Fr. Mychal Judge (New York City, NY, 2002)
Fr. Mychal Judge (1933-2001) was a gay Franciscan chaplain who died accompanying firefighters into the lobby of the north tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. As a long-term member of DignityUSA, Fr. Judge ministered to members of the GLBT community and HIV/AIDS patients during his 40 years of service. Brendan Fay, member of New York's Lavender and Green Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Irish-Americans, and a close friend of Fr. Judge, accepted the award on his behalf. In his acceptance, Fay said, "Mychal Judge chose to follow a path of honesty and openness in life, both as a Catholic priest and a gay man. His ministry of compassion and his quest for peace and reconciliation will be an inspiration for generations to come." After his death on 9/11, President Bush invoked his name in signing the Mychal Judge Act, which grants death benefits to the beneficiaries, including same-sex partners, of public safety workers killed in the line of duty.
Gift Recipient: Ali Forney House, a homeless shelter for gay youth