Giselle Byrd is the Executive Director of The Theater Offensive, located in Boston, MA, making her the first Black trans woman to lead a regional theatre company in the United States. There, she is passionately continuing and amplifying the theater’s mission for uplifting and elevating the work of queer and transgender artists of color and LGBTQIA2S+ youth and their allies.
With over ten years of experience, holding multiple roles in talent management, production, casting, script coverage, brand partnerships, and fundraising, Giselle Byrd has used her expertise to help elevate both talent and brand collaborations with respective businesses and introduce brands and organizations to innovative solutions and a diverse array of emerging artists and celebrities who are redefining the foundations of the performing arts landscape.
As a producer, she holds the honor of being the first transgender woman to be accepted into Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women's Filmmaker Program. Her documentary film debut, “Giselle’s Story,” directed by Susan O’Brien, was accepted into the Imagine This International Women’s Festival. Her subsequent film, "When We Arrive As Flowers," executive produced by Alexandra Billings, went on to receive acceptance into numerous film festivals throughout the country during the 2022-2023 season Her latest film, “Candyland,” directed by David Gil, in which she served as the associate producer and lead actor, told a narrative that unpacks gender dysphoria, addiction, and gun violence in youth and families of color. The film received its world premiere at NewFest (one of the leading LGBTQIA2S+ film festivals in the world) in October 2024. In November2024, Boston’s 25th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance Committee awarded her the inaugural Boston Trans Art & Culture Trendsetter Award, following the announcement that her efforts in conjunction with The Theater Offensive caused Boston’s City Council to officially commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance.
In addition to this work, Byrd serves on the Board of Directors at both Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art. She is also the Co-Vice Chair of the advisory board for The Ali Forney Center.
