Lyra Opalikhin

Lyra Opalikhin (she/her/hers) is an advocate and organizer with years of experience uplifting the LGBTQ+ community. Her activism is informed by her transgender identity, which she embraced while attending Michigan State University, advocating for her LGBTQ+ student community and graduating in 2025.

Now, she serves on the Youth Advisory Board for StandwithTrans, a non-profit dedicated to empowering and uplifting transgender youth. She currently works as the Campaign Director of Protect MI Families, an organization dedicated to promoting and expanding consumer protections in Michigan. When she is not busy advocating for a cause that's important to her, she enjoys watching movies, exploring nature, writing poetry and building affirming communities.