What is Future Leaders?

LGBT HERO asked for you to nominate LGBTQ+ people who are making big changes in their community with their advocacy and activism, and here we have the results - our LGBT HERO Future Leaders! 

LGBT HERO’s Future Leaders are LGBTQ+ people who are tirelessly supporting and improving their communities, who may not have much recognition, but are making vital changes and big differences to LGBTQ+ lives. Here at LGBT HERO, we want to celebrate and champion their work with a series of profiles highlighting their activism and impact.

Why are you doing this?

LGBT HERO began its journey as GMFA (Gay Men Fighting AIDS). GMFA was a grassroots organisation where a group of gay men got together and created a charity that was by and for gay men, who created campaigns and projects that focused on providing gay men with information, advice and support that helped gay men to navigate the HIV and AIDS crisis which was primarily affecting gay men more than any other population. 

It's been over 30 years since GMFA began and a lot has changed with this charity. First, we're no longer known as GMFA. We are now LGBT HERO. As LGBT HERO we now focus on tackling the health and social inequalities that our communities face. But as we move forward as LGBT HERO we didn't want to forget our past. 

In September 2023, we launched an online archive celebrating the history and success of GMFA. The archive is a collection of campaigns, interventions, projects and photos that celebrates the impact GMFA had on the gay community. This made us realise that although times have changed, we still have a strong community full of individuals who are doing amazing work in different fields from mental health to sexual health to trans rights and black and South Asian LGBTQ+ wellbeing.

This is why we created the Future Leaders. We asked the community to nominate people who they think are not only doing fantastic work but who they think will be a big voice in our future. Their work needs to be recognised. 

And this is how we got to celebrating our Future Leaders. Each person below has been nominated. Our panel consisting of LGBT HERO team members and volunteers came together and agreed that those recognised are doing fantastic work and will be future leaders in the field they have chosen. 

You can find out more about each of our nominated LGBT HERO Future Leaders by reading below. Please join us in celebrating each person nominated and celebrated.  

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