Next week: The Pink List 2011
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Your support makes all the difference.Today is your last chance to nominate your hero or heroine for this year's Independent on Sunday Pink List – the list of the most influential gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Britain. It's only three weeks since we first asked you to nominate, and we've already received more than 1,400 suggestions: that's a lot to whittle down to a final list of 101.
Fortunately, our judges are up to the task, and on Tuesday the longlist will be evaluated by our panel. As well as IoS staff, it includes the ITV commentator and former Welsh international rugby player Gareth Thomas; Paris Lees of the organisation Trans Media Watch; the MPs Margot James, Chris Bryant and Greg Barker; the psychologist, author and retired basketball legend John Amaechi; Ben Summerskill, the chief executive of Stonewall; Diva magazine's editor, Jane Czyzselska; the senior civil servant Paul Jenkins; the comedian Stephen K Amos; climate campaigner Tamsin Omond; and Tim Franks from Pace, London's leading charity promoting the mental health and emotional well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Some of your nominees have received more votes than others. Who knew, for instance, that the actress, singer and "top hotness expert" Heather Peace had such a fan club? Or that so many of you were fans of Coronation Street? But as well as actresses, singers, politicos, and (of which there are still mysteriously few) sportsmen and women, we'd like you to tell us about those people who are campaigning and inspirational without ever receiving recognition. Those who work behind the scenes to make Britain a better place to be LGBT.
We don't deny that it's anachronistic to single out 101 people for praise and attention based only on their sexuality. We can't wait for the day when the Pink List becomes completely irrelevant, and we have to find another way to celebrate people who inspire us. But until there is full equality in law, until no child grows up afraid to admit who they are and whom they love, and until, perhaps, an openly gay footballer scores the winning goal at Wembley, we think that the Pink List still serves a purpose.
So tell us who inspires you before midnight tonight, and maybe they will appear on next week's list.
You can send your nominations in the following ways: by email to pinklist@independent.co.uk; or post your nomination online at: www.independent.co.uk/pinklist2011.
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