Community Pioneers Class of 2026 Ceremony + Gathering

Join Rainbow History Project on Sunday, November 8th, from 2:00–5:00pm at the Heurich House Museum as we celebrate the Community Pioneers Class of 2026. The ceremony and gathering includes lite food and drink, with a suggested donation of $20 and RSVP required.

The vibrant LGBTQ community in the Washington area today would not exist without the dedication and vision of remarkable people who came before. Since 2003, Rainbow History Project has given Community Pioneer awards to recognize over 90 individuals and groups whose creativity, commitment, and hard work still make an impact today. Our Community Pioneers have made contributions in every area: the arts, spirituality, health care, social services, activism and social justice, legal and political rights, employment, and where and how we socialize. Taken together, our Pioneers began working on the community's behalf more than 80 years ago. Check out past Community Pioneers.

Class of 2026 Community Pioneers:

• Lynne Brown
• Robert Coggin
• Christopher Dyer
• Clint Hockenberry
• Ernest Hopkins
• Joe Izzo
• Dr. Barbara "Kanny" Kannapell
• Lisa Keen
• Freddie Lutz
• Ray Melrose
• Leigh Mosley
• Nicolas Shi & Dr. Frank Blackburn
• Michael Singerman
• SaVanna Wanzer
• Courtney Williams

Come celebrate this year's honorees and the legacy they carry forward.