From left to right: Tristan Miedema, Kayla Bell-Consolver, Shannon Samuelson, Jenny Smith, Jeremy Weiss and ally Connie Ryan
Writers: Jody Gifford and Abbey Tauchen
Photographer: Duane Tinkey
At dsm, we believe that progress is shaped not only by big, banner-waving movements but also by quiet courage. For seven years now, our LGBTQ Legacy Leader Awards have honored Iowans whose lives and leadership are shaping a more inclusive, compassionate and vibrant state.
This year’s honorees reflect a range of experiences, identities and accomplishments, but they all share a common determination to live authentically and advocate for others. Whether through community service, professional excellence, artistic expression or everyday resilience, each one embodies what it means to lead by example.
We’re proud to share their stories below, and we celebrated them at the annual LGBTQ Legacy Leader Awards ceremony on Sept. 9 downtown at the River Center. (If you missed the event, the speeches are available to watch on YouTube.)
To each of this year’s honorees: Thank you. Your work matters. Your voice matters. And Iowa is stronger because of you.
Emerging Leader: Tristan Miedema
Tristan Miedema, an associate professor of voice at Drake University and a key figure in the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus, stands as a testament to the transformative power of art and community. The Pella native has become a vocal champion for the LGTBQ community, particularly for transgender Iowans, in a time when the state government is curtailing their rights.
At 29, Miedema says his personal coming-out journey took place during graduate school, when he realized there were too few queer role models in his early life.
“I think back and I wish I would have had gay role models or queer role models,” he recalled. “In kindergarten, I was running around saying I wanted to be a girl, and I was always kind of flamboyant and into different things than my brothers. I always felt a little different. I think I always knew, I always felt that, but I didn’t have the words.”
Miedema’s musical inclinations crescendoed early, prompting him to switch his focus at Central College from elementary education to music education and, eventually, voice performance at the University of Iowa. That decision set him on a path that would eventually merge his passion for music with his commitment to advocacy. Specialized training at the Voice Lab in Chicago motivated him to make vocal pedagogy more inclusive.
“I was learning how to work with trans voices, how to do gender affirming speech, notably with trans women,” he said. “A lot of trans women struggle with being perceived as female out in the real world, because they have to adjust their voice, their speaking tone, their speech quality, to really have that feminine-perceived sound. It’s so interesting: We’re always trying to dismantle this gender binary that we have, but for a lot of trans people, they want to fit into the binary so bad and just be called a girl or a guy.”
After Miedema returned to Iowa, he secured a teaching position at Drake and a role in the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus during the COVID pandemic, when rehearsals took place via Zoom. His commitment and talent quickly propelled him to become a section leader and then the director of TRANScendent, the chorus’ smaller ensemble for trans and gender non-conforming singers.
Cool under pressure
The ensemble has grown under Miedema’s leadership, expanding from nine to 17 members within a single year. He emphasizes the crucial role it plays in creating a secure and supportive environment for trans individuals, both in the group itself and its audiences. It recently performed at the Trans Lives Festival and received One Iowa’s Courageous Six Changemaker Award.
“I feel like this ensemble has had such success this year,” he said. “We’re getting asked to perform all the time, we’re receiving awards … it’s just crazy, it feels surreal. Trans rights were taken away in Iowa just this year, and then everything that’s happened after that has been so positive.”
Miedema said Iowa’s current political climate is endangering the trans community. He expressed concern about the passage of anti-trans bills and noted that some TRANScendent singers have even made exit plans from the state due to safety concerns. He said there’s a critical need for continued advocacy and the creation of safe havens, a role he believes the arts and specifically the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus can fill.
“Even in the chorus, as a section leader, as artistic staff, I’m so protective of the safety of that room, of that space that we create every week,” he said. “I feel protective of keeping that space a place where they are never called the wrong pronoun. They are never questioned. They are never uncomfortable. They get to use the voice they want to use. They get to sing. They get to make music. The most oppressed people have always clung to the arts. We look through history and some of the best art has come from the most oppressed peoples and the most minority communities.”
Looking ahead, Miedema envisions continued growth for TRANScendent and the broader chorus, with upcoming performances and projects to further amplify trans voices. He remains steadfast in his commitment to creating and maintaining safe spaces for trans individuals in Iowa and reiterates how one voice, dedicated to inclusion and artistic expression, can lead to lasting change. — J.G.
Distinctions
- Section leader and social media coordinator, Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus
- Founding director of DMGMC’s TRANScendent ensemble, Iowa’s first and only trans and nonbinary choral group
- Recipient, on behalf of TRANScendent, of One Iowa’s 2025 Courageous Six Changemaker Award
- Associate professor of voice, Drake University
- Member, One Iowa’s 2024 LGBTQ Leadership Institute
“Tristan leads with strength in his convictions and a willingness to learn. He is constantly growing, and as he grows, he brings others with him. He makes space for people to be seen and celebrated, not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary.” – Liz Cooney, former board president, Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus
Kayla Bell-Consolver
From a young age, Kayla Bell-Consolver felt drawn to helping others.
“I could always see when somebody was hurting,” she said. “I knew what it was like to be different.”
Her empathy stems from personal experience. In elementary and middle school in Tampa, Florida, she was often bullied and excluded because of her identity. “There weren’t often a lot of people who looked like me,” she recalled. “I was often isolated.”
At one point, she tried to fit in with the bullies until a teacher pulled her aside and told her, “That is not you.”
That moment stuck.
“You just feel like the only way to be loved is to act like the people who are being harmful to you,” she said. “But that moment helped me remember who I really was: I cared a lot about people.”
In high school, tragedy deepened her sense of purpose. After a classmate died by suicide, Bell-Consolver joined a peer support group. “I’d hear their life stories and think, ‘Oh my gosh, we really have no idea what people are going through,’” she said.
That realization helped shape her path. She made up her mind to help people feel important and loved. And over time, she began to see her empathy as a strength. As she put it, “Sometimes I feel like it’s a gift to just have that care in my heart.”
Becoming herself
Bell-Consolver first recognized her attraction to girls in second grade but internalized shame early on. In fourth grade, she was told being gay was wrong. She was raised in a religious environment and didn’t come out publicly until age 22. “I didn’t feel like it was OK to be who I was,” she said.
A turning point came in her mid-20s, when her nana reassured her: “I will always love you, and this doesn’t change anything.”
One of the first friends she came out to, a college roommate, responded casually: “Oh, that’s it?” Later, Bell-Consolver and her best friend from high school came out to each other.
Today, Bell-Consolver shares her life with her wife, Tabitha, and their 2-year-old daughter, Alysia. Motherhood has given her a new perspective. “I could do a lot of big things, but I’m not willing to sacrifice being present for her,” she said.
Leadership and healing
Bell-Consolver was drawn to Des Moines for Drake University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in sociology, and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.
She began her career as a behavioral intervention specialist and later worked at Orchard Place, a treatment center for children. Seeing some of the kids return for care inspired her to go back to counseling to focus on systemic change and prevention.
In 2021, she returned to Drake as director of the student counseling center. There, she expanded staffing, scheduled more hours for crisis support and partnered with telehealth providers to offer 24/7 care “to bring counseling to the people,” she said.
She also launched grant-funded programs that provide self-care kits and coordinated more than 140 campus events annually, including panel discussions on diversity, equity and inclusion. Today, she teaches graduate counseling courses as an adjunct professor.
In 2022, she founded Question Kayla, LLC during the racial justice movement following the death of George Floyd. Through the platform, she offers training on LGBTQ mental health, trauma recovery, racial and generational bias, suicide prevention, workplace wellness and more.
“I don’t believe mental health should have only one access point,” she said. “If we supply the community with education and resources to heal, then we’re doing a double service.” She also advocates on her social media.
“I bring my personality to social media, and over time people really connected,” she said. “With everything I do, I speak to the person that probably feels inherently broken … that they’ve been taught and told something’s wrong with them.”
Representation and hope
Bell-Consolver hopes her visibility makes a difference. “I want to be the representation that I didn’t get to see, especially for little Black queer girls,” she said. “When you don’t see yourself anywhere, you tend to think you’re so different.”
Her message to the LGBTQ community is one of affirmation: “You are inherently worthwhile. Your identity is an extension of your worth, an extension of your beauty, and you deserve so much more than what the world is offering you. There is a world still here willing and available to offer these things, and there are lots of communities, even if it never felt possible.” — A.T.
Distinctions
- Director and practicing therapist, Broadlawns Drake Student Counseling Center
- Owner/founder, Question Kayla, LLC
- Advisory council member, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa
- Former president, Iowa Mental Health Counseling Association
- Member, One Iowa’s 2022 LGBTQ Leadership Institute
“Everything Kayla touches turns to gold. Her leadership is genuine and authentic, and she uses her power and knowledge to create better spaces for marginalized people. … Our state is better with her in it.” – Maxwell Mowitz, executive director, One Iowa
Shannon Samuelson
Shannon Samuelson has always believed in the power of being present — for kids, for colleagues and for the LGBTQ community in Iowa.
The senior credit underwriter at Wells Fargo and treasurer for the Iowa LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce works to create inclusive workplaces and communities where everyone can be exactly who they are.
“I try to be there for an individual who needs somebody to talk to,” she said. “Creating spaces for people where they can be themselves, that’s the biggest thing I want to do.”
That commitment to authenticity starts with her own example. “The biggest thing at work was just being myself so others felt like they could be themselves as well,” she said. “After that, I have never denied who I was to anybody else.”
From silence to strength
Samuelson grew up in the tiny town of Somers, west of Fort Dodge, where conversations about being queer were nonexistent. “Especially in a small town, nobody really understood it,” she said. “Nobody even talked about it.”
During a middle school sleepover, a night of questions led to her being outed by her peers. “By the time I went to school on Monday, I had some friends who had started saying that I was a lesbian,” Samuelson said. “Other people must have known, even though I didn’t.”
The incident made her retreat. “I stopped talking to everybody I knew, and I made other friends,” she said. “I went very far back in the closet for many years after that.”
The experience marked the beginning of a long struggle. She battled depression throughout high school and didn’t fully come out until the age of 22. Though she faced lots of questions, her friends and key family members were there for her. “My mom and grandma, they never wanted things to be hard for me,” she said. “They’ve always been supportive.”
In the early 2000s, resources for LGBTQ people were relatively scarce in Iowa. Samuelson found a sense of connection through online chat groups, where she could finally see reflections of herself.
“I wish I could have come out sooner. I think most people my age wish that,” said Samuelson, who is 43.
By 2007, she met her wife, Lindsay, while working in Mason City. They started dating on Oct. 11, which happens to be National Coming Out Day, and got married exactly five years later (on 10-11-12). They have two children, Lucas and Rylie; one granddaughter, Haven; and three cats, Gus, Charlie and Hillary.
Leading with purpose
Samuelson earned a B.A. in accounting from Buena Vista University and later a pair of master’s degrees in business administration from Upper Iowa University and business analytics from Iowa State University. She’s always been good with numbers, she said. “Accounting just makes sense to me.”
In 2009, she joined Wells Fargo in Des Moines. She was out in her personal life, but hesitated at work. “I don’t know what shifted, but it just became apparent to me that I needed to be more out at work,” she said.
By 2010, she was volunteering with Wells Fargo at Pride. Soon enough, she volunteered to manage the finances for Capital City Pride and overhauled its financial systems during a time of rapid growth. “It grew very fast,” she said. “It’s amazing what they’ve achieved in that short amount of time.”
The group’s annual PrideFest takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it, she said. “It’s a volunteer board, and those volunteers, the amount of hours they put in over the year, it’s just amazing to see that when it comes to fruition,” she said. “It’s an emotional experience.”
After two years at Capital City Pride, she shifted her volunteering efforts to the Iowa LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, the state affiliate of the national group that promotes business interests, economic growth and workplace equality for LGBTQ business communities and their allies.
Living authentically
Samuelson says her experience as a mom has shaped her efforts to create inclusive, safe spaces for younger members of the community. “I just want to make sure they know what their resources are so they can meet people like them,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
As a mentor, volunteer and advocate, she is committed to calling out injustice. “I’m not letting things slide anymore,” she said. “I am going to call it out when I see hate or something that I feel is wrong to another human being. It’s just all about respect.”
When it comes to understanding LGBTQ people, Samuelson sums it up simply: “We are just human beings, and we want the same rights. We don’t want more. We just want to be treated like everybody else.” — A.T.
Distinctions
- Treasurer, Iowa LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
- Former director of finance, Capital City Pride
“Shannon supports others with patience, encouragement and wisdom, always showing up when it matters most. She doesn’t seek the spotlight; instead, she uses her presence to make space for others to shine.” – Dan Jansen, board chair, Iowa LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
Jenny Smith
Growing up in Audubon, Jenny Smith never considered that she might be anything but straight. It wasn’t until she was in her mid-20s that she started questioning her identity.
“I like to say I got gay late,” she said with a slight smile. “I just never really had an example or influence or anything to emulate that would represent the gay community in my upbringing. Even though I questioned some of my thoughts and feelings, I can honestly say it never entered my mind that that was actually who I was.”
Today, Smith and her wife, Lindsey, are raising their four children in Iowa’s capital city. As a financial adviser and owner of Smith + Co. Financial, she relishes the opportunity to build relationships and help clients manage their money in meaningful ways. Working with a team predominantly composed of women, her simple, straightforward approach to saving, protecting, investing and planning is an equalizer among clients.
For almost as many years as she’s been advising, Smith has extended that commitment to service and equality beyond her professional life, deeply integrating LGBTQ community involvement into her day-to-day, first with Capital City Pride and later One Iowa, the nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ rights.
“Capital City Pride is a wonderful organization, and it was good to be a part of something so meaningful to the community,” Smith recalled. “I learned how boards work that first year, but I knew that I wanted to do something that was more productive as far as legislation and rights go.”
She joined the One Iowa board after making a call to its co-founder, the late Sharon Malheiro, who soon became her mentor. “I remember sitting at my first board meeting and feeling like the biggest idiot in the room,” Smith said. “We were talking about local races, and it was all way over my head.”
Chaotic as it might have been, her time on the board coincided with a pivotal moment in Iowa’s history: the advent of marriage equality. Smith, who was then engaged to Lindsey, knew what the landmark ruling could mean for her and countless others. While it brought immense joy and national recognition to the state, it also tested her mettle and One Iowa’s resilience. Malheiro, she said, kept her grounded.
“It was incredible to be a part of it, but I was just swimming, no, drowning,” she said. “I remember in the middle of this, going to Sharon’s house for her Friday family night and crying and saying, ‘This is nuts. I don’t belong here. I don’t know what I’m doing,’ And she convinced me to have some confidence and not quit. I didn’t. I stuck it out for nearly a decade. It was a really big learning curve for me, and I was super blessed to have Sharon there.”
Taking action
Smith is undoubtedly a trailblazer in Iowa’s LGBTQ community, but she admits it’s been hard to watch rights be stripped away by Iowa’s legislators in recent years.
“I feel like in this fight, I just don’t have a lot to give right now,” she said. “When you help build something, when you had a part in its creation, it hurts more when you see it tumble. It’s really difficult to watch what my mentor built get taken apart.”
Still, Smith continues to advocate for progress through continued action and collective responsibility. When interviewed for this article, about her LGBTQ Legacy Leader honor, she said her legacy is not just about legal victories and organizational strength but also self-acceptance, family support and the unwavering belief in a more inclusive future for everyone.
“The only way to change hearts and minds is to share your authentic self. Be unapologetic, be who you are and it will impact people,” she said. “We also need allies. We need to fight together. Our community is not strong enough to do it alone. We don’t have the ability. We don’t have the funding, we don’t have the people, and if we don’t accept the fact that allies are really important, we are going to miss it. It’s in these moments when it is the hardest that we need to rely on the people who will support us. It matters a ton. We won’t get there alone.” — J.G.
Distinctions
- Founder and owner of Smith + Co. Financial
- Former member and chair, One Iowa Board of Directors
“Jenny is one of our fiercest champions, both through her advocacy and her financial support. Her leadership, courage and relentless dedication make her an invaluable asset to the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. I wholeheartedly support and celebrate her contributions, knowing that her work has and will continue to create lasting change.” – Heather Schott, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Krause Group
Jeremy Weiss
Jeremy Weiss is on a mission to foster Iowa’s next generation of LGBTQ leaders. As chairman of the One Iowa board, a nonprofit dedicated to advocacy, education and inclusivity, he’s helping to build a stronger, more connected future for LGBTQ Iowans.
“We can’t start that work too early,” he said. “We’re uplifting and building those leaders up.”
Under his leadership, One Iowa has sharpened its focus, strengthened its financial footing and deepened its commitment to the community. His strategic work in planning and donor engagement has helped the organization thrive, notably through the continued success of its Leadership Academy, which nurtures LGBTQ leadership across the state.
“A lot of the work I’ve had the opportunity to do for One Iowa is a great example of a very stable organization deeply rooted at the core of its mission and continuing to connect and help the LGBTQ community,” he said.
Finding himself
Weiss grew up in the small town of Barnum, between Sac City and Fort Dodge.
He went to Iowa State University and came out during his freshman year, in 2008. “Being in college in a fraternity surrounded by a great group of friends allowed me to really be who I truly was in the purest, most genuine sense,” he said. “It just felt natural at the time.”
Coming out to his family was equally positive. Their support never wavered. “I was really fortunate to have had a great experience and supportive parents, family and siblings,” he said. “I didn’t have any negative interactions.”
After earning a degree in business management from Iowa State, Weiss completed a master’s degree in business leadership at William Penn University in Des Moines. He launched his career in H.R. recruiting at Principal Financial, where he first engaged in LGBTQ advocacy through employee resource groups. His path later took him to roles at USAA insurance, EY (formerly Ernst & Young) and a few international posts before returning to Des Moines in 2018.
Mentorship and meaningful leadership
Now Weiss serves as director and U.S. head of front office consulting for Alpha Financial Markets Consulting. Despite a demanding career, he remains a committed advocate and mentor to LGBTQ youth and emerging professionals.
He often supports others as they navigate the emotional and professional nuances of coming out, especially in the workplace. “I’m helping individuals think through ‘Do I feel comfortable coming out to my boss or my coworkers?’” he said.
Beyond One Iowa, he’s also active in Community Youth Concepts, the Des Moines Arts Festival, Iowa’s Homeless Youth Centers and the Global Insurance Accelerator. His leadership spans civic, cultural and corporate spaces but consistently centers on inclusion and empowerment.
His experiences inform his approach to addressing systemic barriers, and his identity has helped him build a diverse and thoughtful circle of friends who challenge his thinking.
“They challenge me when I talk through something with them, and they come at it from a different point of view, which is what I love and what we need more of in this world,” he said. “It’s like spinning or rotating a Rubik’s Cube and trying to think about everything from every dimension.”
Rooted in Iowa, reaching the world
Weiss’ love for Des Moines is clear, from his support for local businesses to his presence at local events. But on fall Saturdays, you’ll often find him in Ames, tailgating and cheering on the Cyclones.
“We have built something really special here in Des Moines, and we’ve done a good job of supporting marginalized communities throughout the metro area,” he said. “But there’s a lot more we can do and need to do in stepping outside of the Des Moines community to make sure everyone feels safe and supported from every pocket and every edge of the state, from the center to the most rural areas.”
Looking back on his journey, he credits the mentors who encouraged him to take risks, step into leadership roles and keep trying despite setbacks.
Now, he’s becoming a similar voice for the next generation, offering mentorship, advocacy and connection.
“I try to be that for young people,” he said. — A.T.
Distinctions
- 2015 Forty Under 40 honoree, Des Moines Business Record
- Board chair, One Iowa
- Board member and past president, Community Youth Concepts
- Board member, Iowa’s Homeless Youth Centers
- Mentor and adviser, Global Insurance Accelerator
- Event management team, Des Moines Arts Festival
“His visibility is more than symbolic. It reflects his belief that leadership means showing up, listening and standing side by side with those you serve.” – Clifton Hughes, board chair, Community Youth Concepts
Ally: Connie Ryan
If you’ve ever been to the Capitol to testify at a subcommittee or attend a rally, you’ve likely stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Connie Ryan.
She is the executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, a nonprofit group that works to protect fundamental liberties. For 22 years, including 15 as a full-time lobbyist, she has advocated for religious freedom and championed the civil rights of all Iowans, especially those on the margins, and pushed back against extremism. Her work, she says, is defined by faith, perseverance and an unwavering dedication to the common good.
“Our society has a bad habit of targeting groups of people because of random characteristics and plying them with bigotry and discrimination,” Ryan said. “It’s simply wrong. Every person deserves to live their life knowing and experiencing that they are worthy and deserve dignity just because of who they are.”
Lately, she said, efforts to erode fundamental liberties have seemed almost constant, and the past five years have been especially difficult for the Interfaith Alliance. They faced challenges during the fight for marriage equality but also made significant progress. Today, she said, the landscape is starkly different, with the transgender community facing a relentless barrage of legislative attacks.
“My heart breaks a little bit more every time there is a new piece of harmful legislation, a public action by an organization that amplifies hate and harm, or hateful words thrown at someone,” Ryan said. “I believe our society can be, must be, better than this. We all have a role to play in making Iowa a better place for the LGBTQ community and everyone.”
Fueled by faith
Ryan, the daughter of two ministers devoted to social justice, encourages faith communities to speak out in solidarity for civil rights, highlighting the role they play in shaping public discourse and policy.
“Fighting against bigotry and discrimination is built into my DNA,” Ryan said. “When I see an injustice, I must do something. That belief is part of my values and core to who I am. I believe every person is worthy. Every person deserves dignity. Every person is enough. I think it is a belief that comes from my faith and my upbringing.”
The personal toll of this work is evident as Ryan speaks of the heartbreak she experiences daily. She laments the recent legislative setbacks in Iowa, which have not only reversed hard-won LGBTQ rights but also tarnished the state’s reputation, leading to an exodus of talented individuals and inflicting emotional distress on the LGBTQ community.
“Sexual orientation and gender identity were added to the Iowa Civil Rights Act in 2007 and then marriage equality in 2009, and then, in a flash, it just spun around and started going backward,” Ryan said. “It never occurred to me that once you give people their rights, somebody can come along and take them away for no real reason other than they disagree.”
Being an ally
For Ryan, being an ally is not a passive title but an active, ongoing process of “walking alongside” and empowering communities. While she is grateful for recognition like the dsm LGBTQ Ally Award, she remains focused on the work itself, the pursuit of justice and equality. Her lifelong commitment to standing up for people’s rights drives her advocacy.
Her advice: “Get involved in advocacy and use your voices and power to protect civil rights.” She urges individuals to show courage and determination and to stand up for what is right, recognizing that a strong democracy hinges on the active participation of its citizens.
“I always encourage folks to get involved in whatever the issue is that they care about,” she said. “We’re at a time when it’s critically important for people to be brave, courageous, to use their voices, to use their feet for what is right for themselves and for their neighbors. We have to use all of our power and privilege and voices to make sure that everybody’s rights are protected and our democracy is strong.” — J.G.
Distinctions
- Executive director, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa
- Former board member, One Iowa
- Former board member, Iowa Safe Schools
- Co-founder and chair, Justice Not Politics
- Recipient of the 2024 Achieving Democracy Awards from the National Interfaith Alliance
- Recipient of the 2024 Defending Democracy Award from the League of Women Voters of Iowa
- 2019 Woman of Influence, Des Moines Business Record
“Our state would be an objectively worse place without Connie Ryan. Public education would be weaker, our courts would be more politicized, and LGBTQ Iowans would be even further marginalized and excluded. Our faith communities would likely be more siloed and less inclusive. More than anything, our community would be less informed and less engaged.” – Keenan Crow, director of public policy and advocacy, One Iowa
