By Lori Perkins
Due to the pandemic, the PFLAG Queens NY Annual Luncheon could not be held in person his year, but the event will go on as a virtual celebration. The 2021 Awards Celebration will be honoring two matriarchs of the bisexual movement, Lani Ka'ahumanu & Loraine Hutchins with the Brenda Howard Memorial Award. Lani and Lorraine co-edited the groundbreaking anthology, Bi Any Other Name, more than 25 years ago, bringing bisexuality into the mainstream. The event will honor their lives and legacy, along with some other deserving LGBTQ legends, and will all be taking place FREE online via Zoom.
During the event PFLAG Queens NY will be presenting three Annual Awards: ❤ The 28th Annual Morty Manford Awardee is Bill Meehan a long-time very well know Queens Gay Activist who currently serves on a number of Boards including Queens Pride, St Pats For All, Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens, New Visions Democratic Club, Friends of Diversity Plaza, and the Queens County Neuropsychiatric Institute http://www.pflag-queens.org/bio-2020.html#Morty ❤ The 24th Annual Carmel Tavadia Memorial Awardee is Liz de Jesus a long-time proud PFLAG Mom who in 2007 started as a regular member of the PFLAG Pittsburgh chapter and over the years took on more & more responsibilities becoming the chapter Vice President and Advocacy Chair; then the chapter's President; then she became PFLAG Pennsylvania's State Coordinator. She is a mentor to other chapter leaders providing peer-to-peer support to PFLAG leaders and members across the Northeastern USA & beyond. http://www.pflag-queens.org/bio-2020.html#Carmel ❤ The 16th Annual Brenda Howard Memorial Awardees are BFF's 4 Life, Ms. Lani Ka’ahumanu & Professor Loraine Hutchins PhD, beloved Grandmothers to the International Bi+ Rights Movement. They are longtime LGBTQIA+ Activists; Academics; Speakers;
Said Denarii Grace, of the NY BiWriters Network, on the occasion of this award, “Dr. Loraine Hutchins and Lani Ka'ahumanu have gifted the bi+ (plus) community a validating, life-affirming work with a cultural ripple effect that can be felt to this day. Some of our community's fiercest cultural creators and activists are featured in Bi Any Other Name, cementing its place in our history and providing current and future generations with a window into our past (we've always been here) and the confidence to look toward our future with hope and determination. I'm forever grateful for their contributions, including and beyond their book, and I'm honored to know Loraine personally. We must revere, support, and highlight our elders.”
WHEN: Sunday, February 28th 2021 Via ZOOM starting at 2 PM EST
WHERE: Online via Zoom
CLICK the LINK for Registration: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrd-CgqDksHd0_RQjbve0lVwWSBdUwGPTb