The 2023 Out100: Kevin Aviance

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The queer legacy established by Kevin Aviance spans several decades. But the musician, DJ, and drag performer is all about looking forward while honoring the past.

“I want to have more of a discussion about queer legacy,” he says. “I want to remind people to never forget the contributions our community has given to the world, to show them how far we’ve come and how much further we are willing to go.”

Watch interview with Kevin Aviance on The Advocate Channel

After his hit song “Cunty” was sampled by Beyoncé in the Renaissance track “Pure/Honey,” Aviance’s career experienced a renaissance of its own. Aviance is now booked and busy: touring, performing, and working on new music. But with so many accomplishments to list, Aviance is proudest of “receiving all the love from my community for the work I’ve put in all these years.”

At age 55, Aviance feels like he’s just getting started with a new chapter in his life. His first album, 1999’s Box of Chocolates, turned him into a queer superstar. However, he hasn’t released a new body of work since 2004’s Entity, his second studio album. “The largest obstacle I face is getting out of my own way and allowing those that have the credentials to take me to a higher place with my work,” he explains.

In 2023 Aviance released a brand-new single, “Body,” and is working toward releasing an EP. He is also focused on taking care of himself physically and mentally in order to keep spreading queer Black excellence all over the world. @kevinavianceofficial

Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland

Photo by Luke Fontana

Daniel Reynolds is the editor-in-chief of Out and an award-winning journalist who focuses on the intersection between entertainment and politics. This Jersey boy has now lived in Los Angeles for more than a decade.

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