Politician, boxing promoter and scientist among most influential transgender people named in wide-ranging Pride powerlist
A politician, scientist, radio presenter and boxing promoter are among those honoured as the most influential transgender people in Britain in this year’s Pride Power list.
The 2015 list, naming the most influential LGBT people and published to coincide with Pride weekend this week places people in categories, rather than ranking them, as before.
Several of those in the transgender category had only spoken publicly about transitioning in the past year; they includethe radio presenter Stephanie Hirst and the boxing promoter Kellie Maloney. Others, including the model Jacqui Gavin, the vice-chair of the Civil Service network a:gender, and lawyer Stephen Whittle, are long-time activists for trans rights. Ayla Holdom, a decorated RAF flight lieutenant, who is Britain’s only openly transgender military pilot, has been honoured, as has Kate Stone, a scientist, who won her Press Complaints Commission fight against newspapers who featured her transgender status after a traumatic accident when she was gored by a stag.
In the three years since the list began, when it was ranked, American women topped it. In 2012, the actor Jane Lynch, of the TV show Glee, was named the most powerful LGBT person in the world, followed by the talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres in 2013 and Laverne Cox, the American actor, from the drama series Orange is the New Black, in 2014, the first transgender person to do so.
This year’s list, compiled by SquarePeg Media via a panel and public nominations, focuses solely on influential LGBT Britons. They have been categorised into the sections of arts, campaigners, entertainers, politics, business leaders, workplace heroes, charity and community, transgender and influencers.
“We haven’t numbered the entries because we see each entry as being equally important to the LGBT+ community,” the list’s authors say in their introduction. “The list serves to encompass both those fighting for equality and people who are influential role models.”
Several transgender people featured are leading lights in other categories in the list. The Liberal Democrat Sarah Brown, who was the only openly transgender politician in the UK for a time, was listed in the transgender rather than politics category, but Paris Lees, a prominent trans rights activist and writer, was placed in the influencers category.
The non-profit support groups Mermaids and Gender Trust, both of which deal with gender identity issues, were honoured in the charity and community section of the list.
ARTS
Dean Atta
Poet
Atta’s poem about Stephen Lawrence went viral in 2012. He writes about homophobia in hip-hop.
Rikki Beadle-Blair
Actor, director, screenwriter
A man of many talents, who has written and directed many LGBT productions.
Stephen Beresford
Actor, screenwriter
Best known for writing Pride, the film in which lesbians and gays support 80s striking miners.
Paul Burston
Writer
Founder and host of award-winning LGBT literary salon, Polari.
Jane Czyzselska
Editor of DIVA magazine
Editor of DIVA magazine since 2004. Also a media commentator and columnist.
Russell T Davis
Director, screenwriter
Famous for dramas such as Queer As Folk, and Channel 4 / E4 series’ Banana and Cucumber.
Carol Ann Duffy
Poet, playwright
The first scottish openly LGBT woman to be appointed Britain’s Poet Laureate.
Stella Duffy
Writer, performer, director
Author of 13 novels and countless short stories. She won Stonewall writer of the year in 2010.
Kate Moross
Designer, illustrator, art director
Produced nationwide campaigns for Cadburys and Topshop and illustrations for Vogue Magazine.
Patrick Strudwick
British journalist, activist
Writes for various newspapers and websites, including Buzzfeed, The Guardian, and Attitude.
Campaigner
Bisi Alimi
Campaigner
Bisi works as an HIV consultant and on global LGBT advocacy.
Ruth Hunt
Campaigner
CEO of Stonewall who helped develop the campaign for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.
Caroline Murphy
Campaigner
Labour activist, union delegate and a campaigner on LGBT issues and violence against women.
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah
Campaigner
Founder and managing director of UK Black Pride to promote unity among LGBT black people.
Lance Price
Campaigner
Ex-BBC journalist and adviser to the Blair government. Founded the Kaleidoscope Trust
Sue Sanders
Campaigner
LGBT rights campaigner, co-founder of LGBT History Month and chair of Schools OUT UK.
Edwin Sesange
Campaigner
African LGBTI Out and Proud Diamond group President and gay rights activist.
Tim Sigsworth
Campaigner
CEO of the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports homeless LGBT young people.
Ben Summerskill
Campaigner
Ex CEO of Stonewall and recipient of the 2015 British LGBT Lifetime Achievement Award.
Peter Tatchell
Campaigner
Gay rights activist, whose recent campaigns focus on anti-gay laws in Uganda and Russia.
Entertainers
Clare Balding
Television presenter, journalist
TV host of high-profile sporting events. Awarded an OBE in 2013 for services to broadcasting.
Alan Carr
Comedian, television presenter
His Channel 4 show, Chatty Man (12th series), won a BAFTA in 2014 and an RTS award in 2015.
Stephen Fry
Writer, actor, television presenter
Gay rights advocate, who is outspoken on matters from equal marriage, to the Sochi Olympics.
Elton John
Singer, songwriter, composer, pianist
A fantastic role model for gay parenting, raising two boys alongside husband David Furnish.
Sir Ian McKellen
Actor, activist
An award-winning actor and a co-founder of Stonewall, the gay rights organisation.
Graham Norton
Television and radio presenter
Top TV chat show host and winner of the 2015 British LGBT Awards Broadcaster of the Year.
Paul O’Grady
Comedian, television presenter
Daytime talk show and Radio 2 host, also patron of the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
Heather Peace
Actress, singer, songwriter
Patron of Manchester Pride and involved in a number of charities, including DRM and AKT.
Sue Perkins
Comedian, television presenter
Host of The Great British Bake Off. Featured on the Rainbow List since 2008 and #6 in 2014.
Russell Tovey
Actor
Openly gay actor, best known for his roles in Him & Her, Being Human and Banished.
Politics
Lord Alli
Media entrepreneur, politician
The first openly gay peer, who has used his position to repeal LGBT laws.
Mhairi Black
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South
The youngest MP to be elected to parliament since 1832.
Lord Cashman of Limehouse
Politician, former MEP, actor
Labour Peer and co-founder of Stonewall. Former actor on TV soap, EastEnders.
Ruth Davidson
MP for Glasgow
Openly gay Scottish politician, currently leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Angela Eagle
Labour MP for Wallasey
Parliament’s first openly lesbian member when she came out in 1997.
Mike Freer
MP for Finchley and Golders Green
Conservative MP, who came out during a speech over the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.
Wes Streeting
Labour MP for Ilford North
Elected in the 2015. Deputy Leader of the London Borough of Redbridge.
Margot James
Conservative MP for Stourbridge
The first openly lesbian candidate to be elected to the party when she came out in 2010.
Gerald Jones
MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Openly gay welsh politician, voted for in the May 2015 general election.
Ivan Massow
London mayoral candidate
Gay rights campaigner who has launched a 2015 bid to become Mayor of London.
Business Leaders
Christopher Bailey
Chief Creative/Exec Officer, Burberry
Mentor to emerging British creative talent from the Royal College of Art.
Alison Berryman
CEO Barclaycard UK
Member of their LGBT network, Spectrum. Works to create an open and diverse workforce.
Claudia Brind-Woody
Vice President and MD, IBM
One of the most senior out executives at IBM.
Co-chairs their Global LGBT Executive Taskforce
Lord Browne
Former CEO of BP
Called on CEOs to take responsibility for setting the right tone around LGBT inclusion at work
Alison McFadyen
Head of Audit, Standard Chartered
Active member of the bank’s LGBT Network and regular speaker at events.
Mary Portas
Retail consultant, television presenter
Consulted by the government to revive the fortunes of the high street.
Huma Qazi
MD, Coaching and HR consultancy
An advocate for raising awareness, especially on LGBT in the workplace and in schools.
Antonio Simoes
Chief Executive Officer, HSBC UK
Has increased the visibility of LGBT issues at HSBC. Works with their Pride networks.
Anthony Watson
President and CEO, Bitreserve
First British and non-American citizen to be appointed to the Board of Directors of GLAAD.
Andy Woodfield
Partner, PwC
Created the LGBT network GLEE@PwC. Takes a keen interest in LGBTI and Human Rights.
WORKPLACE HEROS
Liz Bingham
Managing Partner, EY
An active member of associations connected to gender, diversity and LGBT. Stonewall Ambassador
Suran Dickson
CEO, Diversity Role Models
Founder of Diversity Role Models – working to prevent homophobic and gender-based bullying.
Claire Harvey
Inclusive Leadership Consultant, KPMG Captain, Team GB Paralympic sitting volleyball team, 2012. Assistant Director, Youth Sport Trust.
Vinay Kapoor
D&I Manager, BNP Paribas
Founded BNP Paribas’ Diversity Week, ensuring inclusion is an integral part of the bank’s work.
Robert Kerse
Exec Director Finance, Circle Housing
Named as one of the most inspiring LGBT Business Leaders in the Financial Times
Mark MacKenzie MBE
Capability Development Specialist, TFL
Founding member of TfL’s LGBT network and led the group’s support for Pride in London
Tim Jarman
Assistant Director of D&I, EY
Tim leads EY’s strategy for LGBT issues across the UK and Ireland.
Mark McLane
Global Head of D&I, Barclays
Developed a strategy focusing on diversity for Barclays, one of Stonewall’s Top 10 employers.
Nicky Moffat
Consultant, Ex-brigadier British Army
Formerly the most senior woman in the British Army, now runs a leadership consultancy.
Toby Whitehouse
Director, Gaydio
One of the Directors and co-founders of Gaydio, leading gay radio station.
Daniel Winterfeldt
Partner, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP
Founder and co-chair of the Interlaw Diversity Forum and the Purple Reign campaign.
TRANSGENDER
Sarah Brown
Activist, politician
Liberal Democrat, who was, for a time, the only openly transgender elected politician in the UK.
Jane Fae
Writer, feminist
Writes about important issues of political and sexual liberty.
Jacqui Gavin
ViceChair of a:gender
Former model who is a gender and Diversity Role Model. Also helps to organise Liverpool Pride.
Stephanie Hirst
Radio presenter
Openly transgender radio presenter, best known for hosting Hit40UK on Capital FM Yorkshire.
Ayla Holdom
Flight Lieutenant, Royal Air Force
Britain’s only openly transgender military pilot in the RAF.
Kellie Maloney
Boxing manager and promoter
Most famous for managing Lennox Lewis, before publicly announcing that she was transgender.
Juno Roche
Teacher, speaker
Former teacher, now working to support other transgender teachers’ visibility and rights.
Kate Stone
Scientist
Won Press Complaints Commission negotiation after her transgender status was published.
Amy Stanning
Shared Services Director, Barclays PLC
Co-chair for Spectrum, the bank’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employee network.
Stephen Whittle OBE
Activist
A professor of Equalities Law in the School of Law at Manchester Metropolitan University.
INFLUENCERS
Rylan Clark
Television presenter
Rose to fame on X Factor and Big Brother, before becoming a host of Big Brother’s Bit on the Side.
Tom Daley
Olympic diver
Olympic diving gold medallist who came out publicly in 2013, by posting a video on YouTube.
Evan Davis
Journalist, television presenter
An economist, journalist and presenter who is the current host of Newsnight.
Paris Lees
Journalist, transgender activist
Was the first trans woman presenter on both BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4.
Jack Monroe
Writer, campaigner
Gained fame through writing a blog about living as an impoverished single parent struggling to feed herself and her son on £10/week.
Leng Montgomery
D&I advocate, media commentator
Volunteers with Diversity Role Models and speaks regularly about trans issues.
Kathryn Nawrockyi
Director of Opportunity Now
An ambassador for Albert Kennedy Trust and a Diversity Role Model.
Scott Nunn
Photographer, journalist
Co-founder of Gay Star News one of the top LGBT news sites in the world.
Tris Reid-Smith
Director, editor, journalist
Co-founder and editor-in-chief of Gay Star News.
Gok Wan
Television presenter
Best known for his Channel 4 television programme, How to Look Good Naked
CHARITY AND COMMUNITY
Albert Kennedy Trust
LGBT youth homeless charity
Supporting young LGBT 16-25 year olds who are made homeless or living in a hostile environment.
Broken Rainbow
LGBT charity
Raising awareness to, and combating same-sex domestic violence and abuse.
Ditch The Label
Anti-bullying charity
Providing support to those who are bullied in online and offline environments.
Diversity Role Models
Anti-bullying charity
Seeks to prevent homophobic and transphobic bullying in UK schools.
GALOP
Anti-LGBT hate crime charity
Helping victims of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexual violence or domestic abuse.
The Gender Trust
Gender identity charity
Helping those who are affected by gender identity issues.
The Kaleidoscope Trust
Human Rights Charity
The Kaleidoscope Trust works to uphold the human rights of LGBT people.
Mermaids
Transgender charity
Supporting children and teenagers with gender identity issues.
Opening Doors
LGBT charity
Focuses on meeting the needs of older LGBT communities.
Stonewall
LGBT rights charity
Working for equality and justice for all LGBT people.
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