[calm music]
- My name is Cynthia Erivo.
- I'm Munroe Bergdorf.
- My name is Gottmik.
- My name is Jordan Barrett.
[clapperboard clicks]
- Hi, I'm Cara Delevigne.
The importance of representation to me,
in the industry and the world at large
is that people need to seep people like them.
Growing up, I didn't really see many people like me,
so I'm just really grateful to be
one of those people representing.
I never really came out.
It was more that I just decided that I was done
with being in the closet, I was done
with being ashamed for who I loved
and who I was, so for me, it was just being like
love is love and we should be able to love who we want.
[clapperboard clicks]
- I'm Ariana DeBose.
I didn't realize I was coming out.
I just was living, and I realized,
"Oh, I don't think my grandparents know
"that I like all different types of humans."
And at that point, I hadn't even really chosen
a word to describe myself, but I decided I'm queer
because I just thought it would allow me
to continue to grow, no matter who I love,
no matter how they identify.
So that works for me.
There's a part two to this, but actually
it really was part one, I guess.
When I was 11, I was riding in the car
with my mother [laughs].
We were in the middle of a dance workshop,
and on the ride home, I said, "Mom, you know,
"people are just really beautiful.
"Just like look at all those beautiful dancers.
"I think I could like a girl.
"I could date girls."
She was like, "Oh, that's cool."
- Hi, my name's Cameron Lee Phan.
If I could send my younger self a message,
"I'm your future self and I got you,
"and you'll be surprised to see all the things
"that are coming for you and the people
"that you're gonna meet and the experiences
"that you're going to have if you trust me,
"if you trust yourself, your future self,
"you're gonna be fine."
Who did I look up to growing up?
Females, pop stars and actresses, family members,
I was always seeking out like feminine energy
to like balance this very masculine world.
- I'm Kai-Isaiah Jamal.
I'm so sure that I don't have a gender.
It's like the only surety that I have in my life.
I came out as a very binaried version of myself.
I was going by he/him pronouns,
I was very, very regimented by wanting
to assimilate as close to cisness as possible.
And now, I guess I've had another coming out,
which is like stepping into the gender fluidity,
and now it's like a whole new space
of understanding myself, presenting myself
to people in various ways.
[clapperboard clicks]
- I'm Munroe Bergdorf.
A book that I can really recommend right now
is a book written by one of my good friends, Shon Faye.
In my humble opinion, she's written a masterpiece,
"The Transgender Issue" is the name of the book,
exploring exactly what the issues
around the trans rights movement are,
and it cuts into all of the noise going on
around trans rights and how trans rights
have absolutely no impact on women's rights,
because they're one and the same.
And if anything, we can see that what's happening
right now in America with all of these anti-trans bills,
it's only a matter of time until abortion got attacked.
They're being attacked by the same people,
so it's really important that we work together,
but that book is so diligent and so groundbreaking.
Read it, it's phenomenal.
[clapperboard clicks]
- Hi, I'm Nathan Westling.
My proudest achievement was finding self-love,
and transitioning.
I think one piece of advice I could give
to somebody starting to transition is enjoy,
and take it slow because it seems like overnight,
you know, you go from your old self
to the self that you want, and I wish somebody
would've told me to just slow down
and take every moment as it comes.
- Hi, my name is Sheerah Ravindren.
The importance of representation in the industry
and the world at large, for me, is incredibly important.
The visibility gives validation.
I think it should be understood that visibility
doesn't always equal liberation,
and just because you're seeing marginalized people
featured in campaigns and stuff,
that doesn't necessarily always translate
into behind the scenes.
So it's still important to look at representation
as something that is one part of trying
to create change, but there's still more work to be done.
- Hi, my name is Aweng Chuol.
The most joyful things about being part
of the community is having a community
to be a part of, I think.
I feel like growing up as an LGBTIQA+ person,
I didn't have the community I have now.
I didn't have the mirror of who I am,
and who I want to be.
Where did I first find my people?
In films, "Paris is Burning," in movies,
in drag shows, in music, in art,
and then Ru Paul.
[laughs]
Queen.
[clapperboard clicks]
- My name is Gottmik, a.k.a Kade Gottlieb,
or Kade Gottlieb a.k.a Gottmik,
whatever you want to call me.
I always knew I was part of the community
and my parents were kind of like,
"Are you gay, what's going on?"
And before I transitioned, I was like,
"Well I'm not a lesbian.
"I know that for sure."
My feminine side of who I was
kind of kept me from transitioning for so long
and then when I had all these gay friends around me
that are clearly identify as a man,
I was like, "How am I not a man
"if all of my friends are men as well?"
So I just had to take that leap and say,
"Just because I don't see myself in the media
"does not mean I'm not valid," and I just screamed it
from the rooftops and then decided to go on national TV
and tell everyone there as well.
If you can't love yourself, how the hell
are you gonna love someone else, basically,
because that's how it worked out for me.
The second I started loving myself,
more people around me started loving me as well.
- Hola, I'm Valentina Sampaio.
If I would send a message to my younger self,
it would be, "You did it,"
'cause despite of some humiliating
and traumatizing experience, you never gave up.
It feels good to know that I never lost hope.
I always know who I am, I always know
that I'm Valentina.
For me, there is no moment of coming out,
than the day I was born.
- The most joyful thing about being part
of the LGBTQIA+ community is how different we all are,
because we're so different and we span so wide,
you really do find a family in many people.
We're not perfect, because we're human,
but I think that there's just an innate want
for each other to be okay.
I can't tell you how many people I have discovered
along this journey, that have just welcomed me in
with open arms and made space for me,
and made me feel so comfortable in my skin.
And I just want to do the same for others.
- To be on the cover of British Vogue
with such an amazing cast
of diverse and incredible people and talent.
- Is a really big pinch me moment.
As soon as I got on set, first thing I said was,
"It's gay day!"
- I just think it's a real honor to be part
of this cover because if I'd seen this growing up,
I just think it would've been so empowering to see
that queerness can take on so many forms.
- And that's why moments like this,
features like this, covers like this matter,
so that you can see us, and know that we are here,
and guess what?
We've always been here, and we're not going anywhere.