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Blenders know I’m a big Law & Order: SVU fan. I am a big fan of BD Wong, and it was a privilege to meet him when I was honored, along with Bil Browning, Andy Towle and Joe Jervis, with the The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) Award in 2009.
We’ve seen the high-profile violence against our community and the tragic suicides by our youth who don’t see a future for themselves because of bullying. They have to know that is worth living and that being “different” is OK. it’s essential that the messages of hope and resources are available to those affected by violence and discrimination — the work of AVP, The Trevor Project and efforts like Dan Savage’s It Gets Better make it possible
BD contributed this touching video for the It Gets Better series:
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In related news, among this year’s recipients of the Courage Award is the Village Voice’s staff writer Steven Thrasher, who will be with us on Monday at 8PM to liveblog about this award and his much-talked about piece, “White America Has Lost Its Mind“:
Congrats to Voice staff writer Steven Thrasher, who has been awarded the 2010 Courage Award by the New York Anti-Violence Project — the oldest organization in the nation that combats violence toward and within the LGBT community. We are proud to have this amazing writer (and human) in our midst!
Stapel continued, “Your work at the Village Voice, particularly your coverage of proposed state funding cuts for domestic violence, has been exemplary.
In recognition of your work as a community activist, advocate and journalist, we would like to honor you with a 2010 Courage Award. In accepting this award, you will join the distinguished company of past awardees including: progressive LGBTQ bloggers — Bill Browning, Joe Jervis, Pam Spaulding and Andy Towle, Tony Kushner, Emil Wilbekin and George C. Wolfe to name but a few.”
Kudos, also, to Thrasher’s co-honorees, journalist Duncan Osborne of Gay City News and the Paul Rapoport Foundation.
The event will be hosted by BD Wong, and will take place will on October 18 at the Prince George Ballroom on East 27th Street.
3 Comments
What LGBT youth are doing for themselves is what’s truly inspiring.http://makeitbetterproject.org/
Instead of waiting for a day when things may or may not get better — or providing a showcase for celebrities to tell us how great their lives are, when the vast majority of people will never be celebrities — this site by LGBT youth encourages and empowers the youth who are suffering right now to get off their asses and do something about it right now, because they can. That’s the best message anyone can give anyone who’s suffering through anything.
I think all forms of response to this situation helpsIt’s definitely great to have both those looking back to say it gets better AND to have voices of youth in the present saying they are taking charge to make it better going forward.
All paths lead to getting off your duff and doing something – we have to do it for ourselves because waiting for the government and the courts to do it for us will not address the cultural gulf in tolerance.
Maybe these kids…can write a book. Maybe the The Audacity of Action.