Celeste Lecesne

Celeste Lecesne is an Academy Award–winning writer, performer, and advocate whose work has had a lasting impact on LGBTQ+ youth and communities around the world. Celeste wrote the short film TREVOR, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short and directly led to the founding of The Trevor Project. Over the past 25 years, The Trevor Project has become the only nationwide, 24-hour suicide prevention and crisis intervention lifeline for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth, helping to save countless lives.

In addition to their advocacy work, Celeste is the author of three acclaimed young adult novels and the creator of The Letter Q, a powerful collection of letters from queer writers to their younger selves. Celeste served as executive producer of After the Storm, a documentary film following twelve young people living in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

An accomplished actor and solo performer, Celeste has created several award-winning one-person shows, including The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, Word of Mouth, and One Man Band, which have been presented internationally. Across all mediums, Celeste’s work centers on empathy, visibility, and the life-changing power of telling the truth.