You are here: American University Student Affairs Diversity and Inclusion Richard L. Schlegel Award
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Center for Diversity and Inclusion 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United StatesThe Richard L. Schlegel National Legion of Honor Award
The Richard L. Schlegel National Legion of Honor Award for an recognizes an individual in the United States who has exhibited outstanding leadership and significantly contributed to the dignity and freedom of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The Legion of Honor Award serves as an opportunity to:
- Acknowledge an individual who has made outstanding contributions to LGBTQ communities through activism, advocacy, education, and/or policy
- Recognize and encourage the dedication of individuals committed to social justice
- Celebrate important contributions to creating a society that values every member
- Showcase the diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities
Past Recipients
2015 Award Recipient
Emerging Activist:
Rob Waara
Emerging Activist:
Alex Riolo
2013 Award Recipient
Emerging Activist:
Shelby Wiltz
2012 Award Recipient
Emerging Activist:
Victor Pajarito
2011 Award Recipients
Emerging Activists:
Miriam Fried & Tonei Glavinic
Visionary Leader:
National Center for Transgender Equality
2010 Award Recipients
Emerging Activist:
Lakeia Spady
Visionary Leader:
Meghan Sneed
About Richard L. Schlegel
![Richard Schlegel](/student-affairs/cdi/images/RichardSchlegelforweb2.jpg)
Richard L. Schlegel was an American University alumnus and a pioneer in the LGBTQ civil rights movement. Richard fought discrimination based on sexual orientation in the late 1950s and early 1960s, long before LGBTQ rights were discussed openly. His own wrongful termination case against the Department of the Army, Schlegel vs. United States, was pursued all the way to the Supreme Court (and also documented as a chapter in the 2002 book Courting Justice by Joyce Murdoch and Deb Price).