Andrew Mead Cross
Groundbreakers
Diana Nyad
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Diana Nyad is one of the great athletes of her age. The 74-year-old author, speaker, and long-distance swimmer has accomplished feats that include swims around Manhattan and from the Bahamas to Florida. She made history in 2013 at age 64, when she became the first person to report swimming from Cuba to Florida without the use of a protective shark cage.
This year Annette Bening brings Nyad’s extraordinary crossing to life in a Netflix biopic, Nyad, alongside Jodie Foster as Nyad’s coach and friend Bonnie Stoll. The film comes out just in time for the 10th anniversary of what Nyad calls her proudest moment: “I just turned 74 this August, and I say to myself all the time that I don’t want the Cuba swim to be the biggest thing I’ve ever done. I strive every day, in every way, to live a big life, but let’s face it, the Cuba swim is the biggest thing I’ve ever done.”
Nyad’s past has not been without controversy. In February 2022, the Find a Way author wrote a divisive op-ed in The Washington Post arguing that trans and cisgender women should not compete against one another in elite sports. But after “a lot of deep dive thinking,” Nyad’s views have evolved.
“I have come to understand that the science is far more complex than I thought, and there are clearly more educated experts than I who are creating policy to ensure that elite sports are both fair and inclusive of all women. I regret weighing in on that conversation and any harm I may have caused,” Nyad says. “Also, in recent times, the climate for the transgender community has turned dire and dangerous. I now see how all women are negatively affected by the ways transgender women are targeted by discrimination and abuse in sports and elsewhere.”
“I am today firmly on the side of inclusion. Trans women athletes deserve our utmost respect. I stand with them in the world of sports and in the fight for full equality for all trans people. We are all sisters and siblings under the blue sky, and we should all have equal opportunities to play the sports we choose, the sports we love.” @diananyad
Groundbreakers
Janelle Rodriguez
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 Patrick Randak
Janelle Rodriguez is the executive vice president of programming at NBC News, in which capacity she manages NBC Nightly News, NBC News NOW, as well as breaking news specials. It’s a notable year for the country’s longest-running evening newscast, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
In addition to upholding the gold standard of this time-honored brand, the out Puerto Rican executive is breaking new ground by building NBC News NOW, the fasting-growing U.S. streaming news network. Under her oversight last year, NBC News NOW had an impressive 50 percent year-over-year growth and broadened into national and international linear distribution.
As the world gears up for an action-packed 2024 that includes the Paris Olympics and a U.S. presidential election, Rodriguez is more than prepared to lead her teams in their coverage. It’s a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly.
“I get a front row seat to history every day and have the honor of working with the best journalists in the world to bring the news to our audiences everywhere,” Rodriguez says.
Previously, Rodriguez served as CNN’s vice president of programming. During her career, she’s won several Peabody Awards and five Emmy Awards for election night coverage and beyond. Her CNN team took home the prestigious Alfred I. DuPont Award for its reporting on the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. And she’s routinely honored for her work by media outlets, being recognized by Variety’s Women’s Impact Report, Fast Company’s Queer 50, and CableFax’s Pride List.
Despite all her professional accomplishments, Rodriguez takes her greatest pride in her family. “Being a mom to my 10-year-old daughter is the greatest gift and hardest work of my life. I’m truly blessed,” she says.