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Keiynan Lonsdale also starred in Disney’s The Finest Hours. (Getty)
Keiynan Lonsdale starred in Disney’s The Finest Hours. (Getty)

Gay Heroes of the Future

We’re taking a moment to think of all the inspirational homosexuals of the past, the present, and the future. There are countless gay freedom fighters, so we had to narrow it down to our twelve favs. This is part three, where we celebrate gay heroes of the future.

Keiynan Lonsdale

Keiynan Lonsdale is an Australian star on the rise. He first came to the public’s attention on Australia’s teen show Dance Academy, went on to become a VJ for MTV, dabbles in music (see below), acts in Disney films, and is currently starring in The Flash as Wally West!

This 25 year-old Aussie actor announced his sexuality in a revealing Instagram post in May 2017. Keiynan thought he’d always hide who he really was while working in Hollywood, “I never had any plans to come out until I was like in my 80s, until then I’d just live a nice sad life.”

Those plans changed in May 2017 when Lonsdale came out on Instagram, “A couple years ago I was able to accept myself, and it saved my life, but now I’ve gotten to a new roadblock and I feel kind of lost,” he wrote. “I gotta take the next step and actually embrace who I am, which is pretty exciting. Not faking shit anymore, not apologizing for falling in love with people no matter their gender. I’ve become bored of being insecure, ashamed, scared…no one should feel like that about themselves, especially when there is so much good life to live.”


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Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan, originally from South Africa, is an internet sensation who has lived most of his life in Australia. He came out on YouTube in 2013, and the video became a defining moment in his career, as it went viral and was met with huge support. He’d already come out to his family three years earlier.

Sivan was described by Out Magazine as, “sweet, articulate, unassuming, matter-of-fact.” He talks openly about his attraction to other guys but likes to keep names and relationship details secret. It’s probably the only part of his life that’s not available online. Sivan is already a pretty big deal in America and Australia, so we think 2018 will be his year to reach even higher heights.


Munroe Bergdorf

Munroe Bergdorf is a British model, DJ, and social activist. She came to public attention in August 2017, when she was employed as the first transgender model to front a L’Oréal campaign in the UK. She attracted further public attention following an article in The Daily Mail highlighting Facebook comments that she had made about white people. Munroe has always argued that the comments were taken out of context and misrepresented her point.

L’Oreal fired Munroe, and in the subsequent media circus, she was wise enough to steer the conversation back to her primary point about dismantling racism. She is now a highly visible trans woman of color in the UK and is a brave spokesperson willing to engage in complex issues in the public sphere, from gender to race. We think 2018 will be another year for Munroe to excel.


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Sakima

Sakima is a new generation of pop star. He sings out and proud lyrics about sex with men. He embraces male pronouns and talks about the LGTBQ narrative in a way that he feels is lacking in other gay pop music.

When he was only six years old, he realized he fancied a boy called Ricky. The feelings were not mutual but 20 years later ‘Ricky’ is now the title of his first EP. Through the seven songs, the singer fetishizes daddies, rejects heteronormative traditions, and explores queer culture.


Who are your heroes?

We hand picked four up-and-coming young people we feel could leave a long lasting impression on the LGBTQ landscape, either by actively campaigning for greater visibility or simply by being their natural, wonderful, queer-selfs in the public eye. Who do you think the movers and shakers of 2018 will be? We’d love to hear from you. Send an email so social@planetromeo.com and let us know.

Heroes Past

https://www.romeo.com/en/blog/gay-heroes-past/

Heroes Present

Gay Heroes Present

Do you know about our Queer Careers?

Riyadh Khalaf Queer Careers

Last Year

The Gays of Christmas Future

This time last year we listed some awesome LGBT future heroes, see if we got it right, here: The Gays of Christmas Future

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