So many phenomenal queer and trans women are contributing to some of the best entertainment out there, from in front of and behind the scenes. These women make some of our favorites in media, and we can’t wait to see what they do next, be it a new comic book, feature film, or album. There are so many wildly talented LGBTQ women out there, and this list is just a a few who we think you should be paying attention to. Let us know who some of your favorite queer and trans women creators are! Also check out our post from Black History month, where we covered some of our favorite Black LGBTQ creatives including some other amazing women!
Directors
Desiree Akhavan
Most recently making headlines for directing and co-writing the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning drama The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Akhavan is an Iranian-American bisexual filmmaker, writer, producer and actor. Her debut feature Appropriate Behaviour, which starred Akhavan as a bisexual woman coping after a breakup and coming out to her family, was met with critical acclaim and a GLAAD Media Award nomination. Post was recently purchased for U.S. distribution by FilmRise, and will hit theaters this summer. Check out her Twitter to see more that she's working on!
Jamie Babbit
While she is best known for directing the popular 1999 lesbian comedy But I’m a Cheerleader!, Jamie Babbit continues to have a successful career in film and television. Her other features include Itty Bitty Titty Committee and Addicted to Fresno, as well as directing episodes of Gilmore Girls, The L Word, Looking, and Supergirl among several other shows. Her most recently announced project is directing the Drew Barrymore-starring romantic comedy The Stand-In, scheduled for a 2019 release. Check out her Twitter here!
Sydney Freeland
Navajo transgender filmmaker Syndey Freeland put her name on the map with her first feature Drunktown’s Finest, a GLAAD Media Award-nominated film that tackled the different identities and struggles of the Navajo people, including that of a transgender woman. She also directed the webseries Her Story, which received the Special Recognition GLAAD Media Award and was nominated for an Emmy. Her most recent film was Netflix’s Deidra and Laney Rob a Train, a dark comedy about two sisters who plan to rob a train to bail their mother out of jail. Follow her on Twitter to see more!
Writers
Ali Adler
Starting her television writing career with writing on Beverly Hills 90210 in the 90s, Ali Adler has become a powerhouse in TV writing and producing. The co-creator of The New Normal and Supergirl, both of which have significant queer characters, Adler has also produced and written on series including Glee, Chuck and Just Shoot Me! She currently is a writer and consulting producer on The CW’s Dynasty reboot, which has two gay characters in the main ensemble. Follow her Instagram to see more of her projects!
Michelle Badillo
Michelle Badillo got her start as the writer and director of the short Ladies Room, a film about a drag queen who catches a teenage boy stealing her heels. Badillo has gone on to be a writer and story editor on Netflix’s One Day at a Time. On the show, she used her voice as a queer Latinx writer to help write the story of lesbian character Elena and her coming out process, one of the best queer teen representations on TV today. Check out her Instagram to see more!
Tanya Saracho
Starting her career as an actress and playwright in Chicago, queer Latina writer Tanya Saracho co-founded Teatro Luna, an all Latina theater group in Chicago. In the last five years, she has moved into television work, as a writer and producer on Looking and How to Get Away with Murder. She is currently showrunning the upcoming Vida, a Starz drama set in rapidly gentrifying East LA, with multiple LGBTQ Latinx characters in the main ensemble. Check out her Twitter here!
Actors
Indya Moore
Afro-Latina trans actress and model Indya Moore was recently announced to be starring in the upcoming FX series Pose, which will feature the largest transgender cast in U.S. scripted TV history. Moore also appeared in the independent film Saturday Church, a story about a teenage boy who finds his community amongst trans women and drag queens. She has also acted in music videos, including the queer story in J.View’s “Don’t Pull Away,” below. Check out her Instagram to see more of her work!
Natalie Morales
Known for roles on television shows such as White Collar, The Grinder and a favorite on Parks and Recreation, Natalie Morales made headlines last year when she came out as queer. Since then she has appeared in GLAAD Media Award- nominated biopic Battle of the Sexes and is currently recurring on Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet. Just last month, she landed the lead in an upcoming NBC pilot Abby’s where she plays the title role of Abby, a veteran bartender in San Diego. Check out her twitter!
I'm coming out. I want the world to know. #PrideMonth https://t.co/XTjpMsk9kT
— Natalie Morales (@nataliemorales) June 30, 2017
Daniela Vega
Chilean trans actress and singer Daniela Vega broke through to the mainstream when she starred in the Academy Award-winning film A Fantastic Woman. In addition to playing the lead in this history-making film, she also was a consultant to writer/director Sebastián Lelio, and helped shape the lead character of Marina. Vega got her start in the theater piece La Mujer Mariposa, which ran for eight years, and continues to be lauded for her performances. Follow her on twitter here!
Musicians
Beth Ditto
Famous for fronting indie band Gossip, out musician Beth Ditto has recently released a solo full length studio album Fake Sugar. In addition to having a career in music for almost two decades, Ditto has also curated a clothing line for plus sized women, modeled, co-created a make-up collection, and written a memoir. She has also branched out into acting with a role in the upcoming Gus Van Sant film Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. Through all this, she continues to be an outspoken activist for LGBTQ acceptance, body positivity, and feminism. Check out her Twitter to see more!
Hayley Kiyoko
With a career that straddles acting, dancing, and making her own music, out gay singer Hayley Kiyoko has starred in film and television as well as released three EPs. Her single “Girls Like Girls” from her second EP put Kiyoko in the spotlight, with the video she co-directed garnering over 87 million views. She now directs all her own videos, including those for the singles that have been released for her upcoming album Expectations, out on March 30th. Follow her on Twitter her to say up to date!
Syd
Out musician Syd has been writing, producing, and singing in the music industry since she was a teenanger. Having been featured on songs from artists including Common, Frank Ocean, and Vic Mensa, Syd’s style ranges from hip-hop to R&B. She currently fronts soul band The Internet, as well as having a flourishing solo career. Her debut full-length solo album Fin came out last year to critical praise and was quickly followed by her second EP Always Never Home. Keep up with her music by following her on Twitter!
Comic Book Writers/Artists
Kate Leth
After getting her start with online content, out bisexual comic book writer and artist Kate Leth has worked on comics including Adventure Time, Fraggle Rock and Edward Scissorhands. She recently was the writer for Marvel's Pasty Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. Leth regularly is an advocate for queer and bisexual inclusion and includes LGBTQ characters in her work across all platforms. Check out her website for more projects!
Gabby Rivera
Out queer Latinx author and comic book writer Gabby Rivera is the writer of GLAAD Media Award-nominated comic America, which is the story of America Chavez, Marvel’s first lesbian Latina superhero. Rivera’s writing brings a depth and joy to America, as well as an authenticity speaking to the queer Latinx experience. Rivera also wrote the award winning young adult novel Juliet Takes a Breath, a story about a Puerto Rican lesbian finding herself. Go to her website to see more of her work!
Mariko Tamaki
Queer graphic novelist Mariko Tamaki has gotten praise for her graphic novels and comic books, including Skim, which centers on a teenager girl who has feelings for her female teacher. Another one of her books, This One Summer, was banned in libraries across the country for its “adult themes.” She has also written She-Hulk for Marvel, a Supergirl miniseries for DC, Adventure Time comics, and is currently a writer on GLAAD Media Award-nominated ongoing series Lumberjanes. Keep up with her projects on Twitter!
Comedians
Patti Harrison
Brooklyn-based trans comedian Patti Harrison made headlines last year when she did a set on Jimmy Fallon regarding Trump’s military ban on transgender troops. Her style of comedy spans beyond social commentary, and she has made a name for herself with her off-kilter and hilarious brand of stand up. She has also appeared on television including Search Party and Broad City, as well as multiple episodes of Franchesca Ramsey's Decoded. Follow her on Twitter for more jokes!
Brittani Nichols
Out lesbian actress, writer, and comedian Brittani Nichols performs at comedy venues all over the city of Los Angeles. She also writes for television on shows such as Billy on the Street, Take My Wife, and Facebook’s Strangers, and has appeared in Transparent as well as indie feature Suicide Kale, which she wrote and is available on demand. Nichols has two podcasts as well, Brand New Podcast and Hamilton the Podcast. Keep up with her work on Twitter!
Wanda Sykes
One of the most well-known LGBTQ comedians out there, Wanda Sykes is still someone the world should see more of. From winning an Emmy for her writing on The Chris Rock Show in the 90s to her most recent stand-up special on Epix in 2016, Sykes has had an illustrious career. She has been a longstanding advocate for the LGBTQ community, as GLAAD presented her with the Stephen F. Kolzak award in 2010, and she will be hosting the GLAAD Media Awards in LA next month. Follow her on twitter here!
