Bronson Farr
Innovators
Cody Rigsby
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Cody Rigsby, a celebrity fitness guru and self-described “opinionated homosexual,” began his career as a professional dancer and launched to international fame as a Peloton instructor. In a sign of his mainstream credentials, he was selected to compete on Dancing With the Stars in 2021.
But Rigsby is aware that his work has a wider impact than giving people a fun workout. “I have a platform within the fitness space that reaches millions of people from the comfort of their own homes,” he says. “I use my platform to be a role model who is unapologetically authentic while changing the minds of people who may not know a gay person.”
Things weren’t always easy for Rigsby, who grew up gay in the conservative South with parents battling addiction. He learned to survive, but he found himself “confronting his own bullshit” with “survival skills that manifested into toxic behaviors.” Through a combination of therapy, meditation, and creating a relationship with himself, Rigsby is learning to heal and evolve. A part of this process included the release of his first book, XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness.
Thankfully, Rigsby is full of strength both in and out of the gym. “The queer experience is multifaceted, from the way that we dress, the way that we express, and the way that we love. No matter how much you try to erase that, we are not going anywhere, because we’ve always been here,” he says. “Unfortunately, I feel like we are heading into a really turbulent time for queer rights. Buckle up, because we have to continue the battle that was started by queer people before us.”
As for what’s ahead, Rigsby wants to keep spreading joy. Oh, and he really wants to be a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. @codyrigsby
GLAAD
Michael Anderson
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
GLAAD
It feels like all our lives changed on November 19, 2022, when an anti-LGBTQ+ shooter took the lives of five people and injured scores more at Colorado Springs’ Club Q. But for Michael Anderson, the nightclub’s only bartender to survive the attack, the mental wounds of that day will never heal. Still, Anderson is rebuilding his life, working to finish his degree in political science and journalism, and sharpening his skills as an activist for gun control and LGBTQ+ equality.
“I am a political advocate,” Anderson says. “However, I never set out to become one. It was through the horror and trauma of surviving the mass shooting attack at Club Q in Colorado Springs, which was my employer, and watching my friends and patrons die, that led me down this path. I knew after the shooting occurred, that I would never allow someone else to tell my story for me. While it has not been easy at times, I have used my voice to advocate for change as I refuse to have such violence have happened in vain.”
Just weeks after the massacre, Anderson gave testimony to the U.S. House Oversight Committee, describing how attacks like Club Q are meant to deter queer people from living our authentic lives. He insists the community needs to go in the opposite direction. “With the increased attacks on our community by politicians and on social media…we must remain confident in who we are, for who we are is exactly who we are meant to be,” Anderson says.
Anderson could never have imagined that months after the shooting, his hero, Christina Aguilera, would ask him to present her with GLAAD’s Advocate for Change Award at the organization’s awards ceremony in Los Angeles. “Christina has been my hero since I was young, it was her music that helped me accept myself,” he says. “It was truly surreal to present her with such a well-deserved honor, and to be able to sit with her during the awards show.”
Anderson is concentrating on finishing college and perhaps starting a political career.
“I remain focused on ensuring that the future of Club Q is one inspired by resilience, strength and persistence,” he says. “I believe it is time the younger generations rise up and take our place in the halls of government. It is the youth that will save our climate, create a safe country through gun reform, and ensure equality for all.” @michaelanders0n