From the Ice Rink to the Screen to the Statehouse: 75 LGBTQ+ Changemakers Named to the 2026 Curve Power List
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, April 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ —
Notable honorees: Mary L. Bonauto; adrienne maree brown; Sabrina Cervantes; Hannah Einbinder; Roxane Gay; Jenny Hagel; AJ Hikes; Roberta A. Kaplan; Chef Melissa King; Hilary Knight; Niecy Nash-Betts; Katy O’Brian; Reneé Rapp; Robin Roberts; V Spehar; Marta Vieira da Silva
Lesbian Visibility Week North America (April 20–26, 2026), powered by The Curve Foundation, unveils The Curve Power List 2026 – a community-nominated celebration of 75 LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals making significant and lasting impacts in culture, education, politics, business, science, sports, and public life in the United States and Canada.
Now in its third year, the Curve Power List honors trailblazers across ten categories – from Advocacy and Activism to STEM, Education and Research – with honorees selected entirely through public nomination. Peers, mentors, fans, and colleagues submit nominations, with final selections made by a panel of past honorees and community leaders.
This annual list serves as a vital counter to the persistent underrepresentation of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people within mainstream spaces. By elevating their voices – from sports icons and corporate leaders to scientists and grassroots activists – it honors the full breadth of this community’s leadership in what is, by every measure, the most powerful list yet.
“Visibility is not merely a highlight; in our current climate, it is an act of solidarity and resistance,” said Franco Stevens and Jen Rainin, co-founders of The Curve Foundation. “We are profoundly moved by the volume of nominations we received, and we are proud to honor these 75 individuals whose stories deserve to be shared, and whose courage continues to shape our future.”
This year’s honorees include digital journalist and Under the Desk News creator V Spehar (they/them), who has built a community of over 4.7 million followers by making current events accessible and human; openly lesbian pop star and actress Reneé Rapp (she/her), who has become one of the most prominent young voices for queer visibility in entertainment; Emmy Award-winning actress Hannah Einbinder (she/her), celebrated for her breakout role in HBO’s Hacks and her outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion; and Roberta A. Kaplan (she/her), the renowned trial lawyer who made history as the only attorney to have beaten Donald Trump twice, and who previously argued the landmark United States v. Windsor case before the Supreme Court, paving the way for nationwide marriage equality.
Also recognized are Robin Roberts (she/her), longtime co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America with more than 30 years in broadcasting; Hilary Knight (she/her), captain of the U.S. national women’s ice hockey team and two-time Olympic gold medalist; actor and martial artist Katy O’Brian (she/her), whose breakout role in Love Lies Bleeding has expanded visibility for queer women in Hollywood’s action genre; Emmy-nominated writer and performer Jenny Hagel (she/her) of Late Night with Seth Meyers; and Chef Melissa King (she/they), winner and fan favorite of Top Chef All-Stars: Los Angeles and a proud queer Chinese American culinary innovator.
The full 2026 Curve Power List spans ten categories: Advocacy & Activism; Arts; Business; Corporate, Entertainment; Government & Legal; Media; Social Media; Sports; and STEM, Education & Research.
The full Curve Power List 2026:
Erin Ambrose
Mary L. Bonauto
DeWanna Bonner
Jacqueline Boyd
adrienne maree brown
Lynne Brown
Jess Carter
Kelli Carpenter
Sabrina Cervantes
Lauren Chan
Natasha Cloud
Coach Jackie
Kipp Dawson
Donna Deitch
Sekiya Dorsett
Fran Dunaway
Hannah Einbinder
Dr. Lauren A. Esposito
Roxane Gay
Meagan Grieger
Morgan Gwenwald
Dr. Ella Ben Hagai
Jenny Hagel
Arlan Hamilton
Candace Hauck
AJ Hikes
Olivia Hill
Nikki Hiltz
Fran “Hutch” Hutchins
Jari Jones
Roberta A. Kaplan
Chef Melissa King
Glenise Kinard-Moore
Jen Kish
Shawnee Kish
Hilary Knight
Stacy Marie Lentz
Catherine E. Lhamon
Carmen Maria Machado
Dr. Shail Maingi
Honey Mahogany
Adriana Mantilla
Ria Tabacco Mar
Emma McIlroy
Laura Moore
Sondra Morris
Niecy Nash-Betts
Alexis Nikole
Alyssa Nitchun
Kelly Bush Novak
Katy O’Brian
A/O
Vico Ortiz
Laura Petrie
Paola Ramos
Reneé Rapp
Robin Roberts
Juana Maria Rodríguez
Heather Shaw
Alex Sheldon
Carolina Silva
Jessie Sima
Dr. Carla Smith
Shamina Singh
Vitus “V” Spehar
StudBudz
C.C. Téllez
Mickalene Thomas
Amanda W. Timpson
Fran Tirado
Erin Uritus
Marta Vieira da Silva
Kihana Wilson
Brielle Winslow-Majette
Carolyn Wysinger
For more details on the program and each honoree, visit Curve Magazine.
LESBIAN VISIBILITY WEEK CALENDAR OF EVENTS
To access the full slate of activities taking place in the U.S. and Canada, visit the LVW26 calendar at LesbianVisibility.org. Most events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted; please check individual listings for accessibility details. The calendar is updated regularly as new events are added.
CONTACT & PRESS MATERIALS
For more information about events and partners, or to arrange an interview with Franco Stevens or any of the LVW26 participants, send all requests & queries to Sunny L. at info@TheCurveFoundation.org with the subject line LVW26.
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ABOUT CURVE
Founded in 1991, Curve magazine became the world’s most successful lesbian publication, elevating LGBTQ+ women’s voices and redefining visibility. As Curve celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, its legacy continues through The Curve Foundation – the only national nonprofit championing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people’s culture and stories from an intergenerational perspective. The Curve Foundation works to empower and amplify the voices of lesbians, queer women, trans and nonbinary people of all races, ages, and abilities. Its programming includes Lesbian Visibility Week, Curve Quarterly, the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists, the Curve Power List, and Curve Conversations – intersectional, multigenerational speaker events providing a throughline between critical conversations from the 90s to today. For more information, visit thecurvefoundation.org and curvemag.com.
Sunny L.
The Curve Foundation
info@thecurvefoundation.org
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