Heroes and Role-Models (LGBT or otherwise)

[Taeryyn]

Who do you consider to be your role-models? Who do you look up to, or think of as a hero? Are there any folks from the queer community that you particularly admire?

What is it exactly that makes you feel the way you do about these individuals?

For myself, I find that the people I look up to the most are often the ones that I can relate to in some way. That's not to say that I don't greatly admire and appreciate the works of other great thinkers and humanitarians, but the ones that I feel have influenced me the most aren't necessarily so saintly.

For example, some of the people on my list would be my maternal grandparents, one of my teachers from high-school, Pierre Trudeau, Stephen Fry, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

My grandfather was a soldier, and my grandmother was an immigrant who sought a better life in Canada. The teacher was one of the first people who really challenged me (and the rest of my class) to think critically, and was just generally an amazing, inspiring educator. For Trudeau, suffice to say that we haven't had a comparable PM since his time. Stephen Fry is gay and also has bipolar disorder, and he's a great actor and wit. And Tolkien inspired many of my favourite authors and sparked my interest in linguistics.

So! With that out of the way, I would love to hear about the individuals that inspire you.  

[QueerxCore]

I admire John Cameron Mitchell, he had enough balls to write a broadway play about a transsexual rock star, and even made it into a feature film.. It has gained cult classic status.

I also love Neil Patrick Harris.  

[DragonSlayer Arcos]

I am a big fan of Justin Utley! He is a great source of knowledge and empathy. He is a singer for the LGBT community and a good friend.  

[Purple Robot Queen]

Mr. Rogers. It might seem weird for a gay atheist to idolize a minister, but I just think he was a remarkable human being. He saved PBS, he pioneered enriching children's television, he took his role in children's lives (and the accompanying responsibilities) very seriously, and he even took heat from many Christian groups (despite being very openly Christian in his outlook and messages) because he refused to condemn homosexuality. His favored saying "God loves you just the way you are" applied to being gay just as much as anything else, so far as he was concerned.

5 Reasons Mister Rogers was the greatest American

Another person I deeply respect and love to hear talk is Stephen Fry. His intelligence, eloquence, passion, and empathy mark him as the kind of man I wish I was.  

[PixiecuTT]

I'll chime in here with a "me too!" for Stephen Fry.
After watching her TED talk on lexicography, I would say Erin McKean is my word-loving rolemodel.
Neal Stephenson is also on my list, along with Douglas Adams. (And Tae, I'm surprised neither of them got a mention from you.)
Oh, and my older brother. He's not perfect, but I do feel that he embodies a lot of valuable character traits, and in short, he's very much the kind of person I would like to be.
 

[Taeryyn]

PixiecuTT

I admire their work, but I remember very little about them as individuals, to be honest. "Authors whose books have inspired me" would be a whole other, much longer list, I think.

Maybe you should start a thread. razz