Capital Pride Alliance now accepting applications for Capital Pride Honors
Annual awards honor those individuals and businesses who have made "exemplary" contributions to the LGBTQ community.
The Capital Pride Alliance is accepting nominations for The Capital Pride Honors, an annual event during Pride season that acknowledges outstanding individuals, leaders, and activists who have made significant contributions to the LGBTQ community.
Community members, friends, and co-workers are encouraged to nominate people whose contributions have been exceptional and have made a positive impact on the lives of others.
Past honorees have included U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, former Army Secretary Eric Fanning, longtime LGBTQ activists Jeri Hughes, Dee Curry, and Richard J. Rosendall, the Trevor Project’s Amy Loudermilk, Stonewall Sports founding member Melvin Thomas, and Rayceen Pendarvis, an activist and host of “The Ask Rayceen Show.”
Nominations for the various awards will be accepted through May 14, 2021, and can be submitted by visiting www.CapitalPride.org/nominate.
In lieu of Capital Pride Alliance’s typical “Heroes” and “Engendered Spirits” awards, this year’s awards include the #StillWe Advocate award, which recognizes advocates and activists in the racial and social justice movement; the #StillWe Inspire award, which recognizes anyone who has motivated and inspired community members to support those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic; and the #StillWe Thrive award, which honors an individual or business that has played a crucial role in responding to the pandemic.
The Bill Miles Award, offered annually, will recognize individuals who have performed outstanding volunteer service with Capital Pride Alliance and its affiliated programs and activities; and the Larry Stansbury Award will be awarded to the individual or organization that has provided “exemplary” contributions and support related to carrying out Capital Pride’s programming.
Honorees, who are ultimately selected by a committee, will be recognized at a limited capacity in-person ceremony at the Capital Pride Honors on Friday, June 11. Additional information will be provided in the coming weeks.
Funds raised through ticket sales and donations from The Capital Pride Honors will be used to further advocacy, outreach, education and programming support for the community, expand access to programs, and to offset the financial losses suffered this past year due to cancelled in-person events.
Ryan Bos, the executive director of Capital Pride Alliance, told Metro Weekly that, in addition to the usual festivities occurring in June, Capital Pride is hoping to launch a new annual event, sometime around Oct. 23-24. Details are forthcoming.
The Capital Pride Honors, which will coincide with other previously confirmed events in June, will “provide a different outlook for this year,” offering up new categories of awards for people who have made exemplary or outstanding contributions benefitting the larger community amid the pandemic.
“We hope our community will help identify, in essence, these [Capital] Heroes, who have done this great work to bring our community through these challenging times,” Bos said.
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