Gabriela Schmidt
Artists
Anitta
Meet one of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Anitta revived and reinvented Brazilian pop music with hit songs canonized as anthems, culture-shifting music videos, and a tenacious pursuit of authenticity. As conservatives questioned and discriminated against the out bisexual, mixed-race woman of Candomblé faith, Anitta outsmarted them, sharing her resilient spirit with the world.
“My biggest obstacle has been coming from the favelas, being a bisexual woman in a country with persistent misogyny and discrimination,” Anitta says. “My work is about self-expression and empowerment; being open and vulnerable about my sexuality and my roots. When critics ask why I need to sing about female freedom, my sensuality, and my culture, it’s not because I need to…it’s because I can.”
She’s the first-ever solo Latine artist to top Spotify’s Global Top 200 chart. She’s got three consecutive VMAs in the Best Latin category to her name. And her new album, Funk Generation, will introduce Brazilian funk sounds and culture to global fans.
Brazil plunges into summer come late December, and Anitta is readying her new tour for Brazilian Carnival — “always my favorite time of the year,” she teases. @anitta
Bernardo Sim
Deputy Editor
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Daniel Prakopcyk
Stacey YvonneStacey Yvonne is a critic and entertainment journalist who can be found in Los Angeles eating snacks at events. She loves to uplift the LGBTQIA+ community and specifically highlight Black and female members. She can be found at SYvonneCreative.com
Stacey Yvonne is a critic and entertainment journalist who can be found in Los Angeles eating snacks at events. She loves to uplift the LGBTQIA+ community and specifically highlight Black and female members. She can be found at SYvonneCreative.com
Stacey Yvonne is a critic and entertainment journalist who can be found in Los Angeles eating snacks at events. She loves to uplift the LGBTQIA+ community and specifically highlight Black and female members. She can be found at SYvonneCreative.com
Katy O'Brian
Meet some of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Daniel Prakopcyk
Before her starring role in this year’s Love Lies Bleeding, Katy O’Brian, 35, acted in many beloved superhero and sci-fi productions, including The Mandalorian, Westworld, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Clearly, she had the superpowers needed to carry (on her very strong shoulders!) the hit romantic thriller alongside Kristen Stewart.
O’Brian auditioned six times for the new queer classic. Yet it seems as though the role of the driven strongwoman Jackie was written specifically for her. But the real-life bodybuilder needed more than physical strength to get through the challenges of 2024.
“I lost a dear family member unexpectedly, totaled my car, and I had to have surgery…it seemed like one disaster after another,” O’Brian shares. What helped her cope? She and wife Kylie Chi set aside time for mindfulness exercises to “refresh a positive mindset.” The queer star is seeing fruitful dividends ahead: She has upcoming roles in Mission Impossible 8 and the zombie movie Queens of the Dead, with more projects to be announced soon. @thekatyo