Pua Tofaeono
Groundbreakers
Jaiyah T. Saelua
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Jaiyah T. Saelua is a history-making soccer player who first made her debut with the American Samoa men’s national soccer team in 2006 at age 15. Saelua is a fa’afafine — a person who identifies as a third gender in Samoan culture. In 2011 FIFA recognized her as the first out transgender person to compete in one of its tournaments.
Saelua was a major part of the American Samoa team when it pushed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. In a game against Tonga that year, the team won 2-1, with Saelua being named Woman of the Match by her coach. The game made her the first out transgender player to appear in a World Cup qualifying match.
Saelua continues to play professionally for the American Samoa team while also serving as a FIFA ambassador for LGBTQ+ athletes. After 20 years of soccer, she plans to retire as an athlete next year and pursue administrative work in the Oceania region. She was also invited to serve as an ambassador to the Rainbow Games in New Zealand.
This year she is proud to have been invited by FIFA’s president to the FIFA Women’s Football Convention and the FIFA Women’s World Cup final match. “Of the more than 800 delegates at the convention, I was the only transgender woman in attendance,” she notes. “After the final match, President Infantino invited me to a special ceremony at his hotel, where he and Secretary Fatma Samoura inducted me into the FIFA Legends class, making me the first and only transgender FIFA Legend.”
Part of her life story will appear in Taika Waititi’s new film Next Goal Wins, which chronicles the journey of the American Samoa team toward the 2014 World Cup. It comes out November in theaters nationwide. Now a whole new generation of trans athletes will know Saelua’s story. @jaiyahsaelua
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.