TV special to celebrate LGBT rights trailblazers.
Trailblazers will premiere on Logo TV this Thursday at 9 pm ET/PT. The new annual event and television special honours the pioneers who have broken new ground in the quest for LGBT civil rights and who are leading the way towards equality. The one-hour special will be the biggest Pride event on TV.
Leading the honorees are octogenarian Edie Windsor and attorney Roberta Kaplan, who combined forces to overturn DOMA. The Netflix series Orange Is the New Black will also be hailed as a new step forward for diversity.
President Clinton said, “Exactly a year ago today, the United States Supreme Court declared DOMA unconstitutional. It was the right thing to do. Seventeen years after signing DOMA into law, I was honoured and grateful to be among the voices urging that it be overturned.
“As I said last year I came to believe that DOMA is contrary to the principles of the nation that honours freedom, equality and justice above all, and is in fact, incompatible with our constitution. But the decision we celebrate today would not have happened without Edie Windsor’s dogged determination to write a wrong and Roberta Kaplan’s equal commitment to simple fairness.
Edie’s case that Roberta argued, the US V. Windsor, is why thousands of same-sex couples in America today can receive federal marriage benefits. And as marriage equality spreads across the states, the number of people impacted by these two amazing women will only continue to grow.
I congratulate Edie and Roberta, they are truly trailblazers helping us to move toward a more perfect union.
Trailblazers will feature performances from out lesbian musician Sia, former President Bill Clinton, outspoken rapper Iggy Azaela, Tegan & Sara, Kylie Minogue and more. The special honours Ugandan Gay Rights Activist John Abdallah “Longjones” Wambere and highlights the importance of the Trevor Project.
Trailblazers premieres on Thursday, June 26th, during the most historic week of gay rights – the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and the one-year anniversary to the day of DOMA being overruled.
Watch the Full Acceptance Speech from Edie Windsor:
