2021 Rainbow History Project Community Pioneers Event
The Community Pioneers awards recognize diverse community leaders for their roles as organizational founders, innovators, advocates and volunteers. In 2021, the Rainbow History Project honors 13 Community Pioneers for their diverse contributions to the Washington-area LGBT community: • Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance, which since its 1981 founding has addressed equal rights issues for LGBT Virginians from a state and local perspective • Eboné F. Bell, founder and editor-in-chief of Tagg Magazine and Tagg Communication LLC • Bart Forbes, founding member of “Gay Fairfax,” a pioneering television newsmagazine program in Northern Virginia • Ellen Kahn, youth and family advocate, president of Rainbow Families, former director of the Lesbian Services Program at Whitman-Walker Health, and currently senior director of programs and partnerships at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation • Theodore Kirkland (deceased), a co-founder of D.C. Black Pride in 1991, member of the Gay Liberation Front and Skyline Faggots, active community health volunteer and advocate • Paul Marengo, community leader through LGBT organizations including Reel Affirmations, Cherry Fund, and Pride celebrations for Youth, Latino, Black and Transgender communities • David Mariner, executive director, CAMP Rehoboth, and former executive director of the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community • Mark Meinke, founder and longtime chair, Rainbow History Project, and co-founder Rainbow Heritage Network, a national organization for the recognition and preservation of sites, history and heritage associated with sexual and gender minorities • David Perez, community leader, including former service as chair, Advisory Committee to the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs; president, Latino GLBT History Project; and co-chair LGBTQ Task Force, National Hispanic Leadership Agenda • Michael “Micci” Sainte-Andress, artist, health educator and advocate and an early leader in bringing African Americans into HIV/AIDS clinical trials • Boden Sandstrom, founder and owner of Woman Sound (later City Sound), the first all-woman sound company, which made LGBT rights rallies and the woman’s music scene possible, and her late partner, singer/songwriter Casse Culver • Alan Sharpe, playwright, director and co-founder of the African American Collective Theater in Washington in 1976, which now focuses on LGBT life and culture in the Black community. VIEW ONLINE RHP YouTube Channel
Recorded November 2021 Kiplinger Library (DC History Center)
The recording was done by Irene Rojas of Small Wonder Media (www.smallwondermedia.com).
The Rainbow History Project retains copyright of this panel and it is available for "fair use." Reproduction and commercial use of this material requires permission from RHP.