Second Annual ICON Award
July 21, 2026 @ 5:30PM — 7:30PM Mountain Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Come Join HRA Santa Fe for the Second Annual Icon Award
This event is both an award ceremony and a fundraiser for HRA Santa Fe and its new Santa Fe Pride Center.
Human Rights Alliance Announces Kevin Jennings as Recipient of the 2026 ICON Award
The Human Rights Alliance is proud to announce that Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal and one of the nation’s most influential LGBTQ+ advocates, will receive our 2026 ICON Award.
Please join us on Tuesday, July 21, from 5:30–7:30 PM for a special celebration and fundraiser benefiting the Human Rights Alliance. Location details will be announced soon.
For more than three decades, Kevin Jennings has been at the forefront of the movement for LGBTQ+ equality. As a high school teacher, he helped students establish the nation’s first Gay-Straight Alliance in 1988. He went on to found GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), the first national organization dedicated to creating safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ+ students.
Kevin later served in the Obama Administration as Assistant Secretary of Education for Safe and Drug-Free Schools, where he led the federal government’s efforts to combat bullying. He has also led the Arcus Foundation and the Tenement Museum before becoming CEO of Lambda Legal in 2019.
Today, Kevin leads the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization dedicated to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV.
The Human Rights Alliance is honored to recognize Kevin’s extraordinary leadership, advocacy, and lifelong commitment to equality. We invite you to join us as we celebrate his accomplishments and support the ongoing work of the Human Rights Alliance.