On Friday, May 16 the Next Generation Leadership Foundation (NGLF) will honor four LGBT leaders under 30 at their Annual Next Generation Awards. This year’s class of young do-gooders includes Tagg writer, Katy Ray.
Along with working as a Tagg contributor, Ray is a D.C. public school teacher, where she works with GLSEN and SMYAL to back the city’s largest gay-straight alliance (GSA) for students.
After receiving a call from NGLF Executive Director Sean Bugg, the 28-year-old young professional was ecstatic to hear about being a 2014 award recipient.
“I felt really proud, but also really inspired to keep doing more. I’m incredibly proud of the work we have done to support our LGBT students, but I am always looking to do more, recruit more students, provide more activities, do it bigger and better each year,” says Ray.
Though Ray is most well known for her popular “Femme Problems” series on Tagg and her community work with Phase 1, among her fellow DCPS colleagues she is celebrated for her passion and determination for her students. She understands the important role education plays in our society, and most importantly having a GSA in schools.
“I think my generation of LGBTQ persons understands what it was like, just 10 years ago, in high school. I didn’t have a GSA. Many of us who did, didn’t have a huge one with resources, education, and support,” says Ray. “I grew up in Southern Virginia, so I didn’t have teachers who were talking about these issues and helping me address the socio-emotional issues associated with understanding my sexuality.”
This year, Ray is also being honored alongside Sarah McBride, who came out as transgender while serving as president of American University’s student government; Hassan Naveed, an advocate of Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV); and Carl Streed, a doctor at Johns Hopkins Medical Center who works to educate physicians on LGBT health issues.
Ray has her sights set on obtaining a PhD in Urban Education and LGBTQ studies. She also has aspirations of writing books, publishing more articles, and making a wider impact on LGBTQ youth across the nation.
“This award isn’t just about me. It’s about my kids. It’s about our students. It’s about taking a stand for our LGBTQ students here in the district, and serving as a model for them and other districts struggling to providing support,” says Ray. “I believe in public education, and I believe we can do better. This award means that we are doing better.”
The Next Generation Awards reception takes place Friday, May 16 at Beacon Bar & Grill, 1615 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit NGLF.org.
