One of our core missions at Shaeri is to help everyone feel beautiful and proud — no matter their sexual orientation, religion, skin color, or of course… their hair texture!
For this special day, we wanted to share a few figures we love and who deeply inspire us through their vision and their fight.
Michaela Jaé
The first transgender actress to win a Golden Globe, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez recently made history.Not only did she earn the first-ever Golden Globe for the FX series Pose —a show that highlights New York’s 1980s ballroom scene led by LGBTQ+ communities but she also took home the award for Best Actress for her powerful role as Blanca.
Rodriguez has always proudly embraced her Afro-Latina heritage. Born to an African American mother and a father who is half Puerto Rican and half African American, she strongly believes that everyone should be seen and treated equally simply as human beings.
Habibitch
Feminist activist, queer advocate, dancer, choreographer, speaker, teacher and performer — Habibitch wears many hats.Her Instagram bio and feed reflect this versatility. The name “Habibitch” blends habibi (Arabic for “my love”) with bitch, and perfectly captures her bold, unapologetic identity.Often described as a “Swiss army knife,” she switches effortlessly between posts about anti-racism, police brutality, and her art — whether dancing with Kiddy Smile or Yseult.
Her mission? To dissect, educate, and mobilize. 🔥A prominent figure in Paris’s voguing and waacking scenes — dance styles born in 1970s queer clubs in Los Angeles — Habibitch never intended Instagram to be her main platform of expression.But when the pandemic hit, depriving her of physical stages and live audiences, she brought her powerful voice online — including her iconic dance-lecture “Decolonize the Dancefloor.”
Dr. Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju
Dr. Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju is a well-known LGBTQ+ influencer and advocate with over 195k followers on Instagram. She also runs a YouTube channel where she educates and raises awareness on topics like gender, sexuality, and identity. She has collaborated with voices like Kusha Kapila and Srishti Dixit to amplify LGBTQIA+ awareness and representation in India. And recently, she made history by becoming the first transgender surgeon in the state of Karnataka. Her presence, both online and in the medical world — is a powerful symbol of change, pride, and progress.
Bob the Drag Queen
Christopher Caldwell, better known as Bob the Drag Queen, is a reality TV star, actor, comedian, drag performer and musician. He rose to fame after winning Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and has since become an icon in the drag world and beyond. In 2019, New York Magazine ranked Bob 9th on their list of the “Most Powerful Drag Queens in America,” out of 100 former Drag Race contestants. In 2020, he became the first Black Drag Race queen to reach 1 million followers on Instagram a major milestone.
Bob has continued his acting career with appearances in High Maintenance (2016), Tales of the City (2019), and A Black Lady Sketch Show (2019). Since 2020, he co-hosts the critically acclaimed HBO series We’re Here alongside fellow queens Eureka O’Hara and Shangela a beautiful celebration of identity, community, and self-expression.
Abdellah Taia
Without a doubt, one of the most moving voices out there his gentleness and sensitivity are truly rare.In 2006, Abdellah Taïa became the first openly gay Arab writer. As of 2014, he remained the only openly gay Moroccan writer or filmmaker, according to Interview Magazine, which described him as a “literary transgressor and cultural icon.” His debut film, Salvation Army, is credited with introducing the first gay protagonist in Arab cinema, a groundbreaking step for visibility in the region. Since coming out, Taïa has become a symbolic figure in his hometown in Morocco and throughout the Arab world, a beacon of hope in a country where homosexuality is still criminalized.
