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The Richard L. Schlegel National Legion of Honor Award

The Richard L. Schlegel National Legion of Honor Award for an recognizes an individual in the United States who has exhibited outstanding leadership and significantly contributed to the dignity and freedom of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The Legion of Honor Award serves as an opportunity to:

  • Acknowledge an individual who has made outstanding contributions to LGBTQ communities through activism, advocacy, education, and/or policy
  • Recognize and encourage the dedication of individuals committed to social justice
  • Celebrate important contributions to creating a society that values every member
  • Showcase the diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities

Past Recipients

2015 Award Recipient

Emerging Activist:
Rob Waara

2014 Award Recipient

Emerging Activist:
Alex Riolo

2013 Award Recipient

Emerging Activist:
Shelby Wiltz

2012 Award Recipient

Emerging Activist:
Victor Pajarito

2011 Award Recipients

Emerging Activists:
Miriam Fried & Tonei Glavinic

Visionary Leader:
National Center for Transgender Equality

2010 Award Recipients

Emerging Activist:
Lakeia Spady

Visionary Leader:
Meghan Sneed

About Richard L. Schlegel

Richard Schlegel

Richard L. Schlegel was an American University alumnus and a pioneer in the LGBTQ civil rights movement. Richard fought discrimination based on sexual orientation in the late 1950s and early 1960s, long before LGBTQ rights were discussed openly. His own wrongful termination case against the Department of the Army, Schlegel vs. United States, was pursued all the way to the Supreme Court (and also documented as a chapter in the 2002 book Courting Justice by Joyce Murdoch and Deb Price).