The State of Black Gay America Summit, held each year during Atlanta's Black Gay Pride, will receive an Esteem Award in "recognition of [its] service to the African American and LGBT communities."

The State of Black Gay America, founded by community activist Darlene Hudson and Gregory Allen, the president and CEO of Xtreme Entertainment, is receiving a "Special Recognition" honor.

Patrick Kelly, an activist and clinical research interviewer at Emory Univeristy's Hope Vaccine Center, is also honored with the "Outstanding Service, Male" award.

This is the sixth year for the Prideindex.com Esteem Awards. A cocktail reception for the honorees will be held June 30 in Chicago. Prideindex.com is a Chicago-based news and entertainment website. Since 2007, it has been awarding the Esteem Awards to individuals and organizations in Chicago and nationally for their contributions to the black and LGBT communities.

Other Esteem Awards finalists:

Chicago
Outstanding Service, Male: Charles Nelson, MSM Project Director, South Side Help
Center

Outstanding Service, Transgender: June LaTrobe, Trans* Community Liaison, Center on Halsted and Vice-Chair & Public Policy Director, Illinois Gender Advocates

Outstanding Service, Youth: KOKUMO KINETIC, CEO/Founder KOKUMOMEDIA

Outstanding Social Services/CBO: Affinity Community Services

Outstanding Newspaper Reporter/Columnist or Feature Article: “Queer Bronzeville: African American LGBT’s on Chicago’s South Side, 1900-1985” in the Windy City Times by Tristan Cabello

Outstanding Magazine Reporter/Columnist or Feature Article: “The Day Cole & Parker Came Into Our Lives,” in Grab Magazine by Erik Sosa-Kibby

Institutional Award: The Transformative Justice Law Project

Artistic Expression: Black Ensemble Theater for Black Playwright’s Initiative (BPI)

Special Recognition Award: Bill Greaves, longtime advocate for Chicago’s LGBT community

National
Outstanding Service, Male: Patrick Kelly, Activist & Clinical Research Interviewer, Emory Hope Clinic Vaccine Center (Atlanta)

Outstanding Service, Female: Michelle E. Brown, longtime Civil & LGBT Rights Activist (Detroit)

Outstanding Service, Transgender: Janet Mock, Writer & Trans Advocate

Outstanding Service, Youth: Amir Dixon, Board Member, Hispanic Black Gay Coalition & Co-Host of BrotherHoodTV (Boston)

Outstanding Social Services/CBO: The Ruth Ellis Center for LGBT Runaways (Detroit)

Institutional Award: Southern Poverty Law Center (Montgomery, AL)
Outstanding Website: theGrio.com

Outstanding Podcaster or Web series: Clay Cane Live WWRL 1600 AM Equality Pride Radio

Special Recognition: The State Of Black Gay America (SBGA) Summit (Atlanta)

Photo: Gregory Allen (far left) and Darlene Hudson receive a plaque at last year's State of Black Gay America Summit from Rev. Antonio Jones for founding the event held each year during Atlanta's Black Gay Pride. (by Dyana Bagby)