![Out100 Voices Ashlee Marie Preston](https://www.out.com/media-library/out100-voices-ashlee-marie-preston.jpg?id=52971923&width=1200&height=2131)
From advocate to icon, this changemaker continues to inspire and empower the community
Ashlee Marie Preston has been a fierce trans advocate and community activist. She continues to make it her mission to empower others in her latest endeavor.
30 Years, 30 Stories: join us in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Out100 with our Voices essays, featuring powerful personal narratives from past honorees that have shaped the LGBTQ+ community. Unlock the Out100 Vault to explore additional stories and reflect on three decades of progress and resilience. And, while you’re there, don’t forget to cast your vote for this year's Out100 Reader's Choice!
For some, activism can appear as a vanity title to add to resumes or social bios. But for others, it’s a dedication to service, amplifying the voiceless and marginalized in the community.
And no one embodies advocacy work this more than Ashlee Marie Preston.
Between our burnt-out laptop chargers and unexpected glitches, Ashlee Marie and I connected to discuss her journey, advocacy, and vision for the future. Despite the grey, cloudy skies, Ashlee Marie's warmth and resilience shone through, enlivening the chat and setting the stage for a deep and engaging conversation.
Ashlee’s journey began in Louisville, Kentucky, before she moved to Los Angeles at 19. “I was excited about discovering who I was, independent of familial influence,” she shared. But the excitement quickly met with the harsh realities of transphobia and discrimination. “I was harassed and bullied at work, and HR did very little,” she reflects. “Eventually, they let me go, saying I was no longer fit for the professional milieu.”
The job loss led to a cascade of hardships: losing her apartment, ending up on the streets of Hollywood, and engaging in survival sex work. Ashlee’s experiences were brutal, yet she emerged fiercely determined to advocate for others. “Unlike many of our (trans) siblings, I came through those experiences unscathed. I wanted my experiences to mean something.”
Ashlee’s advocacy began at a local nonprofit, but she soon realized the limitations of nonprofit work. “I was one paycheck away from being in the same predicament as the demographic I served.” This realization pushed her towards unconventional advocacy methods, leveraging social media and building relationships with celebrities to amplify her message.
“I used social media as a digital diary, and it caught the attention of editors. Fast forward, I became the first openly trans person to become editor-in-chief of a publication and ran for California state office.” Discussing the impact of representation, Ashlee highlighted the significance of her work and recognized the gift of her voice. Her hashtag campaign #ThriveOver35 responded to alarming statistics about the life expectancy of transgender individuals, especially Black trans women, offering hope and possible models for the younger generation.
Despite the phenomenal work, one of Ashlee's biggest challenges is burnout and overextension. “The question was, ‘Who’s healing the healers? Who’s caring for the people caring for the people?’” The burnout led to the founding of her organization, YouAreEssential, which shifted its focus to intergenerational and multicultural healing. “We often don’t get to be vulnerable in our work. We can’t find healing within the same ecosystems, making us sick.”
Nevertheless, Ashlee’s passions include creating safe spaces and fostering a culture of collective care. “Grind culture is the old paradigm,” she affirms. Liberation is in the moment—every second, hour, day, week, month, and year, we experience joy as an active revolution.”
This philosophy extends to her work with KaleidoCollective, a new initiative aimed at increasing queer and trans representation in media. “We want to be the best-known secret. We’re building robust ecosystems to get our content made and get us paid, emphasizing ownership and economic opportunities.”
Ashlee’s journey from the streets of Hollywood to the forefront of trans advocacy is a testament to her resilience and vision. Her work inspires and empowers, highlighting the importance of community, representation, and the relentless pursuit of equity and justice.
On the 30th anniversary of the Out100, the 2018 honoree admits how the list was a paradigm shift for her. “For so many years, grassroots organizers were seen as firebrands, blacklisted rather than outlisted,” she says, recognizing the distinction was deeply meaningful and affirmed her hard work. “To be given my flowers while I’m alive means a lot. It’s the ammunition I need to keep going full steam ahead.”