NEW YORK, NY– Celebrating 16 years, The Trevor Project will honor Sir Ian McKellen with the Trevor Hero Award at “TrevorLIVE New York” on June 15th at the Marriott Marquis, presented by Wells Fargo. McKellen will be honored for his ongoing support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) community. Maine’s Ryan Fecteau, the youngest openly gay state legislator, will be named the Youth Innovator Honoree for his on-going advocacy and commitment to equality, and Johnson & Johnson will be honored with the 20/20 Visionary Award. The awards will be presented at The Trevor Project’s high-profile evening of music, comedy and entertainment which brings together top entertainers, advocates and corporate leaders to support the organization’s life-saving, life-affirming work for LGBT and questioning youth in crisis.
“The Trevor Project is proud to honor longtime supporters and allies Sir Ian McKellen, Maine Representative Ryan Facteau, and Johnson & Johnson. We want to acknowledge their dedication and support for the LGBTQ community,” states Abbe Land, executive director and CEO of The Trevor Project. “We have felt the progress of their commitment to raise awareness for the issues the LGBTQ community faces, to promote advocacy for equal rights, and to foster the responsibility that every person should provide service for their community. We look forward to celebrating these great honorees at TrevorLIVE New York.”
A legend of the stage and screen, Sir Ian McKellen has been honored with over 50 international acting awards and is co-founder of Stonewall UK, which lobbies for legal and social equality for gay people. He is treasured worldwide as “Magneto” in the X-Men films and “Gandolf” in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Born and raised in the north of England, 75-year-old McKellen attended Cambridge University and since 1961 has worked non-stop in the British theatre. Among his countless accolades, he has won Olivier Awards for “Macbeth,” “The Alchemist,” “Beny,” “Wild Honey” and “Richard III.” In 1991 Sir Ian was knighted for his outstanding contribution to theatre. In 2008, the Queen personally appointed him Companion of Honour for his services to drama and to equality.
Ryan Fecteau, 22, is a Biddeford, Maine native and the youngest openly gay state legislator in the United States. He studied political science and earned a minor in theology and religious studies at The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC. During his time at CUA, Fecteau was elected the first openly gay Speaker of the Student Association and initiated efforts for university recognition of an LGBTQ student group. Following graduation in May of 2014, Fecteau ran for the Maine House of Representatives where he was elected on Tuesday, November 4th and he currently serves on the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development.
The Trevor Project honors Johnson & Johnson for ensuring that diversity is a central part of the cultures across the Family of Companies. Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is deeply rooted in their core values and is exemplified in a number of the companies’ programs and activities. Throughout the Care with Pride™ program, the company has donated more than half a million dollars to organizations committed to LGBTQ education and outreach, including suicide prevention and family health. Johnson & Johnson has joined other businesses in legal actions that support equal rights, as recently as signing an amicus brief in the call for all states to legally recognize same-sex marriage. In 2014, PFLAG honored the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies with a Straight for Equality in the Workplace Award. The Human Rights Campaign has also recognized Johnson & Johnson for ten consecutive years with a perfect Corporate Equality Index score.
TrevorLIVE NY will be directed by Special Guest Director Paul Dobie with Special Guest Producer Adam Shankman. Tickets to TrevorLIVE NY may be purchased at: TheTrevorProject.org/TrevorLIVENY.
