Apple CEO Tim Cook, Orange is the New Black‘s Laverne Cox and Empire executive producer Lee Daniels were among the LGBT names selected for TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, or TIME 100.
TIME magazine first published the now annual list in 1999 as The Most Influential People of the 20th Century. Since then notable members of the LGBT community have been named to the list including Ellen DeGeneres, Glee‘s Chris Colfer and Neil Patrick Harris.
” Tim [Cook] is unwavering in his support of an individual’s right to privacy and is not only embracing equality and LGBT rights but advocating for change through his words and actions,” wrote Congressman John Lewis (Georgia-D).
TIME 100 is broken into five categories; Titans, Pioneers, Artists, Leaders and Icons.
Cox, mostly known for being an actress, was named under Pioneers instead of Artists for being an advocate and one of the faces of the transgender community.
“As a transgender child, I was always looking around for someone like me, because I thought I was the only one,” Jazz Jennings, a 14-year-old transgender activist, wrote about Cox. “Having someone as visible and strong as Laverne Cox to look up to is inspiring.”
Other people who made the TIME 100 list were gay fashion designer Alexander Wang, lesbian U.S. soccer player Abby Wambach, Transparent creator Jill Soloway and Broadway’s Audra McDonald, a straight ally.
For a full list of the TIME 100 visit their website. The TIME 100 issue is available on newsstands now.
