Chase Clemesha - People of Pride: 25 Great LGBTQ Americans

Growing rowing up, I never really felt I was all that different from any other kid, but being gay added an extra

layer of uncertainty. There was always a concern that people wouldnt accept me. From making friends to finding a career path, growing up can be hard. Anything that makes someone feel the slightest bit different can make it even harder.

Being gay never defined me, and it never defined what I could be. I took pride in my success in the sciences as well as performing in theater and ballet. My parents taught me that I could do anything I put my mind to. If I wanted to help teach a complex science class, I knew I could. If I wanted to perform in The Nutcracker ballet, I knew I could. Being gay never limited what I could do. It was just a part of me. A part that Im proud of.

Its important that young people have role models to look up toespecially people who are like them. When I was young, I always wished there were more well-known LGBTQ role models, specifically in science and medicine. I decided to become a doctor partly because I wanted to support LGBTQ patients by

providing sensitive care. I also wanted to help show young, aspiring scientists that they belong in medicine if thats where their passion lies.

The incredible people in this book have done outstanding things in their fields, from music and art to science, sports, medicine, and more. They all have so much to be proud of. Today, its wonderful to see more open and proud LGBTQ people in the media than ever before. But I feel it would be great if there were even more diverse role models to look up to in a variety of other careers.

Writing People of Pride is a way for me to show all young people some of the great contributions LGBTQ individuals have made. I want to show young people that they can decide who and what theyre going to be. If you are part of the LGBTQ community, it is a beautiful part of who you are, but it is only one part. You get to be proud of who you areyour whole self. And you get to be proud of the good things you do, whatever they are. Just like the people celebrated in this book.

Chase

This book is a rainbow of biographies. Here are 25 (and more) people who accomplished great things, all together in one book!

These people are in the arts, literature, entertainment, science, medicine,sports, politics, advocacy, and business. In other words, the full, diverse range of occupations and interests that all people pursue.

These peoples worlds are all different. Each of their struggles is different. Theyve achieved different goals. But they all worked hard and, in spite of challenges, they succeeded. Their inspiring journeys are all something to be proud of!

Wanda Sykes (1964 ) is an actor, writer, and comedian known for her sense of humor and bubbly personality. After college, she worked for the U.S. government with a top security clearance. After a few years, she knew this wasnt the right job for her. Sykes loved to make people laugh, and friends often told her, You should be on the stage! So she began performing at local clubs. Sykes loved it, and the audiences loved her too. She has now appeared in many movies and TV shows and has won awards for her writing and performances. Sykes charms audiences with jokes about herself, her family, and politics.

When he was young, Andy Warhol (19281987)sometimes felt like he didnt fit in. He also had health problems that often kept him home from school. But like his mother, Warhol was good at drawing. Even though his parents didnt have much money, they bought him a camera and signed him up for art classes. Warhol liked expressing himself through lines, shapes, and color, and he went on to study art in college. Warhol became well known for his colorful paintings of soup cans and celebrities, and he helped lead the Pop Art movement of the 1950s and 60s. He said, In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.

During World War II, when George Takei (1937 ) was young, he and his family were forced out of their home in Los Angeles, California. They were sent to internment camps along with many other Japanese Americans. Japan was an enemy in the war, and the U.S. government became distrustful of Americans with Japanese heritage, imprisoning them in camps around the country. As he grew up, Takei never forgot how hard that was for his family.

It became Takeis mission in life to raise awareness of that dark and shameful chapter of American history. for all and highlighted the struggles of Japanese Americans. Takei is also known to millions of social media followers for his clever sense of humor.