Photos from the 2005 GLSEN Awards. Tiffany Dockery and Kyle Waddy; Oak Park-River Forest H.S.; Prosser H.S.; from left: Aren Drehobl with Megan Carney; Rosa Yadira; and Stacey Horn and Vikki Reid. Photos by Andrew Davis.
Acknowledging those who help to make Chicagoland schools more secure for LGBT students, GLSEN ( Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network ) Chicago held an awards program May 17 at Jones College Preparatory High School, 606 S. State.
Here is a list of award recipients:
— Safe School Award: Oak Park/River Forest High School
— Teacher of the Year: Vikki Reid—Lyons High School
Youth Scholarships:
— Erica and Maia Award: Jim Parker—Oak Park/River Forest
— Al Wardell Award: Daniel Rechitsky—Maine East
— Bayard Rustin Award: Kyle Waddy—Whitney Young
— Lifeboat Foundation Award: Talia Stein—Stevenson
— PFLAG National Award: Kyle Waddy—Whitney Young
Aixa Diaz/Amigas Latinas Awards:
— Rosa Yadira—Depaul University
— Marilyn Pagan—Prosser Academy
— Xochiti Garcia—Morton East
— Liliana Vazquez—Maine East
Gay-Straight Alliance Awards:
— Bonnie Larson/PFLAG Award: York, Taft, Von Steuben, and Maine East
— Barbara Gittings Legacy Award: Oak Park/River Forest and Prosser
Toni Armstrong, Jr. Pathfinder Award
— Megan Carney, About Face Youth Theatre
Special Presentation From Northern Trust to GLSEN Chicago.
Aren Drehobl, GLSEN Chicago's program manager, told Windy City Times that the night 'is a chance for the youth to see the support of the broader [ LGBT ] community for the work and actions that they do. Having different organizations like Amigas Latinas and the Lifeboat Foundation shows that [ the support comes from ] beyond GLSEN Chicago.'
Richard Rykhus, the organization's executive director, added that the ceremony is 'about everybody who cares about making schools safer for LGBT people celebrating together.'