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

100 Women We Love 2012

June 15, 2012 Destiny Dejesus

“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.

Shanna katz
“Professional pervert”—to some it’s an insult; to Shanna Katz, M.Ed, ACS, it’s her job description. The self-described “queer kinky disabled femme,” a board-certified sexologist, teaches about the huge spectrum of sexuality through discussions about relationship communication skills, non-monogamy, oral sex, disability and more. She’s using her Masters of Sexuality Education to provide accessible sex education to people across the country and online. “Sexuality education is a field that needs attention, focus, conversation and open-minded people,” she observes. “We do a huge disservice, especially to the LGBTQ community, by not educating folks about identity, relationships, sexuality and everything else that is not covered during traditional sex ed.” She has certainly filled that niche by teaching university classes, speaking at conferences, contributing to sexuality websites and serving on the boards of The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health and The Center for Sex Positive Culture. When not blogging, teaching, writing or tweeting about the oh-so-many interesting and awkward moments in her life, you can find Shanna drinking tea, eating cupcakes, and cuddling with her partner and their three rescued cats.