Albert Harris
Disruptors
Brandon J. Wolf
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
As a survivor of the devastating 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub, Brandon J. Wolf has become a fierce LGBTQ+ civil rights advocate and a leader in the movement to end gun violence in the United States.
“I have the honor and privilege of amplifying queer voices and ensuring that every time our community is a topic of conversation, our stories are at the table. We are at a pivotal moment in history — one in which freedom hangs in the balance. I’m proud and honored to be a warrior for freedom for all.”
In 2023 Wolf published a memoir titled A Place for Us in which he shared his story as a gay Black man in America. Though the book reflects on his experiences with grief, loss, and chosen family, Wolf is still fighting against the “relentless barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ policies and hate in Florida.” In fact, he recently relocated to Washington, D.C., to expand his reach, start a new position as National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and keep advocating for queer people ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.
“The choice before us is simple: Will freedom be an unconditional value worth defending, or will we allow it to be hijacked and reduced to a campaign slogan by those looking to score cheap political points? The fight for equality is a fight for autonomy. For respect and dignity. For safety. For freedom. It is a fight that calls all of us to the front line. Now is the moment to stand on the side of freedom and choose a future big enough for all of us.” @brandonjwolf
Disruptors
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Photo by Luke Fontana
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland — the national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA — oversees the world’s largest entertainment union, which boasts over 160,000 members. And along with SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, he’s one of the faces of their strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
As one of the few out leaders of a major entertainment group, Crabtree-Ireland knows that the fight for labor and LGBTQ+ equality go hand in hand. “One of the things that we’re fighting for is basic equity, inclusion, and fairness in the industry,” he says. “And I’m proud to say that SAG-AFTRA has been at the forefront of making sure that the entire American scene is represented on film, television, and streaming — and that’s a fight that we’re in for the long run.”
And there is a lesson to be learned from the strike to advance change, which is the power of solidarity. “When we stand together and when we fight together, that’s how we win,” he says. “Division always weakens us. Unity strengthens us.”
The outcome of Crabtree-Ireland’s advocacy through the SAG-AFTRA strike will determine the future of how actors and other entertainment professionals are treated in show business, as technological advances like streaming services and AI impact their careers and livelihoods. But the country’s largest strike in 26 years has also helped fuel a revolution for workers in hospitality, the automotive industry, and beyond.
This revolution shows the power of a compelling narrative. In fact, one of his biggest challenges during the strike was the task of clearly communicating SAG-AFTRA’s message “with the rest of the community, the industry, and the world so that everyone understood why we’re in the fight that we’re in, and how it was going to change everything for the better.” Clearly, the message has gotten through.
This year, Crabtree-Ireland is proud “to fight against the biggest companies in the world and say we demand to be treated with respect and fairness.” @duncanci