These are some of the authors, publishers, playwrights, artists, activists, and icons we’ve lost since June 2024. Their dedication to the preservation of LGBTQ+ life and culture as well as their contributions to the arts are foundational to our communities and to Lambda’s work. We are indebted to them and honored to keep their memory in joy and celebration.
Dorothy Allison
Dorothy Allison was a fearless American writer whose work confronted class struggle, sexual and child abuse, feminism, and lesbian identity with unflinching honesty and compassion. She received the first-ever Lambda Literary Award in 1989 for her short story collection Trash (1988), marking a historic moment in LGBTQ+ literature. Her powerful novel Cavedweller went on to win the Lammy Award for Lesbian Fiction in 1999. Through her writing, Allison gave voice to the marginalized and transformed personal pain into enduring literary truth.
Michael Cart
Michael Cart was a respected American author and a leading expert in LGBTQ+ children’s and young adult literature, whose work helped expand representation and understanding for younger readers. He was a finalist in the Children’s/Young Adult category of the 2010 Lambda Literary Awards. A dedicated advocate for literacy and access, he also served as Director of the Beverly Hills Library, leaving a lasting impact on readers, writers, and library communities alike.
Andrea Gibson
Andrea Gibson was an acclaimed American poet and passionate LGBTQ+ activist whose work gave voice to love, justice, and resilience. A groundbreaking spoken-word artist, they won the first Women’s World Poetry Slam in 2008. In recognition of their profound cultural impact, Gibson was named Colorado’s Poet Laureate in 2023 and received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship in 2024. Their words continue to inspire and challenge the world toward greater compassion and truth.
Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni is remembered as a celebrated American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator whose voice shaped generations of readers and thinkers. One of the world’s best-known African American poets, her body of work spanned poetry, nonfiction essays, and anthologies that spoke powerfully to Black life, love, and resistance. Her contributions were honored with major accolades, including NAACP Image Awards, the Langston Hughes Award, and recognition as a National Book Award finalist. Her words continue to resonate as a lasting force in American literature and culture.
Needles Jones
(Ira Abramowitz)
Needles Jones was a writer, comedian, and performance artist whose sharp wit and fearless creativity made them a beloved presence in the queer arts scene. By the 2000s and 2010s, Needles had become a fixture in Philadelphia’s alternative performance circuits, where their work challenged norms and celebrated queer expression. Their influence lives on in the communities and stages they helped shape.
Miss Major
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy was an esteemed American author, activist, and tireless community organizer whose work for transgender rights has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ+ movement. Known for her powerful memoir Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary, she shared her lived experiences with courage and wisdom. In 2024, she was honored with the Lammy Award for Transgender Nonfiction, a testament to her lifelong dedication to advocacy and the liberation of trans communities.
Troy Masters
Troy Masters was a trailblazing LGBTQ+ journalist and publisher who launched the bi-weekly newspaper LGNY (Lesbian and Gay New York) and went on to found Gay City News and the Los Angeles Blade. Through these vital publications, he amplified LGBTQ+ voices and stories with integrity and courage. His work was honored with GLAAD’s Barbara Gittings Award, a testament to his enduring impact on queer media and community visibility.
Felice Anthony Picano
Felice Anthony Picano was an influential American writer, publisher, and critic who helped usher in a golden age of gay literature in the 1970s and 1980s, both as a groundbreaking author and a visionary publisher. A central figure in shaping modern LGBTQ+ literary culture, his work earned wide recognition, including finalist status for the inaugural Hemingway Foundation Award and five Lambda Literary Award nominations. His legacy lives on through the literature and voices he helped bring into the world.
Mary Wings
Mary Wings was a pioneering American cartoonist, writer, and artist who helped shape LGBTQ+ visual storytelling. In 1973, she made history by releasing Come Out Comix, the first lesbian comic book, a groundbreaking act of visibility and resistance. Her literary contributions were further recognized when she won the 1994 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Mystery. Her fearless creativity opened doors for generations of queer artists and readers.
Edmund White
Edmund White, acclaimed American novelist, memoirist, playwright, biographer, and essayist, was a pioneering voice in gay literature in the post-Stonewall era. Through his fearless storytelling and profound insight, he helped shape modern LGBTQ+ literary expression and visibility. In recognition of his lasting impact, he received Lambda Literary’s prestigious Visionary Award in 2018. His legacy endures in the generations of writers and readers he inspired.
