Voting is open for LGBTQ Nation’s 2023 Heroes

LGBTQ Nation Heroes 2023 opens today for voting, so go make your voice heard.

Each year, LGBTQ Nation focuses on the good work people are doing. We do this to inspire ourselves and our readers and to draw attention to work that still needs to be done. It’s our way of pointing out that, even though our community faces constant attacks, we are also already surrounded by heroes.

Our editorial team put together a lineup of 36 nominees who we consider heroes from the past year across nine categories. The nominees are LGBTQ+ people or close allies who have done heroic work in a variety of fields and highlight what it means to be on the right side of history.

You can vote for your heroes every day this month, once per device, until September 30.

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Attacks on LGBTQ+ people continued this year, with dozens of states passing laws banning access to gender-affirming care and eroding the idea that LGBTQ+ students deserve an equal education. Rightwing politicians have started using our community as a punching bag to show their conservative cred as they face primary challenges. And Pride this year faced unprecedented interference by hate groups.

Yet, despite all of that, we are surrounded by heroes. These are people who are willing to stand up in some way to make life better for those around them. People who strive to provide positive role models in a world that teaches us that being LGBTQ+ is wrong. People who help provide resources to face challenges that others don’t have to face. People who are working to make the world a safer place for everyone to be themselves.

We picked nine categories that represent different kinds of people who are doing important work. So take some time to read about them before voting: LGBTQ Nation Hero of the Year, Celebrity Who Made Us Proud, Social Media Hero, Game-Changing Hero, Hero Who Lent a Helping Hand, Arts and Entertainment Hero, Spaces for Pride Hero, Innovator Hero, and Truth-Seeking Hero.

You can vote for who you think best represents what it means to be a hero in each category once per day per device, starting today and going through September 30. Winners will be announced shortly after voting is closed.