Cynthia Erivo and The Vivienne among ‘LGBT+ changemakers' in 2025 Pride List
Erivo, 38, who won a Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad) Award earlier in the year, was placed at number four on the top 10 list while The Vivienne, the drag alter-ego of the late James Lee Williams, is seventh.
The Vivienne, who won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and spoke publicly about prejudices faced by LGBT+ people and by the drag community, died in January at the age of 32 and is a posthumous inclusion on the list.
Topping the 2025 Pride List is Victoria McCloud, a lawyer, former judge and transgender woman who announced she would take the Government to the European Court of Human Rights over the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a woman.
Dr McCloud said: 'I'm delighted and honoured that The Independent has included me in its Pride List this year.
'In 2025, more than ever before, amidst increasing oppression and segregation at home, with court and state against us, people from the trans community yearn to be bathed in rainbow light.
'These are uniquely dark times but we will challenge those who wish to marginalise us, be they Government or activists with money and the odd mega-yacht to spare.
'We have been here for centuries; we will be here for centuries to come. The quiet majority walk with us.'
In April the UK's highest court unanimously ruled that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex'.
Chloe Hubbard, UK editor of The Independent, said: 'We are proud to champion our most influential LGBT+ changemakers once again on our annual Pride List in a year where the community has been further marginalised on both sides of the Atlantic.
'Visibility and pride within the queer community feels more vital than ever and we are dedicated to continuing to occupy our unique place in the media on LGBT+ issues.'
In 2023, The Independent relaunched its Rainbow List as the Pride List, to recognise 50 extraordinary 'LGBT+ changemakers'.
The 2024 list included Doctor Who and Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, commentator and former England footballer Alex Scott, Wicked and Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey and screenwriter Russell T Davies.
To mark the publication of its Pride List, The Independent will host an event at Queer Britain on June 11.
This year's top 10:
1. Victoria McCloud, former judge of the King's Bench2. Juno Dawson, author3. Bella Ramsey, actor4. Cynthia Erivo, actor and singer5. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care6. David Hockney, artist7. The Vivienne, drag artist, singer and television personality8. Joe Lycett, comedian, television presenter and artist9. Tom Daley, Olympic gold medallist and television personality10. Yasmin Benoit, model and activist
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
From I'm A Celebrity winner to Olympic hero & Loose Woman panellist – Celebrity Gladiators line-up revealed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MODEL Vogue Williams tops the bill of super-fit stars taking part in this year's Celebrity Gladiators. The Irish presenter, 39, will be joined on the show by fitness guru Joe Wicks, 39, former Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, 42, and gym-obsessed I'm a Celebrity winner Sam Thompson, 32. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Vogue Williams is taking part in this year's Celebrity Gladiators Credit: JOHN DARDIS 5 Fitness guru Joe Wicks is among the celebs taking part Credit: David Cummings - Commissioned by The Sun 5 Gym-obsessed I'm A Celebrity winner Sam Thompson will also be a contender Credit: Instagram Today, the four stars will film the episode — a spin-off of the original Gladiators contest — with the finished show set to air later this year. A TV insider said: 'Last year, producers of the debut celebrity version played it for laughs with three comedians taking part — with hilarious results for viewers. 'But this year they've assembled four celebrities who can give the Gladiators a serious run for their money, and serve up a clash to savour.' In the previous BBC One special, comedians Rob Beckett, 39, Joel Dommett, 40, and Ellie Taylor, 41, and news host Louise Minchin, 56, competed against the elite athletes. Now Vogue, who won the first series of Bear Grylls: Mission Survive, will be among those to face the Gladiators. She has three children with her husband, reality star Spencer Matthews, who broke the record for completing 30 marathons in 30 days last year. Meanwhile Body Coach Joe Wicks, who is married to former Page Three model Rosie Jones, will be cheered on by their three children. During the Covid pandemic, he led online fitness classes. Strictly star Nicola, who won gold at the London and Rio Olympics before retiring, promises to pack a punch. And Sam, crowned King of the Jungle in 2023, has been throwing himself into his fitness regime since his split with ex-girlfriend, former Love Islander Zara McDermott. Two new Gladiators revealed as British rowing champ and super strong weightlifter He has previously run the London Marathon. Filming of the regular Gladiators, now on its third series since its reboot on BBC One, takes place over the next week at Sheffield Arena. It will be out early next year with Bradley Walsh and son Barney returning to host. The second edition of Celebrity Gladiators will air just before. 5 Former Olympic boxer Nicola Adams is also part of the line-up Credit: Getty
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'My TV show was so outrageous it was banned by the BBC and Government' says Michael Aspel
Mild mannered presenter Michael Aspel is now 92 but caused uproar in his younger presenting days Veteran broadcaster Michael Aspel has revealed how one of his TV shows was banned by the BBC and the Government. The mild-mannered presenter - who found fame hosting Ask Aspel and This Is Your Life - was invited to front a documentary about the horrors of nuclear war but it was deemed too graphic and realistic. The 92-year-old star now admits: 'I had no idea about the uproar that was to follow.' Aspel was invited to be part of a mini-film called The War Game in 1965 to mark the 20 th anniversary of the American nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Director Peter Watkins wanted to show Brits the realities of what could happen if the same happened here. The show used actors to play the victims of an atomic attack and it gave gory detailed descriptions of what would happen to their bodies before death. Aspel was asked to narrate the project which would air on the BBC and he happily agreed. He recalls in a new BBC 4 documentary: 'Now I had done a few of those before but little did I know the furore this particular film would cause. 'It was made to reflect what had happened in Hiroshima and Peter wanted to see what life might have been like in this country if we had been the victims of an atom bomb. 'Although newsreaders used to do odd jobs away from the BBC with medical films and stuff like that, I was particularly interested why the director and writer of this film would want me to be the narrator. 'And I could only suppose, because being a newsreader and perhaps being familiar to listeners as well as to viewers in that role, it would suit his film very well. 'The idea was to give the film authenticity. The director wanted to present a very ordinary community of people in this country with all the foibles of the time such as casual racism. 'The film was made to be as realistic as possible so the viewer would believe what they wee watching it as though it was a Government warning.' However, the programme was pulled from broadcast. The BBC claims it was their decision. It had given some members of Harold Wilson's Government a copy of the violent and graphic documentary in advance as it feared it might be seen as an advertisement for nuclear disarmament with a pacifist CND agenda. Even the ex-BBC head of documentaries – the late Huw Weldon - branded it 'a political hot potato'. The BBC maintains it was told it had to make the decision over whether to broadcast the show itself. And the director general at the time - Hugh Carleton Greene - shelved the show saying it was 'so shocking and upsetting' that he could never forgive himself if someone 'threw themselves under a bus' because of it. However Aspel reveals another side to the story. He claims Peter Watkins felt 'betrayed' by this decision and always believed it was really The Government who banned his documentary. The TV host – who also presented Aspel and Company and Give Us A Clue and Crackerjack - adds: 'He was always sure it was Government interference that stopped the film.' And archive footage is shown from a 1998 interview with the late Labour MP and former postmaster general Tony Benn. He admits: 'Frank Soskice, who was the home secretary, ordered me to ban the programme... because it was argued this would lead to panic. 'I was only his master's voice and had nothing to do with it (the decision) so I had to send a directive to Carleton Greene saying 'You must not broadcast it'. I greatly regret it. I never believe in censorship.' It took another 20 years for the film to see the light of day. The War Game was finally broadcast on the BBC to mark the 40 th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ironically it even won an Oscar for best documentary feature. Aspel now says: 'It is now 80 years since the bombings in Japan and 60 years since I sat in that little recording studio with no idea of the uproar that was to follow.' * Michael Aspel Remembers.. The War Game will air on BBC 4 on Wednesday July 30 at 10pm followed by a screening of the 1965 film.
Time Out
14 hours ago
- Time Out
San Francisco's hit Luigi Mangione musical could be coming to NYC and L.A.—here's what to know
A musical about murder, hash browns, and America's crumbling institutions? Welcome to Luigi: The Musical, the runaway San Francisco fringe hit that might just be singing and tap-dancing its way to New York and Los Angeles. After a sold-out run at the Taylor Street Theater and a larger move to The Independent, this surrealist prison satire—featuring Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried and alleged killer Luigi Mangione as cellmates—has become a cultural moment. And yes, it really includes a ballad about breakfast potatoes and a love story between Diddy and SBF. The show reimagines its infamous trio not just as inmates at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (which they were in real life), but as symbolic pillars of a broken America: Hollywood, tech and healthcare. Created by four stand-up comics (Nova Bradford, Arielle Johnson, André Margatini and Caleb Zeringue), the show turns real-world headlines into a tap-heavy, morally ambiguous fever dream. There's even a number about Mangione being arrested after removing his mask to flirt with a hostel worker and buying McDonald's hash browns. Despite its absurdity, the musical is not just punching down. It satirizes celebrity crime obsession and the commodification of violence, asking pointed questions about public trust and the role of institutions. 'These three people represent these big pillars of institutions in society that are failing in their trust: health care, Hollywood and then Big Tech,' Zeringue told the San Francisco Chronicle. The creators are currently eyeing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August, with New York and L.A. productions in active discussion. While no dates have been confirmed, early buzz and interest from out-of-town producers suggest Luigi could find its way to bigger stages soon. Audiences have been packing the theater—sometimes standing along the walls—to watch Jonny Stein's heartthrob Luigi croon about martyrdom, back pain and bureaucracy. And while the Chronicle panned the show, that review is now baked into the script as a meta joke. 'I'm noticing people have different reactions based off of their own beliefs that they come in with, which I think is the sign of good art,' Zeringue said in an interview.
