These are the LGBTQ+ people making the world bolder and brighter in 2025.
Digital journalist Vitus “V” Spehar started their wildly successful TikTok channel by covering the news from under their desk. They’ve since become a staple of online news for many young people, covering the 2024 Democratic National Convention and the Paris Olympics, and landing interviews with Presidents Biden and Obama, Vice President Harris, and more.
In 2025, they were named to the Time100 most influential creators list and began a fellowship at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center.
Spehar became a successful journalist after struggling with dyslexia. “It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized I could teach myself new methods of reading out loud to conquer the teleprompter and that I was in fact smart enough to thrive in this industry, even if my brain is wired to think a little differently,” she notes.
Spehar, a nonbinary lesbian, wants to see “more joy, thriving queer folks, opportunities to tell our stories in an authentic, nonsensationalized way. … We deserve rest, peace, and success, and I hope to continue to drive that dream forward for the community.” @underthedesknews
