White House Honors LGBT Champions of Change

Six individuals and organizations working on behalf of LGBT people will be honored Thursday morning at a “Champions of Change” event at the White House. The event will be streamed live at 10:30 a.m.

Honorees from across the country were chosen on the basis of their video entries in the LGBT Pride Month video challenge, according to a White House news release. The honorees include JJ Kahle, a Spanish teacher from Minneapolis; CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers; The Military Acceptance Project (MAP); George Stewart, an advocate for LGBT seniors in New York; the Redwood String Ensemble; and Heather Carter, a Washington-based developer of the LGBT youth suicide prevention program, OUTLoud.

“Today’s Champions of Change have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of LGBT people across the country, and they represent countless other individuals and organizations who are equally dedicated to equal rights for LGBT people,” said Jon Carson, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. “The collective efforts of these Champions, and others like them, are crucial to achieving our goal of full equality for all Americans, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity. We are honored to join them in the march towards a more perfect union.”

The Champions of Change program, part of President Barack Obama’s Winning the Future initiative, brings a group of leaders on different policy challenges facing the country to the White House each week. Past LGBT honorees have included the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network for its work against bullying, Cleve Jones for his efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, and Carl Siciliano of the Ali Forney Center for his support of homeless and runaway youths.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/washington-dc/2012/07/19/watch-white-house-honors-lgbt-champions-change