One Colorado Announces the 2019 Ally Award Recipients

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

One Colorado, the state’s leading advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Coloradans announces the 2019 Ally Award Recipients.

2019 Ally Award Recipients

UC Health Integrated Transgender Program

former Colorado Attorney General, Cynthia Coffman

former Colorado Speaker of the House, Crisanta Duran

2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Lockheed Martin engineer and transgender activist, Christine Bland

The Ally Awards is One Colorado's largest annual fundraising gala and is an opportunity for LGBTQ Coloradans to honor the commitment of allies who have been a voice for LGBTQ equality. Last year’s awardees were Governor John Hickenlooper, Summit County Government, and Denver Health and the LGBT Center of Excellence. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to State Senator Lucia Guzman.

This year's Ally Award Gala will take place at 6:30 PM Saturday, August 24th, 2019 at the Four Season Hotel Denver. Tickets are available for purchase at one-co.co/AllyAwards19

As one of the largest health care providers in the state, UC Health has led the way in providing affirming and competent care to Colorado patients.
In recent years, the hospital system has taken substantial steps to launch the Integrated Transgender Program. From gender-affirming hormone treatments, to mental and behavioral health care, to comprehensive sexual health screenings, UC Health has made healthcare more accessible for thousands of transgender and gender non-conforming patients in Colorado. As a hospital system focused on educating the next generation of medical professionals, UC Health is working to build a future where the needs of LGBTQ Coloradans are respected rather than misunderstood. Their providers acknowledge that many transgender individuals have experienced discrimination when seeking health care - that’s why their staff have all undergone LGBTQ affirming trainings and know the importance of caring for every single patient from a place of trust and courtesy.

Former Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has been a true example of an ally to LGBTQ Coloradans - and one with a long history of advocating for the rights of others, even when it was politically unpopular. Her advocacy goes back to the 1980s as a young attorney in Atlanta during the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. She was outspoken about the discrimination that LGBTQ people faced at a time when society stigmatized those living with a disease that wasn’t fully understood. As Colorado Attorney General, she defended Colorado’s non-discrimination protections at the US Supreme Court in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. And as a Republican, she has been a vocal proponent to ban the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy, and is the first documented Republican Attorney General to participate in a Pride parade.

The first Latina Speaker of the House in the country, Crisanta Duran, has held a firm commitment to fighting for equality and the rights of underserved and underrepresented populations. At the age of 29, she stepped into the state capitol, representing House District 5 with fresh ideas and a bold perspective, hoping to introduce progressive bills to lift up the voices of underserved communities. After serving three consecutive terms as a state representative, she became the Speaker of the House and stewarded critical pieces of legislation that would improve the lives of LGBTQ Coloradans and their families - including being a vocal champion for the reauthorization of the Colorado Civil Rights Division, which came under threat last year. During her leadership, several anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation were stopped, including the hateful ‘Live and Let Live’ bills. Her allyship has been a trademark of her time in the legislature, often highlighting the intersections of identity that deprive communities of their voices.

Christine Bland has had a prestigious and noteworthy career as a Lockheed Martin engineer, working on NASA’s Juno and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Missions. Since 2009, she has led the team developing the space agency’s electronic hardware for the ORION spacecraft - designed to take humanity further than we’ve ever traveled before. In 2011, she came out as transgender in a heavily male-dominated industry. As many as 57% of transgender workers employed in the United States report workplace discrimination because of their gender identity - many experience higher rates of depression and mental illness than the general population. Despite these hurdles, Christine has been living as her authentic self at Lockheed Martin and has been leading the way in how corporations can support the needs of their LGBTQ employees. She now chairs the Lockheed Martin Transgender Council and encouraged the company to recruit a diverse pool of candidates from transgender career fairs - the first aerospace and defense company to do so. In 2014, she was recognized as the LGBT Engineer of the Year by the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals, and has continued to advocate for inclusive policies towards LGBTQ employees since.