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.

Sabrina Haley
Whether she’s shooting a fiery festival in India or producing the electrifying nightlife of New York City, globetrotting photographer/producer Sabrina Haley captures and connects with the human experience. Her photos have appeared in GO, IKEA, Curve, AutoStraddle, Gayweddings.com, Time Out and many other publications. She shoots documentary weddings and editorial assignments, and since becoming involved in fundraising events for Stonewall Inn, Marriage Equality New York and the Anti-Violence Project, she is now shooting more gay and lesbian weddings, engagements and new families with joy and compassion. With strong ties to the worldwide LGBT community and nine years as an event producer/promoter of queer events in NYC, she organizes parties with lasting impact—like at the United Nations earlier this year—to bring us closer to the equality we deserve. Working regularly with big names in nightlife, entertainment and activism, Haley joined the advisory board of Nightlife Cultural Initiative (NCI), a nonprofit organization founded to elevate New York City nightlife culture. “I came to NYC to be a photographer, but was driven to do so much more,” Haley says. “I’m passionate about everything I do, for myself and my community. It makes it all worth it when a young gay person tells me that my event made it easier for them to be gay; that is how we will do it, one person at at time, together.”