made for Channel 4, have gained him a huge following. It was perhaps the last of these programmes, in which he offers advice to troubled teenagers on building self-confidence, self-help for eating disorders and combating bullying – drawn from his own experience – which gave Wan a bit of political clout. His campaign work includes supporting anti-bullying charities Kidscape and Ditch the Label.
7. Clare Balding, TV presenter
Following her high profile in 2012 as presenter of the Paralympics, Clare Balding has slipped down from last year's number four position. She received an OBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours list for services to broadcasting, won an award for sports presenting at the Television and Radio Industries Club Awards last year, was cited as one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and is the new presenter of Good Morning Sunday, on BBC Radio 2. She also presented the Sochi Winter Olympics, a decision she defended on the grounds of it setting an example to the Russians.
8. Graham Norton, TV presenter
The top TV chat show host, having ousted Jonathan Ross from the prime BBC1 slot in 2010, Graham Norton has risen in the ranks from last year's number 16. He has presented the Eurovision Song Contest since 2009, taking over from veteran commentator Terry Wogan, and been the recipient of a Bafta award for best entertainment performance on his own TV show six times. Is this man unstoppable? Earlier this year he criticised the decision of the Irish television channel RTE to settle out of court with opponents of gay marriage who claimed they had been defamed on an episode of the Saturday Night Show.
9. Elton John, musician
What can you add to Elton John's long and creditable history of fabulousness? His Aids Foundation, and his charity balls and galas have managed to raise in excess of $200m (£117m). He told fans at a Russian concert that the county's anti-gay laws were "inhumane" and last year he was presented with the first Brits Icon Award in recognition of his "lasting impact" on UK culture.
10. Anthony Watson, chief information officer, Nike
Watson is one of the most influential gay men in the world. In February, he departed Barclays to join Nike as its chief information officer. He sits on the board of directors of Digital Globe Services and Glaad (the world's largest LGBT media advocacy organisation). He's also a patron of Diversity Role Models. A champion for diversity inside and outside of the City, he visits schools offering guidance on challenging homophobic bullying.
11. Michael Cashman, MEP
Cashman has come a long way from being an EastEnder. He's an MEP, human rights activist, co-founder of Stonewall, and leader of a cross-party coalition fighting homophobia.
12. Jane Lynch, actor
Lynch, who plays Sue Sylvester in the TV show Glee, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year.
13. Peter Tatchell, campaigner
A veritable ABC of activism, from Aids to religion, Tatchell's most recent campaigns have centred around the new anti-gay laws in Uganda and Russia.
14. Paul O'Grady, TV and radio presenter
O'Grady is back in the public eye with his chat show on ITV, The Paul O'Grady Show. Aside from chat, he's been busy making documentaries for BBC and ITV, one of which, For the Love of Dogs, won two National Television Awards.
15. Jane Hill, news presenter
Hill is a BBC news presenter and has covered many high-profile stories. She married her partner, Sara Shepherd, in 2013.
16. Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Cook has been CEO of Apple since 2011. Since taking over from Steve Jobs, he has made changes at executive level, "weeding out people with disagreeable personalities".
17. Alan Carr, comedian and TV presenter
Carr's Channel 4 show, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, currently in its 12th series, won a Bafta last year and a Royal Television Society award in March for best entertainment performance.
18. Charlie Condou, actor
Condou has been playing Coronation Street's Marcus Dent since 2007. He is an ex-Guardian columnist – he wrote about gay parenting – and works closely with Stonewall, the Albert Kennedy Trust and the Terrence Higgins Trust.
19. Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe, former head of diversity, Google
Palmer-Edgecumbe is the man behind Google's Legalize Love campaign, promoting safer conditions for LGBT people in countries with anti-gay laws.
20. Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO, Glaad
The organisation Kate Ellis heads up, Glaad (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), fights homophobic reporting in the media.
21. Heather Peace, actor and singer
Peace has had a busy 12 months, returning in the role of deputy headteacher in BBC One's series Waterloo Road, released a second album, The Thin Line, and headlined at the Sydney Mardi Gras.
22. Lord Alli, Labour peer and entrepreneur
The first openly gay peer, Alli has used his position in the House of Lords to repeal Section 28, lower the age of consent, and campaign for gay marriage.
23. Sue Perkins, comedian and TV presenter
A TV presenter on a number of programmes, including The Great British Bakeoff, Perkins recently created and starred in the BBC Two sitcom Heading Out.
24. Jodie Foster, actor
Foster won best actress at the Golden Globes in 2012 for Carnage and, the next year, won the Cecil B DeMille award for outstanding contribution to entertainment. She has since directed episodes in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black.
25. Elio Di Rupo, prime minister of Belgium
Di Rupo has been Belgium's prime minister since 2011 and was the first openly gay male leader of any country (beaten by Iceland's lesbian prime minister, Johanna Siguroardottir, elected in 2009). In 1996, when accused of being gay, he replied: "Yes. So what?"
26. Tammy Baldwin, US politician
In 2012, Baldwin defeated her Republican opponent Tommy Thompson to become the first woman to represent Wisconsin and the first openly homosexual senator.
27. Martina Navratilova, tennis player
Tennis star and activist, supporting gay, children's and animal rights, Navratilova was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame, honouring those whose efforts have enhanced sports for the LGBT community.
28. Anderson Cooper, broadcast journalist
Cooper is a journalist, author, anchor of CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360˚ and Vanderbilt. Last year, he received the Vito Russo award from Glaad for his significant work promoting equality for the LGBT community.
29. Neil Patrick Harris, actor
Patrick Harris's career has spanned musical theatre, Hollywood film and television. He has presented the Tony Awards for four years.
30. Mary Portas, retail expert and broadcaster
Retail consultant and television presenter Portas was consulted by the government to revive the fortunes of the high street. She has her own chain of outlets, Living and Giving Shops, which benefit the charity Save the Children. Her most recent series was Mary, Queen of the High Street for Channel 4.
31. Angela Eagle, Labour MP
Eagle, Labour MP for Wallasey since 1992, became Parliament's first openly lesbian member when she came out in 1997. Appointed chief shadow secretary to the Treasury in 2010, then shadow leader of the House of Commons in 2011.
32. Tom Ford, fashion designer, film-maker
Ford launched his own fashion label in 2006. In a parallel career as a film director, he garnered several awards for his debut, A Single Man, in 2009. He became a dad in 2010.
33. Sarah Gilbert, actor
Best known as daughter Darlene in the sitcom Roseanne, Gilbert has since appeared in comedy series The Big Bang Theory. She's married to songwriter and former 4 Non Blondes singer, Linda Perry.
34. Dr Christian Jessen, celebrity doctor
Harley Street doctor and co-presenter on Channel 4's Supersize vs Superskinny and Embarrassing Bodies, Jessen presented a one-off television documentary, Undercover Doctor: Cure Me I'm Gay, in which he pretends to take a succession of "cures" in an effort to expose the charlatans.
35. Antony Cotton, actor
Cotton has been playing Sean Tully in ITV's Coronation Street for over a decade, but he also appeared in films and has taken part in I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
36. Chaz Bono, writer and activist
Born Chastity, the only child of Sony and Cher, Bono transitioned from female to male in 2008-2010. He made a film, Becoming Chaz, which documented his transition and won a Glaad award.
37. Chris Bryant, Labour MP
Bryant won the Stonewall politician of the year award in 2011 for his work supporting LGBT equality and was a key figure in the vote for gay marriage in the Commons.
38. Stella Duffy, writer and performer
Novelist, playwright, stage performer and theatre director, Duffy won Stonewall writer of the year in 2010 for Theodora, Actress, Empress, Whore about the Roman ruler.
39. Andy Woodfield, partner PwC
Woodfield was selected as Stonewall Senior Champion 2014 due to his work as head of international development consulting at PwC. He is an advocate for diversity and a sponsor for Glee@PwC, the company's network for gays, lesbians and everyone else.
40. Ben Summerskill, former CEO Stonewall
Summerskill presided over Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme and helped it regain financial stability.
41. Christopher Bailey, CEO, Burberry
Bailey was appointed chief creative and CEO at Burberry in May. He is a mentor to emerging British creative talent from the Royal College of Art, from which he received an honorary doctorate last year.
42. Vincent Francois, regional head of audit, Société Générale
Francois created the LGBT network at Société Générale in 2010, he sits on its diversity committee and has been instrumental in the company's sponsorship of the Diversity Careers Show, the European Diversity Awards and co-sponsorship of BFI Flare.
43. Zachary Quinto, actor, film producer
Quinto is best known for playing Spock in the Star Trek reboot. In the past, he won the Drama League award for distinguished performance in the Broadway show The Glass Menagerie.
44. Margot James, Conservative MP
James is MP for Stourbridge and the first openly gay Conservative party MP.
45. Penny Wong, Australian senator
Wong became the first woman leader of the government in the senate in 2013. Following Labour's defeat in the general election, she is now leader of the opposition.
46. Russell Tovey, actor
Tovey is best known for roles in Being Human. He's set to appear in the forthcoming film, Pride, about the gay community's support of the miners during the 1984 strike.
47. Sophie Ward, actor
Ward has had a 40-year-long career in film and television. In 1996, she was one of the first mainstream female actors to come out as lesbian. She's also an advocate for gay parenting.
48. Ricky Martin, singer
Livin' La Vida Loca singer Martin's Ricky Martin Foundation supports children's rights. He's won several awards for his humanitarian efforts.
49. Dawn Airey, senior vice president, EMEA operations, Yahoo
Airey rose through the ranks at Channel 4, Channel 5, BSkyB, ITV and Channel 5 again to become its CEO in 2008. She joined Yahoo last August.
50. Rylan Clark, TV personality
Ex-X Factor contestant and, last year, winner of Celebrity Big Brother, Clark is forging a career as a TV presenter. He now presents Big Brother's Bit on the Side, for Channel 5.
51. Sue Sanders, LGBT rights activist
Sanders has been a lesbian activist for many years. The co-founder and, since 2004, chair of Schools Out – the group for LGBT people in education that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
52. Jason Collins, NBA player
After the National Basketball Association season of 2012-13, Collins came out as gay. He has now signed with the Brooklyn Nets, becoming the first publicly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues.
53. Michael Salter, political head of broadcasting, Prime Minister's Office
As a close aide to David Cameron, Salter assists him and other members of the government on LGBT issues. Salter is also chair of Pride in London.
54. Suran Dickson, CEO, Diversity Role Models
Dickson is the founder of Diversity Role Models (DRM). DRM works to prevent homophobic and gender-based bullying in schools.
55. Vladimir Luxuria, actor, writer, politician
Luxuria was the first openly transgender member of parliament in Europe. She lives as female, although remains legally male, perceiving herself as neither male nor female.
56. RuPaul, actor, drag queen, model, author
RuPaul's Drag Race TV programme is now in its sixth series. He has also acted in male roles and makes public appearances in and out of drag.
57. Liz Bingham, managing partner, EY
Bingham is an active member of associations connected to gender, diversity and LGBT and is also an ambassador for Stonewall.
58. Claire Harvey, paralympian volleyball player
Captain of the British sitting volleyball team in 2012, and ex-head of corporate responsibility at the Financial Services Authority, Harvey is now assistant director of the Youth Sport Trust.
59. Jeremy Heimans, activist, co-founder Avaaz.org
Heinmans is co-founder of the Australian online campaigning group Avaaz.org, a global online political community with millions of members that campaigns on various issues.
60. Adam Lambert, singer
Runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol, Lambert is the first openly gay mainstream pop idol to launch their career on a major US record label. He is currently touring with Queen.
61. Monique Matheson, VP and chief talent officer, Nike
Matheson is the vice president in charge of human resources for Nike, whose ethos is to embrace diversity.
62. Caroline Murphy, activist
Murphy is a Labour party activist, a union delegate, and a campaigner on LGBT issues and violence against women.
63. Holly Johnson, musician
Johnson rose to fame in 1983 as the lead singer in Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and has often sung on gay issues.
64. Nikolay Alexeyev, LGBT rights activist, lawyer and journalist
Alexeyev is a co-founder of Moscow Pride and has been instrumental in challenging the ban on the march.
65. Todd Sears, founder, Out On the Street
Sears founded Out on the Street, Wall Street's first senior leadership summit focused on LGBT issues. In 2013, it held its first summit in Asia.
66. Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, managing director, UK Black Pride
Opoku-Gyimah – known as Lady Phyll – set up the Black Pride festival to promote unity among LGBT black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent.
67. Mark Abrahams, wing commander, RAF
Chair of the RAF LGBT Forum, Abraham won the Campaigner of the Year accolade at the 2013 European Diversity Awards.
68. Alison McFadyen, head of audit, Standard Chartered Bank
McFadyen is featured on the OUTStanding list of LGBT business leaders who show that being open about sexuality is barrier to success.
69. Johnathan Phang, TV personality and chef
After many years working in the fashion industry, Phang began a new career as a chef, specialising in food from the Caribbean. He also hosts travel and cookery programmes on TV.
70. Daniel Winterfeldt, lawyer
A partner at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP in London, Winterfeldt is also the founder and co-chair of the InterLaw Diversity Forum.
71. Portia de Rossi, actor
Married to Ellen DeGeneres, De Rossi supports a range of charitable organisations.
72. Wentworth Miller, actor and screenwriter
Miller, who played the lead in Prison Break, made his screenwriting debut in 2013 with Stoker. He came out as gay in a letter to the St Petersburg film festival, declining their invitation due to Russia's anti-gay laws.
73. Nicky Moffat, consultant
Ex-brigadier Moffat – formerly the most senior woman in the British Army – now runs a leadership consultancy.
74. Mark McLane, global head of diversity and inclusion, Barclays
McLane developed a strategy focusing on diversity for Barclays, which is one of Stonewall's top 10 employers and a sponsor of Pride in London.
75. Michael Sam, American football player
Sam came out as gay after his college football career ended. He was selected by the St Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft, becoming the first publicly gay player drafted in the league.
76. Val McDermid, crime writer
McDermid has written many novels that, in recent years, include a series of crime thrillers.
77. Bisi Alimi, LGBT activist
Alimi was the first person to come out as gay on Nigerian television. Now based in London, he works as an HIV consultant and on global LGBT advocacy.
78. George Takei, actor, gay rights activist
Star Trek actor Takei is now also well known for his activism and is also active on social media.
79. Michelle Hardwick, actor
Hardwick is currently playing Vanessa Woodfield in Emmerdale. She publicly came out in July 2013.
80. Omar Sharif Jr, actor
Sharif was voted one of the most compelling people of the year by Out magazine in 2013. He is a spokesperson for the US media monitoring organisation Glaad.
81. Conchita Wurst, drag queen
Wurst won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest. In her winning speech she said, "we are unity, we are unstoppable", a comment addressed to President Putin.
82. Thomas Hitzlsperger, footballer
A member of the German national team, Hitzlsperger retired following injury in September 2013. In January 2014, he came out as gay.
83. Ruth Hunt, acting CEO, Stonewall
Hunt helped develop Stonewall's campaign for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act. She supports closer links between the LGBT community and faith groups.
84. Paul Burston, writer
Writer and host of the London LGBT literary salon Polari, Burston was called a national treasure in the Pink List 2013.
85. Nick Grimshaw, radio presenter
Grimshaw presents the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1. He came out as gay shortly before starting the show.
86. Mary Lambert, singer, LGBT rights activist
Lambert co-wrote and sang on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's single Same Love, a top 10 single in six countries.
87. Craig Revel Horwood, TV personality
Revel Horwood, best known as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, also directs the Strictly live tour.
88. Vinay Kapoor, diversity and inclusion manager, BNP Paribas, UK
Kapoor founded BNP Paribas's Diversity Week, ensuring inclusion is an integral part of the bank's work.
89. Julie Bindel, journalist
Bindel is a feminist writer whose subjects include violence against women, the sex industry, transgenderism and radical lesbianism.
90. Cynthia Nixon, actor
Nixon is most notable for her appearance as Miranda in Sex and the City. Bisexual, Nixon is married to Christine Marinoni. Nixon advocates for same-sex marriage rights.
91. Jack Monroe, writer and campaigner
Monroe's blog about living as a single parent with £10 a week to feed herself and her son gained many fans.
92. Jonathan Harvey, writer
Harvey is the writer of many plays, film and TV dramas, and has recently moved into fiction.
93. Lance Price, Kaleidoscope Trust founder
Price – ex-BBC journalist and adviser to the Blair government – founded the Kaleidoscope Trust in 2011 to help uphold the human rights of LGBT people.
94. Diana King, singer
King is a singer who came out as a lesbian on Facebook. She is the first Jamaican musician to ever come out publicly.
95. Andre Banks, co-founder, All Out
All Out has become one of the largest LGBT rights organisations in the world, with more than 2 million members.
96. Tim Sigsworth, CEO, the Albert Kennedy Trust
Sigsworth runs the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports LGBT young people who are living in a hostile environment.
97. Lucy Spraggan, singer songwriter
Came out as lesbian aged 14, Spraggan appeared on the X Factor in 2012 and has appeared at many Pride festivals.
98. Sherry Conway, flight lieutenant, RAF
Conway, deputy chair of the RAF LGBT forum, ensures RAF policy reflects the needs of the RAF's LGBT community.
99. Horse MacDonald, singer
Horse, a Scottish singer-songwriter has been a great supporter of equal marriage rights in Scotland.
100. Anna Grodzka, politician, Poland
Grodzka is the only transgender MP in the world. She founded Tranz-Fuzja, an organisation devoted to the transgender community and advancement of LGBTQ rights in Poland.
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