Melbourne Trans Rights Advocate Evie MacDonald Named in GLAAD’s ’20 Under 20′ list

GLAAD has announced its 2025 20 Under 20 list — a showcase of young LGBTQIA+ people who are fighting to improve the world for their generation — and Melbourne’s own Evangeline “Evie” MacDonald has been recognised as one of this year’s standout change-makers.

The annual list highlights LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults who are already making a real impact in activism, creative industries, community work, and public life. It’s designed to give visibility to younger generations whose voices are often the first affected by political decisions, yet not always the ones centred in the conversation.

Each year, the 20 young people are chosen by GLAAD, and profiles about their work and achievements are published on Teen Vogue — you can see it here.

Evie MacDonald: changing the lives of trans youth nationally

Evangeline MacDonald — best known as Evie — is a 20-year-old actress, writer, and trans rights advocate from Melbourne.

When Evie was younger, transgender teens were required to go through the Family Court just to access certain gender-affirming health treatments. The process was expensive, stressful, and often delayed or denied young people the care they needed.

Evie and her family decided that wasn’t acceptable. They campaigned for this process to undergo significant change, meeting directly with MPs and politicians, sharing her story and demanding better for young trans people. Their efforts fed into a wider movement fighting to give transgender young people the ability to work with their doctors directly, without needing court approval.

After a landmark case, the requirement for court authorisation was finally dropped — meaning trans teens across the country are now able to access the same treatment Evie once needed, without facing the legal barriers she had to navigate.

Alongside her advocacy, Evie has built a strong creative presence as a writer and actress. She starred as Hannah Bradford in ABCME drama series First Day, which following a young trans girl starting high school shortly after transitioning — the show went on to win a GLAAD Award and International Emmy Kids Award.

The impact of GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 list

GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 list comes at a time when young LGBTQIA+ people — especially trans youth — continue to be used as a political football in national debates and policy battles.

Recognising the achievements and impact of young people like Evie isn’t just about acknowledging the wins of one person; it’s about acknowledging the reality that many young people are fighting for their own rights long before they should have to — and they’re making genuine change to make the world better for their peers.

Star Observer would like to wish Evie MacDonald (and the MacDonald family) an enormous, gorgeously queer congratulations and thank you — you’ve made the Aussie LGBTQIA+ community very proud 💖✨