Justin David Sullivan, Shangela & More to be Honored at GLSEN Respect Awards New York

GLSEN has announced that non-binary Broadway singer, actor, and artist Justin David Sullivan will receive GLSEN's Trailblazer Award at the GLSEN Respect Awards on May 15th in New York City. Singer, activist, actress and world-famous Drag Queen Shangela will receive the Changemaker Award; GLSEN and will also celebrate (insert location) teacher/student Daniel Hadi with the Student Advocate of the Year Award.

The GLSEN Respect Awards, introduced in 2004 and held annually in Los Angeles and New York, showcase the work of students, educators, community leaders, and corporations who serve as exemplary role models and have made a significant impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ youth. Honorary co-chairs include Chasten Buttigieg, Dominique Jackson, Billy Porter, and Lena Waithe. Buttigieg, Jackson, and Waithe will present at the annual awards ceremony which is sponsored by T-Mobile and produced by LA-based event company, JJLA.

For nearly three decades, GLSEN has led the way on LGBTQ+ issues in K-12 education through ground-breaking original research, innovative program development, educator training, student organizing, and targeted state and federal advocacy. With the development of educational resources, direct engagement of youth and educators, and GLSEN national programs like Rise Up, Day of Silence, Solidarity Week, and Changing the Game, GLSEN has seen the impact of its work in measurable improvements in the lives of LGBTQ+ students in the U.S.

"As LGBTQ+ youth continue to face attacks from extremist legislators, GLSEN is excited to honor activists and leaders, including students and educators, who help make a difference in their communities every single day. We're grateful to work alongside so many incredible leaders who rise up for LGBTQ+ youth, and together, we're going to continue to fight back against hateful rhetoric and attempts to dismantle our rights." said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, GLSEN Executive Director.

About Shangela

Actor, Drag Performer, & Co-Host of HBO's "We're Here"

Actor and Performer, D.J. "Shangela" Pierce, currently stars as a co-host of the Emmy-winning HBO series "We're Here". The unscripted series recruits small-town residents across America to participate in a one-night-only drag show along with renowned drag queens Bob the Drag Queen and Eureka O'Hara. Winner of Outstanding Reality Program at the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, the series is currently airing its third season. Shangela recently competed as a finalist on the hit Disney+ series "Dancing with the Stars" making history as the first drag queen ever cast on the U.S. version and the first male performer to be partnered with a male professional dancer. Shangela recently performed her 10-city "Fully Lit Tour," produced by Live Nation. Her last tour consisted of a massive 184+ city international run, where she performed her comedy and cabaret act to sold out audiences around the world.

Shangela has performed on six of the seven continents and is recognized as the first contestant to compete on three separate seasons of the Emmy award-winning reality series "Rupaul's Drag Race." Shangela has also guest starred on myriad network television series including "Glee," "The Mentalist," "X-Files," and "Katy Keene" and has appeared in several feature films, including A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Scheduled for release later this year, Shangela recently completed filming Lone Star Bull, opposite Luke MacFarlane, a film about a former military man who bounces at a nightclub where a medical student performs as a drag queen. When the club's owner is shot in what appears to be a homophobic attack, the two form an unlikely duo to find those responsible and seek justice.

In 2019, Shangela was recognized as part of the prestigious TIME 100 Next List and named one of "The Most Powerful Drag Queens in America" by New York Magazine.

D.J. remains involved with various charities, including his own Feed The Queens initiative. In addition to his philanthropic efforts, D.J. was the keynote speaker and performer at the SMU LGBTQ Symposium, which provides a platform to spotlight the voices, experiences, research, and creativity of the LGBT community on campus and beyond

A native of Paris, Texas, Pierce graduated with honors from Southern Methodist University and currently resides in Los Angeles.

About Justin David Sullivan

Justin David Sullivan (he/she/they) is a non-binary singer, actor, and artist in New York City. Originally from Southern California, Justin was born with a passion to create and the determination to color the world with every crayon in the box. Currently, Justin is starring as May in the pop-hit Broadway musical & Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

Justin's heart for theatre stems from their love for storytelling. They are passionate about diversity and representation in the performing arts and hopes to be seen as an advocate of inclusivity. Their greatest hope is for their art to continue to represent marginalized communities and shed light to the culture and experiences that they carry as an openly queer person of Mexican and Korean descent. Justin is committed to using her platform to uplift and inspire other trans, non-binary, and gender expansive people and give a voice to the voiceless.

About Daniel Hadi

Daniel Hadi, a rising freshman at Stanford University, is a change-maker, activist, and political organizer. A tireless advocate for youth homelessness reduction and school equity, he co-founded Club Hope to provide fiscal support, awareness, and a voice to marginalized homeless students in his community. Passionate to pioneer new paths for youth civic engagement, Daniel co-founded Rhizome, a national organization that empowers students to build nonpartisan civic literacy campaigns. As a Youth Ambassador to the United Nations, Daniel creates change within legislative bodies to increase cultural preservation in international development. He is also a US State Department Arabic Studies Youth Ambassador, National State Policy Manager for Generation Ratify, and a research advisor at the University of Pennsylvania. In his free time, Daniel is an oboist, captain of the Speech and Debate Team, and enjoys the great Oregon outdoors.

Tables and sponsorships for the Respect Awards are available now. For additional information, please visit www.glsen.org/respect

About GLSEN

GLSEN works to create safe and inclusive schools for all. GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators in K-12 schools, via action at the national, state, and local level. Since 1990, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ+ students across the United States and helped launch an international movement to address LGBTQ+ issues in education.

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