At the State House on Wednesday, Senator Brendan Crighton, Representative Dan Cahill, Representative Jenny Armini, and Representative Sean Reid were proud to celebrate the first annual Commonwealth Pride Awards: LGBTQ+ Excellence on the Hill. Hosted by the Massachusetts LGBTQ+ Caucus, this ceremony recognizes the extraordinary impact that LGBTQ+ leaders have across the Commonwealth. The delegation was proud to nominate Nan Dumas, Dr. Joshua C. Judkins, Jim Moser, and Diondra Woumn.

“Each of these individuals does incredible work to uplift the LGBTQ+ community throughout the North Shore. Whether they work in our healthcare spaces, in our schools, or seek to amplify LGBTQ+ history, we are proud to honor them at this inaugural event,” said State Senator Brendan Crighton. “Jim Moser’s work as a filmmaker, advocate, and historian has been critically important to honoring local history and building connections to future generations, and I was thrilled to commemorate his contributions during the Commonwealth Pride Awards.”

“It is my honor to recognize Diondra Woumn for her outstanding leadership, advocacy, and commitment to creating safer, more inclusive communities for LGBTQ+ youth across Massachusetts,” said State Representative Dan Cahill. “Through her work as a Statewide Trainer with the Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students, Diondra has helped educators, administrators, and community partners build affirming environments where every student can feel valued, respected, and supported. Her dedication extends beyond the classroom through her direct engagement with young people, fostering leadership, wellness, and belonging. As an educator, mentor, and basketball official, Diondra consistently leads by example, promoting fairness, respect, and inclusion in every space she enters.”

“Nan Dumas is an icon,” said State Representative Jenny Armini. “Before the world caught up to her, she was fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and women’s health. She was speaking up and protesting before it was safe to do so, and we are all better off today because of her.”

“We are fortunate to have so many amazing leaders who do so much not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for our community as a whole,” said State Representative Sean Reid. “Josh is a shining example of this leadership as he has dedicated much of his life to helping others and creating a positive impact on those around him.”

Nan Dumas has spent decades advancing LGBTQ+ health, visibility, and community in Massachusetts through her quiet, determined, and deeply impactful leadership. Her work began at the grassroots level, organizing around sexual minority women’s health at a time when their needs were often overlooked or invisible. What started as a bold idea in her friends’ living room became Fenway Health’s Dinner Party, a first-of-its-kind gala supporting sexual minority women’s health and visibility; this grew into one of Fenway’s most important and successful community gatherings. Nan first became involved with Fenway Health as a volunteer through AIDS Action and the Dinner Party and went on to dedicate 23 years of service to the organization. She was closely involved in many of Fenway’s most meaningful fundraising and community-building efforts, including the Boston to New York AIDS Rides, Harbor to the Bay, the Men’s Event, and the Dinner Party. She was also instrumental in the campaign to build Fenway’s Ansin Building, the largest building ever constructed with the specific mission of serving the LGBTQ+ community, and helped create lasting philanthropic communities, including the Fenway Leadership Circle and Fenway Legacy Society. Even in retirement, Nan continues to support Fenway as a donor, mentor, and community partner. Her legacy reflects the best of LGBTQ+ leadership: courage, compassion, persistence, and a lifelong commitment to justice, equity, health, and care.

Dr. Joshua C. Judkins, who holds a PhD in Chemistry from Cornell University, is a consultative life sciences expert currently serving as a Business District Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he has also been the Global Lead for the LGBT Employee Resource Group. Additionally, Joshua has been active in a number of local organizations, including Lynn Main Streets, Lynn Shelter Association, and LynnLAB. He has also served as a professor at North Shore Community College and as an astronomer for High Rock Tower Observatory. Joshua has also had several pieces of his research published throughout his career. Among his many honors and awards, Joshua has received a Pfizer Publication of the Year Award as well as the LGBT RC Rainbow Award.

Jim Moser is an award-winning public historian, filmmaker, and author of Queer Heroes of the North Shore: Four Centuries of Love, Rebellion, and Survival. A resident of Lynn, Massachusetts, Jim began documenting local LGBTQ+ history in 2022 after volunteering during Lynn Pride planning efforts and quickly uncovered a far deeper history than previously recognized, including identifying 19 historic queer bars across the region. Drawing on his background as a User Interface Designer and his M.S. in Brain Science from MIT, Jim has dedicated his work to preserving queer stories and helping young people connect with generations of LGBTQ+ resilience, leadership, and community. He helped create the archival project “Through a Rainbow Lens”, recipient of the 2025 Albert B. Corey Award, and directed the companion documentary “Finding Refuge”, “Demanding Equality”. Through his writing, filmmaking, and advocacy, Jim continues to uplift LGBTQ+ history, strengthen community visibility, and defend equality across the Commonwealth.

Diondra Woumn is a Statewide Trainer with the Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students, a joint initiative between the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth. In this role, she collaborates with district administrators, educators, and community organizations across the Commonwealth to support affirming and equitable practices for LGBTQ+ students. With a professional background in education and youth engagement, Diondra also works directly with students through leadership development and school-based initiatives that promote student wellness and belonging. In addition to her statewide work, she is actively involved in athletics and advocates for respectful and inclusive sports environments through her work as a basketball official.