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.

Patricia “Cacahuate” Manuel
The nationally ranked boxer nicknamed “Cacahuate” (Peanut) began her journey in the ring as an overweight teenager. She quickly fell in love with the directly competitive nature of the sport and the focused discipline needed to excel in it. Literally fighting her way to the top of her weight class, Manuel became one of the first women to participate in the Olympic Trial Box-Offs in preparation for the 2012 Olympics. Despite a medical disqualification during the trials, she is planning to join the professional ranks. “I thrive on rising to the challenge and going to battle. There is nothing more gratifying than putting in hard work and seeing the results in a competitive environment,” states Manuel, who says she’s motivated by her role within the LGBT community. At a time when many top athletes are afraid to come out of the closet, Manuel is using boxing as a means to increase the LGBT visibility. “I have always prided myself in being a butch athlete and ignoring outside pressures to soften my look,” she says. “The fighter I am has been shaped by the person I am outside the ring.”