.png)
The future is queer.
According to a Gallup poll published in February, more Americans than ever consider themselves something other than heterosexual — and Gen Z is leading the way, with one in five members of the 1997-2003 club identifying as LGBTQ+. Despite a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, rhetoric, and misinformation that could otherwise dissuade queer youth from stepping into their light, there is a particularly bright group of people building an unapologetic tomorrow for all of us.
Today, we see queer youth represented on TV in exciting, groundbreaking series like Love, Victor and Sex Education. We see them across social media, teaching audiences what it means to be Indigenous and queer. Perhaps most impactful, we see them making news and headlines. They have raised more than $2 million for abortion access in response to attacks from far-right congresspeople. They have organized statewide walkouts against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida. Queer youth are leading the way and the future is theirs to take.
GLAAD is thrilled to introduce this year’s honorees for the third annual 20 Under 20, a special group of outstanding young people who are accelerating acceptance through their work in entertainment and media. They’re energizing us by releasing unapologetically gay music, granting visibility and representation by providing queer history lessons at school when it’s left out of the curriculum, building community by having one another’s backs and sharing their experiences, and organizing and creating a movement with purpose and against oppression.
This year’s 20 Under 20 list is officially sponsored by Delta and exclusively revealed by Teen Vogue. In addition, GLAAD partnered with professional artist Chris Skinner to create illustrations of each nominee, capturing them in a series of customized, badass portraits. Whether it's the impressive Gen Z for Change executive director Aidan Kohn-Murphy, breakout nonbinary star Elva Guerra, or trailblazing trans model Alex Consani, GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 list is a diverse gathering of exemplary LGBTQ+ youth whose work, activism, and visibility are making the world a safer, more accepting place for all people.
Meet GLAAD’s 2022 Class of 20 Under 20:
Aidan Kohn-Murphy, he/him, 18, founder and executive director of Gen Z for Change
Aidan Kohn-Murphy is a trailblazer. At just 18 years old, he’s mastered the art of tapping into the power of young people on social media and harnessing their voices for good. Through his nonprofit, Gen Z for Change, where he is the founder and executive director, Kohn-Murphy engages more than half a billion people on issues like climate justice, disability rights, gun safety, and, of course, LGBTQ+ and racial justice. Gen Z for Change currently has more than 500 social media creators (some of whom are on this very list), all devoted to shaping the hearts and minds of society at large.
Politico called Kohn-Murphy “an unlikely leader of America’s largest and fastest-growing progressive media empire,” and his efforts have been recognized by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and CNN, among others.
Kohn-Murphy knows queerness, while being “very personal,” also means “becoming unchangeably intertwined with the legacy of generations of queer activists and advocates who came before you.” Through his work, he tells GLAAD, he believes he can “be someone’s queer ancestor who helped enable them to live openly and proudly.”
Alex Consani, she/her, 19, model
When she was just 13, Alex Consani appeared in a shoot with transgender icon Dominique Jackson, who offered her a simple piece of advice: “Giving in to the pressures of the world only takes the world away from you.”
Consani, who appeared in the shoot as an aspiring supermodel, heard Jackson’s words and ran with them. Now repped by IMG, and one of the youngest signed trans supermodels in the industry, Consani has graced the runways of Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Versace, and more. Adored for her early-2000s style and niche sense of humor, the “queen of DePop” is taking New York by storm — and she’s just getting started.
In addition to her flourishing career, Consani has turned to TikTok to remind us that, yes, pretty people can also be insightful and hilarious. Called a “master of Gen Z humor” by Vogue, her accounts @ms.mawma and @captincrook have amassed over 1.2 million followers and feature Consani praising mannequins at Kohl's for their modeling expertise or simply telling her followers, “You need to start being you, because you are you.”
Ava Aimable, she/her, 17, student and activist
Some folks look at spaces that traditionally exclude queer people and they turn the other way, but student and activist Ava Aimable sees opportunity instead.
At her Christian school, Aimable acted as a mentor to LGBTQ+ students to make them feel included, becoming a founder of her school’s first Diversity and Inclusion Council, working with the school’s administration to resolve issues of race, sex, disability, and gender expression. Aimable has since carried her commitment to social justice all the way to Columbia University, where she is studying to become a clinical psychologist.
Along the way, Aimable worked with the nonprofit organization LuvMichael as a social media advocate for people with autism. Fortunately, Aimable’s outstanding commitment to advocacy has not gone unrecognized: She is a deserving Wells Fargo scholar, an honor she earned through the Point Foundation, a nonprofit that empowers promising LGBTQ+ students to reach their full academic and leadership potential.
Aimable’s inspiration? Wanda Sykes. Aimable tells GLAAD: “Besides having the ability to make me laugh uncontrollably, Mrs. Sykes has given me the courage to be myself. She was the first Black lesbian woman that I ever came across. She showed me that being gay wasn’t something that I had to be so serious [about] all the time.”
Cameron Samuels, they/them, 18, student activist
You know you’re doing something right when former President Barack Obama tweets that he’s grateful for your work. For trailblazing community organizer Cameron Samuels, this stamp of approval from the former U.S. Prez is well earned.
In their home state of Texas, Samuels is leading the charge against book bans and queer censorship. Samuels became motivated to speak out when they noticed their high school had an internet filter that blocked access to sites like The Trevor Project and other critical resources for LGBTQ youth. Samuels packed school board meetings and worked with the ACLU to remove the filter, marking the beginning of Samuels’ lifelong commitment to educational equity.
Since then, Samuels has also organized FReadom Week, an initiative to distribute hundreds of challenged or banned books in Texas. The campaign landed Samuels a position as the Honorary Youth Chair for Banned Books Week, an annual event celebrating the freedom to read, led by a coalition of organizations like GLAAD, PEN America, and the National Coalition Against Censorship.
“In communities like that of my home state of Texas, classrooms have become battlegrounds where students are the political pawns,” Samuels tells GLAAD. “Queer youth are struggling at the face of unjust policies targeting marginalized identities, and we are being left out of decision-making that directly affects us.”
Now Samuels is a student at Brandeis University, but they remain firm on combating censorship in Texas. On being visible as an LGBTQ advocate, Samuels says: “If we don’t speak, then who will?”
Danielle Cohn, she/her, 18, entrepreneur and social media influencer
Danielle Cohn is the proud founder of the first teen-owned feminine brand, Feel Divine. With an array of plant-based products, her goal is simple: to help tweens and teens develop self-awareness and feel confident.
With over 19 million followers on TikTok supporting her journey, Cohn tells GLAAD that when she first joined social media she “had no idea the impact [she] was having on people.” That’s what led her to start offering advice on being a woman, being pansexual, and even having an abortion at a young age.
Brave and unapologetic, Cohn’s mission online and beyond is to champion women and the LGBTQ+ community. To those struggling with their identity, she advises, “You only live once, so never be afraid to be you.… The LGBTQ community is amazing and we all love you and support you. We know it’s scary, but trust me, you are so loved. We are all here to be there with you through your journey.”
Elva Guerra, they/them, 18, actor
If you haven’t yet seen Reservation Dogs, you are not just missing out on a nuanced, original, and exciting story about Native American teenagers, you’re also missing out on a touching performance by nonbinary breakout star Elva Guerra.
Guerra feels strongly about moving through the world as an openly queer person, especially now that they’ve stepped into the limelight. “I realized I am becoming the presence I continuously advocate for in film,” they tell GLAAD. Along with Reservation Dogs, Guerra’s authenticity and talent have brought them to Rutherford Falls as a guest star and a series regular in AMC’s psychological thriller Dark Winds.
For members of the LGBTQ+ community, Guerra takes pride in knowing that people can look at them and “have peace about themselves.” Says Guerra to LGBTQ+ youth, “You matter so f*cking much."
Eve May, she/her, 14, public speaker
The pen is mightier than the sword — and for teen public speaker Eve May, that adage rings especially true.
You may recognize May’s name from her moving letter to Lil Nas X, in which she thanked him for his impact on her own life as a trans teenager. Maybe you’ve heard her speak at international workplace summits. Or maybe you saw her in a Nike campaign, where she shares advice for coaches interested in working with trans and nonbinary youth.
May's classmates and the local community know her for being a finalist in a district-wide school design challenge, in which her anti-bullying campaign taught them why it’s important for LGBTQ+ students to feel safe at school. This was, of course, preceded by her second-grade presentation on being trans, complete with a full Q&A session after. The point is, May is making moves — and yes, she’s only 14.
On the power of visibility, May told Lil Nas X: “I want you to know that the courage it takes to be honest with your true self is something I know too. Coming out is hard for all of us, but it’s even harder when you have to do it from the standpoint of being a hero for other people.”
Aside from her groundbreaking work as a public speaker, May also loves reading, being by the beach, snowboarding, and Hunter Schaefer.
Gabriella Pizzolo, she/they, 19, actor and writer
Gabriella Pizzolo broke onto the scene as Small Allison in the 2015 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Fun Home, but Pizzolo's career has been influenced by the LGBTQ+ community from the start. They credit cast mates in the musical, based on the novel by Allison Bechdel, for providing the biggest inspiration. “[I consider] them family, even years after the show's closing,” Pizzolo tells GLAAD. “They taught me to stand for humanity, kindness, and the importance of identity.”
Pizzolo has performed Fun Home’s “Ring of Keys” at the White House for Michelle Obama and at the 20th SAGE Awards. Now, Pizzolo is gracing screens across the country as an out pansexual and nonbinary performer, appearing in HBO’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, as Angela, and Netflix’s Stranger Things, as Suzie.
Being visible on and offscreen as a member of the LGBTQ+ community is not an opportunity Pizzolo takes lightly. An ally since age 11, now with Broadway and two major TV series in the bag, Pizzolo says, “I believe that being visible is changing people’s hearts and minds. It is important to me when dealing with this to always be honest and understanding with others, especially within the community and every ally.”
Giiwedin, he/him, 20, water protector, student, and TikToker
Giiwedin, or Northwind in Ojibwe, is a Two-spirit water protector from the Leech Lake Nation. As a student studying biology at the University of Minnesota, Giiwedin took to TikTok in 2020 to voice resistance to building Line 3, a tar sands pipeline. While protesting, Giiwedin amassed over 400,000 followers on TikTok, all of whom “[stood] alongside us and said no to big oil and yes to the water, and the land, and all of the other living beings.”
Unfortunately, the pipeline was built anyway, tearing through treaty territories in Giiwedin’s area, territories that were rich in wild rice, a sacred food to his people.
Giiwedin starts most of his videos with a simple Ojibwe greeting: “Boozhoo!” His welcome is warm, but his words are powerful. For Pride Month — over Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” — he reminded his audience that “being queer was not demonized in the Americas prior to colonization.” This mirrors his own experience as a queer Indigenous person and asserts that those from his tribal nation are accepting of LGBTQ+ people, just as “most tribal nations were.”
Want to learn about giving Indigenous people their land back? Or what it means to be Two-spirit? Say “Boozhoo!” to Giiwedin.
Jack Petocz, he/him, 17, strategist at Gen Z for Change, political activist, and student
Amid Florida’s numerous legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ students, perhaps most notably the introduction of HB577, a.k.a. the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Jack Petocz was at the helm of organizing against the oppression.
At just 17, Petocz organized multiple statewide walkouts in response to the bill, drawing thousands of peaceful student protesters. That same year, Petocz successfully spearheaded a campaign to unseat a controversial and conservative member of his local school board, Jill Woolbright. Woolbright got national attention when she attempted to have queer nonbinary author George M. Johnson’s memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue, stripped from school libraries, going as far as filing two criminal complaints against Johnson.
Through his organization Recall FCSB (an acronym for Flagler County School Board), Petocz led protests, addressed the school board, and published an op-ed in the local paper about the danger of book bans. In 2021, Petocz wrote: “Book bans aren’t just book bans.… They’re attempts to erase people like me, to scare us back into invisibility and irrelevance. We will be neither.” Petocz also started an online campaign to distribute 300 copies of All Boys Aren’t Blue to his district.
Petocz's résumé as an activist doesn’t stop there. He’s published pieces on the importance of gun control, appeared at White House Pride events, and now serves as a Gen Z for Change strategist. He also received a Webby Award for his work surrounding the #SayGay movement.
Petocz has named Harvey Milk as his biggest LGBTQ+ influence. “He served as an inspiration to me by showing that gay men can be placed in a position of power despite a tumultuous situation at hand.”
Tumultuous indeed, Petocz has navigated with power and grace the many obstacles that LGBTQ+ youth face in the US. Time will tell what is next for this wunderkind advocate, but for now, Petocz is focused on this year’s midterms.
Jade LeMac, she/her, 18, musician
Musician Jade LeMac has no uncertainty about who she is or what purpose her music serves. LeMac asserts that she “naturally exists outside of any boxes, and it’s instantly apparent in her music.” A queer Asian artist who pens “introspectively emotional soundtracks” and anthems for “when you want to have a bad-bitch time,” LeMac’s discography, which currently consists of four hit singles, has garnered more than 27 million streams to date.
Onward and upward, LeMac has partnered with Arista Records as she prepares to release her upcoming EP. LeMac credits artists Hayley Kiyoko, Troye Sivan, Lauren Jauregui, and Kehlani for inspiration and revealing to her that “there’s space for everyone.” In a word of advice for LGBTQ+ youth, LeMac says, “[Don’t] be scared of yourself. You will never find happiness in other people.”
If you want to hear more from LeMac, stream her tracks “Constellations,” “Let Me,” “Same Place,” and “Aimed to Kill.”
Javier Gomez, he/him, 18, student activist, writer, and designer
Javier Gomez is nothing short of a visionary, with the talent to back it up. Gomez’s work as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community has brought him to the streets of Florida, where he protested the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill; it’s brought him to the White House, where he introduced President Joe Biden moments before he signed his historic Executive Order Advancing LGBTQI+ Equality during Pride Month; and it brought him to the 2022 Webby Awards, where he accepted the award for Social Movement of the Year (alongside other 20 Under 20 honorees Jack Petocz and Will Larkins). Gomez's six-word acceptance speech was profound and accurate: “This right here is queer revolution.”
Gomez is now taking his talents to New York City, where he's a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology. An aspiring political and fashion journalist, Gomez credits his unstoppable advocacy efforts to none other than Lady Gaga. “She has created an oasis that many queer folks can confide in," he explains. "My work has become a reflection of the self-love I discovered through Lady Gaga's lyrics; I can now reclaim my queerness and help others do the same.”
Keep your eyes peeled for this outstanding queer and Venezuelan artist, writer, and activist — you’ll be glad you did.
Lotus Lloyd, he/him, 19, sex educator and student
Growing up, Lotus Lloyd did not think Blackness and transness could coexist. “All the trans people I saw were white,” Lloyd tells GLAAD. “And when I finally did learn of Black transness, it was in the past tense, remembering the dead or lost.”
Lloyd has since stepped into his truth as a Black queer transmasculine person, and is now inspiring others to find their light. In high school, he worked with Planned Parenthood of Michigan as a peer sex educator, serving as a confidential resource for young people looking for interpersonal support, more information on specific sexual health topics, and more. Says Lloyd, “By engaging in community-building work, I am able to serve as both a role model and a support system to local queer and trans youth.”
Now a freshman at Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences, where he's studying gender, sexuality, and feminist studies and education, Lloyd continues his deeply important work as a sex educator. Lloyd also serves on the Advocates for Youth’s Racial Justice in Sex-Education Youth Advisory Council and Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s Gender Affirming Care Community Advisory Board.
As a sex educator in his community, the work Lloyd does is not just lifesaving, it's life affirming. When asked for words of advice to other LGBTQ+ youth, Lloyd says, “Learn how to love yourself, ASAP.”
Milly Shapiro, she/they, 20, actor and singer-songwriter
Honorary Tony Award? Check! Starring in a critically acclaimed A24 horror film? Check! Guest judge on a beloved underground drag competition? Also check!
Milly Shapiro’s career as an actor speaks for itself, and her success has only been bolstered by a commitment to authenticity. Also a singer and songwriter in the band AfterxClass, which has amassed 34,000 monthly listeners and over a million streams, Shapiro tells GLAAD that by coming out and navigating the industry as an openly queer artist, they can show audiences “that it's wonderful being queer” and that “they're not alone.”
The star of Hereditary and the 2013 Broadway show Matilda, for which the performer also received a Grammy nomination, Shapiro discloses that “coming out was hard.” What gave them strength was seeing all the “artists, cosplayers, social media influencers, and other types of creators” who “widened [their] view of the world.”
Now, Shapiro is doing the same for her followers. “I decided that being me was the most important thing that I could do…. If I can make one person feel like they're okay being who they are, then I'm happy.” Living in New York and making music, Shapiro finds camaraderie in the LGBTQ+ community and advises queer youth struggling to “find those people who accept you and remind you how wonderful you truly are and hold on to what makes you, you.”
Nico Craig, he/they, 20, music producer and activist
As one of Gen Z’s hottest Black trans DJs, Nico Craig has always wanted to inspire the LGBTQ+ community to dance through life with authenticity.
At just 10 years old, Craig was a finalist on America’s Got Talent for their DJ'ing skills, and performed at Radio City Music Hall. In middle school, Craig created an LGBTQ+ student-led organization, going on to be selected as a youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign. The next year, Craig had the honor of DJ'ing for the Obamas at the 2014 White House Easter Egg Roll. Craig then became a resident DJ on iHeartMedia’s Real 92.3, traveling across the country to DJ, including at the Brian Henry Juneteenth Block Party in Los Angeles and his monthly residency at the Heartthrob party, which is dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2019, Craig was featured in a star-studded Grammy Museum panel titled “Empowered: LGBTQ+ Voices in Music,” presented in conjunction with the Recording Academy, GLAAD, Out Magazine, and the Ally Coalition. Craig spoke about facing discrimination in school and how having family members in the LGBTQ+ community shaped their experience.
Craig has been promoting the importance of coexistence between generations and uplifting gender and nonconforming BIPOC communities. Craig tells GLAAD, “I feel as though it is my duty to be a part of solutions to hatred rather than the cause of it. I remember the feeling of hopelessness as I dealt with homophobia and transphobia throughout my youth, and I plan on being a part of the generation that puts a cap to it. Everyone deserves to be free and use their voice to express themselves regardless of how one's experience entails. We must dismantle fear!”
Nico Craig is taking over Los Angeles, creating safe spaces for the community, and spreading queer joy on the dance floor.
Olivia Julianna, she/her, 19, queer activist and director of political strategy of Gen Z for Change
Best known for executing what just might be the world’s greatest clapback to right-wing hate, Olivia Julianna should not be underestimated.
Julianna made headlines in July for her public confrontation with Republican congressman Matt Gaetz. The notoriously antichoice politician took to Twitter to post fatphobic and misogynistic remarks about abortion rights activists, which Julianna swiftly shut down. After Gaetz's weak rebuttal, Julianna asserted herself again, using Gaetz's vitriol to launch an abortion fundraiser for her thousands of followers. Within 48 hours, it garnered $1 million in donations, and now sits at $2.3 million. Along the way, Julianna and her followers were sure to make donations to abortion clinics in Gaetz’s name and created thank you cards for his help in the pro-choice movement.
Of this triumph, Julianna, who has struggled with her physical and mental health since childhood, tells Teen Vogue, “The last thing I’m going to do is let someone like Matt Gaetz, of all people, make me feel bad about myself. My confidence has not faltered one bit since this entire thing has happened because I know I’m doing the right thing.”
She has not only mastered the art of using social media as a tool to expose and silence problematic politicians — including Texas attorney general Ken Paxton and Virginia’s Republican governor Glenn Youngkin — she has mastered the inverse as well, using social media to uplift candidates who can bring Texas into 2022.
Julianna knows what is keeping Texas and liberal candidates from succeeding: “The reality is that Texas is not a red state; Texas is a voter-suppression state,” she says. With the power of TikTok, and in her role as director of political strategy & government affairs for Gen Z for Change, Julianna has championed Democratic candidates like Beto O’Rourke, who is running to unseat Greg Abbott as Texas governor, and Rochelle Garza, who is competing against Paxton for attorney general.
Of Julianna's influence, current state lieutenant governor candidate Mike Collier nailed it when he said that “Olivia embodies the best of Texas: grit in the face of adversity, resolve no matter the hardship.”
Roswell Grey, they/them, 17, Beloved Arise youth ambassador
There are many who see queerness and religious practice as mutually exclusive, but Roswell Grey is here to reshape the narrative. Of their identity and advocacy, Grey tells GLAAD, “I am an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and am openly queer in all religious contexts, despite the possible backlash.”
Their vehicle for expanding the understanding of what it means to be LGBTQ and a person of faith? Beloved Arise, a faith-based nonprofit where Grey serves as one of five youth ambassadors. Through this organization, they “share [their] story to support and uplift other queer youth of faith.” Grey is also the president of their school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance, their second year in the role, and a member of the Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program.
Grey’s activism is steadfast and staunch. “I am an advocate for the LGBTQ community because there is no other option in my mind," they say. "Being queer is such an important aspect of who I am, and other young people deserve to be supported in who they are.”
Their biggest inspiration? Edna St. Vincent Millay, an openly bisexual poet who fought for women’s rights and queer rights in the 1920s and '30s. Nearly 100 years later, Grey is following in St. Vincent Millay’s footsteps, using their voice to shape people’s hearts and minds in the direction of acceptance.
Earlier this year, Grey was profiled as part of Good Morning America’s Inspiration List, a roundup of LGBTQ+ youth making change. Grey also enjoys hiking, camping, cryptids and cryptid hunting.
Will Larkins, they/them, 17, student activist and LGBTQ advocate
When the “Don’t Say Gay” bill was making its way through the Florida Senate, few stood up in opposition as remarkably as Will Larkins. At their school, Larkins organized the “Say Gay Anyway” walkout, which was attended by over 500 people. They spoke to the Florida Senate committee and, perhaps most significantly, penned the op-ed “Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Will Hurt Teens Like Me,” which ran in the New York Times.
The op-ed, published in March, chronicled Larkins’ experience being harassed at a Halloween party and how they were comforted later by a teacher who shared that she had a similar experience growing up. This talk was nothing short of lifesaving for Larkins, who noted: “Had the proposed law been in effect last year, my teacher could have put herself in jeopardy by being there for me.”
Larkins explained how education, including being introduced to the LGBTQ acronym by a friend at summer camp and learning about nonbinary and Two-spirit people in Indigenous communities, affirmed their existence as a queer person. It is because of knowledge like this that education and visibility can save the lives of LGBTQ+ people and why Larkins spoke out so strongly against the harmful bill.
Larkins’ efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, they received a Webby Award for Best Social Movement of the Year, and later appeared at Harvard Law School’s 2022 Students Speak Youth Summit as the keynote speaker.
Larkins now serves as the cofounder and president of their schools Queer Student Union, and has committed to dressing in “very androgynous, outwardly queer clothing” every day. Why? Because if “I can help even one person by being myself,” Larkins tells GLAAD, “I did my job,”
Zander Moricz, he/him, 18, executive director of the Social Equity and Education Initiative
When queer youth put their lives on the line to combat dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, it is often because they have a deeper understanding of the true potential for harm. When it came to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Zander Moricz did not hesitate to share that understanding: Providing analysis to Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, and more, Moricz has built a career on countering that hateful law, including acting as a plaintiff in the lawsuit against Florida governor DeSantis surrounding “Don’t Say Gay.”
Moricz is also the founder and executive director of the Social Equity and Education Initiative (SEE), an organization that's leading student response to oppressive leaders and their policies through mass organizing and campaign work. “For me, school was the first place I came out,” Moricz tells GLAAD. “So, as I watch my governor spoil this space — this human right — for thousands of children, my advocacy serves as a productive outlet for the anger I feel for children like my younger self. I have to speak out for the thousands of students who can no longer do so safely.”
At SEE, Moricz also oversees the registration of tens of thousands of youth voters. A champion of representation, Moricz tells queer youth: “Our community exists because of our tireless fight for visibility, and because of that, our community is strong. Lean into this collective of love and draw from it your birthright: queer power.”
Lastly, Moricz tells GLAAD his queero (queer hero) is Dan Levy for creating the show Schitt’s Creek. “Schitt’s Creek was the first time I ever witnessed a queer love story that wasn’t a tragedy.… To know that I could experience love without loss and community without contingency was liberating.”
Zuriel Hooks, she/her, 19, content creator, activist, organizer for The Knights and Orchids Society
From a legislative standpoint, trans youth in Alabama have the odds stacked against them. In fact, the state was first in the country to make providing gender-affirming health care for trans youth a felony. While that law is currently on hold due to an injunction handed down by a federal judge, the anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment prevails.
Fortunately for queer youth in the state, activists such as Zuriel Hooks are reminding folks in Alabama and beyond that, yes, trans youth exist, and yes, they deserve access to health care, education, and more. Currently, Hooks works for The Knights and Orchids Society (TKO), a nonprofit that provides free health care for Black LGBTQ+ people in Alabama. As a TKO prep navigator and vice president of the organization’s youth ambassador program, Hooks' work includes connecting trans youth with free hormone replacement therapy, leading support groups on trans feminine and trans masculine issues, and organizing events promoting safe sexual health.
“My existence holds a special place in this world," Hooks tells GLAAD. "There is only one me. I’ve noticed [my presence has] helped a lot of young LGBTQ+ people without even noticing. They [tell] me I inspire them and help them feel better about who they are.”
As an exemplary, impactful leader on trans issues, Hooks has provided insight to NBC News on how hormone replacement therapy saves lives, and to social justice publication The Reckon about how “trans folks in Alabama very much still exist, are still valid, and are the future of our state.”
Hooks credits Martha P. Johnson, the “mother of all mothers,” for shaping her barrier breaking work.
GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 list is presented with special thanks to Abdool Corlette, Allison Bloom, Anthony Allen Ramos, Dustin Hood, The Knights & Orchids Society, Nick Adams, The Point Foundation, Tony Morrison, and Yolanda Lenge.
Photo illustrations for GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 class of 2022 were commissioned by New York-based graphic designer, animator and illustrator, Christopher Skinner.
Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.
