PAT PARKER ARTS AWARDGlenne McElhinneyThe Pat Parker Award recognizes an individual or organization that supports theLGBT spirit through the arts. This award is dedicated to the legacy of Pat Parker, agroundbreaking African American lesbian poet and activist.Before history is written, it is lived. Before it is retold, it isremembered. History not recorded is easily lost. As ProjectDirector for Impact Stories, Glenne McElhinney is helping toremember, record and re-tell the history of California's LGBTCommunity. Glenne McElhinney, a native Californian, was raised in theBay Area. Growing up, she learned to appreciate the richand diverse history that is California. In 2007, she launcheda statewide oral history project called Impact Stories. Itspurpose is to document California's LGBT movement of the1960's through the 1980's. Gathering stories from the per-sonal accounts of those that lived it, Impact Stories is focusedon the period of social change when California's LGBT com-munity set in motion a human rights movement that soonswept the rest of the west coast, the United States and theworld. Preserving this preeminent history, and having theseinspiring stories shared and accessible, will allow us all tocontinue to be inspired. From the stories and histories collected, McElhinney creat-ed On These Shoulders We Stand-a documentary about theLos Angeles LGBT community-serving as producer anddirector. On These Shoulders We Stand premiered at Outfestin 2009 and was awarded the Special Programming Awardfor Freedom. McElhinney also co-curated the historicalexhibit Dykes on Bikes: 30 Years at the Forefront at the SanFrancisco GLBT Historical Society. Impact Stories has received the Monette-Horwitz TrustFellowship, in part due to the efforts of Glenne McElhinney.This very special grant supports individuals and projectsworking to end homophobia in the United States. McElhinney is a member of the National Council on PublicHistory, the Oral History Association, Bay Area Women inFilm and Media and the International DocumentaryAssociation. She works tirelessly to preserve California's cul-tural history-especially the powerful and purposeful storiesthat shape the LGBT community. Through film, she definesher purpose as a historian and an activist, working to helpeach person remember so that future generations will knowwhat came before. Christopher Street West is honored to award GlenneMcElhinney the Pat Parker Arts Award in recognition of herongoing support for the LGBT community through the Arts.45