Courtney O'Donnell

Transgender actress, advocate, and writer; star, 'Lexie Cannes'

I was stunned when I visited a transgender support site that had reposted my article. Hundreds of trans people were leaving comments attacking transvestites, cross dressers, drag queens and other fringe members of the trans community simply because they don't want to be associated with them.

John Becker

Managing Editor, The Bilerico Project

Why the rush to justify and defend those who demand that their anti-gay prejudice be accommodated? If you think there's a difference, then what you're saying is that homophobic bigotry is somehow nobler or more acceptable than racism and anti-Semitism. And that's appalling.

Ben Francisco Maulbeck

President, Funders for LGBTQ Issues

The idea that gays are wealthier than straights is an inaccurate stereotype that undermines the struggle for equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

Wayne Besen

Founder, Truth Wins Out

What people often fail to comprehend is that a colossal industry exists to demonize gay people, including numerous attempts to create conditions where homosexuals are imprisoned, assaulted and even murdered. And it is not just at the fringes of Christianity where calls for violence occur.

Marissa Higgins

Writer

Sometimes she says it sitting across from me in a coffee shop. Sometimes she sends it via text message. And then the conversation turns to the supposedly inherent errors of straight men and the taunting disconnect between men and women's needs. It's a fall back to the old stereotypes.

Nish Gera

Entrepreneur, writer and consultant; co-founder, Lala Wines

If Mark Carson was not safe on the streets of Greenwich Village in New York City, then none of us is safe. New York is a city that worships diversity, the "non-normal" and the different.

Benjamin Solomon

Former Editor-in-Chief, Next Magazine

The year following graduation was a bit of a lost one as I tried to finally come to terms with my new identity. But nothing really clicked until I got a job at Next Magazine. Suddenly, my world had direction.

Tom Bartolomei

aka Mr. Von B, husband of drag queen Vivian Von Brokenhymen

It's no longer sufficient for our straight friends to say, "I have no problem with you being gay," or, "I have gay friends." What we really need is for LGBT people and our allies to stand together and say that enough is enough when it comes to homophobia.

Mark O'Connell, L.C.S.W.

Psychotherapist in private practice

Bret Easton Ellis insists on asserting his "dudeness" by publicly splitting himself from the "elf gays." For Ellis there seems to be no realness, no masculinity, no power (and perhaps no self) without a despised, feminine, vulnerable foil.

Kimberly Dark

Parent, award-winning writer and speaker on LGBT issues and professor of sociology, California State University San Marcos

My mother may continue to cringe at the word "queer," but I invite you to consider the idea that queerness can be a pretty good thing. In the broad sense of the word, every person who has ever gone against social norms and values in order to improve them is queer.

Anna Aagenes

Executive Director, GO! (Generation Out) Athletes

This past weekend, basketball player Brittney Griner opened up about the fact that her coach at Baylor did not want her to talk openly about her sexuality. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident: One in four LGBT athletes feels pressured to be silent about his or her sexual orientation.

Jimmy Nguyen

Host of SPEAK UP WITH JIMMY web series, speech expert, digital media lawyer, diversity advocate, motivational speaker

Ji talks about creating his "Find Your Silver Lining" Foundation to educate people about HIV and help people living with HIV/AIDS. He plans to lead HIV-positive hikers on a seven-day trek on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in that nation.

Sally Hansell

Freelance journalist and licensed clinical social worker

On May 17 and 18 the Atlanta Cyclorama boldly allowed art collective John Q to stage "The Campaign for Atlanta: An Essay on Queer Migration" as an after-hours event. The climax was the screening of early films by gay photographer Crawford Barton.

Brad Bell

Co-creator, showrunner and star, 'Husbands'

In your recent speech at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center you said, "We need to create an atmosphere that encourages people to speak up, so we get this right." This letter is me speaking up, with the hope that we can get this right.

Keli Goff

Author and Special Correspondent, TheRoot.com

The recent violence in New York will hopefully inspire some people who have been on the fence and believe that LGBT rights are not their problem to understand that regardless of your skin color or sexual orientation, the fight for equal rights matters to all of us.

Jamie McGonnigal

Founder, TalkAboutEquality.com

On Saturday, May 18, I had the pleasure of marrying my best friend. In front of a hundred or so dear friends and family on a beach in Provincetown, Mass., I did something I never, ever imagined I'd be able to do legally in this country.

Rev. G. Jude Geiger

Unitarian Universalist minister

I finally saw a map depicting the last six instances of gay-targeting hate crimes in Manhattan since April 1. Young men beaten into unconsciousness. Killed. All in places that I've considered part of my home, or my neighborhood, or where I've met friends time and time again.