The Blue Wave Voiceover collective is thrilled to raise our voices in celebration of and solidarity with LGBTQIA+ voice actors and people across the globe! This June – and all year-round! – we are joyfully celebrating and amplifying queer and trans communities and we are also continuing to fight every day for the liberation of all LGBTQIA+ people. We’ve seen real movement in 2021 towards more inclusive representation in VO and less cisheteronormative casting. But we recognize that there is still much work to be done to break down the queerphobic and transphobic barriers in voiceover and the performing arts. And we would be remiss not to acknowledge that 2021 has been one of the most dangerous years in terms of anti-trans legislation, attacks against the rights of trans youth, and fatal violence against trans and gender non-conforming people, particularly BIPOC trans women and femmes.
As a collective of voiceover artists who look and sound like America today, we Blue Wavers are extremely passionate about creating safer, more inclusive spaces for voice actors and people who identify anywhere along the beautifully diverse spectrums of gender, sexuality, and expression. We know this solidarity looks like advocating for LGBTQIA+ liberation in the present and also, remembering and uplifting the queer and trans activists of the past who paved the way.
This June not only marks another year of celebrating LGBTQIA+ people around the world and pressing for queer liberation, it is also the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. 
On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn – a queer bar that still proudly stands today in the West Village – and the queer and trans patrons fought back, igniting protests that lasted for days and launching the Gay Liberation Movement. On the frontlines were primarily trans women of color, drag queens, and butch lesbians including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major, and Stormé DeLarverie. Half a century later, we owe these courageous advocates everything for the progress we have seen and the victories we have won. Of course, there is still a long ways to go so as we continue to fight for justice for people of all sexualities, gender identities, and expressions, we remember Marsha P. Johnson’s words, “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us!”
In celebration of Pride 2021, we pass the mic to our amazingly talented LGBTQIA+ voiceover artists!
And if you want to check out our LGBTQIA+ voice talents, search artist bios here.
Mara Junot (she/they)“Being able to openly & proudly thrive as a queer, genderfluid, nonbinary human working successfully in my dream job of voiceover feels like my wildest dreams come true! As a life-long chaser of self-love and authenticity, having the privilege to serve as a queer role model in the media industry is one that I never take for granted. It is such an exciting time to witness so many new LGBTQIA+ roles finally being deliberately crafted with us in mind, allowing us growing opportunities to humanize and destigmatize who we truly are.
One of my proudest career achievements to date was receiving the invitation to be the official announcer of this year’s 32nd annual GLAAD Media Awards! I can’t wait to see what other amazing opportunities the future holds, because it’s suddenly looking brighter than ever!”
Zia Amador (he/him)
“Being a trans and non binary voice actor is such a pleasure. Knowing that my voice can help be the representation that I so desperately needed as a queer teen means the world to me. Recently I had the honor of voicing a non binary character for an animation talking about coming out and the importance of being an ally. As part of this project I was asked to share my own coming out story! Something I love about being a trans voice actor is that the roles I get tend to be much more personal. It’s awesome to see us being represented more!”
Cherie B. Tay (she/they)
“I am so proud to be out and queer. To me, the word “queer” represents joy, fearlessness, and the pride in being comfortable with who you are.
This past year, I got to voice an animated short as a non-binary platypus! It was so well done, and I was honored to tell their story. I also voiced eLearning projects about LGBTQ+ inclusion in classrooms!
I wanted people to learn that who they love is not a thing to be shameful about. May we all find acceptance, kindness, and love!”
Allegra Verlezza (they/she)“Being queer, genderfluid, and non-binary fills me up with so much joy and pride! As a gender studies student, I learned – in the very classrooms in which Audre Lorde taught decades before – that to “queer” something as verb means to trouble and deconstruct something, to destabilize and dismantle the power dynamics of something. And boy do I love queering voiceover and acting!
Recently, I voiced a project for a virtual Pride event where a bunch of LGBTQ+ voice actors voiced the same script of proposing to their partner and the video included all of our voices. I absolutely loved this symbolism that a “queer voice” doesn’t sound like just one voice – it’s a huge, diverse cacophony of voices!
I care very deeply about creating space in the voiceover industry – and everywhere – for LGBTQ+ talents, particularly those most marginalized in our community like BIPOC and TGNC actors, to be their fullest and freest selves. I believe queer and trans voice actors amplifying our authentic voices is a revolutionary act and I know there’s a future where we never have to compromise any part of ourselves to do what we love. Inside and outside of the booth, I fight to break down reductive binaries and harmful stereotypes because living beyond the made-up binary benefits us all!”
Cherie B. Tay – Queer, AAPI & Gender Non-Conforming Voiceovers
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
And we’re seeing an important shift in the world as well. More and more TGNC people are running for office like 
Transgender
Pronouns are how you like others to refer to you when not using your name. Just like gender identity, there are more than the two sets of pronouns that often come to mind: she/her/hers and he/him/his. People also use they/them/theirs and the singular “they” has been common in English for decades. Other sets of pronouns include e/em/eirs, ze/hir/hirs, ve/ver/vers, and more! Some people use multiple pronouns like they/she or they/he.
Meeting someone over email? Include your pronouns in your email signature and mention them when you e-intro yourself like “Hi Jamal, so happy to connect! I’m Em (they/them)!”
All of this can often come with the big bad fear of messing up. But guess what? We all mess up! And we’re all going to mess up because we’re human. What’s important is staying teachable and accountable.
Allegra Verlezza – Non-Binary & Queer Voiceovers
In terms of equipment, I have a Rode NT1 mic, Solid State Logic SSL2 audio interface, and a computer monitor hooked up to my Macbook Air that sits right outside of my booth. I found these nifty mobile, adjustable desks that are meant for close-quarters living in a college dorm (not unlike living in NYC) and I converted two of them into mobile booth desks. All of my tech, including my iPad for reading scripts, either sits on these desks or are clamped to the sides so none of my equipment has to be fixed to one spot. Most of the time I stand so I can access my full range of wacky and dramatic movement but if I have a longer session, I can easily pop a stool into the booth since all my equipment is mobile.
SO. This beautiful moment of self-actualization along with still loving acting and being miserable at my first job out of college made me think, “well, why can’t I try voice acting and being in cartoons?” I started researching classes and then the real catalyst was a colleague of mine who saw me LIGHT UP with curiosity and joy when she mentioned that her sister worked full-time in animation. That colleague connected me to her sister who connected me to someone else in the industry (are you following?), who generously took the time to have coffee with me and answer alllll my questions about getting into voice acting and children’s media. I walked out of that midtown coffee shop, whipped out my phone, and signed up for my first voiceover class.
Rosi Amador – Hispanic Female Voiceovers in English and Spanish
If you could tell political voiceover clients one thing that would help you do your job better, or help them get what they want faster – what would that one thing be?