Out100 Readers' Choice Award: Tyler Oakley

Photography by JUCO

The Moment: September 25, 1965: In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, is published in The New Yorker.

It was while interning for the Trevor Project in 2009 that Tyler Oakley first truly appreciated the work being done to help LGBT youth in crisis.

"It made me realize I have a voice and can help to make sure that nobody, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, should ever feel so alone that they are compelled to take their own life," says the 25-year-old activist. Oakley has parlayed his commitment to equality into a stunningly successful career on YouTube, where his channel is rapidly approaching 6 million subscribers.

Success has taken him around the world and given him a platform many would covet. What it hasn't done is go to his head. "I want to be bold," Oakley says, "unapologetically myself, always growing, always learning, and inclusive."

Photographed at George Brown Studio, New York on September 17, 2014

Styling by Michael Cook. Hair and Makeup: Angela DiCarlo. Suit, shirt, and tie by Burberry London.
Glasses by Moscot

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