Celebrating D.C.'s ''Sheroes''
Mayor's Office of GLBT Affairs to honor three women at annual awards ceremony for local leaders
The Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs today announced the honorees of its third annual ”Sheroes of the Movement” awards, given annually to lesbian, bisexual or queer women who have made significant contributions to both the LGBT movement and the District.
This year’s three Sheroes, nominated and selected by members of the Mayor’s GLBT Advisory Committee, are Cathy Chu, Amy Nelson and Kelley Robinson. They will be honored at a reception on Friday, March 21.
Chu, the youth leadership manager at Supporting & Mentoring Youth Advocates & Leaders (SMYAL), develops programs and training initiatives designed to empower younger LGBT people in the District, Maryland and Virginia. She also serves on the steering committees for the National Association of Gay-Straight Alliance Networks and Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sisters.
Nelson, an attorney with Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, has overseen the growth of the program’s transgender legal practice during the past three years, with a caseload of more than 220 cases in 2013. Nelson was also involved with the launch of the District’s first Name and Gender Change Clinic, which assists members of the transgender community in updating identity documents and personal records, free of charge. On average, the clinic serves about 15 clients each month.
Robinson, the assistant director for youth engagement at Planned Parenthood, has designed and created programs for youth around access to reproductive health care services. She has been especially talented at engaging young people of color and LGBT youth to serve as activists and leaders in the fight for reproductive rights. Under Robinson, Planned Parenthood has doubled its campus presence over the past two years, bringing its total number of campus groups to 250 across the nation, and increasing its number of teen advocacy programs to 100.
Those wishing to attend the Sheroes of the Movement awards ceremony, Friday, March 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Fannie Mae Conference Center, 4000 Wisconsin Ave. NW, must RSVP by March 18 by sending an email to .
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
