THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

They will be honored, along with dozens of writers chosen from the list of extensive nominees, at the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards ("Lammys") ceremony to be hosted by comedienne Kate Clinton on Monday, June 3rd in New York City at The Great Hall at Cooper Union (7 East 7th St @ 3rd Ave, New York City). Immediately following the ceremony will be a private After-Party at The Sky Room of the New Museum (235 Bowery, New York City). The Lammys bring together over 400 attendees, sponsors, and celebrities to celebrate excellence in LGBT literature, making it the most glamorous and prestigious LGBT literary event in the country.

The three outstanding honorees will be featured prominently during the ceremony. Augusten Burroughs has published three essay collections and three memoirs, including Dry, about his experience as an alcoholic trying to get sober in Manhattan, and Running With Scissors, a memoir about his unconventional childhood, which became a publishing phenomenon, remaining at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for nearly three consecutive years. John Irving's novels, including his 1980 National Book Award winner, The World According to Garp, are translated into thirty-five languages, and he has had ten international bestsellers. In 2000, Irving won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules. In One Person is John Irving's latest novel, which is also nominated for a Lammy Award this year. Cherríe Moraga is the co-editor of This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color (with the late Gloria Anzaldúa). Her most recent collection of writings, A Xicana Codex of Changing Consciousness: Writings 2000 - 2010, was published by Duke University Press in 2011. Moraga's publications and plays have received national recognition, including the United States Artist Rockefeller Fellowship for Literature and American Studies Lifetime Achievement Award. She is an Artist in Residence in the Department of Theater and Performance Studies and the Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity program at Stanford University.

"The works by this year's special honorees have brought us memorable characters, radical ideas, and have been profoundly influential," says LLF Executive Director, Tony Valenzuela. "Their contributions are original and leave an enduring mark on our literature."

Previous Lammy finalist and 2010 Pioneer Award recipient, Kate Clinton, will infuse the gala celebration with her brand of topical, political comedy.

Legendary songwriter, performer, and author Janis Ian, who has 9 Grammy nominations to date, will perform at the ceremony. Ian won a Grammy in 2011 for Best Spoken Word Album. Her songs "At 17" and "Society's Child" are in the Grammy Hall Of Fame.

Once again, The Lammys will raise the bar for glamour with its dazzling roster of presenters from the worlds of film, television, theatre, politics, religion, sex, and, of course, literature. Gracing the stage will be: Ingrid Abrams, Children's Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library; Susan Atkins, Lambda Literary Foundation Board Member and Board Chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund; Justin Vivian Bond, author and Tony-nominated cabaret performer; Frank Bruni, the first openly gay op-ed columnist of The New York Times, and bestselling author; Nick Burd, acclaimed young adult author; Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post columnist and MSNBC contributor; Kathleen DeBold, activist and Lambda Literary Awards Administrator; Stacey D'Erasmo, novelist and literary critic; David France, journalist and documentary filmmaker; Deborah Gregory, television producer and award-winning author; Nina Hartley, legendary adult film actress and feminist sex educator; Karla Jay, lesbian activist historian; Randy Jones, pop star and original cowboy of The Village People; James Lecesne, actor, writer and Academy Award winning short filmmaker; Deacon MacCubbin & Jim Bennett, founders of Lambda Rising Bookstore and of the Lambda Literary Foundation; Keith Price, stand-up comic and Sirius OUT Z radio personality; Mike Ruiz, celebrity photographer; George Slowick, President of Publishers Weekly; Peter Staley, AIDS and gay rights activist, founder of AIDSmeds.com; Kim Stolz, fashion model, television personality, and financial executive; Edmund White, award-winning novelist and memoirist; Riki Anne Wilchins, groundbreaking transgender activist; and Jacqueline Woodson, award-winning young adult author.

"This year's Lambda Awards ceremony is doubly special," says LLF President Emeritus and Host Committee Co-Chair, Don Weise. "It's not only about honoring the best in LGBT literature over the past year but celebrating the Lambda Literary Foundation's 25th anniversary. No other organization provides the essential services that the Foundation offers, and as the publishing industry changes and evolves into the digital era, it's more vital than ever to have an organization committed to the furtherance and visibility of LGBT literature."

Corporate Sponsors:

Benefactor Level: Ketel One Vodka

Patron Level: American Institute of Bisexuality, Barnes & Noble, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Bold Strokes Books, Simon & Schuster

Mentor Level: Chronicle Books, Harper Perennial, Samhain Publishing

Friend Level: Arsenal Pulp Press, Bywater Books, Circlet Press, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Riverdale AVE Books, Seal Press

Gift Bag Level: Topside Press

Event and Ticket Information:

The 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 3, 2010 at the The Great Hall at Cooper Union (7 East 7th St @ 3rd Ave, New York City). Immediately following the ceremony will be a private After-Party at The Skyroom of the New Museum (235 Bowery, New York City).

5:30 P.M.: Cocktail reception

7:00 P.M.: Ceremony

9:30 P.M.: VIP After-Party at The Skyroom of the New Museum

Tickets for the Lambda Literary Award ceremony and After-Party can be purchased via

www.lambdaliterary.org/awards

Finalists of the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards can be found at

www.lambdaliterary.org/25th-annual-lambda-literary-award-finalists/

2013 New York City Host Committee Members:

S. Chris Shirley, Co-Chair

Don Weise, Co-Chair

Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Ceremony Director

Jason Wells, Publicity Chair

Dick Donahue

David Gale

Antonio Gonzalez

Tal Goretsky

Wayne Hoffman

Karl Jones

Dean Klingler

Melanie La Rosa

Mario Lopez-Cordero

Dan Manjovi

David McConnell

Bill Miller

Jay Moore

Nick Nicholson

Angelo Nikolopoulos

Julia Pastore

Lori Perkins

Jay Plum

Patrick Ryan

Eddie Sarfaty

Liz Scheier

Bob Smith

Jerl Surratt

Martin Wilson

About the Lambda Literary Foundation: The Foundation nurtures, celebrates, and preserves LGBT literature through programs that honor excellence, promote visibility and encourage development of emerging writers. LLF's programs include the Lambda Literary Awards, the Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, LGBT Writers in Schools, and our web magazine, The Lambda Literary Review, at www.lambdaliterary.org .