LGBTQIA+ (U)

<p>Best known for his role as the “Culture Vulture” in the Emmy Award-winning show <em>Queer Eye For The Straight Guy</em>, Jai has been helping to shape American culture—and the cultural representation of the LGBTQ community—for nearly two decades.</p><p> Emmy Award-winning actor Jai Rodriguez’s career began at age 18, when he was cast as Angel in the critically acclaimed Broadway musical <em>Rent</em>.

<p>As the first openly LGBTQ+ professional to play in the NFL, R.K. Russell articulates how truth is essential to not only survive but to thrive.</p><p>In addition to being a professional football player in the NFL, he is also a published poet, writer, and artist. R.K. dedicated his life to football. He learned the responsibility and hard work it took to become a Big Ten Starter, an All-Conference player, and a reliable teammate. Off the field, he began to take his studies more seriously, write long-form creative pieces, and discover his sexuality. R.K.

<p>Amiyah Scott is a proud advocate of the <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">LGBTQ+ </span>community and has centralized her focus on giving Transgender Females a voice. Amiyah’s confidence and outspoken attitude resonates with the culture.

<p>On October 7, 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, son of Judy and Dennis Shepard, was brutally attacked, tied to a fence in a field outside of Laramie, Wyoming, and left to die. In the aftermath of Matt’s death – an anti-gay hate crime - Judy and Dennis Shepard started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to honor his life and aspirations.

<p>Gordon is a Visiting Scholar at the USC Games and head of the USC Bridge incubator program, helping to cultivate the next generation of leaders in our craft.

<p>Model, Actress, Author, Advocate and Activist Dominique Jackson is best known for her leading role of Elektra Abundance on the FX television series <i>Pose</i>.</p><p>From fleeing persecution as a transgender woman in her home country of Trinidad and Tobago to starring in television hits, Dominique Jackson has seen it all.

<p>Known for his starring Broadway roles in <em>Hamilton</em> and<em> Thoughts of a Colored Man</em>, as well as for Netflix’s <em>Inventing Anna</em> and Disney+’s Emmy Award-winning <em>Sneakerella</em>, Bryan Terrell Clark inspires audiences to dream big, create a positive impact on others, and discover the best version of themselves.</p><p>Bryan has also appeared in numerous television and streaming productions such as the critically acclaimed Netflix drama <em>When They See Us</em>, <em>Queen Sugar</

<p>CeCe McDonald shares profoundly affecting stories from her life as a trans woman of color and hate crime survivor, while inspiring audiences to stand up for acceptance, justice and equality.</p><p>CeCe is a transgender activist and revered icon of the LGBTQ community.

<p>Zeke Thomas is a renowned Open Format DJ and Producer.

<p>Dr. Frank Leon Roberts is an activist, professor, and political organizer based in Harlem, New York. The proud son of two formerly incarcerated parents, he is currently an Assistant Professor at Amherst College.</p><p>Roberts is the founder of Black Lives Matter Syllabus—the nationally acclaimed, open access curriculum that provides resources for teaching BLM in classroom and community settings.