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.

Taryn Millers-Stevens
Growing up amidst her family’s turkey farm-turned-natural pet food business, Taryn Miller-Stevens, a rising star in progressive activism, learned to listen to community needs and translate them into action. Today, she’s Director of Partnerships at Change.org, the online petition platform that empowers the public to start, join, and win campaigns for social change, working with organizations like EMILY’s List, HRC, Planned Parenthood, UN Foundation, Victory Fund and others. On the side, she also curates retreats, uniting do-gooder types across generations to make ideas happen. But even with big-picture goals, Miller-Stevens is still inspired by a tiny number: three. “When I learned that only 3% of all LGBT people give to LGBT causes, after shock I asked, ‘Why? How can we fix this?’ When I next learned that the anti-gay rights movement has 3 times as much money as [we do], I thought, ‘How can we win equality if we don’t have the cash backing?’” she says. “While money isn’t the only factor in securing equal rights, it’s a big one. Collaborating with influencers and seeing real impact through Change.org has been huge. It’s an exciting time for all of us—all 100%–to step up and support organizations that affect our lives. It’s time to make history.”

You might also like...