THEGAYUK announces its 2017 New Year’s Recognition nomination list, to acknowledge the massive support and campaigning efforts that companies, organisations and individuals have made to the LGBT community in the UK.
To celebrate the contribute to LGBT+ life in the UK here are your nominees. Vote at the bottom of the page.
Nominees
Activism, Awareness and Politics
Mhairi Black
Mhairi Black is a Scottish politician. She has been the Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire South since 2015, when she defeated Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander. She is the youngest openly lesbian MP to ever be elected into British politics.
Rabbi Lionel Blue
Rabbi Lionel Blue Was the first openly gay Rabbi in the UK. He died at the age of 86. The rabbi was a regular speaker on the BBC’s Thought For The Day on Radio 4. He came out as gay officially in 1981 in a book he wrote called Godly And Gay. He had been open about his sexuality since the 1960s.
Asifa Lahore
Britain’s first Muslim Drag Queen. Shot to fame in 2015 during a Channel 4 documentary which highlighted the Asian LGBT scene in Britain. Asifa has gone on to become a strong and vocal LGBT activist and advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans Muslims.
Past recipients: Stephen Fry, Shane Bitney Crone, PinkNews, Allout.org, C4EM, David Cameron
Health
GMFA
GFMA is one of the UK’s leading sexual health charities which was founded in 1992. It was created to promote safer sexual health amongst gay and bisexual men during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was founded by a group of gay men who felt that not enough was being done in HIV prevention.
Darren Batey
Darren Batey was hailed as a community hero for Bolton Pride before his death in December last year. He was described as being instrumental to Bolton’s first pride event in October 2015.
Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal upheld a High Court judgement that ruled that NHS England has the legal power to fund PrEP. After numerous legal battles, NHS England can commission the “game-changing” pill that, when used alongside condoms, testing and treatment, could help bring the beginning of the end for HIV.
Past recipients: Ben Cohen: Stand Up Foundation, G-A-Y, UK Positive Lad, 56 Dean Street, Spencer Cox, London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard.
Education
Mr Daly and Mr Stevenson
Jordan Daly and Liam Stevenson are the co-founders of the Scottish campaign: Time For Inclusive Education. They’ve worked tirelessly to lobby Scottish politicians to bring better education to Scottish schools to combat Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic bullying.
Diversity Role Models
Hailed by MP Chris Bryant as “Unambiguously Brilliant”. Diversity Role Model Charity organises volunteer LGBT spokespeople go into schools across the UK to talk about their experiences of growing up as gay, lesbian, bi or trans. Diversity Role Models (DRM) was established in 2011 to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in UK schools with the aim that all children and young people would be able to learn safely at school without fear of bullying.
Peter Tatchell Foundation
Endlessly battling the injustices of the world the Peter Tatchell Foundation has fought to promote and protect the human rights of individuals, communities and nations, in the UK and internationally, in accordance with established national and international human rights law.
Past recipients: Bridegroom (Documentary film) Bisi Alimi, Human Rights Campaign, Shaun Dellenty, Tim Franks, NoHomophobes.com, RUComingOut.com and Wayne Dhesi.
Entertainment
Seann Miley Moore
Former X Factor star who proved that you could look amazing in heels regardless of your gender identity. His charismatic personality and incredible singing voice landed him straight into the hearts of the nation in 2015. He has been working on new music and performing across the UK.
Saara Aalto
Saara Aalto is the first openly bisexual female to reach the finals of the X Factor. She stunned UK audiences with her powerhouse vocals and proved that sexuality didn’t need to be the only facet of a famous person’s life. She announced her engagement to her girlfriend midway through the show’s run.
Above The Stag
Producing queer theatre throughout the year since 2008. It was founded by creative director Peter Bull. It is an award-winning theatre in Vauxhall London.
Past recipients: Graham Norton, Adam Lambert, Theatre 503, Doctor Christian Jessen, Geo Wyett, Soho Theatre
Sports
Tom Bosworth
Tom is an Olympic British race walker who made headlines when he came out as gay on the Victoria Derbyshire show in 2015. In an interview with THEGAYUK Tom revealed that as a student he hated PE after fellow students found out that he was gay. He said that his time at school was an easy time to be targeted by bullies. He took part in this summer’s Rio Olympics and beat his personal best times.
Keegan Hirst
In 2015 he became the first British professional rugby player to come out as gay during his career. He when he came out, “At first I couldn’t even say ‘I’m gay’ in my head, let alone out loud. Now I feel like I’m letting out a long breath that I’ve held in for a long time.”
Remarking on Hirst’s decision to come out as gay LGBT advocacy charity, Stonewall said his words were “powerful” and that his words “will inspire many”.
Nigel Owens
The only international rugby referee to come out as gay, doing so in 2007. Nigel made the Wales Online Pinc List which celebrates the top 40 unsung heroes of the LGBT community.
Past recipients: Tom Daley, Jason Collins, Clare Balding, Nicola Adams MBE, Lee Pearson CBE, Greg Louganis
