Distinguished Service Award to Jane Troxell
Presented by GLAA Secretary Barrett L. Brick
GLAA 34th Anniversary ReceptionRadisson Barcelo Hotel
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Jane Troxell is one of those special individuals whose involvement in our community has been from love. As she has said, "Being in a bookstore is a very 'Jane' thing for me to do. I love talking to people and finding them things."
One of the most important things Jane has found for us here in Washington has been the myriad wealth of women's literature. Jane, in fact, is a pioneer in the advancement of women's literature. In 1987, four months after coming to Lambda Rising as a sales clerk, she was promoted to women's book buyer. She worked at Lambda Rising for several years, after which she became one of the first owners of Lammas Women's Books and More. And Lammas truly was much more than merely a bookstore. It was, as Jane describes it, "a gathering place, a social outlet for the community." Women - and men, myself among them - went to Lammas not only to shop, but also to meet friends or to attend a social event, a movie screening, or an author reading. As Jane once said, "The incredible humanity and breadth of our community walked through the doors every day." And while Lammas is, sadly, a memory, Jane has left her mark on the entire spectrum of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender literature, having edited the Lambda Book Report, having helped inaugurate the Lammy awards for GLBT literature, and having served as Executive Director of the Lambda Literary Foundation. Most important, she has had fun while doing all this. Describing working in Lambda Rising, Jane once said: "[We had] moments of transcendent silliness! It's great to disseminate LGBT lit and introduce people to new books, but there are moments here when we laugh until we cry. We can't get over it - some people are just so gay!"
Jane's support for women's businesses crosses borders, for she spent some years as a small business development volunteer with the Peace Corps, helping women in Paraguay improve their farming businesses. Although over half of Paraguay's population lives in what the World Health Organization calls "unliveable" conditions, Jane was not heard to complain, but found joy in helping the people there, and in sharing and learning about their lives. Jane once wrote on a web site: "I do have limited resources and getting water is an effort, but my time here is all worth it. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything." Apparently, Jane, you also acquired a collection of Paraguayan erotic statues. And it seems that your managing the women's sports teams at the University of Maryland prepared you to learn of the unifying impact of soccer - futbol - although we DC United fans might disagree with Paraguay's claim that their goalkeeper is the world's greatest.
This may not be a silly moment, but it is a transcendent moment, as it gives me great pleasure to present GLAA's Distinguished Service Award to Jane Troxell.
