Wasson Award Winners

Wasson Award Winners Wasson Award Winners

Started in 1993 by the Tri-State Gay Rodeo Association, the Wasson Award goes to an individual who has contributed in a significant manner to improving the lives of gay Kentuckians. It is named for Jeffrey Wasson, the defendant in Wasson v. Commonwealth. This case overturned Kentucky's same-sex only sodomy law. For standing up for privacy and civil rights, Wasson lost two jobs and received death threats. He is the first winner of this award.

*Year*	*Honoree*	*Selected Contributions*
1993	JEFFREY WASSON	In Wasson v. Commonwealth Wasson stood up and successfully overturned Kentucky's same-sex only consensual sodomy law.
1994	KEITH ELSTON	Elston worked for Lexington's lesbigaytrans communities for years through his work with the Kentucky ACLU, GSO (later GLSO), UK Lambda, and other local groups.
1995	LINDA WEST	West was honored for her enormous efforts in expanding the Lexington Fairness Campaign to a mailing list of over 2000 and as a strong educational and advocacy group for central Kentuckians.
1996	MARY CRONE	Having served as GLSO President for a number of years, Crone was honored for this work as well as her long years of service with Interweave, the GLSO Speakers Bureau and many of Lexington's other lesbigaytrans groups.
1997	JEFF JONES	Jones was honored for his years of work as founder or volunteer with UK Lambda, Lambdanet, GLSO, Lexington Fairness, the Royal Sovereign Imperial Court of all Kentucky, the Pink Pages, the Gay Kentucky Home Page, and this historical website among other local service work.
1998	TERRY MULLINS	Mullins was honored for his years of service with the Tri-State Gay Rodeo Association, GLSO, Kentucky Wranglers, Pride Center, and Ebony Male.
1999	BILL CHANDLER	Chandler was honored for his years of service with the Tri-State Gay Rodeo Association, GLSO, Kentucky Wranglers, Pride Center, and Ebony Male. (Of special note is that Terry Mullins and Bill Chandler, both Wasson winners, are a couple!)
2000	JENNIFER CROSSEN	Crossen was honored for her years of service with Bluegrass Fairness and as a ready public spokeswoman to the media and legislators on issues of GLBT civil rights and lesbian/gay parents. She and her family (partner Joan and son David) have annually hosted the GLSO Pride Picnic and other community events at their horse farm, Windy Knoll Farm.