It’s an incredibly tough time to be a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Between a distressing, shifting political landscape, like new restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the workplace, and questions about whether trans kids will be able to continue their medical treatments, there’s a lot for queer and trans individuals to worry about in 2025.
As the current administration works to take rights away from certain individuals, fear is everywhere. And during frightening times, it’s important to remember that not every LGBTQIA+ youth has a role model in their community to look up to. That sense of loneliness can lead even the most self-assured individuals to feeling lost — unseen. It can lead to deteriorating mental health. And worse, high suicide rates.
We all need good examples to look up to in life — people that show us that even when times are tough, we can hold onto hope, we can be brave, and we can be ourselves.
While positive LGBTQAI+ role models may not exist in the flesh in every community, they do exist in communities all over the world. Support groups can be found on website forums and on social media. And, we live in a time where there are also some incredible queer and trans role models in the public eye that, not just members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but all of us, can look up to.
Here are 7 amazing role models for queer and trans kids to follow:
1. Chappell Roan
By now, you’re likely well-versed in Chappell Roan’s smash hit album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Roan, who was signed when she was just a minor, broke the mold with her latest album. Hits like Hot To Go and Pink Pony Club were an instant success. But the young artist is also known for being an outspoken queer icon. Roan is undeniably unique and never holds back her true feelings. From calling out rude photographers to record labels, she’s as talented as she is unfiltered. And she absolutely reminds us all to be who we are.
2. Billie Eilish
Superstar singer Billie Eilish is known for her stunning vocals and killer style. But Eilish has also been outspoken about her identity as it relates to her gender and sexuality. In 2023, she told Variety that even though she identifies as being a girl, she sometimes struggles to view herself that way.
“I love them so much,” she said. “I love them as people. I’m attracted to them as people. I’m attracted to them for real … I’m physically attracted to them. But I’m also so intimidated by them and their beauty and their presence.” Eilish getting real about the complexities of gender identity can help others to understand that gender can be fluid, or exist on a scale. While a lot of outside voices may say the opposite, you’re the only person who gets to put a label on who you are.
3. Bella Ramsey
After starring in The Last of Us, Bella Ramsey became an instant star. The actor, who came out as nonbinary in a 2023 NYTimes article, the star also became a young role model for the LGBTQAI+ community. “I’m very much just a person,” Ramsey said. “Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.” When The Last Of Us received negative attention for featuring gay characters, including Ramsey’s character on the show, the star spoke out about the backlash.
4. Cynthia Nixon
She may be best known for playing the outspoken Miranda Hobbs on Sex and the City, but Cynthia Nixon is an outspoken activist in real life. As a queer New Yorker, Nixon can often be found protesting everything from the genocide in Gaza to the assault on trans humans. Like her character, she’s never afraid to say what she means and we love her for it.
5. Laverne Cox
As one of the most visible and well known trans actors, Laverne Cox has had to be utterly fearless. Still, the Orange is the New Black star felt gutted by recent political actions. On Variety’s podcast, she opened up about her worries. “I don’t want to be in too much fear, but I’m scared,” she said. “As a public figure, with all my privilege, I’m scared, and I’m particularly scared because I’m a public figure. I feel like I could be targeted. I think they spent close to $100 million on anti-trans ads. It’s deeply concerning.”
Still, Cox isn’t letting all the noise keep her living in fear. She recently opened up to PinkNews about moving forward with hope, saying, “I am not a victim and I refuse to be a victim in this circumstance.” She continued, “As trans people our identities have been criminalised, and we found ways to have community, to have joy, and to be ourselves.”
6. Juno Men
Trans comedian Juno Men is both hilarious and utterly outspoken. The up-and-coming comic doesn’t shy away from talking about trans rights, as well as what it’s like to perform in, well, less trans-friendly areas. In the wake of Trump’s new executive order, which could restrict gender-affirming care for trans youths, she told Out Magazine, that other people can’t dictate your identity. “No one can give you permission to be who you are. Trans people have been and will always exist, whether a fat man with tiny hands and bad hair says they do,” she wrote to the outlet. “Know that you’re a part of a multi-generational community bonded by culture, empathy, and an enduring perseverance to be who we are.”
7. Neil Patrick Harris
Actor and comedian Neil Patrick Harris is a massive talent. He’s played lovable characters like Dougie Houser, and Barney on How I Met Your Mother. But he’s also a highly visible queer celebrity, who has talked openly about being a gay dad to twins, and the power of coming out. In 2018, just ahead of National Coming Out Day, the star appeared on The View to encourage others to love themselves wholly. “When I came out, the ceiling didn’t crash in — I was able to stand taller and be more … transparent about who I was,” the actor told the co-hosts. “I didn’t have to be so guarded. And in turn, I think that allows your light to shine a little bit brighter.”
