A slew of LGBTIQ+ talent has been recognised by TIME Magazine with its first TIME'S 100 Next list - honouring the rising talent who are “shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health, and more.”
Among those featured are RuPaul's Drag Race star Shangela, who has taken her platform from the reality TV series and gone on to score roles in A Star Is Born and , while .
Actress Jenifer Lewis, a friend of the drag queen, wrote an excerpt for TIME describing why Shangela is so unique.
"He loves what he does, and he does it well," she wrote.
"When he puts that face on, he’s ready. Every time. That’s how you want to be. You can see it in film - he won raves for his performance in A Star Is Born - and onstage. His performance of a Beyoncé medley at the GLAAD Media Awards was electrifying. I felt like a proud peacock - I just hid in the back of the room because I didn’t want to hit anybody with my feathers. And the joy on his face when Beyoncé herself stood up and clapped for him? That was everything."
Lil Nas X, the trailblazing rapper who , also earns a well-deserved mention.
The star is already having , recently becoming only the second openly gay man in history to have achieved 10 million sales in the United States - for his hit single 'Old Town Road' - and, in doing so, joining the one and only Sir Elton John as music royalty.
Then there's actress and activist MJ Rodriguez, who after earning critical acclaim for her role in FX series Pose.
Becoming one, the trans star is also making waves in the beauty industry, recently signing on with beauty brand Olay to become a brand ambassador for Olay Body.
“Despite challenges, Mj has not allowed her talent to be dimmed,” Laverne Cox wrote of Rodriguez for the list.
“Her heart is on her sleeve and that’s what makes her a brilliant artist - she’s always willing to be open and vulnerable, and expose her heart...Mj is blazing a trail that the world doesn’t yet fully comprehend, but time will show that she is truly a force of nature."
Queer Tony winner Ali Stoker, the first disabled person to win a Tony, is also celebrated for her achievements on the list, with Broadway icon Kristen Chenoweth writing that Stoker’s success “tells us that the rules have changed.”
According to , other queer change-makers on the list include , , , , , Ezra Miller, and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
