Every year, iconic LGBT publication Out magazine honors 100 people who've helped fight for progress.
The list is called the Out100, and lots of people pay attention to who makes the cut.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Out magazine.
While each year brings its own unique batch of change-makers from various walks of life, 2015 was one of truly historic proportion.
For the first time ever, a U.S. president was photographed for an LGBT publication.
President Obama, named Ally of the Year, graces the cover of this year's Out100 issue.
The magazine explained its decision to honor the president by highlighting a range of his accomplishments — from repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to becoming the first American president to publicly push for marriage equality.
"Yes, there's work to be done — we are still waiting for Congress to pass comprehensive federal LGBT protections, for a start — but whichever way you look at it, this president and his administration have ushered extraordinary change into the lives of LGBT Americans. For someone who at first seemed coy, even awkward, on the subject, President Obama's evolution on marriage equality has been something to behold."
— Out magazine
In the issue, Obama touches on several points regarding his administration's push for equality.
But one of the most compelling? He speaks on how his daughters have influenced his own views.
"The next generation is spurring change not just for future generations, but for my generation, too," the president says when asked about older Americans' reluctance to embrace LGBT equality.
"To Malia and Sasha and their friends, discrimination in any form against anyone doesn't make sense. It doesn't dawn on them that friends who are gay or friends' parents who are same-sex couples should be treated differently than anyone else. That's powerful. My sense is that a lot of parents across the country aren't going to want to sit around the dinner table and try to justify to their kids why a gay teacher or a transgender best friend isn't quite as equal as someone else."
— President Obama
Although the president's inclusion in the Out100 made this year's list particularly historic, many other trailblazers are certainly worth mentioning.
Like Carrie Brownstein, star and co-creator of the TV series "Portlandia," who was named Artist of the Year.
And athlete and reality star Caitlyn Jenner, who was crowned Newsmaker of the Year.
There were several lesser-known but equally instrumental folks who made the list, too.
Like model, YouTuber, and trans activist Aydian Ethan Dowling, whose efforts to grace the cover a men's health magazine became an inspiration to many. He's also a vocal advocate for prioritizing transgender-related health care.
“It's important that we get doctors and mental health workers educated on the transgender experience," Dowling says. “I hope the visibility of my story impacts that in a positive way."
Two of the leading activists behind Black Lives Matter, Deray Mckesson and Alicia Garza, also made the Out100, showing just how consequential the movement against racial injustice has been thus far.
Mckesson speaks at the GLAAD Gala in San Francisco. Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for GLAAD.
“The best moments are when black people stop me in the street and share with me the impact that [Black Lives Matter] has had on their lives and on their faith that another world is actually possible," Garza told Out.
And British pop sensation Olly Alexander, whose music doesn't shy away from featuring his sexuality, was honored as Breakout of the Year.
“I love performing music," he told Out. “You get to construct your own personal slice of reality, be whoever you want to be. You don't have to worry about whether you're saying or doing the right thing."
If one thing's clear about 2015's Out100 list, it's that LGBT equality has gone mainstream.
Like, the White House is lit up like a rainbow mainstream.
Whether you're talking about Washington, D.C., your television screen, or the streets of St. Louis where protests for justice unfold, this year's Out100 list proves that LGBT people — and those who support them — are making a profound difference in this world.
