Madison Mayor Honors GSAFE with Proclamation at 30th Annual Celebration of Leadership

On May 30, 2026, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway presented GSAFE with a Mayoral Proclamation declaring the day GSAFE Celebration of Leadership Day in the City of Madison, marking the 30th anniversary of the organization’s beloved annual event.

The proclamation was presented at the 30th Annual Celebration of Leadership, held at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. The evening brought together hundreds of supporters, youth, educators, and community members from across Wisconsin to celebrate LGBTQ+ youth leadership, honor scholarship recipients, and recognize outstanding educators and community advocates.

The proclamation recognized GSAFE’s roots in two all-volunteer grassroots organizations founded in 1991, and three decades of tireless work to make Wisconsin’s schools safer, more inclusive, and more welcoming for LGBTQ+ youth. Over those 30 years, GSAFE has awarded 120 scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth, recognized more than 32 Educators of the Year, and honored more than 28 community activists and organizations.

“We are grateful to Mayor Rhodes-Conway for this recognition and honor,” said Tyrone Creech, Jr., GSAFE’s Executive Director. “At a moment when LGBTQ+ youth across Wisconsin need to know they are seen, valued, and supported more than ever, this recognition affirms that the work we do matters and that our community stands with us. We don’t take this recognition lightly, and we remain as committed as ever to creating schools where every young person can be their authentic self.”

This year’s Celebration of Leadership theme, “We All Have a Role,” reflects GSAFE’s belief that building a safer, more affirming world for LGBTQ+ youth takes all of us.

To learn more about GSAFE and support our mission, visit gsafewi.org.

 

Full Proclamation Text

Mayoral Proclamation

WHEREAS, GSAFE has its roots in two all-volunteer grassroots organizations founded in 1991, Gays and Lesbians Against Discrimination in Education (GLADE) and Gay and Lesbian Educational Employees (GLEE), which came together in 1996 as GLSEN South Central Wisconsin, brought to life through the early leadership of Martha Popp, Vicki Shaffer, and Larry Palm, before becoming Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools — or GSAFE — in 2006; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, GSAFE held its first youth scholarship event at the First Unitarian Society, awarding its first two scholarships to Adam Estes and Megan Lemke, beginning a tradition of recognizing the leadership and courage of LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, in 2001, under the leadership of Executive Director Jason Rasmussen and with board chair Judi Devereux challenging him to dream bigger, GSAFE merged its scholarship ceremony and adult prom fundraiser into a single annual gathering at the Concourse Hotel, creating what became known as the Celebration of Leadership; and

WHEREAS, over the past 30 years, GSAFE has awarded 120 scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth — including the five young leaders being recognized here tonight — recognized more than 32 Educators of the Year, and honored more than 28 community activists and organizations through the Judi Devereux Community Activist Award; and

WHEREAS, the Celebration of Leadership has grown from a small gathering into a beloved annual event drawing hundreds of supporters, youth, educators, and community members from across Wisconsin.

WHEREAS, for 30 years the Celebration of Leadership has provided a platform for LGBTQ+ youth across Wisconsin to be seen, heard, and celebrated for their leadership, courage, and contributions to their schools and communities, with student voices centered at the heart of every event;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin do hereby recognize and celebrate GSAFE and express deep gratitude for three decades of tireless work to make Wisconsin’s schools safer, more inclusive, and more welcoming for LGBTQ+ youth; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that I, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, in order to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Celebration of Leadership, do hereby proclaim May 30th, 2026 as

GSAFE CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP DAY in the City of Madison.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway Signed and sealed this 29th day of May, 2026 at City Hall