Leah Juliett
Poet and activist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leah Juliett (née Leah Ann Ciccone; born January 30, 1997)[1] is an American LGBTQ+ activist,[2] spoken word poet,[3] nonprofit leader,[4] and award-winning philanthropist[5] from Connecticut. In 2021, Juliett released their debut collection of poetry, Naked in Public.[6] Juliett is nonbinary[7] and uses they/them/theirs pronouns.[8]
January 30, 1997
Leah Juliett | |
|---|---|
Juliett in 2022 | |
| Born | Leah Ann Ciccone January 30, 1997 |
| Alma mater | Western Connecticut State University |
| Known for | Activism |
| Honours | L'Oreal Paris Woman of Worth |
Early life and education
Juliett was born on January 30, 1997, in Waterbury, Connecticut.[9] They served as President of the Student Government and Gay-Straight Alliance at Wolcott High School[10] and attended Western Connecticut State University, where they majored in Political science with honors.[11][12] Juliett was a victim of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and revenge porn when they were a teenager.[13]
Advocacy
In 2016, as a College Student, Juliett founded March Against Revenge Porn, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness of technology-facilitated sexual abuse.[14][15] On April 1, 2017, Juliett led a march across the Brooklyn Bridge that received national news coverage.[16][17] In 2018, Juliett was recognized by Glamour Magazine as a College Woman of the Year, GLAAD Rising Star,[18] and was the 2018 recipient of the Delta Air Lines Accelerating Acceptance grant. In 2020, Juliett was honored by L’Oreal Paris as a Woman of Worth[19] and was introduced by Academy Award winner Helen Mirren on primetime television.[20] Juliett is also a George H.W. Bush Point of Light,[21] and in 2021 was named a "Champion of Pride" by The Advocate Magazine.[22]
In 2018, beauty publication Very Good Light noted that Juliett "shows courage beyond their years in fighting for LGBTQ rights."[23]
In June 2022, Juliett appeared in L'Oréal's All Love is Worth It[24] campaign for Pride Month.[25]
In September 2022, Juliett's story was featured in the law book The Fight for Privacy by MacArthur Fellow Danielle Keats Citron.[26]
In December 2022, Juliett appeared on Good Morning Connecticut to announce they were organizing a benefit concert following the shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.[27][28]
Career
Politics
From 2017 to 2019, Juliett worked in Congress for Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, Senator Chris Murphy, and as a writer for Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.[29] In 2018, Juliett wrote an open letter to Congress about gun violence that was signed by over 100 college activists from around the country.[30]
Writing
In 2018, Juliett was a recipient of an "Excellence in Journalism" award from the National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.[31] Their writing has been published in Glamour Magazine,[32] Salty World,[33] and MTV News.[34] In 2021, Juliett published their debut book of poetry, Naked in Public after their popular online essay of the same name.[35][33] Juliett has also served as both an Ambassador and Writer for GLAAD .[36]
Speaking
In 2017, Juliett delivered a keynote speech at the University of Minnesota School of Law for their 40th anniversary.[37] In 2018, Juliett spoke at the GLAAD Media Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel,[38] and introduced American Olympian figure skater Adam Rippon at New York City Hall.[39]
Pageantry
Since 2020, Juliett has been actively involved in the Miss America organization through the Miss Connecticut competition,[40][8] and has raised awareness for the need for increased representation of LGBTQ pageant candidates.[41] In 2022, Juliett announced their partnership with poet[42] and podcast host Sierra DeMulder[43][44] and DuVide Media[45] to produce the podcast "There They Are", following Juliett's journey in pageantry.[46]
Awards and recognitions
| Year | Association | Award | Result | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Advocate | Champion of Pride | Won | [47] |
| George H.W. Bush Points of Light | Daily Point of Light | Won | [21] | |
| 2020 | L'Oreal Paris | Woman of Worth | Won | [19] |
| 2018 | GLAAD | Rising Star | Won | [18] |
| Delta Air Lines | Accelerating Acceptance Award | Won | [2] | |
| Glamour | College Woman of the Year | Won | [48] | |
| NGLJA | Excellence in Journalism | Won | [31] |
Personal life
Juliett came out as gay when they were thirteen years old and nonbinary when they were nineteen years old.[7] In a 2021 interview with L'Oreal Paris, Juliett called themself a "liberated, unapologetically queer, fat, trans, tattooed, survivor of sexual violence living with mental illness".[7]