Category talk:Pink List 2011

Pink List 2012: to be made into a new page.

Judges

1. Elly Barnes was voted No 1 on The Independent on Sunday's Pink List for her commitment to LGBT inclusivity in education. She is the LGBT schools adviser for Birmingham City Council and London schools. She trains teachers nationally through her programme Educate and Celebrate — How to Make your School LGBT Friendly and is the schools rep for LGBT History Month and SchoolsOut.

2. Campbell X is an award-winning film-maker and writer who wrote and directed Stud Life (2012), an urban queer comedy set on the streets of east London. Campbell has published articles on film, sexuality and gender and has programmed for the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and GFEST.

3. Jane Czyzselska is the editor of DIVA, the UK's leading magazine for gay and bisexual women. She regularly hosts events and debates on LGBT cultural and mental well-being issues and is a frequent contributor to a wide range of media and other publications. She is also a trustee of the LGBT mental health charity Pace.

4. Paris Lees, a leading equality campaigner, edits META, a new digital magazine that celebrates gender diversity. Lees also writes for Gay Times, The Guardian and The Independent and works regularly with Trans Media Action, Channel 4 and the BBC. She was named Positive Role Model for LGBT at this year's National Diversity Awards."

5. Ben Summerskill has been chief executive of Stonewall since 2003. He has successfully led parliamentary campaigns for the introduction of civil partnership, pioneering protections for gay people against discrimination in the delivery of public and commercial services and a new criminal offence of incitement to homophobic hatred. In 2010, Summerskill was a finalist as Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year and in 2011 he was shortlisted in the Third Sector Awards as Britain's Most Admired Charity Chief Executive.

6. Margaret Unwin has been CEO of Pace since September 2012 and is delighted to be working in an LGBT organisation that makes a real impact. As a voluntary sector professional of 20 years, she has worked in mental health, disability and carers' organisations. Unwin lives in Islington, north London with her partner.

2012 winners

• 1 (new entry) Nicola Adams
• 2 (4) Clare Balding
• 3 (re-entry) Peter Tatchell
• 4 (new entry) Lee Pearson
• 5 (new entry) Carl Hester
• 6 (judge) Greg Barker
• 7 (10) Heather Peace
• 8 (new entry) Nick Grimshaw

Radio DJ

The exceptionally likeable presenter officially became the biggest deal in radio when he took over the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in September. That the newly-out Mancunian replaced former Stonewall Bully of the Year Chris Moyles makes his ascent all the sweeter.

9 (re-entry) David Laws

Cabinet office minister

Reinstated to Government in September after being forced to resign over his expenses in 2010, Laws, whose responsibilities include schools policy, attends Cabinet and is close to both Michael Gove and Nick Clegg — making him a key influence on the coalition.

10 (new entry) Luke Anderson

Winner, Big Brother 13

Anderson rose to prominence as a hugely popular winner of Channel 5's Big Brother 13. While in the house, Anderson revealed he had been born a woman and hoped that his appearance on the show "will help to show trans guys that you can lead a normal life".

11 (64) Phyll Opoku-Gyimah

MD, UK Black Pride

A past winner of the Black LGBT Community Award, Lady Phyll, as she is known, also campaigns for equality in the workplace through her seat on the TUC race relations committee. She was in the World Pride Power List 2012, and won a Prime Minister's Big Society Award nomination in 2012.

12 (6) Evan Davis

TV and radio presenter

The Radio 4 presenter has a CV that would make even the most successful feel inadequate. He moved to the Today programme after a six-and-a-half-year stint as the BBC's economics editor. The Oxford-and Harvard-educated Dragons' Den presenter has written and co-written several books.

13 (5) Sue Perkins

Comedian

The Great British Bake Off co-host has hardly been off our TV screens in 2012, but is set to return with her own show next year. The comedian and Stonewall Entertainer of the year has created BBC's Heading Out, and will star as a vet who struggles to tell her parents she is gay.

14 (new entry) Stephen Twigg

Labour politician

The Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, Twigg, who is the current shadow Education Secretary, has had a prominent career both in politics and campaigning for LGBT rights. Twigg has consistently campaigned against discrimination both inside and outside the House of Commons.

15 (8) Charlie Condou

Actor

As well as playing TV's most swoonsome gay character, the Corrie star is an impassioned gay-rights advocate, speaking and writing across a range of topics. A father of two, he recently branded fellow thespian Rupert Everett "a dinosaur" for his critical views on gay parenting.

16 (93) Iain Dale

Publisher and blogger

Dale made his name from writing Iain Dale's Diary, one of the most prominent blogs in Westminster, which he started a decade ago. He later launched hugely successful Biteback Publishing, publishes Total Politics magazine and also has his own LBC radio show.

17 (new entry) Sir Paul Jenkins

Treasury Solicitor'

Jenkins is the most senior openly gay civil servant, responsible for the largest legal department within the Civil Service and reporting directly to the Attorney General. The QC was recently appointed the Diversity Champion of the Civil Service and was made a KCB in this year's birthday honours.

18 (3) Jessie J

Musician

The singer-songwriter has seen her bookability factor soar since she was rather limply "exposed" as bisexual last year. She wowed crowds at the Olympics' closing ceremony and the Queen's Jubilee and worked as a judge on BBC's The Voice, while managing to gain three Brit Awards.

19 (judge) Gareth Thomas

Retired rugby player

Remains the most high-profile British sportsman to have come out in 2009. Now 38, Thomas played 100 rugby union Tests for Wales before switching to rugby league. He retired in October 2011 after breaking his left arm. A movie of his life is said to be in production.

20 (17) James Wharton

Soldier

Wharton, who is a member of the elite Household Cavalry regiment, the Blues and Royals, has served in Iraq as well as escorting the Queen during Will and Kate's wedding, and was the first openly gay man to appear on the cover of Soldier magazine. He is also a prominent LGBT rights activist.

21 (21) Chris Bryant

Shadow Immigration Minister

Scourge of the Murdochs and David Cameron, it was Bryant's question to Rebekah Brooks about payments to police officers that gave birth to the phone-hacking investigation. He's now pursuing the PM over his private emails to Brooks, as well as being a columnist for The Independent.

22 (new entry) John Partridge

Actor

As EastEnders' Christian, the actor has created one of TV's best-loved gay characters while his on-screen relationship with boyfriend-turned husband Syed Masood has been as touching as it has been tempestuous. Before his soap stint, Partridge was a successful musical theatre actor.

23 (new entry) Henry Holland

Fashion designer

Holland has gone from strength to strength since founding his label with a small collection of printed T-shirts in 2007. Holland's collaborations with Debenhams, Levi's and Kickers, among others, mark him out as an entrepreneurial presence within British fashion.

24 (25) Nick Boles

Conservative Minister

One of the early Tory modernisers who was Cameron's policy chief, Boles was elected MP for Grantham in 2010, after fighting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and finally got a ministerial job in September, handling the difficult responsibility of defending the Government's planning reforms.

25 (55) Carol Ann Duffy

Poet Laureate

In 2012, Duffy has written poems for the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee as well as campaigning against library closures and working on a ballet, Rapunzel. She also won the PEN/Pinter and the Costa poetry prizes. Her Wenceslas: A Christmas Poem was published last month.

26 (50) Derren Brown

Illusionist/Hypnotist

Brown's recent stage production, Svengali, won an Olivier award, but he is also widely known for his television work, including the latest hit series Apocolypse. Brown, who came out in 2007, recently declared: "It's lovely to have somebody love you and it's lovely to love someone else."

27 (22) Mary Portas

Queen of Shops

One-time PR and mother of three, Mary Portas now straddles both sides of consumer culture, both as a commercial guru and as a Government business tsar. She is married to fashion journalist Melanie Rickey, who gave birth to the couple's first child this year.

28 (new entry) Pratibha Parmar

Film maker

Parmar shot to fame for her work alongside Alice Walker in the 1993 film Warrior Marks, which deals with female mutilation. Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth, which is produced by Parmar, is soon to be released and covers the life and work of the Pulitzer-prize winning novelist.

29 (23) Alan Carr

Comedian

Carr's TV career goes from strength to strength. Awarded Best TV Personality by the Television Industries Club and Best Ch*t Show at the National Television Awards this year, he was also nominated for a Bafta. This summer, he took part in Channel 4's Stand up to Cancer campaign.

30 (new entry) Sir Terence Etherton

Court of Appeal Judge

The Rt Hon Lord Justice Etherton is one of the most successful lawyers in Britain. Having been called to the Bar in 1977, Etherton, who has been in a civil partnership since 2006, recently left his chairmanship of the Law Commission to be appointed to the Court of Appeal.

31 (13) Simon Hughes

Deputy leader of the Lib Dems

Veteran Lib Dem MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, prides himself on being the voice of the party's grassroots. To underline this stance, he turned down a ministerial job offer in September — as deputy Leader of the Commons — preferring to remain as an independent backbencher.

32 (29) Gok Wan

TV presenter

He might be famous for making all shapes and sizes look great naked, but it turns out he can cook, design clothes and even work with troubled teens, too. This year Wan has starred in four TV shows, has just released his fifth Sainsbury's fashion range, and also hosted the Stonewall Awards.

33 (7) Antony Cotton

Actor

Cotton rose to fame in Queer as Folk before his role as Corrie's Sean Tully made him a star. He is an active supporter of LGBT charities including the Terrence Higgins Trust, while his place in the public's affection was confirmed by his appearance in 2011's I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

34 (28) Sarah Brown

Councillor in Cambridge

Brown, who represents the Petersfield Ward, is the only out transgender politician in Britain. A Liberal Democrat, she is active in the LGBT community and recently said that she has now experienced three types of discrimination, "transphobia, homophobia and misogyny".

35 (16) Will Young

Musician, actor, memoirist

With a new memoir, a recent No 1 album, a summer series of concerts, and rave reviews for his role in Cabaret, Young is riding high. Ten years on from his Pop Idol win, he has finally appeared in a video (for his single Jealousy) in which his love object is a man.

36 (37) Steve Reed

Labour politician

Leader of Lambeth Council, south London, since 1998. Chosen last night to contest the by-election in the safe seat of Croydon North and looks likely to become the new MP. Did much to improve relations between town hall and community in Lambeth and raise audit rating from one to three stars.

37 (15) John Barrowman

Actor, musician and writer

The man with the pearliest whites in showbiz has had a relatively quiet 12 months — relatively, because it has included co-writing a children's novel with his sister and a leading role in US superhero series Arrow. And there's his forthcoming panto gig in Jack and the Beanstalk in Glasgow.

38 (31) Val McDermid

Crime writer

An author, journalist and sponsor of a stand at the Raith Rovers' ground, McDermid is a popular figure on the crime-writing scene, and researches her novels meticulously. A publisher once told her that novels with lesbian characters wouldn't sell, but fortunately she didn't listen.

39 (32) Sir Nicholas Hytner

Theatre director

The National Theatre has never been so prosperous as it is under Hytner's leadership. But his role as a champion of the arts extends beyond the South Bank: only last month he fought the corner of regional theatres, warning they were in "clear and present" financial danger.

40 (33) Jane Hill

Newsreader

One of the main BBC News anchors, Hill came out in 2009 in the corporation's in-house magazine and has since contributed to Stonewall's It Gets Better campaign. Her partner, Sara Shepherd, is a camera operator and the two announced their civil partnership in November 2011.

41 (34) Stella Duffy

Novelist

The writer celebrated the publication of her 13th novel, The Purple Shroud, this year, but even that's not enough to keep her busy. She has also written 50 short stories and 10 plays and, in addition, has worked in immersive theatre for more than a quarter of a century.

42 (35) Christine Burns

Transgender activist

A leading activist for transgender rights, Burns has actively campaigned for equal status (passport and marriage), having her own status recognised in the Gender Recognition Act 2004. She was shortlisted as a positive role model in the 2012 National Diversity Awards.

43 (30) Jonny Oates

Chief of staff to Nick Clegg

Oates ran the Lib Dems' policy and communications in 2007 but left for a stint at PR giant Bell Pottinger. He was drawn back to Clegg's side to help fight the 2010 election. A former agent to Energy Secretary Ed Davey, Oates would almost certainly remain at the centre in a Davey leadership.

44 (re-entry) Dr Ashley Steel

Vice chairman, KPMG

Steel is one of the most outspoken supporters of a third runway at Heathrow Airport — and arguably the most prominent lesbian in the City of London. This year, she ran for the UK chairmanship at accountancy giant KPMG, and though she didn't win, she was praised for a tenacious campaign.

45 (judge) John Amaechi

Retired UK basketball player

As a rare Brit in the NBA, Amaechi already turned heads. After coming out in 2007, he became one of only a handful of publicly gay sportsmen in America and is now a best-selling author, Amnesty International ambassador, TV sports pundit and motivational speaker.

46 (41) Sir Adrian Fulford

Judge

First openly gay judge in the UK, the Hon Mr Justice Fulford is also one of the most respected, presiding over important recent cases. This year, in The Hague, he delivered the International Criminal Court's first guilty verdict. It was on Thomas Lubanga for humanitarian crimes in DR Congo.

47 (48) Jonathan Harvey

Writer

From plays such as Beautiful Thing and Boom Bang-A-Bang to his scripts on Coronation Street, and comedy to drama, the 44-year-old has become one of the UK's premier chroniclers of contemporary gay experience. His recent debut novel, All She Wants, was warmly received.

48 (new entry) April Ashley MBE

Model and campaigner

Awarded an MBE this year for her services to transgender equality — which culminated in the Gender Recognition Act of 2004 — April Ashley was a glamorous 1960s socialite, and supported by models, actors and peers (including John Prescott, her former housemate).

49 (38) Jennifer Fear

CEO, Step Forward charity

Step Forward works with disadvantaged young people in Tower Hamlets east London. It organises specialist sessions for the LGBT community and. in 2011, it won the coveted GlaxoSmithKline Small Charity of the Year award, beating 420 other charities to the top prize.

50 (new entry) Casey Stoney

Footballler

The England women's football captain led Team GB in an impressive performance at London 2012. The defender has been capped more than 100 times for England and also captains Lincoln Ladies — one of a few clubs pioneering the women's game not affiliated to a men's team.

51 (44) Christian Jessen

Doctor and TV personality

Best known for his role on Channel 4's Bafta-winning Embarrassing Bodies (whose website has received more than 100 million hits to date), Jessen is a pioneering expert on sexual health, columnist, and adviser to such publications as Closer, Attitude, the Evening Standard and Top Santé.

52 (56) Eddie Mair

Broadcaster

The voice of Radio 4's PM, Mair has gained new fans by standing in for Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight — with a much calmer style of interviewing. With Newsnight suffering its current troubles over Jimmy Savile, perhaps a more permanent position on the late-night BBC2 show beckons?

53 (40) Mark Gatiss

Actor and writer

The comic continues to display octopus-like reach across the arts: currently he's on stage as Charles I in 55 Days, and on TV presenting documentary series Horror Europa. And it's elementary that Sherlock, which he co-writes with Steven Moffat, will be back in the new year.

54 (63) Guy Black

Media chief

The executive director of Telegraph Media group and chairman of Pressbof, which funds the Press Complaints Commission, is a key figure in the media response to the Leveson report, due within weeks. Given a peerage by David Cameron, he is the first openly gay Tory peer.

55 (43 and new entry) Sue Sanders and Tony Fenwick

SchoolsOUT/LGBT History Month

As co-chairs of SchoolsOUT, Sanders and Fenwick aim to provide a support network for all people who want to raise the issue of homophobia, transphobia and heterosexism in education. They have also worked with LGBT History Month and the Classroom Project in the UK.

56 (47) Russell T Davies

TV producer and writer

Having returned from the US at the end of last year after his partner became seriously ill and after his US version of Torchwood received mixed responses, he ploughed himself back into his UK work, resuming CBBC's new action adventure drama, Wizards vs Aliens which began last week.

57 (45) Alan Davey

CEO, Arts Council

Times remain tough for Davey after last week's announcement that the Council will axe 118 jobs; meanwhile arts organisations continue to feel the pinch from the Council's funding cuts. On a more positive note, Davey has overseen the launch of online culture channel The Space.

58 (new entry) David Allen Green

Lawyer

The media lawyer and journalist has had a busy year. He was the solicitor in the successful "Twitter Joke Trial appeal", and a witness at the Leveson inquiry hearings, discussing the role of social media. He is also legal correspondent of the New Statesman and blogs as Jack of Kent.

59 (2) Michael Salter

Head of broadcast at No 10

Salter's day job is sending out Government ministers, including David Cameron, on to the airwaves but he is also a key voice for the gay community inside Downing Street. Highly regarded long-term Tory staffer who has the ear of the Prime Minister.

60 (new entry) Anthony Watson

Chief information officer, Barclays

Barclays has had its woes this year with sky-high executive pay and the Libor scandal, but Watson has impressed with his vision of making the bank the Google of its industry. Watson said recently: "The best thing I ever did was come out." He regularly talks to schools about diversity.

61 (67) Philip Hensher

Author, columnist, teacher

A columnist, writer and teacher of creative writing, Hensher is one of the few people to have judged the Man Booker Prize and been shortlisted (for The Northern Clemency, 2008). His books published this year were Scenes From Early Life and The Missing Ink, about handwriting.

62 (9) Scott Mills

Radio DJ

One of Radio 1's longest-serving stars and most engaging voices, Mills moved from drive-time to mid-afternoon in the station's recent reshuffle. The World's Worst Place to be Gay?, his acclaimed 2011 documentary about Ugandan homophobia, displayed his serious side.

63 (new entry) Louise Englefield

Director, Pride Sports

As co-president of the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Foundation, 2010-2012, Englefield ensured that Pride House was an integral part of London 2012, and worked with LGBT history month for two years. One nominator described her as "a rock". Another said: "We could not do without her".

64 (49) Russell Tovey

Actor

Tovey is one of the UK's few high-profile young gay actors even as his CV remains undefined by his sexuality: recent roles include a cheating boyfriend in a West End play and a nerdy scientist in a horror-comedy, while bedsitcom Him and Her is back on BBC3 for a third series this month.

65 (85) Roz Kaveney

Author and activist

Kaveney is a poet, author and columnist and now deputy editor of the new trans and genderqueer news & entertainment magazine META. As a founding member of Feminists Against Censorship and a former deputy chair of Liberty she has become a respected campaigner.

66 (new entry) Ceri Goddard

Campaigner

Chief executive of the Fawcett Society, one of the UK's most prominent campaigning voices for equality, Ceri has played a leading role in highlighting the impact of austerity measures on women. She is also a trustee of the Equality and Diversity Forum.

67 (95) Jackie Kay

Poet and novelist

With an MBE for services to literature, Kay is a multi award-winning poet and author of the magnificent memoir Red Dust Road (2010). Her poetry collection Fiere was shortlisted for the 2011 Costa Prize for poetry and her short story collection Reality Reality was published in May.

68 (53) Lynette Nusbacher

Military strategist and lecturer

Nusbacher has been a senior lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst since 1999, and is an influential military authority. She has recently advised the Government on national security strategies, and also writes a popular blog (Nusbacher.com).

69 (54) Susie Orbach

Psychotherapist and author

Psychotherapist and social critic Susie Orbach is best known for her 1978 work Fat is a Feminist Issue, and continues to publish books examining the state of the modern female psyche with reference to popular culture and sexuality. Orbach lives with her partner Jeanette Winterson.

70 (57) Allegra McEvedy

Chef

One of the UK's most prominent chefs, McEvedy has written five books on cooking and appeared in numerous television shows, most recently Matt and Allegra's Big Farm with Matt Dawson. She entered a civil partnership with businesswoman Susi Smith in 2006.

71 (58) Dominic Cooke

Theatre director

From Jerusalem and Clybourne Park to Posh, the new-writing hits have flowed steadily during Cooke's six-year reign as the Royal Court's artistic director. He will step down in April 2013, but not before directing the Christmas show In the Republic of Happiness.

72 (68) Angela Eagle

Shadow Leader of the Commons

Made history by becoming the first woman to come out while an MP. Eagle — whose twin sister, Maria, is also on the Labour front bench — was a junior minister under Gordon Brown. She has been on incisive form against her new opponent at the despatch box, Andrew Lansley.

73 (59) Mandy McBain

Soldier

McBain received an MBE in the 2011 New Year's Honours list in recognition of her work fighting discrimination in the armed forces, both British and International. As the UK's most senior gay officer, McBain has worked with countless military groups to rescind LGBT prejudice.

74 (60) Phyllida Lloyd

Film and theatre director

Lloyd directed one of 2011's most controversial films, The Iron Lady — a harrowing and powerful biopic of Margaret Thatcher. Previously, Lloyd had directed the UK's second highest-grossing film of all time, Mamma Mia!, as well as having an important career in the theatre.

75 (61) Michael King

Psychiatrist

As a long-standing member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Professor King founded the college's LGBT special interest group in 2001. His 2012 publications include Prevalence of same-sex behaviour and orientation in England: results from a national survey.

76 (65) Alan Duncan

International Development Minister

Irrepressible survivor of the Tory front bench, despite being outspoken during the MPs' expenses scandal. First openly gay Tory MP, millionaire Duncan's knowledge and contacts in the Middle East oil industry helped Britain contribute to the fostering of the Arab Spring protests in 2011.

77 (new entry) Shaun Dellenty

Deputy headmaster

A campaigning deputy head in south London, Dellenty has discussed tackling homophobia with Government ministers as well as writing books for teachers and children. Dellenty was much nominated, including by one impressed Year 5 student and "Shaun's mum".

78 (new entry) Lisa Egan

Activist

The disability-rights activist, who founded the Where's the Benefit blog and podcast, is certainly popular. She is a former stand-up comedian and received dozens of nominations in the public vote. Egan was honoured for her "bravery and experience" by those who wrote in.

79 (12) Steven Davies

Cricketer

Davies is the first openly gay cricketer, having come out in an interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2011. The 26-year-old, who had previously informed his Surrey team-mates of his sexuality, was recalled to the England squad for the tour of the UAE at the start of 2012.

80 (new entry) Mark Healey

Founder 17-24-30

Healey's group, 17-24-30, aims to unite communities against hatred in the run-up to the 10th anniversary of the London nail-bomb attacks that targeted black, Asian and gay communities. Healey carried the Olympic flame during the 2012 Games torch relay back in July.

81 (69) Jay Stewart

Co-founder, Gendered Intelligence

Having directed FTM, a support group for trans men, from 2004 to 2007, Stewart is now director of Gendered Intelligence, an organisation that aims to engage young people in debates about gender. He is currently working on a PhD focusing on transgender issues in popular culture.

82 (82) Ben Bradshaw

Politician

No longer on the Labour frontbench, but he remains a prominent loyalist to Ed Miliband, as he was to Gordon Brown and Tony Blair in their time. The former BBC journalist is a fluent communicator and became the first Cabinet minister to enter a civil partnership.

83 (new entry) Sara Geater

CEO, FreemantleMedia UK

A barrister by profession, Geater began her TV career in drama production at the now defunct LWT. After joining Channel 4, she oversaw the production of more than 150 films, including Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and TV drama The Politician's Wife. She also holds a pilot's licence.

84 (73) Evelyn Asante-Mensah

Chair, NHS Manchester

Renewed as Chair of NHS Manchester until 2014, Asante-Mensah was previously Head of Equality and Economic Inclusion for the North West Development Agency where she was responsible for the development of a Single Equality Scheme. She was awarded an OBE in 2006.

85 (74) Simon Blake

Chief Executive, Brook

Blake is at the head of a national campaign for more relevant advice on sex and relationships for schoolchildren. He is also Chair of Compact Voice, an organisation designed to aid communication between central government and the charity sector. He was awarded an OBEin 2011.

86 (new entry) Lucy Spraggan

Musician

The 21-year-old X-Factor finalist has broken the talent-show-puppet mould by singing her own self-composed songs throughout this year's series. Discussing coming out to her family, she recently said: "Saying I was gay was like saying, I'm going to the shop,' There was no shock."

87 (judge) Margot James

Conservative vice-chairman

A regular on Question Time and The Andrew Marr Show, James was a successful businesswoman before becoming MP for Stourbridge in 2010. She is a Cameron ultra-loyalist, never rebelling against the Government, but is yet to be rewarded with a front-bench job.

88 (81) Sir Nick Partridge

Chief executive, THT

The long-time chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust has been appointed a commissioner of the Healthcare Commission for England and works closely in developing HIV trials as well as raising awareness about the importance of HIV and Aids testing.

89 (new entry) Gary Everett

Homotopia festival director

Everett founded Liverpool's gay arts festival-cum-organisation eight years ago, and since then has steered it from being a local concern to a national and international one via bold, diverse programming. This year's event, running throughout November, is on a theme of "traditional family values".

90 (new entry) Bisi Alimi

Activist

In 2004, Alimi became the first Nigerian to come out on national television and, despite an attempt on his life in 2007 which forced him to flee Nigeria, has remained a prominent gay rights activist, focusing on LGBT rights in migrant African communities through the Kaleidoscope Trust.

91 (86) Kelvin Holdsworth

Dean, Glasgow Cathedral

Holdsworth has described the Catholic church's attacks on gay marriage proposals in Scotland as "hugely negative". In August this year he courted controversy by inviting Catholics unhappy with their church's stance on equal marriage to join him in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

92 (new entry) Dean Atta

Performance poet

The winner of a 2012 London Poetry Award, Atta has been described as "the Gil Scott Heron of his generation". He has written and performed poems for the Damilola Taylor Trust, the Tate and the Houses of Parliament, and leads anti-racism and homophobia workshops for young people.

93 (88) Nigel Owens

Rugby referee

Nigel Owens is an international rugby union referee who came out in 2007 and has appeared in two World Cups, in 2007 and 2011. Earlier this year, he made more headlines by reprimanding Treviso's Tobias Botes with the words "This is not soccer!", a phrase now printed on T-shirts.

94 (new entries) Steph Keeble and David Viney

LGBT Birmingham

At least one person who nominated Keeble (director) and Viney (health and wellbeing manager) insists that they have "transformed Birmingham's LGBT community", by supporting the city's Festival of Queer Culture and successfully bidding to open the first LGBT Health & Wellbeing Centre.

95 (new entry) Susan Calman

Comedian

Glaswegian Calman gave up a career in corporate law to follow the funny. Since she took the plunge in 2006, she has won Best New Comedian at the Scottish Variety Awards, and scooped Chortle's Best MC gong earlier this year. Now a regular on Radio 4 at the Edinburgh Fringe.

96 (new entry) Ruth Davidson

Leader, Scottish Conservatives

The new Stonewall Politician of the Year was a journalist before entering politics. She became leader of the Scottish Conservatives a year ago, and counts hill walking and kick boxing among her hobbies. They may come in handy in the negotiations over the independence referendum.

97 (new entry) Dan Bunker

Outhouse East

As Outhouse East Service development manager, Bunker has been working with the LGBT community to provide a healthy and sustainable environment for gay and transgender people. The service provides education, free health checks and counselling across the county.

98 (11) Christopher Bailey

Chief creative officer at Burberry

The man at the helm of British fashion's biggest business was singled out for his talent and tasteful handling of the brand's heritage and hallmarks. Bailey has introduced concepts that have made the company the biggest fashion presence on Facebook and Twitter.

99 (87) Jackie Crozier

Manchester Gay Pride director

As festival director for the 2012 Manchester Gay Pride, Crozier — who previously worked as a community fundraiser for Marie Curie Cancer Care — was responsible for organising the 11-day event, which attracted several top-name artists and thousands of guests.

100 (new entry) Claire Harvey

Paralympian

She captained Britain's sitting volleyball team at London 2012, having taken up the sport only four years ago, after a bicycle accident meant she lost the use of her leg. When not playing sport she also heads up the corporate responsibility department of the Financial Services Authority.

101 (new entries) Michael Black and John Morgan Tourists

The couple shot to unsought fame this year after winning a historic legal victory over a Berkshire B&B owner, Susanne Wilkinson, who had refused them a room citing her belief that homosexuality is a sin. The landmark verdict of discrimination will make hotel stays easier for LGBT people.