100 Women We Love 2012

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.

Deirdre Dibiaggio and Katie Carmichael
When Katie Carmichael and her partner Deirdre DiBiaggio decided to wed in New York last August, the town clerk in tiny Ledyard, NY turned them away, citing her religious beliefs against same-sex marriage. She was messing with the wrong couple. Carmichael, a filmmaker, and DiBiaggio, a lawyer, retained People for the American Way Foundation and the New York City law firm Proskauer Rose to force the clerk to do her job and comply with the Marriage Equality Act. The case drew nationwide attention, highlighting the discrimination still faced by gay and lesbian couples in states that have legalized marriage equality. “I believe that it is our duty and our right to accept nothing less than equality. If we stand together and face those that are bent on denying us our basic human rights we will prevail,” Carmichael states. The couple, who live in Florida, eventually married on April 21, 2012. And their winning streak continues: Carmichael’s new documentary, UNFIT: Ward vs. Ward, which tells the tragic story of a mother who lost custody of her child only because she is a lesbian, won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in May.


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