100 Women We Love, Queer Women We Love, Wonder Women

100 Women We Love 2012

June 15, 2012
“Knowing that my election showed Charlotteans and the world that we are not bound by discrimination wakes me every morning with pride,” proclaims LaWana Mayfield, the City Council representative for District 3 in Charlotte, NC, and the city’s first openly gay elected official. Last November, she trounced her Republican opponent in the council election with 78 percent of the vote, replacing an eight-year incumbent. Now, continuously building on her 15 years of activism, her other leadership posts include the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee, Mecklenburg County Development Corp. Board, Smart Start Board and the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund Board of Advisors. Prior to the election, Mayfield took an active role in LGBT activism as the Human Rights Campaign’s Diversity Co-Chair. “I believe that my role, along with growing the City of Charlotte, is to open the door for LGBTQ dialogue and to create pathways to service. I have this amazing opportunity to help direct the growth of the City of Charlotte through my vote,” Mayfield says. “I am right where I am supposed to be, and I love my job!”

Drum roll, please! We’re excited to present this year’s 100 Women We Love—our most diverse group of out entertainers, artists, athletes, activists, business principals and elected officials yet. Each of these women is a superstar in her own right. Their achievements and contributions shape our lives —and elevate us in the eyes of the world . They’re working to raise LGBT awareness, increase our visibility and quicken our progress toward a just society.

We are extremely proud to present the class of 2012. There are no rankings or numbers. They are all leaders.

Sharon Kowalski and karen Thompson
Karen Thompson gained national recognition after her partner Sharon Kowalski sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. Kowalski’s father assumed legal guardianship of his daughter, ignoring Thompson’s and Kowalski’s relationship–and launching Thompson’s nearly decade-long battle for guardianship and Kowalski’s right to come home. She spoke at rallies and events nationwide to tell the couple’s story and raise awareness about the need for legal protection for same-sex relationships. In 1991, a Minnesota court finally ruled in Thompson’s favor, allowing Kowalski to return home in 1993. Since that time, Thompson has continued to advocate for LGBT and disability rights, and has received numerous awards for her pioneering activism. “We need to protect our relationships in every way possible because nightmares like Sharon’s and mine don’t need to happen,“ Thompson reminds us. “While marriage for same-sex couples can help legitimize our relationships, it is not enough. Begin the conversation about advance directives with your partners, families, and loved ones. Don’t leave yourselves vulnerable like Sharon and I did. Take control. Protect yourselves, protect each other, and protect your families.” Having recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of their landmark case, Thompson says Kowalski attends an adult day program five days a week and has begun to speak without the help of a speech synthesizer.

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