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# Joe Biden to receive prestigious honour at global LGBTQ+ leadership conference
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/joe-biden-to-receive-prestigious-honour-at-global-lgbtq-leadership-conference/
- Published: 2025-12-04T13:51:20.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-04T13:51:20.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: North America

Former U.S. President **Joe Biden** is set to be honoured with the **Chris Abele Impact Award** at the **41st International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference**, taking place in Washington, D.C., this week. The award, presented by the **LGBTQ+** **Victory Institute**, recognises Biden’s decades-long advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and his role in shaping what many consider the most inclusive administration in US history. 

The three-day conference, which begins today, will gather more than 700 elected officials, human rights advocates, and global leaders, making it the largest LGBTQ+ political convening in the world. Biden will receive the award on Friday and deliver a rare post-presidency address to attendees.

Victory Institute President and CEO **Evan Low** praised Biden’s “unwavering commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people can participate fully and openly in our democracy,” citing landmark achievements during his presidency. These include reinstating and expanding federal anti-discrimination protections, restoring transgender military service, and appointing a record number of LGBTQ+ officials to senior roles - among them Transportation Secretary **Pete Buttigie**g, Admiral **Rachel Levine**, Ambassador **Chantale Wong** and White House Press Secretary **Karine Jean-Pierre**. 

The honour comes at a time of heightened political tension for LGBTQ+ communities in the United States, with advocates warning of “laser-focused” legislative efforts to roll back rights. Yet, according to Low, the current climate reflects a paradox of “urgency and hope,” as LGBTQ+ leaders continue to gain visibility and influence across all levels of government.

Other notable speakers at the conference include Massachusetts Governor **Maura Healey**, Maine Governor **Janet Mills** and authors **Mary Trump** and **Stuart Milk**.