Honorees bring determination and perseverance to the 2024 Gay City News Impact Awards, presented by Bethpage Federal Credit Union

Dozens of LGBTQ leaders and allies were honored on Nov. 21 for their outstanding achievements and dedication to the community at the ninth annual Gay City News Impact Awards, presented by Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

Surrounded by peers, each honoree enjoyed a special moment in the spotlight to speak on the meaning of their work, the contributions they’ve made in their respective fields, and the adversity they’ve overcome to blaze paths as community leaders.

Honorees hailed from different backgrounds, including activism, filmmaking, law, education, non-profit, government, and medicine.

Ken Kidd — a 2020 Impact Award recipient and a longtime activist from groups like ACT UP, Gays Against Guns, and Queer Nation — hosted the event as the emcee.

“Every one of you clearly have impacted this world, this life, by your showing up and being here tonight, in times of duress, in times of pressure, in times when you might just be dog tired,” said Kidd.

Guests stood, danced, and cheered as the awards were presented to honorees who were called on stage one by one, strutting or dancing down the red carpet to a song of their own choosing.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union graciously supported the 2024 Gay City News Impact Awards as the presenting partner for the second consecutive year.

“We’re really dedicated to DEI [at Bethpage],” said Belle Johnson, a diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist at Bethpage, and an honoree. “We really just want to keep up that momentum and supporting organizations that support our values as well.”

TD Bank, corporate sponsor of Schneps Media’s diversity, equity, and inclusion events, also proudly sponsored the annual event again this year. Other sponsors were One Brooklyn Health; Quatela | Chimeri PLLC; Maimonides Health; MetroPlusHealth; Family Residences and Essential Enterprises; NYC Health + Hospitals, Elmhurst; and Miss Jessie’s.

The evening featured two special breakout awards. The recipient of the annual TD Bank Outstanding Entrepreneur Award was Nikita “Nikki” Dejanira Jax. A longtime DJ and performer, Jax is the founder of The House of Jax LLC, an event production and AV rental company dedicated to uplifting LGBTQIA+ and transgender communities.

“If you’re an LGBT organization, I want to work with you,” Jax said. “I’m able to provide [as] somebody who’s understanding of the space, understanding of the sensitivities.”

Reflecting further on the need to support community events like the Gay City News Impact Awards, Jax said, “We need to celebrate. We need joy in our respective LGBT communities, and that’s where I come in.”

Steven Garibell, who is the vice president, LGBTQ2+ Business Development, at TD Bank and served as one of the evening’s award presenters, emphasized the importance of supporting queer entrepreneurs.

“One of the reasons why we started the [TD Bank Outstanding Entrepreneur Award] award was to show how an LGBT business owner wasn’t just in business, but they were doing things and giving back,” Garibell said.

The second breakout award was the Diversity & Inclusion In Healthcare Award, awarded to Dr. Gilda-Rae Grell, chief of the Nephrology Fellowship at One Brooklyn Health (OBH), Brookdale Campus. Dr. Grell was recognized for her commitment to inclusive and community-focused healthcare and the founding of OBH’s first LGBTQ employee support group.

“I wanted to create a space where [LGBTQ medical professionals] did feel comfortable, and they could express themselves without feeling judged,” Grell said.

One Brooklyn Health interim CEO Dr. Sandra Scott delivered remarks to the crowd in support of Grell and the rest of the honorees. In her leadership role, Scott strongly believes in maintaining inclusivity in the healthcare space, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more.

Maimonides Health also celebrated two individuals — Dr. Nilar Thwin and Michael Brincat — who were honored at the Impact Awards.

“We congratulate Michael Brincat and Dr. Thwin for this recognition,” said Ken Gibbs, the CEO and president of Maimonides Health. “These are two individuals who enrich our team every day through their commitment to making Maimonides more inclusive and supportive for both patients and staff, and we are deeply grateful for that. As we continue to make strides in setting our organization apart as a provider of equitable care for all, their leadership has been instrumental to achieving milestones like our designation as an ‘LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer’ by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the first time this year.”

Brincat commended other honorees, describing them collectively as “an inspiring group.”

“Recognitions like this are one of many great reminders of how much our community has to be proud of, and the positive influence that we create when serving our communities while honoring our whole selves,” Brincat said.

Thwin, meanwhile, discussed Maimonides’ LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Clinic commitment to creating an affirming environment and serving the community in impactful ways.

“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from a community that has always been close to my heart and central to my work since my early days as a medical resident,” Thwin said.

Honoree Ryan Merola, deputy commissioner for external affairs and chief of staff at the New York City Department of Sanitation, spoke about playing a role in establishing the first Pride group at the department and praised others who have led the way for LGBTQ members of the department.

“We had folks ready to stand up and be incredibly proud of having been officially created as an organization,” Merola said. “I’m just very happy to be here and to be a part of this.”

Honoree David Hatkoff, the executive director of NewFest, underscored the importance of ensuring LGBTQ perspectives are prioritized when it comes to telling the community’s stories.

“We really try to address the whole pipeline of how stories are told, and right now, I think it’s more important than ever for our voices to be elevated and intentionally designed for queer people,” Hatkoff said.

Another honoree, Cam Moore, recalled joining the board of Brooklyn Pride in 2018 after previously serving as a volunteer. In that capacity, Moore has helped to spearhead new initiatives such as the first Brooklyn Youth Pride.

“I do make a lot of noise, but it’s good because I like to change things up and make sure we do some kind of different things,” Moore said. “I’m very glad to be here with all of you guys because we hold up the rainbow.”

Amanda Tarley, the events director who organizes the annual Gay City News Impact Awards, congratulated the honorees and offered messages of support. Many past Impact Award honorees, such as Jomil Luna and Matthew McMorrow, attended the gala to show their ongoing support.

“Every year we look forward to bringing this event to you,” Tarley said. “It’s exciting to see many familiar faces and the level of support we have for one another in the room tonight.”

Gay City News Editor-In-Chief Matt Tracy also applauded the award recipients for their contributions and reminded the audience to continue standing up for their community.

“We know that the gains we have made are due to the work of our own community members,” Tracy said. “That’s why, in times like these, we know the importance of internal community leadership — and we know that in the days ahead, we will face a tall task in defending our community and advancing our fight against hostile forces trying to hold us back.”

Honoree Elkin Cabas, the director of experiential marketing at MetroPlusHealth, acknowledged other honorees in the room and spoke briefly about working with both MetroPlusHealth and serving on the board of the Gay Latino Collective.

“I’m there for my community, making sure that everyone feels that they have a safe space,” Cabas said. “This is the beginning. When the evening ends, it doesn’t end. We want to continue creating community and supporting it.”

The night ended with a raffle benefiting the Free To Be Youth Project, a legal organization that works to interrupt cycles of poverty and criminalization to protect homeless and street-involved youth, particularly those who are LGBTQ.

“Being recognized by Gay City News is incredibly important and validating because [there have] been so many ups and downs [since COVID-19],” said Amy Leipziger, the Project Director for the Free to Be Youth Project.

Individuals are strongly encouraged to submit nominations for potential 2025 Gay City News Impact Award honorees. The 2025 Gay City News Impact Awards will be the event’s 10-year anniversary, which is sure to be a special celebration for current and past Impact Award honorees, their friends, families, and colleagues.

To nominate individuals for the 2025 Gay City News Impact Awards, please contact Amanda Tarley at amanda@gaycitynews.com or 718 249 9640.

Be sure to look out for a section dedicated to the Gay City News Impact Awards — including honoree bios, a written recap of the evening, and photos — in the Dec. 12 issue of Gay City News.

THE 2024 HONOREES

TD Bank Outstanding Entrepreneur Award
Nikita “Nikki” Dejanira Jax
The House Of Jax

Diversity & Inclusion in Healthcare Award
Dr. Gilda-Rae Grell
One Brooklyn Health

Jaszi Johnathan Alejandro
The NEW Pride Agenda

Sandrine Blake
Amida Care

Michael Brincat
Maimonides Health

Robert S. Budd, MPS, CEC
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises

Elkin Cabas
MetroPlusHealth

Alexander Lowell Cammy
Paramount Global, GLAAD Media Institute @GLAAD

Christopher J. Chimeri
Quatela | Chimeri PLLC

Louis Cholden-Brown
Moonshot Strategies

Justin Cortes
Office of the Bronx Borough President