Who's in the top 10?

JUNE sees the publication of the first Pride Power List: the Top100 people

who have had the most influence on the gay community.

 

The list was presided over by expert judges Angela Eagle, MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury; Linda Riley, CEO of gay publishing and events giant Square Peg Media; and Stonewall Chief Executive, Ben Summerskill.

The top ten were:

1 Gareth Thomas, rugby player (pictured).
2 Sir Ian McKellen, actor and activist.
3 Baron Smith of Finsbury, politician.
4 Sir Elton John, musician.
5 Hope Powell, CBE, England Women's Football Coach.
6 Russell T. Davies, writer.
7 Clare Balding, presenter.
8 Sarah Waters, author.
9 Lord Alli, politician and activist.
10 Ben Bradshaw, politician.

Among the nominations were new faces Charlie Condou, the Coronation Street actor, and Kele Okereke, the African-born singer and frontman of band Bloc Party.

 

But aside from celebrities were many worthy inclusions.

 

Controversial Guardianjournalist Julie Bindel just missed out on a top 10 placing, but Mark Palmer Edgecumbe, Google's Global Head of Diversity, made the list for his innovative work bringing diversity policies to the forefront of major companies.

This year, there were many influential women listed whose hard work often goes unnoticed such as Sarah Weir, Creative Director of London 2012; Marge Connelly, Global Chief Operating Officer at Barclays, who has tirelessly driven forward diversity issues, and activist Christine Burns MBE, former Tory branch secretary who steered through the Gender Recognition Act, which gives greater rights to the transgendered community.