The Spectrum Awards honor Washington University in St. Louis students, staff, faculty, plus St. Louis community members who live authentically while advancing advocacy and service for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Save the date; this year’s awards ceremony will be on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 6 p.m. in Umrath Lounge. The nomination form for 2026 is now live!
These awards celebrate many forms of LGBTQIA+ leadership, including but not limited to: artistic expression, advocacy, academic exploration, dedication to education, emerging leadership, demonstrated commitment to intersectionality, relationship- and bridge-building.
Criteria.
Award criteria can be found below in the description of each award.
Self-nominations are also permitted.
To nominate an individual for multiple awards, please a nomination for each award.
The Awards
Nine awards celebrate different types of contributions to LGBTQIA+ community.
Gloria Anzaldúa Advocacy at Intersections Award
Recognizes any WashU student who shows great commitment to advocating at intersections of LGBTQIA+ identities, as well as illuminating and supporting the diversity of individuals within LGBTQIA+ communities.
Audre Lorde Academic Exploration Award
Recognizes any WashU student committed to using their academic work for the empowerment of LGBTQIA+ communities and individuals. This award particularly seeks to honor individuals who exemplify using academics as a space for personal exploration and community development.
Frida Kahlo Creative Arts Award
Recognizes any WashU student who uses creative art to explore LGBTQIA+ identities, issues, and experiences. This award particularly seeks to honor individuals who exemplify leadership through the use of artwork and the arts as a space for personal exploration and community development.
Bayard Rustin Bridge Builder Award
Recognizes any WashU student who helps forge connections and build authentic spaces within and to LGBTQIA+ communities through a people-centered approach. Such work may occur through individual or group collaboration as well as various forms of organizing and engaging within our communities.
Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnston Activism Award
Recognizes any WashU who takes action in the face of injustice and stands up for their ideals. The award seeks to honor the trailblazing work from which future positive change may be made.
Compton’s Cafeteria Emerging Leader Award
Recognizes any WashU student, particularly a first- or second-year student, whose leadership and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ communities shows great promises for future developments.
James Baldwin Committed Educator Award
Recognizes any WashU faculty, staff, community member, or organization who has shown great commitment to raising awareness of various LGBTQIA* issues and educating community members for the benefit of all.
WUPAN Leadership Development Award
Candidates for this award can either be members or active allies to the LGBTQIA+ community. Applicants selected for this award will successfully demonstrate an outstanding commitment to their leadership growth while a student at Washington University.
They also will be able to convey the importance of this award to successfully continuing their holistic growth as a leader. (This award is given annually to one undergraduate and one graduate student.)
The James M. Holobaugh Honor
Recognizes any graduating WashU student whose collective advocacy, service and authentic leadership has made a positive and lasting impact on LGBTQIA+ communities at WashU. Named in honor of James M. Holobaugh (BS Engineering, 1990)