White House to recognize LGBT “Champions of Change”
Nine "Champions of Change" will be honored for their LGBT advocacy
Nine LGBT people will be honored by the White House on Monday for being “Champions of Change.”
The individuals were handpicked by the White House’s Champions of Change program, which features “individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.” In particular, it was their advocacy for the LGBT community that ensured their recognition.
They have been selected from across the country, representing a wide background of experiences, employment and advocacy. They are:
- Marco Castro-Bojorquez — Community Educator for Lambda Legal’s Western Regional Office in L.A. As well as coordinating Lambda’s educational and advocacy efforts, he’s also an award-winning filmmaker, including documentary Tres Gotas de Agua, about Latina immigrant mothers exploring the multigenerational impact of their children’s coming out.
- Fiona Dawson — Dawson established TransMilitary, dedicated to promoting trans equality by creating media that “educates, entertains and inspires.” She co-directed and produced the New York Times‘ documentary Transgender, at War and in Love. Dawson was also the Female Grand Marshal for Houston Pride in 2010, has worked for the HRC, and currently sits on the board of directors for the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.
- Jess Dugan — The Missouri resident is an artist whose works explore gender, sexuality, identity, and community. A photographer, Dugan has captured the LGBT community for the past decade, with her works being exhibited internationally — some are even housed within permanent collections at several major museums. Her current project, To Survive on this Shore, explores the complexities of aging as a transgender person in America.
- Joanna Hoffman — A slam poetry veteran, Hoffman’s poetry book Running for Trap Doors was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and was recommended by the American Library Association as essential LGBT reading. She conducts poetry workshops with youth at LGBTQ centers, performance venues, high schools and colleges, while her one-woman show The Person is Political dealt with homophobia, bullying, racism and mental health.
- AJ King — King is well known to District residents as the founder of Breaking Ground — formerly known as “Brother 2 Brother.” The program specifically targets men and trans youth of color in D.C. to use musical theater to tell their life stories and identify non-violent conflict resolution. It incorporates social justice training, leadership development, and a safe space for the participants to open up about their lives and then present those stories onstage.
- Pidgeon Pagonis — An intersex activist, Pagonis is the former Communications & Operations Manager and Youth Leadership Coordinator for Inter/Act, an intersex youth project, at Advocates for Informed Choice — an organization that fights for the legal rights of intersex children and their families. For almost a decade, Pagonis has held workshops and presentations around the world to expand the visibility of intersex issues.
- Lee Levingstone Perine — Perine is the founder of Makers Lab, which supports queer communities in D.C. by creating spaces that celebrate life, art and queer culture. In just a few months — it launched in August of this year — the Lab has produced 35 cultural events. Perine previously ran a boutique event planning company that specialized in LGBTQ weddings.
- LJ Roberts — Renown for large-scale knitted art installations, detailed embroideries, screen prints and collages, Roberts’ work investigates the overlaps between queer and trans politics and activism. For an upcoming project, they are collaborating with Visual AIDS the create a sex-positive woman-centered safe sex kit, part of a show at The Brooklyn Museum.
- Steven Romeo — The Change Project is an arts and storytelling project in Birmingham, Alabama, that aims to change discrimination against LGBTQ people. As the founder, director and chief artist, Romeo hopes that through photography, social media campaigns, educational resources and outside partnerships, he can help transform society’s views of LGBTQ people.
The event will be held Monday, November 23, at the White House and will involve screenings of Amazon’s Transparent (read our review here) and upcoming film The Danish Girl, both of which feature transgender protagonists — an important symbol of recognition given today, November 20, is Transgender Day of Remembrance. The program will also feature emarks by Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett and Secretary for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro.
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