BY BTL STAFF
NBC Out, part of http://NBCNews.com released its inaugural #Pride30 list, recognizing LGBTQ Americans of all ages, backgrounds and industries who are making a difference in their communities.
Each day in June, Pride Month, a different profile of these 30 individuals will be released. The list includes artists and educators, advocates and athletes, politicians and veterans.
The inaugural list of honorees includes Gabby Rivera (the bisexual comic book artist behind the Latina Captain America series), Rev. Neil Cazares-Thomas (the senior pastor of the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas), Patricia Todd (Alabama's only openly LGBTQ lawmaker), Hannah Hart (a comedian and actress), Bruce Cohen (executive producer for ABC's "When We Rise"), Robert Garcia (mayor of Long Beach, CA) and Jaime Deer (one of the first openly transgender law enforcement officers).
The majority of the #Pride30 list was chosen out of more than 1,600 public nominations. A committee, comprised of NBC journalists and executives, selected the individuals based on their accomplishments and contributions to their communities. A smaller group of the list were directly nominated by LGBTQ celebrities and community leaders, including singer Melissa Etheridge, actor Alan Cumming, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, and GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
Users can view the entire list at http://www.nbcnews.com/nbcout or follow the conversation on Twitter NBCOut.
