This Pride, Lexus and OUT are recognizing Ezra Sosa as a new-generation LGBTQ+ tastemaker raising the bar in dance and culture. Just as Lexus settles for nothing less than the standard of amazing in every vehicle it creates, the brand sees in Sosa someone setting the standard in his own field, inspiring others through his commitment to excellence. As a recent Dancing with the Stars finalist, Sosa is being celebrated in The Standard, Set, a new video spotlight debuting on @outmagazine.
For Sosa, the recognition honors a journey that started long before the spotlight ever found him.
"Dance basically saved me," he tells OUT. "It was an outlet. It was my expression. It gave me a way to speak and have a voice when I didn't feel confident enough to have one."
Photo Courtesy of Raul Romo
Today, Sosa is one of the most recognizable new faces in dance and entertainment. He has earned a devoted following through his talent, his authenticity, and a relentless drive to set the standard, and settle for nothing less. But before the national spotlight, he was a kid growing up in Provo, Utah, discovering the passion that would ultimately change his life.
That passion started unexpectedly.
"I remember my mom told me I was always shuffling my feet around," Sosa says, crediting Happy Feet with sparking his early interest in dance. "That's how I started. I was always moving."
As he pursued dance more seriously, Sosa also had to navigate what it meant to be a queer Latino performer in a space where many people suggested there wasn't room for someone like him.
"If I actually listened to those people, I would have stopped being who I am," he says.
Photo Courtesy of Raul Romo
Instead, he held tightly to the dream he had for himself. Over time, he discovered that the very thing some people viewed as a limitation became one of his greatest strengths.
"The more I was able to understand and be okay with my queerness, the more people loved watching me and loved watching me perform," he says. "It's become my superpower."
That perspective has taken on even greater significance as Sosa's visibility has grown. As an openly gay performer and role model, he understands the impact representation can have on young LGBTQ+ people searching for someone who looks like them.
Ezra Sosa pictured with the 2026 Lexus IS. Photo Courtesy of Raul Romo.
"Pride to me now is celebration. It's joy. It's us coming together once a year to really celebrate and talk about the advocacy of our community," he says. "What I love about being an out, proud gay person is the amount of strength it takes to do that."
Sosa credits much of his success to his āwarriorā mother, who believed in him long before the rest of the world did. Even during tough times, she made sure he and his siblings could continue dancing and pursuing their passions.
Looking ahead, Sosa hopes to continue expanding his career and one day step into a hosting role.
Photo Courtesy of Raul Romo.
Still, whether he's performing on stage, mentoring emerging dancers, or inspiring others to embrace who they are, Sosa remains committed to showing up authentically.
"When I was that kid in Provo, if I would see what I am now, I just wouldn't believe it," he says. "Now I am the one who is able to inspire many to hopefully live their true selves."
And for Sosa, that's a standard worth setting.
