Logo TV announced President Bill Clinton will honor Edie Windsor and Roberta Kaplan during their inaugural award show Trailblazers, premiering tonight at 9:00pm ET/PT. Trailblazers will celebrate individuals who have had a profound impact on the LGBT community and who are working towards equality for LGBT people. Edie Windsor and Roberta Kaplan are being recognized for their historic achievement in the defeat of section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which resulted in federal recognition of marriage between same-sex couples.
“One year ago this week, the United States Supreme Court declared DOMA unconstitutional. It was the right thing to do. Seventeen years after signing DOMA into law, I was honored and grateful to be among the voices urging that it be overturned," said President Bill Clinton. "The Supreme Court’s decision would not have happened without Edie Windsor's dogged determination to right a wrong and Roberta Kaplan's equal commitment to simple fairness. As marriage equality spreads across the states, the number of people impacted by these two amazing women will only continue to grow.”
The show will also feature a lot of other famous presenters and honorees. Lance Bass will honor Brooklyn Nets’ Jason Collins, the first openly gay male athlete in an American major leagues sport. Demi Lovato will honor the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, and cast members Laverne Cox, Lea DeLaria, Taryn Manning and Samira Wiley will accept the award on behalf of the series. Lovato also opened up for the first time about her grandfather who came out in the 1960s. John “Long Jones” Abdallah Wambere - Ugandan gay rights activist advocate and refugee - is being honored at the event by former R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe as an "International Trailblazer." The event will also focus on “Trailblazing Youth,” highlighting four young leaders tied to The Trevor Project who embody the power of activism and who are making an impact in their community. Check out their video profiles at the Trailblazers website.
Joe Manganiello and Ed Sheeran join previously announced presenters and performers, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pete Wentz, Daniel Radcliffe, Jared Leto, Kylie Minogue, Iggy Azaela, Ariana Grande, Rita Ora, Tegan and Sara, Laura Jane Grace and performances by A Great Big World and pop singer Sia with the NYC Gay Men's Chorus. You can read more about the event on Logo's Trailblazers website and at GLAAD.
The one hour special will air tonight on Logo at 9:00pm ET/PT from New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the week of the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and the one-year anniversary of section 3 DOMA being ruled unconstitutional. Check out the below Trailblazers video of Edie Windsor speaking about her historic Supreme Court victory:
