A transgender, biracial 20-year-old from Philadelphia who helped transform a local juvenile justice center and a Muslim lesbian from Boston who was once named on Syria’s hit list of 'Women Who Shame Islam' are among the winners of the Colin Higgins Foundation’s eighth annual Youth Courage Awards.

Named for the acclaimed writer/director of Harold and Maude and Nine to Five, the Colin Higgins Foundation was established in 1986 to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. Each of the four winners is being honored for building bridges between disparate communities, showing courage in the face of tremendous obstacles, and transforming the world of LGBT advocacy.

“Our honorees reflect the hardships that thousands of LGBT youth experience each day in America: the rejection of family and faith community, the struggle to survive homelessness and prostitution, the instability of the foster care system,” Vanessa Daniel, program advisor with the Colin Higgins Foundation, said in a release. “Their leadership signals a new generation of activism to break down gender discrimination and homophobia.”