What a Safe Space Means to These 8 LGBTQ+ Celebs

With Pride Month underway, celebrations filled with color, music, and love in honor of the LGBTQ+ community are being held around the world. The joy of the festivities this June is tinged by the context that 2023 in particular has seen a precipitous rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and sentiment in the US. For the first time ever, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is declaring a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans. The advocacy group reports that, so far in 2023, over 76 bills recognized as anti-LGBTQ+ have been signed into law—more than any year on record. Nine states have enacted bathroom bans targeting transgender people. At least 32 bills in states across the US have been filed targeting drag performances, according to The Guardian. Nearly every aspect of daily life, from health care access to education to recreation, has faced threats, both legislative and otherwise: Target has pulled Pride-themed brand merchandise after attacks from critics, an ad featuring a transgender influencer sparked a wave of transphobic consumers to boycott a beer brand, and the list goes on and on.

Even in the wake of such laws and boycotts, Pride continues to be a celebration, with LGBTQ+ folks carving out their own safe spaces in spite of those who seek to limit and remove them altogether. In recognition of the beauty and resiliency of the community, AD asked some LGBTQ+ celebrities to share their safe spaces, which are more important now than ever.

Bobby Berk

Design expert and Queer Eye star Bobby Berk (right) at home with husband Dewey Do. Berk’s debut book Right at Home: How Good Design is Good for the Mind comes out September 12. Photo: Courtesy of Bobby Berk

“My safe space is my home in LA,” Berk says. “Growing up in Missouri, out in the quiet country, all I ever wanted was to live in a big city and be surrounded by people, buildings, and the bustle of it all. As I’ve gotten older, though, I really find that nature and open spaces really bring me a sense of peace and tranquility. I live in the heart of LA, just minutes from Hollywood Boulevard, [but] we’ve been lucky enough to find a home right on Griffith Park that feels like it’s out in the middle of nowhere far from the hustle and bustle I once craved. Being so close to it all really makes enjoying the city and being close to work great, but being surrounded by nature really brings me peace and takes me back to my roots.”

Tommy Dorfman’s

Actor, model, and filmmaker Tommy Dorfman’s feature length directorial debut I Wish You All the Best, starring Alexandra Daddario, is currently in post-production. Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Dorfman

“Home for me is the most grounding place,” Dorfman says. “With my dogs, tarot, candles, and colorful pieces, I feel safe and at peace in New York.”

Alex Newell

Former Glee star Alex Newell recently made history as the first openly nonbinary person to win a Tony, alongside fellow actor J. Harrison Ghee. Both claimed statuettes at the 76th edition of the awards show this month. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Newell

“This is me in my happy place: my dressing room, with Dolly [Parton] smiling down on me!” Newell shares. “My makeup station is always sooo messy because I spend about a good two hours putting my makeup on. I love to take my time and really focus on the task of doing my show. When I asked my friend Mike Harrison to come out of dressing room design retirement, I said, ‘Camp and glamour,’ and he fully understood the assignment!”

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano is the designer of his namesake luxury clothing brand and interior design studio, Siriano Interiors. Photo: Christian Siriano

“My safe space is my home in Connecticut,” Siriano says. “It’s surrounded by nature, hidden, private, and filled with things I have collected from all over the world. It’s a place I can get away and be completely relaxed.”

COROOK

corook is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter. Their song “if i were a fish,” inspired by comments on their gender identity, went viral on TikTok. Photo: Courtesy of corook

“My safe space is my music studio,” corook tells AD. “Making music is a fun and vulnerable activity. It’s important for me to have a designated space to free the weirdo in me if I so choose, and I usually do. I feel really lucky to have my own space and I’ve made it homey by decorating with little trinkets, lots of color, and neon lights.”

Sherry Cola

Actor, writer, and comedian Sherry Cola stars alongside Stephanie Hsu in the Lionsgate film Joy Ride, in theaters July 7. Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Cola