Knighthoods

Each year, the Monarchs confer knighthoods on deserving individuals for their outstanding service to the Court and the community. Four individuals will be honored this year at the Thirty-Fourth Annual Night of A Thousand Gowns.

Marti Gould Cummings is a New York City drag artist and political activist who currently sits on the Board of the Ali Forney Center. Their work has taken them around the globe entertaining sold-out audiences. Their work in activism includes supporting organizations like the Hetrick-Martin Institute, The Trevor Project, and others.

Chris Dunbar is a multi-talented individual whose theatrical credits include working on the stage management teams of Broadway’s To Kill A Mockingbird and A Doll’s House, Part 2.  Mr. Dunbar has toured with Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune and worked on Ms. Rivera’s Carnegie Hall debut.  His charitable and benefit work around New York includes projects with the American Theatre Wing, The Educational Theatre Foundation, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  He is also producer of The Miss Industry Pageant which raises funds for Trinity Place Shelter.  Currently, Chris manages Industry Bar where his collaboration with the Imperial Court of New York began.  Prior to Industry Bar, he served as the General Manager of ViG27.   Chris is extremely touched to be honored this evening and enjoys being involved in the New York City LGBTQ community.

Wendy Kaplan is the Director of Trinity Place Shelter and oversees all aspects of daily operations, program development and clinical services while ensuring Trinity Place Shelter is continually aligned with its mission to help LGBTQ youth and young adults heal and grow positively as they move toward independence and out of homelessness. In 2010, prior to working at Trinity Place Shelter, Wendy was part of the genesis of The Staten Island Pride Center where she developed, grew, and ran the youth program and youth drop-in space for its first 4 generative years. Wendy worked as an adjunct lecturer in Lehman College’s graduate Social Work Department teaching, Social Work with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Individuals and their Families: Practice and Policy Issues.  In addition to her roles at Trinity Place Shelter, she also works as a psychotherapist at Jewish Board Family and Children Services. Wendy lives in Brooklyn with her partner and 4-year old daughter, spending all of her free time breathlessly chasing after the little one.  

Elizabeth Schedl is the Chief Operations Officer at Hudson Pride Center. She is a community activist working for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Starting her career with Hudson Pride in 2013, Elizabeth has worked to educate and raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues while strengthening the Center’s services and cultural programs for both the youth and adult LGBTQ+ populations in Hudson County. She has developed new and maintained and existing Center partnerships with outside agencies, businesses, community organizations, and individuals to advance services for the LGBTQ+ populations. Elizabeth is currently the Chair of the Early Identification of Individuals with HIV/AIDS (EIIHA) Committee, an active member of both the Executive and Minority AIDS Initiative Committees in Hudson County and a committee member of both the Municipal Alliance to Combat Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in Jersey City and Union City NJ. Elizabeth also serves as a committee member on both the Hudson County Alliance to End Homelessness and the Human Service Advisory Council.