Poet, curator, activist, and philanthropist, Tom Healy’s accomplishments are many, but it is his lifetime of service that warrants his inclusion in the OUT50.
Healy served as chairman of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board under former President Barack Obama, member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under former President Bill Clinton, and as President of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. He is currently Curator of Public Programs at The Bass Museum, Board Chair of O, Miami, and a trustee of PEN America.
While the superlatives abound, Healy sees urgency in his work and in protecting free expression and the LGBT community.
“It’s an urgent time for the queer community in South Florida to be more visible,” Healy said. “We have a governor … that want[s] to erase our community and … There are so many queer voices that have so many beautiful things to say.”
To Healy, who also works with Equality Florida in fighting against legislative hate, it’s his duty to give back to his community.
“I have immense privilege in my life, but there are many, many people that don’t, and their livelihoods and housing are on the line. Maybe we all have to do drag to get the governor's attention … We just have to fight back — and do so with the style, humor, and creativity that our community has always had.”
Homepage: OUT & PROUD 50 2023