Generations

“Even within our community, teachability is our strongest weapon against ignorance.”

I read an article in by Amanda Duarte. Near the end of the article, Duarte wrote, “The young are leading us, and I am not one bit mad about it.” The statement alluded to political topics, but Duarte’s piece wasn’t in the Politics section. It was a sharp and lively review of the season 10 finale of and Duarte was talking about Aquaria, the season’s 22-year-old winner. Aquaria is included in this year’s Out100, and Duarte’s quote about youth stuck with me as I curated our portfolio, more than half of which is made up of honorees under age 35. Not only did Duarte’s piece signify how deeply queerness has penetrated the mainstream (thanks in part to this year’s Media Pioneers and masterminds Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey), it celebrated the fact that youth, particularly queer youth, are shaping the way we live now.