Logo TV announced that Trailblazers will honor the Brooklyn Nets’ Jason Collins and the groundbreaking series Orange Is the New Black for their historic strides to overcome bias and bring about LGBT equality: Jason Collins for becoming the first male publicly gay athlete in a major American sport, and Orange Is the New Black for bringing the lives and stories of characters rarely seen on television into millions of living rooms around the country. Cast members including Laverne Cox will accept the honor on behalf of the series. Both Collins and Cox are two of the new voices defining the multifaceted, multicultural identity of the LGBT audience today. Collins and the series Orange is the New Black join Trailblazers’ previously announced honorees Edie Windsor and Roberta Kaplan, the civil rights activists who defeated DOMA and opened the door for gay marriage.
“It is an honor to be included in the company of Edie Windsor and Roberta Kaplan in Logo’s celebration of our progress towards LGBT equality,” said Jason Collins. “We are proof that the actions we make, big or small, can have a positive, global impact on our community.”
Openly gay college athlete Matt Kaplon, musicians Tegan and Sara and Laura Jane Grace, and gay former NFL player Wade Davis will also appear in the special. They join a growing list of celebrity appearances, including Jared Leto, Kylie Minogue, Ariana Grande, and Rita Ora. A Great Big World is confirmed to perform. Additional honorees, performers and presenters will be announced later.
“Trailblazers” is Logo’s new annual event that celebrates the pioneers who have broken new ground in the quest for LGBT civil rights. The event will premiere on Thursday, June 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT 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.
Working with community partner The Trevor Project, and introduced by Trevor Hero Daniel Radcliffe, the event will also spotlight the efforts of four “Trailblazing Youth,” who are making a positive impact in their local communities. In addition, Logo is asking people to submit their stories of the friends, family, and community leaders who have made a profound personal difference in their lives. Five of these local leaders will be featured on the Trailblazers site as a “Hometown Trailblazer,” with one individual being selected to attend the event along with their submitter.
