Lambda Literary Announces Pioneer Award Recipients

The Lambda Literary Foundation has named Larry Kramer and Kate Clinton as this year's recipients of its Pioneer Award, to be presented at the Lambda Literary Awards Ceremony on May 27th, 2010 in New York City.

The Lambda Literary Foundation bestows its Pioneer Award on individuals who have broken new ground in the field of LGBT literature and publishing. Established in 1995, the Award honors those who, through their achievements and passionate commitment, have contributed to the LGBT literary community in significant and tangible ways: through works of literature, or by establishing publishing houses, publications, archives, bookstores, or other institutions.

This year's Pioneers are powerhouse trailblazers in the LGBT community as writers, commentators and unstoppable activists. "There are very few individuals in our LGBT community whose enormous talent, political consciousness and professional achievement have had as great an impact as those of Larry and Kate," says Tony Valenzuela, Executive Director. "We are thrilled to honor their enormous contributions to our community at the Awards ceremony in May."

"Over the years," comments LLF Board President Katherine V. Forrest, "the voices of these two extraordinary Pioneers have rung through our literature and our culture to combat the forces aligned against us--Larry Kramer with his relentless and necessary rage and confrontation, Kate Clinton with her exhilarating, surgical wit that continues to heal us with laughter. It will be a joy to raise our own voices in honor and celebration of these two great individuals."