GLBT Issues Speakers

Julian Bond

Beginning with his pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, Julian Bond has always been on the cutting edge of social change and leadership. Legendary as the first black US vice presidential nominee and former Chairman of the NAACP, Bond continues to deliver a powerful message of equality, freedom, and justice with a ...

Rosie Perez

A film actress and choreographer, AIDS activist and women's rights advocate, Perez has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Oscar. She has recently produced, directed, and starred in Yo Soy Boricua, Pa Que Tu Lo Sepa: I Am Puerto Rican, Just So You Know, which chronicles the lives of Puerto Ricans living in the ...

Carol Leifer

A trail-blazing female in the world of comedy, Leifer is not only a veteran on the standup circuit, but is also a sought after writer and producer who has worked on such shows as Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, and HBO’s critically acclaimed The Larry Sanders Show. Whether sharing the struggles of a ...

Jennifer Finney Boylan

Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of ten books, including the memoir She’s Not There, the first best-selling book by a transgender American.Her latest book is I'm Looking Through You.

Cleve Jones

Cleve Jones’s career as an activist began in San Francisco during the turbulent 1970s, when he befriended pioneer gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Since then, he founded the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and has become a sought after keynote speaker and activist for AIDS awareness, treatment, and education.

Laura Berman

Considered a thought leader in her field, she is Director of the Berman Center in Chicago, a specialized healthcare facility dedicated to helping women repair their sex lives and find relief from menopausal symptoms. She has been working as a sex educator, researcher and therapist for nearly two decades.

Keith Ferrazzi

Keith Ferrazzi is the world’s foremost expert in professional relationship development. He has transformed the lives and careers of clients and readers worldwide, bringing 20 years of research and experience to the art and science of business relationship development. His signature focus on success through relationships ...

Martina Navratilova

A champion on and off the court, Martina Navratilova is not only a tennis legend, but an inspirational leader who demonstrates wit, candor, and sheer motivation. Arguably the best tennis player ever to play the game, Navratilova has amassed an unmatched number of professional records during a career that spanned an ...

Greg Louganis

Greg Louganis began competing in diving at age 10. By 16, he had won his first Olympic medal, a silver medal on the platform in 1976. At 24, he became the first man in 56 years to win two gold medals in diving by winning both the platform and springboard events. In 1988, competing against divers half his age, he became the ...

Irene Monroe

Harvard theologian named "one of Boston's 50 most intriguing women." Her award-winning essays and articles appear in publications nationwide. A frequent guest preacher and former pastor.

Michael Emerson

An award-winning actor known for his role as "Benjamin Linus" in the hit series Lost, Michael Emerson is a 2009 Emmy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a 2010 Golden Globe nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for ...

Judith Light

With an award-winning career spanning across a diversity of roles in television, theater and film, Light is best known for having captivated audiences with her portrayal of “Angela Bower” on the hit comedy series Who's the Boss? A longtime philanthropist and activist, she is a passionate keynote speaker on ...

Jonathan Perry

Jonathan Perry, who is HIV positive, founded Johnson C. Smith's University's first official, gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender (GLBT) organization and is actively involved in HIV-education programs on campus. As a senior at the historically Black college in Charlotte, North Carolina, Perry has been an outspoken ...

Andrew Solomon

Solomon's most recent book, "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression", has so far won him eleven national awards, including the 2001 National Book Award, and is being published in 21 languages. Additionally, he serves on the boards of Outward Bound (Hurricane Island School), the Alliance for the Arts, the Shakespeare ...

Lee Daniels

Lee Daniels is the first African-American sole producer of an Academy Award nominated movie, Monster’s Ball that also earned him a place on Variety magazine’s “10 Producers to Watch” list for 2002. Continuing his success, he made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed film, ...

Kate Clinton

Sassy and insightful, Clinton is one of America's brightest and most versatile political comedians. Her 1998 book "Don't Get Me Started" is full of illuminating perspectives on life as a gay American.

Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone is an American Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actress, producer, and former fashion model. She came to international attention for her performance in the 1992 Hollywood blockbuster film Basic Instinct.

Ellen DeGeneres

Say the name "Ellen" and everybody knows who you are talking about: Ellen DeGeneres. Her distinctive comedic voice have resonated with audiences from her early stand-up comedy appearances through her current work in television & film.

Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon has completed her final season of HBO's celebrated series, Sex and the City, in which she played "Miranda Hobbes," a role that garnered her 2002 and 2003 Emmy nominations. Whether on television or on stage, Nixon is known for her superb characterizations in diverse roles, and is recognized within the ...

Jai Rodriguez

There are many ways to describe Jai Rodriguez, a man in his early twenties who lives the life inspired by his dreams. He is known for both his successes on Broadway as well as his recent television role as the culture vulture on Bravo/NBC's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and soon he will have music to add to his ...