Brenda Howard Memorial Award

The Brenda Howard Memorial Award is an award for activism created in 2005 by the Queens Chapter of PFLAG and named after Brenda Howard.[1] It was the first award by a major American LGBT organization to be named after an openly bisexual person. The award, which is given annually, recognizes an individual whose work on behalf of the bisexual community and the greater LGBT community best exemplifies the vision, principles, and community service exemplified by Howard, and who serves as a positive and visible role model for the entire LGBT community.

Winners of Brenda Howard Memorial Award (L to R) Larry Nelson 2005, Wendy Curry 2008, Tom Limoncelli 2006, and Wendy Moscow 2007.

Recipients of the award have included a number of notable activists, including Tom Limoncelli, Wendy Curry, Micah Kellner, Robyn Ochs, and H. Sharif Williams.

Recipients

Year Recipient Notes
2005 Lawrence Nelson Nelson is a long-time LGBT rights activist. He is a founding member and a current board member of PFLAG Queens as well as being an advisor to the student LGBT Group at Queensborough Community College.[2]
2006 Tom Limoncelli Limoncelli, who identifies as bisexual, is a long-time LGBT rights activist. He was the New Jersey emeritus BiNet USA delegate, has worked with Garden State Equality, and is a noted SysAdmin, and author.
2007 Wendy Moscow Moscow, who identifies as bisexual, is a long-time LGBT rights activist, focusing on her home borough of Queens NYC. In the early 1980s she helped found the Lesbian and Gay Political Action Club of Queens and was also one of the founders of Queens Pride, where she served as their March Committee co-chair from inception until 2001, and was a Grand Marshal of the 2006 parade.[3]
2008 Wendy Curry Curry, who identifies as bisexual, is a long time LGBT rights activist. They are one of the creators of Bisexual Pride Day and are President emeritus of BiNet USA.[4]
2009 Micah Kellner Kellner was the first openly bisexual person elected to the New York State Assembly.[5][6]
2010 Lisa Jacobs Jacobs, who identifies as bisexual, is a long time bisexual rights and gender non-conforming community rights activist. They are a founder and President emeritus of the Transcending Boundaries Conference and run the Gender Diverse Bisexuals group.
2011 Robyn Ochs Ochs, who identifies as bisexual, is a bisexual rights activist, speaker, and author.[7]
2012 Donna Redd[8] Redd, who identifies as a bisexual woman of color, is a longtime LGBT activist. She is the executive director of Sistahs in Search of Truth, Alliance, and Harmony (S.i.S.T.A.H.), a Brooklyn-based bisexual-led group founded in 1991, that serves all same gender loving (SGL) women.[9]
2013 Cliff Arnesen[10] Arnesen is a bisexual army veteran (U.S. Army, Vietnam era), past president of the New England Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Veterans, and a founding member and former National Vice President of Legislative Affairs of the Lesbian & Bisexual Veterans of America, now known as the American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER).[11]
2014 Estraven[12] Estraven is a Board Member Emeritus of BiNet USA, a director of the New York Area Bisexual Network, and writer on the topic of bisexual history and mental health. In 2006 they founded the Bisexual Discussion and Activity Group[13] at NY state's Westchester County's The LOFT LGBT Community Center where they continue to act as a senior facilitator.[12]
2015 H. Sharif Williams Williams, who identifies as bisexual, is an LGBT rights activist, playwright, poet, essayist, spiritual teacher, sexual healer, scholar, activist, and social entrepreneur.[14]
2016 Alexandra Bolles[15] Bolles, who identifies as bisexual, spearheads GLAAD's bisexual-related advocacy and serves as Senior Strategist – Campaigns & External Engagement. In 2016, Bolles was instrumental in the publication of In Focus: Reporting on the Bisexual Community,[16] GLAAD's first media resource guide specifically about the bisexual community[17]
2017 Denarii Grace[18] Grace is a writer, editor, singer-songwriter, and activist.[19]
2018 Lynnette McFadzen[20] McFadzen, who identifies as bisexual, is the founder of The BiCast Podcast and is the President of BiNet USA.[21]
2023 Diane Anderson-Minshall Anderson-Minshall is the editor-in-chief and chief operations officer at New York-based GO Magazine, former CEO and editorial director of Pride Media Inc, and vice-president of the board of directors for GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, which operates the Dorian Awards.[22]

References

  1. ^ "The PFLAG Queens Chapter Names New Award for Bisexual Activist Brenda Howard". Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2007.
  2. ^ "Brenda Howard Memorial Award Information". Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  3. ^ "3rd Annual Brenda Howard Memorial Awardee: Wendy Moscow". Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  4. ^ BiNet USA President Wendy Curry Receives the 4th Annual Brenda Howard Memorial Award Archived February 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine February 24, 2009 BiNet USA News and Updates
  5. ^ NY Assemblymember Kellner Given Brenda Howard Award Archived February 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine February 21, 2009 BiNet USA News and Updates
  6. ^ Gustafson, Anna Queens PFLAG to honor three in February Archived October 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine January 1, 2009, Astoria Times.
  7. ^ Robyn Ochs Receives Brenda Howard Award from PFLAG, Queens Chapter Archived July 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, February 5, 2012 BiMagazine.
  8. ^ "PFLAG Queens Chapter – 2014 Awards Luncheon Page – Fund Raiser to be held 2/08/2015". Pflag-queens.org. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  9. ^ "PFLAG Queens Chapter 2012 Fund Raiser – Awardees Bio's". Pflag-queens.org. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  10. ^ Queens PFLAG NYC Chapter Honors Cliff Arnesen and New Out LGBT members of the New York City Council Archived December 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, February 22, 2014 Transgender Bisexual Political Nerd.
  11. ^ 2010 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed! A look back at Bi one veteran's story Archived March 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, BiNet USA, 2013.
  12. ^ a b "PFLAG Queens Chapter – 2014 Awardees Bio Page". Pflag-queens.org. November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  13. ^ "The LOFT's Programs and Services: Bisexual Discussion and Activity Group". loftgaycenter.org. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  14. ^ "PFLAG Queens Chapter – 2015 Awardees Bio Page". Pflag-queens.org. November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  15. ^ "GLAAD About, Our Team, Staff". www.glaad.org. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  16. ^ "In Focus: Reporting on the Bisexual Community" (PDF). www.glaad.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  17. ^ "PFLAG Queens Chapter 2016 Fund Raiser – Awardees Bio's". Pflag-queens.org. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  18. ^ "PFLAG Queens Chapter – 2017 Awards Luncheon Page – Fund Raiser to be held 2/04/2018". Pflag-queens.org. February 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  19. ^ "PFLAG Queens Chapter – 2016 Fund Raiser – Awardees Bio's – Fund Raiser to be held 2/07/2016". Pflag-queens.org. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  20. ^ "14th Annual Brenda Howard Memorial Awardee Lynnette McFadzen". Pflag-queens.org. February 3, 2019. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  21. ^ "14th Annual Brenda Howard Memorial Awardee Lynnette McFadzen". Pflag-queens.org. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  22. ^ "PFLAG Queens Chapter - 2022 Awardees Bio's - Fund Raiser to be held 7/30/2023". pflag-queens.org. Retrieved 2024-01-16.