Sam Dylan Finch is on a mission to ‘queer things up.’

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Photography by Amanda Lopez.

Writer. Editor. Advocate. Media Strategist.

Sam Dylan Finch is a leading advocate in LGBTQ+ mental health, having gained international recognition for his blog, Let’s Queer Things Up!, which first went viral in 2014.

Since then, his platform and influence has only grown. Sam has established himself as a leader within the health & recovery space, drawing from his own lived experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anorexia.

He leverages this platform as a writer, activist, public speaker, and influencer to destigmatize mental illness and promote body acceptance, particularly among queer and transgender youth.

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Bringing his combined expertise in public health and digital media, Sam currently works at Healthline — the fastest growing health information site — where he focuses on brand and social strategy for Healthline’s audience of 85 million monthly readers.

001_20Whether it’s a breakdown of anti-transgender legal tactics, a harrowing personal essay about being psychiatrically hospitalized, a compelling profile on fat activist and author Jes Baker, or consulting experts on the impact of complex trauma on memory, Sam is driven to find new and ambitious ways to tell stories for good — and just damn good stories.

As a self-publisher, Sam has honed his skills not only in writing for digital audiences, but in brand and audience development, social media strategy, and editing for both print and digital publishing. His passion lies in building diverse communities, using media as a driving force for social change and empowerment.

Screen Shot 2019-02-26 at 6.04.10 PMIn addition to his role as a strategist and content creator, Sam currently writes a weekly advice column, Crazy Talk, at Healthline.

His work has been featured in the New York Times, Seventeen Magazine, Huffington Post, ADDitude Mag, Headspace, and countless others. He also previously served as an editor and writer at Upworthy, with a focus on branded content.

Sam holds a BA in Anthropology with a focus on public health, a BA in Women’s & Gender Studies, and a certificate in Writing from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He also pursued postgraduate studies in Creative Non-Fiction at Mills College in Oakland, CA.

Testimonials

  • He is a ray of light. Not sunshine — Sam’s light is more complicated than that. It comes from somewhere else, somewhere that is delicate and ferocious and vulnerable and courageous all at once. We don’t have a word for it in English either. I think the closest we can get is transcendent. That’s Sam, and the light he shines on his little corner of the world — a corner that is getting bigger and bigger everyday.

    Jenni Berrett

  • Sam Dylan is an incredibly thoughtful and insightful writer. His work is purposeful and important and he puts his soul into everything he does . . . I read almost anything Sam Dylan writes, because he takes great pride and care in his work, and puts in the effort to make sure to write about complex, stigmatized and difficult topics with such a compassionate voice.

    Alaina Leary