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30 YEARS OF

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visible & vibrant

30 Years of Looking Back, Looking Forward.
The Out100 designates All That’s In.

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2002
facebook @TransTechSocial; Shutterstock
Trans Tech Social Enterprises Executive Director EC Pizarro III black transgender woman or man working computer office technology
facebook @TransTechSocial; Shutterstock
Voices

Breaking barriers & building empowerment with TransTech

E.C. Pizarro III on his journey that underscores the transformative power of technology and inclusion for queer and trans people of color.

Growing up in Somerset, NJ, I knew I wasn’t like the other children, especially young black children. For a long time, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me and loved computers and technology like I did. As a child, I grew up playing on computers, from using paint to manipulating Microsoft Word in ways that should, honestly, make them call me.

In 2017, I had just moved to South Florida and was looking for my Black, trans & tech-savvy community. An ad came across my Facebook, “TransTech Miami Orientation." At the time, I was working in the tech industry for corporate America and living a stealth/low-disclosure trans experience as one of two Black men in my department. Seeing Angelica Ross and Aryah Lester on the flyer was encouraging and empowering. They were the closest possible model of visible representation I'd ever seen. I instantly signed up.

At the orientation, Angelica Ross spoke about the organization and how she was a self-taught web and graphic designer. She mentioned needing volunteers to assist with the organization's graphics. As luck would have it, I had recently joined Alpha Omega Kappa Fraternity Inc, a fraternity for men of trans experience that required service hours where I would not need to disclose my transgender identity. A few weeks later, she emailed me with an idea: TransTech Summit.

In November of that same year, at the Groupon Headquarters in Chicago, with keynote speaker TS Madison, the first TransTech Summit happened. I assisted with setting up 11 iMacs to give away, presented my first session, managed social media, and supported the overall execution of the summit. That summit was the first time I was ever surrounded by over 50 other LGBTQ+ people interested in tech! Madison spoke about the value of “5 $20's”, if you could figure out how to make that and repeat - then you could sustain yourself financially. Little did I know this keynote would be the foundation for everything that would happen in my life. To say that TransTech Summit changed my life and gave me the affirmation I needed to accomplish any goal would be an understatement.

By 2019, I was laid off from corporate America. I started work as a freelancer and building my design firm when one of my contracts received was for the 1st National Trans Visibility March in Washington. I was still living low-disclosure, and only the lead organizers knew of my trans identity. As the director asked if I had suggestions on a speaker for the march, I instantly thought of my connection with Angelica Ross who, at the time, was working on Pose. When we finally spoke, Angelica’s first question was, “Are you doing better?” I gave her an update on my life, then about the march. She agreed to be the rally speaker as long as I returned to TransTech to help the organization with the summit. I knew what the first summit had done for me and wanted to pay it forward.

Up until 2020, the summit had been an in-person event. After switching to virtual, we were surprised to have people logging in from France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the U.S. to be part of the summit. That year, we had 13 speaker submissions for the summit and hosted a 2-day virtual experience. That year I presented and volunteered with the production team on marketing. The TransTech Summit was held during Transgender Day of Remembrance to balance the grief and sadness with joy and visibility. It left a positive impact on the industry and our growing membership.

The following year, I accepted the Summit's Interim Executive Director position. As the organization's new leader, I made my first big decision— to move the date of the Summit. I wanted it to coincide with International Trans Day of Visibility. My goal was to move the summit from shadows of sadness and grief to a space of recognition and inspiration!

Additionally, we expanded the programming from our traditional two days to four days and extended the hours. With the addition of set tracks for certain subjects, in 2022 we hosted the 2nd fully virtual TransTech Summit, and I officially became the organization's Executive Director. Across four programming days, over 500 people from around the world attended the TransTech Summit. In 2023, we hosted over 1,000 people worldwide.

As we gear up for this year’s Summit, I'm excited to see how our membership and reach have grown over the past few years. At the first TransTech Summit, our membership was roughly 350. Now, our membership is approximately 6,000 strong, across 50 countries. Our focus is to highlight the expansiveness of employment in the tech industry, across the globe

The 2024 TransTech Summit, presented by JPMorgan Chase & Co., is set to redefine the landscape of workforce development and visibility in technology. From March 28th to March 31st, attendees can go 'Beyond The Code' with our fully immersive virtual experience via the TransTech app. Each day features a distinct theme aimed at empowering, educating, employing, and elevating our community members. The final day, coinciding with Trans Day of Visibility, includes engaging activities, including a pilates session; panel discussions; and a live recording of Angelica Ross's new NOW Podcast.

As an organization, we firmly believe that technology is not confined to coding; instead, we understand that it penetrates every facet of our lives and work. By helping marginalized communities recognize the transferable life skills, we strive to create equitable opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their background or identity.

The TransTech Summit stands apart as the only global, virtual technology conference by and for the QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community. But we encourage everyone, regardless of identity, to attend the summit. We want to extend our invitation beyond just our immediate community. We need to include our allies and co-conspirators, now more than ever, who stand with us in the fight for equality and justice for all. Your voices and perspectives are crucial in pushing towards a more equitable future.

E.C. Pizarro III is the creative director of his design and brand management firm, 1Z2R, and the executive director of TransTech Social. Follow him on Instagram at @ec.the.third.

Have an inspiring personal story to tell? Want to share an opinion on an issue? Learn more by visiting out.com/submit.

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Trey Madera (provided)
Alex Gumuchian bbno$ performing in NY show
Trey Madera (provided)
Voices

He raves, cosplays, and invites drag queens to the stage–is bbno$ the latest 'babygirl'?

Beneath the vibrant Vancouver artist's meme-worthy mayhem, bbno$ is building something bigger: a rave-fueled, drag-friendly, serotonin-soaked revolution wrapped in love.

We met digitally on a sunny day in Upstate New York and Vancouver, Canada. Despite it being early in the morning on the West Coast, Alex Gumuchian—better known to his millions of followers and listeners as bbno$—is a ray of industrial-strength sunshine: decked out in a dark hoodie, iconic side-swept hair with a streak of grey, his iconic round glasses, and a cheek-scrunching smile.

Despite his stardom, he was extremely friendly, like a neighbor or co-worker. Before we dived in, Alex asked about my personal life. It wasn't the surprise that took me; blushingly, I told him my background briefly. At that moment, I realized his sincerity, along with a dash of meme culture, a sprinkle of rave glitter, and a heaping spoonful of kindness, may be the secret to his sauce.

The Birthday Kid Who Broke His Back and Found Poetry

"I'm 29 years old, going on 30. I have my birthday on June 30th, so I have the golden birthday this year," he begins, clearly pleased with the cosmic alignment of champagne and candles. Vancouver-born and bred, Alex was homeschooled until eighth grade. He later swam competitively until an accident resulted in him breaking his back. While healing, Alex found writing poetry and music to be a way of healing. "Music is my passion…I just loved making art, even if it's goofy or funny." Pain also introduced him to kinesiology classes, but the lecture hall bored him. Beats, he realized, were better textbooks.

And testing them on SoundCloud was a lot cheaper than grad school.

Retiring "Oxymoronic Rap" and Building a Temple to Rave

With his early work in 2014, bbno$ hit fame with his collaboration with Yung Gravy in 2017. But his single "Lalala," released in 2019, shot him to global stardom. Crafted with producer Y2K, the single hijacked every dorm room, Instagram, and TikTok swipe.

Alex Gumuchian bbno$Bbno$ on making music built for serotonin highs. Diego Dutra (provided)

During one of many interviews that year, Alex referred to his music as "oxymoronical rap." Several years later, it has continued to haunt him in every interview like a clingy ex—this one included. "See, the unfortunate reality is I said this…and at this point I don't know if it really stands up," he laughs. "I was making 'mumble rap' but saying very, like, simplistic soft things… It's very fun, positive."

These days, Alex's music leans electronic, built for serotonin highs: "I want my live show to be like a rave," he says with excitement. And the new sonic manifesto is pure dopamine, with bass lines engineered to shake loose any lingering doubt.

When Prozac Becomes Pop

Heartbreak in 2024 shoved Alex into an emotional alleyway with no exit. Desperate, he tried what he once resisted: medication, going on antidepressants. "Wow, I didn't know this is how most people feel all the time," he marvels, eyes widening at the memory. Two months on a low dose felt "literally on MDMA every day… I'm having the greatest day ever, and nothing can bring me down."

That euphoria birthed the single "Antidepressants," released earlier this year. An earworm that turns Big Pharms' stigma into communal karaoke, along with a raving video showing him working out shirtless, making out with folks, and gyrating across town. Since the release, fans now hand him prescription bottles to autograph, proving mental-health transparency can, indeed, chart.


Cosplay, Drag, and the Juno Awards

Scroll through his social media, and you'll find the occasional Alex pic or video cosplaying as Hatsune Miku, Sonic the Hedgehog, or The Grinch moment. "People come to my shows cosplayed as me now—Hatsune Miku with a beard," he chuckles, half proud parent, half bemused observer. Cosplay is equal parts fan dialogue and guerrilla marketing: "Nowadays it's like marketing music is how you really get [it] out there…and it just gives me a tool I can have so much fun doing."

In March, bbno$ won at the 2025 Juno Awards (occasionally known as the "Canadian Grammys") and performed at the award ceremonies, flipping the telecast into a queer fantastia. His performance of "It Boy" featured drag artists, including Canada's Drag Race winner Priyanka (CBC, the award broadcaster, prudishly trimmed a moment when the drag winner faux-pegged him mid-set.) A battalion of drag devoured the stage's catwalk. "Nobody fills stages better than a queen–or a king," he insists, later chuckling at the moment his dad whispers about Priyanka: Yo, she's really hot.


But this was more than spectacle; it was allyship in action. "I am so unbelievably privileged," Alex says, explaining that his work allows him to pay it forward. He's aware that his cisgender whiteness opens doors that many queer performers still have a hard time prying. Alex doesn't care if critics grouse about his willingness to be open and explore, whether through cosplaying or—even to my surprise—wanting to learn how to tuck.

"There's so much negativity in the world," he reflects, "Why is it there? There's so much hate. There's so much war. The only thing I need to do is just be positive. And if people don't like my positivity and people have an argument against my political views and how I portray myself online, they can get fucked."

He's living his best life, folks, naysayers be damned.

Tour Life and Dreams

When we spoke, Alex enjoyed a brief respite before heading out on his European tour. "Blessed, but I'd love two more days off with my family," he sighs, the only hint of fatigue in an otherwise kinetic monologue. Housebound moments are rare; flights outnumber buses, and his three-year-old nephew grows between layovers. Still, Alex's calendar bulges: a content blitz over several weeks, a Vancouver charity festival, and sketches for the wildest drag music video he's worked on.

Bbno$ is betting that more hit songs and cosplays can rewrite the music-marketing playbook. If the plans work, dancefloors will shake a little harder; if it doesn't, at least the wigs will still be fabulous. Either way, Alex's Fun Train has left the station: tickets stamped, with a destination to radical joy. In an era of doom scrolls and hot takes, perhaps the boldest rebellion is a Canadian artist who cosplays, raps about antidepressants, and is an active ally who floods stages and screens with drag queens and kings.

Because joy, when amplified loud enough, can drown out all the hate.

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