The 15th Annual Lambda Literary Awards were presented May 29 in the Los Angeles Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Honors in Gay and Lesbian Fiction went to two historical novels, Irish author Jamie O’Neill’s At Swim Two Boys and English author Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith.
Perhaps the emotional high point of the evening, however, was when actress Judith Light presented the Bridge Builder Award to Betty DeGeneres, mother of actress Ellen DeGeneres, and to Judy Shepard, mother of the late Matthew Shepard.
More than 350 authors, booksellers, editors, publishers, readers and industry professionals gathered for the event, produced by Los Angeles playwright and performer Michael Kearns.
In addition to the 20 juried categories, the Editor’s Choice Award was presented to Chicago historian/activist John D’Emilio for The World Turned; and the Pioneer Award went to Barbara Grier, whose career has spanned almost the entire modern gay movement, from her work with the Daughters of Bilitis newsletter The Ladder, to the founding of Naiad Press, to her nurturing of Bella Books. Bella Books will continuing publishing many of the authors of Naiad Press as Naiad formally close its doors this summer.
Also presented at the dinner were awards from two other organizations promoting GLBT cultural literacy. The Monette/Horwitz Distinguished Achievement Awards for outstanding activism and research and scholarship to combat homophobia went to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network; and to scholars and teachers Jennifer DeVere Brody, Chicago; Dwight A. McBride, Chicago; Will Roscoe, San Francisco; and James M. Saslow, New York.
See www.lambdalit.org.