Dante DeStefano (he/him)

Visual Artist, Designer, and Co-founder of Trans & Friends

Dante DeStefano is a visual artist, designer and works in Set Decoration for film & TV. He has been a union member of IATSE Local 479 since 2020. He’s worked on productions such as Will Trent, The Big Door Prize, and Fear Street. He's also active in Atlanta’s performing arts and puppetry scene working with companies like The Center for Puppetry Arts and OutFront Theater. Dante has worked in the creative industries since 2008. He believes in cultivating sustainable, fulfilling work for laborers in the creative class, especially for members in the queer and neurodiverse communities.

Dante is also one of the original co-founders of Trans & Friends, a support group for transgender and gender non-conforming youth. The group meets twice monthly and is hosted by Charis Circle at Charis Books & More in Decatur, Georgia and virtually. Since 2003, he has been an advocate for the queer community, especially transgender & gender-expansive youth. As a trans teenager in the early 2000’s, Dante sought to fill a niche for trans youth seeking support and community like himself at a time when there wasn’t anything else like it in the greater Atlanta area. As a co-facilitator, he is thrilled that T&F has continued to provide support for young people, wherever they are navigating and exploring on their gender journey.