Awardees (by year)
Our 2023 Awards
Kate Clinton
American humorist.
Kate Clinton
Kate Clinton is an LGBTQ+ icon. Her career as a beloved American humorist spans four decades and countless stand up comedy tours, essays, and books. Among notable career achievements, Clinton starred on Broadway as the Narrator in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and performed on Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors tour. Along the way, she has been honored with “Pioneer Awards” from both GLAAD Media and Lambda Literary. For over 30 years, Clinton and her partner, the acclaimed activist and author Urvashi Vaid, shared a rich life and deep commitment to justice and equality. Vaid passed away in May 2022, but the positive change they manifested together lives on. The Monette-Horwitz Trust is pleased to honor Clinton for personifying what it means to live life authentically and in doing so, inspiring generations of LGBTQ+ people to do the same. Kate Clinton on Ted Talk.
Olivia Julianna
Role Model & Political Activist.
Olivia Julianna
At 19, activist Olivia Julianna garnered fame when she took on Republican bully Matt Gaetz who tried to body-shame her for her challenging anti-abortion legislation in Texas (2021). In a dynamic social media campaign Olivia raised over $2 million which she dedicated to supporting abortion funding across the US. Olivia has been appointed Director of Politics and Government Affairs for GenZ for Change, and was a guest of President Biden at his State of the Union address in 2023. She is a political science major at the University of Texas. Olivia identifies as a plus-size queer Mexican woman, and at MoHo she is a hero and role model for younger activists everywhere. https://genzforchange.org/
Desmond Napoles
Stage name “Desmond is Amazing” says it all: it’s a way of being, a way of living, and an assertion.
Desmond Napoles
We are in a time of crisis for our Queer youth, especially if they are gender nonconforming or trans-identified. The Monette-Horwitz Trust is pleased to honor and amplify the impact of Desmond Napoles, the “Drag Kid,” for their willingness to be out and proud and to fight for acceptance and change. Their stage name “Desmond is Amazing” says it all: it’s a way of being, a way of living, and an assertion. Desmond has written a children’s book and launched a clothing line to exemplify self-expression beyond the gender binary. We celebrate Desmond’s bravery—and fabulousness. This kind of courage embodies the mission of the Monette-Horwitz Trust: to fight homophobia, transphobia, and the marginalization of Queer folks every way we can. [f]
Jonah Scott Mendelsohn
Actor, singer, and writer, and graduate.
Jonah Scott Mendelsohn
Among his many accomplishments, Jonah Scott Mendelsohn, actor, singer, and writer, and graduate of Vassar College, recently adapted Paul Monette’s 1988 poetry collection Love Alone: 18 Elegies for Rog, into a solo stage play in New York City. Mendelsohn’s timely effort keeps Paul’s work alive and gives voice back to a lost generation of the first decade of the HIV/AIDS crisis. In the Preface to the book Paul wrote, “When I began to write about AIDS during Roger’s illness, I wanted a form that would move with breathless speed, so I could scream if I wanted.” Mendelsohn’s interpretations of Love Alone are original, profound, and moving. https://www.jonahscottmendelsohn.com/
View Archives
Paul Monette papers, 1945-1995
UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library