100 Women We Love 2011
It’s been a whirlwind year for Chely Wright. The award-winning country artist and songwriter stunned the conservative country music world by coming out in 2010, a difficult and life-changing decision she detailed in her 2011 autobiography, Like Me. She also released her critically-acclaimed seventh album, Lifted Off the Ground, a tour-de-force more than five emotionally-grueling years in the making. The documentary film, Wish Me Away, chronicles her journey from preparation to aftermath of her decision to come out to Nashville, her hometown, and within the LGBT community, will make its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival this summer. Her soul-searching, however, has been worth it: The newly-minted LGBT role model serves as the national spokesperson for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and speaks out against school bullying. Wright believes “that to whom much is given, much is required. I have lived a very blessed life and I know what it feels like to achieve goals. I want to do my part in helping others have as many opportunities to have milestones in their lives too.” –KL
The 100 Women We Love – out artists, elected officials, business leaders, athletes, community activists – are role models for us all. Many are up-and-coming movers and shakers; some are at the zenith of their careers. Some of their achievements change our world and, just as importantly, others improve the world’s perception of out women. They all strive tirelessly to increase our visibility and continue our incredible progress toward equality and justice.
We proudly present the class of 2011, in random order, so each gets her well-deserved turn in the spotlight.
KAREN GOLINSKI
Karen Golinski (right), a native New Yorker, is the plaintiff in Golinski v United States Office of Personnel Management, a federal lawsuit in California challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). An attorney who has worked for the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco for two decades, Golinski married her longtime partner Amy Cunninghis (left) and tried to enroll her spouse in her employer-sponsored health insurance plan in 2008. After being denied by the Office of Personnel Management, she followed steps that would eventually lead to the lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal and pro bono counsel Morrison & Foerster. “I hope that my lawsuit, along with the other lawsuits around the country challenging DOMA, will help achieve greater marriage equality for the LGBT community,” Golinski says. “Our relationships deserve the same recognition as those of straight people, and this discriminatory law allows the federal government to treat us like second-class citizens.” –SLO
