Lambda Literary Marks 30th Anniversary with Formation of Leadership Council
Author: Edit Team
July 17, 2018
As it celebrates its thirtieth year, Lambda Literary, the leading organization for LGBTQ readers and writers, is announcing the formation of its first-ever Leadership Council, a group of eminent LGBTQ writers, cultural figures, and benefactors who will advise and advocate for the organization.
“At a time when our communities are under siege, and civil rights (particularly for the trans community) are increasingly contested in the courts and on the streets, we at Lambda Literary want to widen our circle to include a group of visionary leaders who will help us sustain our organization and the communities we serve,” said Amy Scholder, the president of the Lambda Literary board of directors, who led the effort to form the council. “This volunteer advisory group will provide guidance and support for Lambda Literary on matters that will strengthen our visibility and fundraising capacity.”
The Lambda Literary Leadership Council’s members are writers Hilton Als, Kate Bornstein, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Alexander Chee, David Ebershoff, Chuck Forester, Cherríe Moraga, Chinelo Okparanta, Justin Torres, and Alok Vaid-Menon. Two former board presidents who are also novelists, Katherine V. Forrest and Judith Markowitz, have joined the council, as have J. Michael Samuel, a long-serving board treasurer, and writer/publisher and major donor Chuck Forester. See Leadership Council members full biographies.
“I’ve long been a supporter of Lambda Literary, and I think its mission is more vital now than ever,” said council member Alok Vaid-Menon. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to spread the word about the good work the organization does to support, celebrate, and promote queer and trans literature.”
Said former Lambda Literary board president Katherine V. Forrest, “As an advocate for Lambda Literary from its very inception, as a participant in the formation and growth of many of its programs, and as a working writer, I’ve experienced firsthand what the organization has achieved–and its enormous potential for future service to our LGBT writers and readers. I’m glad to serve as an ambassador for its vital work.”
Lambda Literary celebrated its thirtieth anniversary at the Lambda Literary Awards gala (aka “The Lammys”) in New York City on June 4, 2018. The organization has become highly regarded for its educational and cultural programs, and as a steward and ambassador for LGBTQ literature worldwide. In addition to the Lammys, Lambda Literary sponsors the growing LGBTQ Writers in Schools program, Lambda LitFest Los Angeles, the annual Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, the Lambda Literary Review, and the recently launched Nepantla, a journal dedicated to queer poets of color.
