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.

If you ask Naiymah Sanchez what it means to be a force of change, she'll tell you it's not something you actively set out to do but embody through your lived experiences.

Her voice is passionate and radically rooted in her love for her community.

While she was settling into her hotel stay in New York City, I spoke with Sanchez about what it means to be a trans advocate today. With a legacy spanning over a decade, this activist, educator, and organizer made it clear that the work is far from over.

But she's ready for every challenge that comes her way.

When Naiymah Sanchez was named to the Out100 in 2023, it reflected years of grassroots work that Sanchez poured into her beloved community. As someone deeply involved in trans rights, particularly in Philadelphia, where she worked extensively with organizations like the ACLU. Sanchez says the honor felt surreal. "You never imagine that your efforts will be nationally recognized," she reflects. "The work that you're doing is also your life."

Sanchez considers herself a radical educator, always aiming to empower her community by arming them with knowledge. "To be recognized as an educator, an agitator—it lets me know that I am making strides in the community," she says, her voice brimming with pride. The work isn't about recognition but making a tangible difference for her.

While being recognized on a national platform has had its perks—more interviews, more visibility—Sanchez is quick to point out the downside.

"There's a perception in the community that now, because you've made it to the national stage, you don't need to organize with us anymore," Naiymah says, adding that it's a misconception she actively pushes back against. "By my work isn't done yet."

She's determined to prove that through every panel, training, and legislative fight. Despite the visibility, Sanchez maintains her focus on the local level, where change is often the hardest to achieve but the most necessary. She continues her advocacy with the same passion and focus she's always had, determined to stay rooted in the community she serves.

When asked how the recognition of being part of the Out100 shaped her activism, Sanchez notes that it's made her advocacy more "digestible" to a broader audience. "As radical as I am," she chuckles, "I know there are ways to navigate this work in rooms that we don't traditionally have access to."

It's a delicate balance between staying true to the roots of her activism and finding ways to make it palatable to elected officials and business leaders. But at the end of the day, her message remains the same, whether in front of a local community group or on a national panel. Sanchez's focus remains on amplifying the voices of Black trans women, a group she believes is the backbone of the LGBTQ+ movement but continues to be marginalized.

"Black trans women have always led this movement," she affirms. "We deserve to have these spaces, and we deserve to be at the table where discussions and decisions are made."

Representation has always been at the forefront of Sanchez's work. She believes that having trans bodies, especially Black and Brown trans individuals, in leadership roles is essential to changing the narrative. "It's wonderful that organizations are starting to onboard more Black trans folks," she admits. "But you can't just have one." Emphasizing diversity needs to be more than a token gesture.

Sanchez sees herself as an expert not because of a degree—she proudly notes that she didn't go to college—but because of her lived experience. "I'm a doctor in my own experience," she says, noting that her expertise comes from the years she's spent navigating the world as a trans woman and using that experience to advise on policy. She's focused on ensuring that the next generation of trans advocates has the tools, knowledge, and representation to keep pushing the movement forward.

As a leader in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, Naiymah's work is never done. Whether it's advocating for comprehensive non-discrimination laws or pushing for the decriminalization of sex work, she remains laser-focused on policy changes that will improve the lives of queer and trans individuals.

"The goal is to get people out to vote and engaged," she says. "In Pennsylvania, we're on a two-year legislative cycle, so if we don't get these bills passed now, we'll have to start all over again."

In addition to her legislative work, Sanchez has been busy traveling the world, recently returning from a panel in Germany where she discussed the criminalization of sex work and its impact on HIV transmission in marginalized communities. "I'm booked and busy now," she says with a laugh, though it's clear that her schedule isn't slowing her down anytime soon.

As the Out100 celebrates its 30th anniversary, Naiymah reflects on what it means to be part of this influential group. "We don't do this work to be recognized, but it does feel good," she admits. "It feels good to be valued and seen."

For Naiymah Sanchez, being an Out100 honoree is a reminder that her work, while often grueling and thankless, is making a difference. But for her, the recognition isn't the end goal—it's just another step in the journey toward true equality and liberation.