Who has had the biggest impact on LGBTQ+ rights in the past 30 years?Four voices offer their very different heroes
Jacqui Rhule-Dagher (she/her) Lawyer
Who is the LGBTQ+ community’s bridge between the past and the future? Who possesses the wisdom of Audre Lorde, the bravery of James Baldwin and the resilience of Marsha P. Johnson? For me, it’s Lady Phyll. Her persistence and advocacy make her one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ figures around. Additionally, her influence extends beyond our borders and reverberates around the globe. Significantly, her activism is intersectional, thereby making it especially impactful. In 2005, Lady Phyll made an invaluable contribution to LGBTQ+ rights when she co-founded UK Black Pride. In 2022, I was part of the 25,000-strong crowd when UK Black Pride made history by becoming the largest Black Pride in the world. It was empowering seeing Ted Brown, who organised the first Pride in 1972, and Lady Phyll on stage together. LGBTQ+ people of colour have always existed. Lady Phyll reminds us, however, to do more than exist. She encourages us to live authentically, joyfully and proudly. Lady Phyll is a walking tribute to the trailblazers who have preceded us and is our flag bearer into the future.
Jaxon Feeley (he/him) Model and campaigner
There are generations of people unaware of the powerful force that RuPaul was and continues to be for the LGBTQ+ community. From urging young people to protest against war to creating a revolutionary TV show, RuPaul has been an immeasurable force for change over the past 30 years. Time and again, she has met hate with love, changing mindsets one day at a time. In 1993 — the same year that the US would introduce the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy within its military forces — an estimated 1 million people participated in a march on Washington for lesbian, gay, and bisexual equal rights and liberation. Performing at the rally was RuPaul, inspiring a nation to be themselves on the day he lost his mother to cancer. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that RuPaul’s Drag Race has changed everything. Drag has the power to humanise LGBTQ+ people by making them more relatable and, in turn, saving the lives of viewers. By championing self-belief and expression, Drag Race has encouraged a generation of LGBTQ+ fans to come out and be unapologetically themselves.
Daniel Harding (he/him) Author and journalist
An impact on our rights is not just measured by what we physically do, it’s also in forcing people to see us. And when it comes
