Latino Outreach Coordinator, LeBonheur Children’s Hospital 

Maria Bozo serves as Latino Outreach Coordinator for LeBonheur Children’s Hospital and the Bilingual Victims’ Advocate at Casa Luz. She is an ally to the Latinx LGBTQ community, and is a relentless advocate for health equity. Over the course of her career, she has served as a translator, an HIV educator, a linkage-to-care coordinator, a PrEP navigator, and a family safety advocate. Maria understands the hardships, threats, and LGBTQ stigma within the Latino community and works diligently to provide confidentiality, dignity, cultural sensitive health information, and other valuable resources.

Former Board Chair and Director of Programs, OUTMemphis

Elokin CaPece is a longtime sexual health advocate and educator and has supported OUTMemphis over the past ten years as a volunteer, Board Chair, and eventually serving as Director of Programs for the agency from 2015 – 2019. Elokin’s relentless dedication to the organization shepherded in a tremendous growth for OUTMemphis and supported its transformation from a volunteer-run community center to an impactful service provider.

Co-Founder/Publisher of The Unleashed Voice Media Firm; Ordained Elder of The Cathedral of Praise Church; Counseling Supervisor, Shelby County Division of Corrections

Gwendolyn Clemons is co-founder of The Unleashed Voice Magazine, The Unleashed Voice Radio Show, and the 501c3 nonproft organization Relationship Unleashed (RU Unleashed). RU Unleashed offers monthly comprehensive programming. The programs are centered to provide awareness about systemic and social determinates that particularly affect the Black LGBT community.  The mission is to provide education about HIV & Aids, sexual competency, healthy relationships, diversity and inclusion, spiritual health, and financial literacy. Gwendolyn’s lifetime of advocacy has led the way for her son, Davin to follow. Gwendolyn was ordained by The Cathedral of Praise Church, an affirming ministry for the LGBT community. Gwendolyn believes it is her calling to teach the agape love of God to all, particularly the LGBTQ community of Memphis.

Advocate, Volunteer, former Business Owner

Patty Crawford has served Memphis’s LGBTQ community for more than thirty years as a business owner, advocate, volunteer, friend, and neighbor. Patty has been politically active her whole adult life. Patty and her late partner Nan Lemons were some of the first out lesbians and community advocates in Memphis, as members of the 12-step community, and members of Memphis’s Episcopal Church community. As out business owners of the former midtown shop Lavender Earth, Patty and Nan provided floral services for many of the events that Al Gore held in his time as Vice President. Patty continues to facilitate OUTMemphis’s Al-Alon group “Seeking Serenity” and remains an active member of the OUTMemphis community.

Advocate and Volunteer for the LGBTQ Latinx Community

As a key stakeholder in the LGBTQ and Latinx communities in Memphis, Jerry Flores’s spirit of volunteerism have had enormous impact on connecting LGBTQ and Latinx individuals to community, programs, and health services. As a supporter and friend, Jerry has assisted Latinx individuals in connected to OUTMemphis’s health services, including HIV testing and getting those who are positive connect to care. Jerry supported OUTMemphis’s first ever Latinx Awareness Week in 2018.

Former Senior Director of Health & Evaluation, OUTMemphis

Martavius Hampton, along with Will Batts, Elokin CaPece, and Stephanie Reyes, is one of the original “architects” of the Center as we know it today. In his nearly ten years of outstanding, dedicated service to our organization, he moved OUTMemphis to the forefront of HIV prevention and education, centering peer-driven, affirming resources for black LGBTQ+ communities. His thoughtful, well-researched approach to programming has become the framework from which all of our services have grown. He continues his legacy and passion for research in the fields of sexual health, LGBTQ+ health, and education in his new roll as Special Projects Coordinator- HIV, STD, & Teen Pregnancy Prevention for Shelby County Schools. We will never be able to find the words to adequately express how grateful we are for Martavius and his service to OUTMemphis. We know that he will continue to make a lasting impact in the lives of our community members, as well as make our city’s schools a more safe, healthy, and affirming place for the LGBTQ+ community of the Mid-South.

Advocate, Volunteer, and former Business Owner

Nan Lemons was a fierce advocate for justice her entire life. During the 60’s and 70’s, she worked diligently with the Civil Rights Movement. Nan spent many years working with the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), an early Civil Rights organization network. During this time she worked in the Mississippi Delta doing voter education and registration for those people of color who did not have access to voting. Along with her partner, she co-owned Lavender Earth, a floral shop in Midtown for many years. 

Chair of the Boards, Tennessee Equality Project and TEP Foundation

Ginger Leonard has been a fiercely active leader and advocate for LGBTQ rights for decades. Over two decades ago, Ginger and Diane Thorton were the first publicly visible LGBTQ parents and stood up for the community by speaking to local and national media about lesbian parenthood. Having served on the Boards of CHOICES, Friends for Life, and in many other capacities, Ginger today leads the LGBTQ community’s advocacy mission with the Tennessee Equality Project.

Volunteer and former Board of Directors member, OUTMemphis

The true embodiment of an “ally,” Carol Livingston has generously contributed countless hours of service and enthusiasm to OUTMemphis for half a decade, and has played a prominent role in the Metamorphosis Project since its inception. From cleaning up an overgrown lot that would one day house the Youth Emergency Center, to helping write the HUD grant that helped us start the rapid-re-housing program to spearheading OUTBid, Carol’s volunteerism and allyship have made an enormous impact on OUTMemphis’s capacity to deliver lifesaving services. Carol was also one of the founding facilitators of PRYSM, OUTMemphis’s weekly social-support group for teens and spent every other Saturday, for years, providing love and support to LGBTQ+ youth.

Architect of the Metamorphosis Project, with LLW Architects, PC

Dell Livingston has supported the Metamorphosis Project’s Youth Emergency Center on a completely volunteer basis over the past four years as the building’s architect and construction planner. LLW Architects, Dell’s firm, has generously contributed hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in work to the project, including guiding OUTMemphis’s process of navigation with city and county agencies, drawing up plans and assisting with every piece of the building construction. Dell has also been involved with other aspects of OUTMemphis over the past 5 years. He can often be found volunteering alongside his wife, Carol, at the Memphis Youth Count, Queer Youth Field Day, OUTBid, Pride and countless other events and programs.

Owner, Dru’s Bar

As the owner of Dru’s Bar, which opened in 2008 as a community bar and has grown into one of the city’s most central LGBTQ spaces, Tami Montgomery provides a safe, fun, and supportive space for the LGBTQ community and its allies to gather and play. Dru’s consistently provides space for many organizations to bring awareness and raise funds, and Tami constantly supports the larger community.

Co-Owner, the Pumping Station

Steve Murphy, with Robert Taylor, has co-owned and operated The Pumping Station for 18 years, catering to the gay and LGBTQ+ communities as a host, advocate, and supporter. As one of only a few gar bars in Memphis, the Pumping Station not only creates a safe and welcoming environment for our community, but Steve has generously supported LGBTQ causes, including as a key sponsor for Mid-South Pride, the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), Friends for Life, and OUTMemphis and OUTFlix. A proud LGBTQ representative in Memphis’s business community, Steve and Robert’s newest venture — The Doghouzz, Memphis’s only hot dog bar — will open this summer.

Ray Rico has owned and operated Ray Rico Freelance, a full-service marketing agency in Memphis, TN since 2007 donating many hours of marketing and design work to OUTMemphis and other LGBTQ+ organizations. In 2015, Ray’s vision of starting an LGBTQ+ local magazine came true when Focus Mid-South released their first issue. Since then, Ray and the rest of the Focus team have been covering city-wide LGBTQ+ events, news, and stories. In 2016, Ray started the annual Focus Awards, honoring leaders and activists in the Memphis community and supporting local social justice agencies with large donations. Ray also served on the board of directors for 7 years and most recently as the board chair for Friends for Life.

Ms. Toni Whitfield has been an active member of HOPE (Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality) for many years, fighting for people experiencing homelessness, specifically trans women of color. She has attended housing provider meetings to ensure safe, supportive housing for her community. In addition to advocating for the LGBTQ community with local organizations and landlords, Ms. Toni has personally housed and supported many trans women in need of shelter they had nowhere else to turn. Ms. Toni has also started a business to train and employ trans women of color and provide stable income when they were not able to secure employment elsewhere.  She is truly a wonderful example of a grassroots organizer and a role model to many transwomen in our community. 

Deb Word is most known in Memphis for her work on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness with her husband Steve. Together, they have housed and supported almost 20 young adults in their home. Deb also served on OUTMemphis’s Youth Services Committee for years and assisted with the formation of what is now the Metamorphosis Project. She has also been a vital resource for non-emergency youth programming. Every other Saturday for years, Deb was a PRYSM youth group facilitator and ran a monthly parents’ support group. She also held the role of President of Fortunate Families, helping Catholic families navigate their faith while supporting their LGBTQ children.