Below are all of our profiles featuring interviews with gay/lesbian people in chronological order. These fascinating gay and lesbian men and women share their stories, along with the joys and challenges they’ve experienced throughout their journeys.
Growing up in upstate New York, Christina didn’t feel safe coming out as a lesbian. Once she moved to Chicago, she finally felt free to be herself, but there were no dedicated spaces for women. Together with a friend, she launched Back Lot Bash 15 years ago, now one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ women’s events.
After a rough childhood, Alex was forced into homelessness. Helping hands got him off the streets, and he now gives back by volunteering as Sister Dottie Bair with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and working to end youth homelessness.
Larry “Lare” Nelson moved to San Francisco in the 1970s and had a ball. Several years later, the AIDS pandemic struck and he lost most of his friends. These losses, coupled with his mother’s passion for giving back, launched him full-force into volunteerism.
By the time Noel realized she was gay, she was deeply involved in the Catholic church. She was eventually forced to resign as a college campus minister, and while this was extremely painful, she has cultivated a new sense of spirituality and purpose.
When Trystan, a trans man, wanted to build his family, he decided to have a child biologically despite the social risks and personal challenges. Here’s what it was like for him and his partner.
After growing up facing intolerable bullying and harassment for being gay, Roddy attempted suicide several times. Hoping to prevent anyone else from going through this, he dedicated himself to serving as a resource and source of hope for LGBTQ youth.
Susan knew she was gay from a young age, but she had to keep it secret as an FBI agent. After spending years in the male-dominated FBI and NYPD, she was well prepared to make a splash as a lesbian in the male-dominated world of surf music.
Ji faced discrimination on all fronts as an immigrant growing up in a homophobic Colorado. She now uses writing and filmmaking to transform her experiences into stories of hope for bullied LGBTQ youth.
Jonathan always loved performing in theater and television. Over time, he began taking the stage not to act, but to fight for LGBTQ equality and economic empowerment.
Profiles in Pride held an event during DreamWeek in San Antonio, Texas, where several LGBTQIA people told their powerful coming out stories in person in front of a live audience. See the recording here.
