WASHINGTON – Friday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation announced that celebrity trainer and best-selling author Bob Harper, best known for his role on NBC’s hit show The Biggest Loser, will be honored at HRC’s national Time to THRIVE conference in February.
The HRC Foundation also announced that featured speakers at the third annual event, scheduled for February 12-14 near Dallas, include Brendan Jordan, a YouTube star who has become an inspiration and role model for LGBTQ youth around the world.
Other Time to THRIVE speakers and honorees previously announced include Emmy Award-winning John Quiñones, anchor of ABC’s powerful What Would You Do? news magazine; Secretary Julián Castro, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); activists Dennis and Judy Shepard; Betty DeGeneres, mother of Ellen DeGeneres; Jane Clementi of the Tyler Clementi Foundation; Jim Obergefell, one of the many courageous plaintiffs at the forefront of last June’s Supreme Court marriage equality ruling; transgender teen Jazz Jennings, an HRC Foundation Youth Ambassador featured in the TLC reality program I Am Jazz; New Jersey High School History Teacher, Nicholas Ferroni; and Andreja Pejić, the first transgender model featured in American Vogue. David Hernandez, a finalist from season seven of American Idol, will provide entertainment during the conference.
HRC Foundation’s Time to THRIVE conference is held in partnership with the National Education Association and the American Counseling Association.
“We are thrilled to honor Bob Harper with our Upstander Award for the untold number of LGBTQ youth he has helped by coming out publicly on The Biggest Loser in 2013 — not only providing personal support to an LGBTQ contestant on the show, but also serving as a role model for so many others,” said Vincent Pompei, chair of Time to THRIVE and director of the HRC Foundation’s Youth Well-Being Project. “He has used his unique perch to literally change the lives and expectations of LGBTQ people.”
As trainer for 16 seasons on The Biggest Loser, and now a host, Harper is also one of the most in-demand fitness specialists worldwide, recently working with First Lady Michelle Obama on her Let’s Move campaign. He’s a three-time New York Times bestselling author and a sought-after speaker who motivates people to change their lives for the better.
“In addition to Bob Harper, we are also excited and privileged to have Brendan Jordan join our lineup of stellar speakers who are dedicated to helping all youth, and who demonstrate every day to LGBTQ youth that anything is possible for them — from starring in a reality show raising awareness about transgender youth and appearing on the pages of major fashion magazines, to changing laws to make our country more fully LGBTQ-inclusive,” Pompei said.
Brendan Jordan, 16, continues to inspire LGBTQ youth with what has been aptly described as his “be yourself” spirit, and infectious sense of humor. Since a video of him dancing in the background during a local newscast went viral, he’s appeared on programs including The Queen Latifah Show, and his YouTube videos can garner millions of views. A video he posted at Thanksgiving features his interview with his supportive grandparents from Des Moines.
The Time to THRIVE conference features 72 workshops by more than 45 national and grassroots organizations dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ youth. Special conference guests and additional speakers include Marsha Aizumi, author, educator and LGBTQ advocate, and Dr. Beverly Hutton, Deputy Executive Director of Programs and Services at the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Time to THRIVE is the premier national convening of educators and youth-serving professionals to build awareness and cultural competency, learn current and emerging best practices, and gather resources from leading experts and national organizations in the field. Time to THRIVE will take place over Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 12-14, 2016, with AT&T and BBVA Compass as the presenting sponsors. To register, visit www.TimeToThrive.org.
