From Lil Nas X to MJ Rodriguez, TIME's 100 Next List Is Pretty Queer

Timemagazine has launched a new annual list called the TIME 100 Next, which spotlights "100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and more." And its no surprise that a lot of the people changing the world are queer!

Some highlights include gay rapper Lil Nas X, who appeared on the cover of Timeearlier this year, as well as queer Tony winner Ali Stoker, late night host Lily Singh, Special creator Ryan O'Connell, Booksmart star Beanie Feldstein, Pose's Mj Rodriguez, Shangela, nonbinary actor Asia Kate Dillon, Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang, queer Fantastic Beasts star Ezra Miller, presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and playwright Jeremy O'Harris.

This year's inaugural crop of queer honorees were profiled by colleagues and heroes. Jennifer Lewis paid tribute to Shangela, who has cited her as a major influence; Feldstein was honored by Booksmart director Olivia Wilde, while Jimmy Fallon anointed Singh to the list.

"Despite challenges, Mj has not allowed her talent to be dimmed," wrote actress and activist Laverne Cox of Rodriguez. "Her heart is on her sleeve and that's what makes her a brilliant artist--she's always willing to be open and vulnerable, and expose her heart...Mj is blazing a trail that the world doesn't yet fully comprehend, but time will show that she is truly a force of nature."

Meanwhile, Broadway icon Kristen Chenoweth said that Stoker's success "tells us that the rules have changed." The actress became the first disabled person to win a Tony for her role in the revival of Oklahoma! in June.

"[T]hrough hard work, training and fearlessness, future Broadway actors and actresses with disabilities can also take center stage," she said.

Olympic skater Adam Rippon described how Dillon asked him for his pronouns the first time they met. "It was a simple question, intended to make me feel as comfortable as possible," he said. "By the simple act of sharing our pronouns, we affirmed to each other how we saw ourselves, and how we wished the world would see us, too."

Rippon added that the Billions actor "challenges what we think we know of femininity and masculinity." He continued, "Through their work, Asia has carved out a new space for other nonbinary characters on television."

See the full TIME Next 100 list here.

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