April 12th

04-12-1961   Magda Szubanski – Born in Liverpool, England. She is an Australian television and film actress, comedian, and writer. In 2015, she released her memoir Reckoning. Twice she has been number one as Australia’s most recognized and trusted personality. In 2017, she was one of the most prominent faces of the Marriage Equality campaign in Australia and was thought of as crucial in the success of the “Yes” campaign. On February 14, 2012, Szubanski came out in a statement supporting same-sex marriage and stated that she “absolutely identifies as gay” in an interview on Australian TV.

04-12-1964   Amy Ray – Born in Decatur, Georgia. She is an American singer/songwriter and one of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She has also released six albums under her own name, and founded Daemon Records. Indigo Girls was formed in 1986 by Ray and Emily Saliers. The two women have known each other since elementary school. Ray currently lives in North Georgia with her wife, Carrie Schrader. The couple have a daughter. Ray is also a political and social activist, supporting gay rights, women’s rights, indigenous struggles, gun control, and environmental protection.

04-12-1974   Slava Mogutin – Born in Kemerovo, Siberia, Russia. He is a New York-based Russian photographer, multi-media artist, and author. Mogutin is a gay rights activist who has dedicated his life to receive fair treatment in his home country. At the age of 21, he gained both critical acclaim and official condemnation for his outspoken queen writings and activism. Forced to leave Russia, he was granted political asylum in the US with the support of Amnesty International and PEN American Center. He was the first to be granted asylum based on homophobic prosecution. Since 1999, his photography has been exhibited internationally and featured in many publications, including The New York Times and The Village Voice. In 2011, he became a US citizen. He has publicly criticized Russian President Putin for his homophobic political policies. Mogutin life-partner since 2004 is photographer Brian Kenny. (Photo from the SHARE Conference, 2012)

04-12-1975 Ali Forney – Born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was a transgender pioneer. Forney was a African-American gay and transgender youth who also used the name Luscious. He was a counselor and advocate for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Forney was killed on the street in Harlem on December 5, 1997. He was 22-years old. The murder has never been solved. The center in New York that provides homeless LGBT youth with services they need, including shelter, HIV Prevention, and lifeskill training is named for him (Ali Forney Center).

04-12-1975 Jennifer Knapp – Born in Chanute, Kansas. She is an American-Australian folk rock and formerly contemporary Christian musician. She is best known for her first single Undo Me. Following the end of her 2002 tour, Knapp moved to Australia and became an Australian citizen. April 13, 2010, in simultaneous interviews with Christianity Today, Reuters, and The Advocate, Knapp came out as a lesbian. She had been in a same-sex relationship since 2002. In 2011, she launched Inside Out Faith, an advocacy organization for LGBT people of faith.

04-12-1989 iLoveMakonnen (b. Makonnen Sheran) – Born in Los Angeles, California. He is an American rapper and singer. Makonnen is of black, white, and Asian heritage. His grandmother was an opera singer, which influenced his musical career. On January 20, 2017, Makonnen came out as gay on his official Twitter account. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

o4-12-1993 Carl Nassib – Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. At 6 ft. 7 in., he is an American NFL player. In 2021, Nassib became the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay and to play in a game. He was able to secure his original jersey number 94 that he played in starting in high school. During Pride Month on June 21, 2021, Nassib released a statement on his Instagram account stating that he is gay and pledged to donate $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to crisis intervention and suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. That day, jerseys and T-shirts with his name were the top sellers among all NFL players. He is currently in a relationship with Olympian Soren Dahl. On August 16, 2022, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.