Lena Waithe, Greg Berlanti to Be Honored at TrevorLIVE New York Gala (Exclusive)

Writer-producer-actor Lena Waithe, prolific showunner Greg Berlanti and Dominic Barton of global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. will honored at The Trevor Project’s TrevorLIVE New York gala.

The organization chose the honorees for their commitment to supporting the Trevor Project’s mission to provide crisis intervention services and end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning LGBTQ young people under age 25. The trio will be honored at the June 11 fundraiser, which is being billed as “an irreverent evening of music and comedy,” at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.

“Lena Waithe, Greg Berlanti and Dominic Barton have each made an unprecedented positive impact on the lives of young LGBTQ people in the last year,” said Amit Paley, CEO and executive director of the Trevor Project. “We’re incredibly excited to honor them for their commitment to fostering an accepting environment for LGBTQ youth through their innovative work and leadership.”

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Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, producer and actor Waithe will be honored with the Hero Award for making history for becoming the first woman of color to win an Emmy Award for best writing in a comedy series for her work on Master of None. The episode that earned her the Emmy chronicles her coming out to herself and her family through the lens of the Thanksgiving holiday over three decades. Waithe also is creator and executive producer of Showtime’s The Chi as well as writer-producer on the TBS pilot Twenties. She is currently on the big screen in Ready Player One.

“It’s one of the greatest honors of my life to be honored by such a phenomenal organization like the Trevor Project,” said Waithe. “The work that they do is invaluable to the community, and I hope to continue to do work that is worthy of this honor.”

Berlanti, who also will receive the Hero Award, is best known for his work as executive producer and co-creator of The CW’s Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl. He also serves as executive producer on The CW’s Riverdale, Black Lightning and NBC’s Blindspot. His most recent directorial project is Love, Simon, an adaptation of the YA novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda.

“I have immense admiration for the Trevor Project and their ongoing efforts to provide a safe place for the LGBTQ community and youth in need,” Berlanti said.

Barton, managing partner of global consulting firm McKinsey & Co., will receive the 20/20 Visionary Award. He is an outspoken advocate for empowering talent to create long-term economic and social value. 

“At McKinsey, we strive every day to build a firm that is made stronger by its diversity,” said Barton. “I am personally honored and humbled to accept the 20/20 Visionary Award on behalf of McKinsey and am deeply inspired by the life-saving work that The Trevor Project is doing for LGBTQ youth and for the broader community.”

The Trevor Project is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Previous TrevorLIVE honorees and performers include Tom Ford, Kristin Chenoweth, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Shoshana Bean, Edie Windsor, Ingrid Nilsen, Tyler Oakley, Arianna Huffington, Sir Ian McKellen, Jazz Jennings, Queen Latifah, Amy Poehler, Darren Criss, Mary J. Blige and Cheyenne Jackson.

Additional names, including the host and performer for TrevorLIVE New York, will be announced in the coming weeks.