Billy Porter, Tituss Burgess, Adam Lambert & More Set for Logo's LGBT Pride Televised Event

By: Jun. 24, 2015
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As part of LGBT Pride month, Logo today announced honorees for the 2015 "Trailblazer Honors," which celebrate LGBT pioneers at the forefront of THE MARCH to equality and premiere Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. During the event, Iranian LGBT activist Arsham Parsi will be honored for his work to raise awareness of LGBT people in Iran. Along with PFLAG National, Logo will also honor a group of 'Trailblazing Parents' including two PFLAG mothers who stood up for their own families and in the process have inspired countless LGBT youth. The 'Trailblazing Parents' honorees also include Judy & Dennis Shepard, founders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, who will receive the honor from musician Laura Jane Grace.

Logo also announced today that Grammy award winning musician Jack Antonoff and his critically acclaimed band, Bleachers, are set to perform 'Like a River Runs' during the largest televised LGBT Pride event. Bleachers have been a proud member of The Ally Coalition for many years which raises vital funds for LGBT organizations. They join a previously announced performance of 'Ghost Town' by Adam Lambert.

"I am so honored to be a part of this event that is recognizing such amazing people doing such powerful work in a complicated world. I am truly inspired by this gathering of people," said Jack Antonoff.

Celebrity presenters in addition to Laura Jane Grace include Raven Symoné ("The View"), TV personality Kelly Osbourne, "Orange is the New Black's" Samira Wiley and Lea DeLaria, Tyler Posey ("Teen Wolf"), Tituss Burgess ("Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"),PFLAG mom Betty DeGeneres, Violet* Chachki ("RuPaul's Drag Race"), and Frankie Grande ("America's Best Dance Crew"). "Trailblazer Honors" will also feature special appearances from Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sir Ian McKellen, Nate Ruess, Judith Light, Billy Porter and Geena Rocero, among others. The one-hour special will be held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, one of the first religious institutions in New York City to champion LGBT issues.

Working with community partner PFLAG-the nation's largest family and ally organization, uniting families, friends, and allies with people who are LGBTQ-the event will also spotlight the efforts of 'Trailblazing Parents,' who are making a positive impact in the lives of countless LGBT youth.
The 'Trailblazing Parents' will be introduced by Laura Jane Grace and PFLAG mom Betty DeGeneres. Parents who will be honored include:
  • PFLAG mom Sheila Lopez founded the first and only PFLAG chapter for Native Americans. After discovering PFLAG, Sheila became a leading LGBT advocate in the Southwest, offering support to her two gay children, as well as other Native American parents and LGBT youth.
  • PFLAG mom Marsha Aizumi is the mother of a transgender son and founded the country's first and only PFLAG chapter for Asian-Pacific Islanders. Throughout her work she has developed safe and nurturing high school diploma programs to assist ostracized LGBT students.
  • Judy & Dennis Shepard, who began the Matthew Shepard Foundation in his honor only weeks after his 1998 murder, have worked tirelessly to tell Matthew's story, raise awareness for anti-violence legislation and promote human dignity through education, outreach and advocacy programs. Their incredibly long battle for national support to fight hate crimes reached a major triumph in 2009 when President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, expanding measures of protection for victims of violence targeted based on perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Arsham Parsi will receive this year's International Trailblazer Award. While living in his home country of Iran, Parsi began an online support group for LGBT people, but fled when authorities began to seek him out. In Iran, being gay or lesbian can be punished by imprisonment, corporal punishment or in some cases, execution. Parsi was granted asylum and began an organization which has, to date, helped over 1100 LGBT Iranians apply for asylum. He tells the story of his activism and why he was forced to flee from Iran in his book Exiled for Love: The Journey of an Iranian Queer Activist.
Logo will also once again honor a Social Trailblazer. Fans can vote for nominees Connor Franta, Joey Graceffa, Jackson Bird and Gaby Dunn using designated hashtags. For more info: http://logo.to/SocialTrailblazer.
Logo "Trailblazer Honors" is executive produced by Chris McCarthy, Ryan Kroft, and Chris Williams for Logo. Joe Buoye serves as Executive in Charge for Logo with Amy Doyle, Wendy Plaut and Gina Esposito as Executives in Charge of Music and Talent.
ABOUT Logo TV
Logo TV is a leading entertainment brand inspired by the LGBT community and reflects the creative class across television, digital and social platforms. Logo features one-of-a-kind personalities, shows, specials, and unique stories. Logo is part of MTV's network of brands including MTV, MTV2, MTV.com, mtvU, MTV Hits and MTV Jams.


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