On May 16, the pro-LGBTQ+ education organization GLSEN held its New York Respect Awards in Gotham Hall.
At its first in-person Respect Awards in three years, the organization introduced new Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers in their first public event.
And, of course, befitting the event's name, there were several people who were honored. GLSEN honored Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski with the Champion Award, model/actress/activist Leyna Bloom with the Gamechanger Award and Nickelodeon with the Corporate Ally Award. The organization also gave its Educator of the Year Award to Alex Quinto, a school counselor for Largo Middle IB World School in Pinellas County, Florida; and its GSA of the Year Award to MS 44a GSA from Brooklyn that includes neurodivergent and neurotypical, trans and cisgender, queer and straight ally 6th-8th-grade students.
Special guests included Chris Perfetti, Kalen Allen, MJ Day, Nico Greetham, Nina West, Sara Haines, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more.
See GLSEN.org for more information.