Check out this post by Kathleen Archambeau author of Pride & Joy
There are many residents of the LGBTQ community who deserve recognition for their contributions to society. More than thirty of those individuals are featured in the 2017 book Pride and Joy: LGBTQ Artists, Icons and Everyday Heroes by Kathleen Archambeau (Mango Publishing). The book is comprised of three sections; Artists, Icons and Everyday Heroes, and includes profiles of ten or so individuals in each section. The book is an educational one for some readers, like myself, because I was unfamiliar with the vast majority of those profiled here. For instance, entrepreneur (and Icon) Leann Pittsford, the founder and CEO of Lesbians Who Tech, is someone who had not appeared on my radar before. She began her career by fighting for LGBTQ rights in California in 2008 and, four years later, founded the organization Lesbians Who Tech, which has grown exponentially since then. Today, Pittsford is regarded as one of the most powerful LGBTQ people in technology.
One of the Artists featured in Pride and Joy is poet Richard Blanco, whose life story is heartfelt and inspiring. He is, perhaps, best known for reading the poem “One Today” at President Obama’s second inauguration. The poem celebrates diversity and inclusion. In addition to being a poet, Blanco is also the author of many books, including How to Love a Country. Among the Everyday Heroes featured in Archambeau’s book are Eric and Mat Rosswood, who are married and have two children. Eric is an activist and the author many books, including The Ultimate Guide for Gay Dads, while Mat is the CEO of a major law film and has worked to advance equality for LGBTQ families. Those are just of a few of the individuals featured in Pride and Joy, which is a terrific read anytime, but is especially poignant during Pride Month.