Raquel Willis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raquel Willis
Willis in 2017
Born	1990/1991 (age 33–34) Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Education	University of Georgia (BA)
Organization	Ms. Foundation for Women

Raquel Willis is an African American writer, editor, and activist for transgender rights. She has worked as a national organizer for the Transgender Law Center and as the executive editor of Out magazine. In November 2023, she published her life story, a book called The Risk It Takes To Bloom.

Willis has received many awards for her work. In 2020, she won a GLAAD Media Award for an article she wrote. In 2025, TIME Magazine honored her as a Woman of the Year and named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Early Life and School

Willis was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia. She grew up in a family that believed in helping others and giving back to the community. Her parents taught Sunday school, and she went to church every week.

As a child, Willis felt unsure about her identity. She was often treated unkindly by other kids at school and in her neighborhood. As a teenager, she found the courage to be herself and gained acceptance from her friends and family.

Willis went to college at the University of Georgia. During this time, she realized she was a trans woman and decided to transition. She faced challenges but also worked with other students to fight against unfair treatment based on gender identity. She graduated in 2013 with a degree in journalism.

Activism and Career

After college, Willis moved to Atlanta. There, she became involved in activism, working with other transgender and gender non-conforming people of color. She later moved to Oakland, California, to work for the Transgender Law Center.

Speaking for Change

In 2017, Willis was a speaker at the 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C. She was happy to be there but felt that the event could have done more to include transgender women.

Willis often speaks up to support trans women. She has challenged public figures who made comments she felt were hurtful to the transgender community. For example, she called for a boycott of the radio show The Breakfast Club after a guest made jokes about violence against trans women.

Leadership Roles

In December 2018, Willis became the executive editor of Out magazine. She was the first transgender woman to hold this important position. In 2020, she supported Elizabeth Warren for president. Later that year, she became the Director of Communications for the Ms. Foundation for Women, a group that supports women and girls.

Organizing for Rights

In 2023, Willis co-founded a group called the Gender Liberation Movement (GLM). The group organized a march in Washington, D.C., to support the rights of women and transgender people. This was in response to new laws and court decisions that affected these groups.

Willis has also participated in other protests. In 2024, she joined a protest against the Gaza war. She told the Associated Press that "everyone is thinking about the genocide that is happening in Gaza and Palestine". That same year, she was a grand marshal for the NYC Pride March.

She also protested at the Supreme Court during a case about gender-affirming care for young people. A week later, she was one of 15 activists arrested during a peaceful protest inside the U.S. Capitol. They were protesting a bill that would affect which bathrooms transgender people could use.

Writing

Willis is a talented writer. Her work has been featured in many publications, including The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and Autostraddle. She also hosted a podcast called The BGD Podcast with Raquel Willis.

Her memoir, The Risk It Takes To Bloom, was published in November 2023.

Work

• 2017 – Sojourner Truth Transformational Leadership Fellow
• 2018 – Jack Jones Literary Arts Sylvia Rivera Fellow
• 2018 – Open Society Foundations Soros Equality Fellow
• 2019 – The Trans Obituaries Project

Awards and Recognition

• 2017 – Essence Woke 100 Women
• 2017 – The Root 100 Most Influential African Americans
• 2018 – San Francisco Transgender Day of Visibility Emerging Leader Award
• 2018 – Frederick Douglass 200 awardee
• 2020 – GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Magazine Article
• 2021 — Fast Company Queer 50
• 2025 — TIME Woman of the Year
• 2025 — TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2025