Award-Winning Director, Author, Screenwriter Named One of HRC's 'Fathers of the Year'

ORANGE, CA - In an effort to recognize loving and supportive fathers across the country this Fathers' Day, the Family Project at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest civil rights organization dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality, selected award-winning director and author Kergan Edwards-Stout as an HRC "Father of the Year."

"I am incredibly honored by this designation," Edwards-Stout , a resident of Orange, stated. "Our kids are my main focus, and everything I do, I try to keep their needs first and foremost."

In order to select HRC's "Father of the Year," a contest was launched, accepting nominations nationwide, to recognize both GBT and ally dads (www.hrc.org/fatheroftheyear.) A panel of judges, including HRC President Joe Solmonese and HRC Foundation Family Project Director Ellen Kahn, selected the winners. Edwards-Stout's partner, Russ Noe, submitted the winning nomination.

"I can think of no better person to nominate as HRC's 'Father of the Year,'" Noe wrote, "than my partner, Kergan Edwards-Stout. We met in 2002, and I wasn't entirely sure that parenting was for me. It was never something I had given much thought to, but to Kergan it was everything. And as we began to forge a new life together, I was impressed by Kergan's ability to balance family, a full-time job, his creativity and passion for social change."

In addition to his parenting efforts, which include primary care for their two sons, Mason (11) and Marcus (8), Edwards-Stout recently completed his debut novel, "Songs for the New Depression," which was inspired by his years of working at AIDS Project Los Angeles, as well as the loss of a partner to the disease in 1995. To help promote his book, he built and launched his own website (www.kerganedwards-stout.com) where he blogs regularly.

He also volunteers in a number of capacities, as Room Parent for his children's classes, and at the Southwest Community Center's Soup Kitchen. And last year, he coached his son Mason's soccer team to the regional finals.
Additionally, as a member of Church of the Foothills, in Tustin, Edwards-Stout organized marriage equality protests, LGBT benefits, and launched a Peace & Justice Speakers Series, bringing in such groups as the Southern Poverty Law Center, PETA, Children of Uganda, and Habitat for Humanity, among others. Edwards-Stout was also instrumental in bringing the controversial and important plays "Corpus Christi" and "Confessions of a Mormon Boy" to conservative Orange County.

"I feel incredibly blessed," Edwards-Stout stated, "to have such a wonderful family and to be recognized in this way. It's a great way to kick off our summer."

Kergan Edwards-Stout is an award-winning director, author and screenwriter, and recently completed his first novel, Songs for the New Depression. Inspired by his years of working at AIDS Project Los Angeles, as well as the loss of a partner to the disease, Songs for the New Depression takes its readers on a compelling journey to personal awakening.

Shorter works, including essays and short stories, have appeared in such journals and magazines as American Short Fiction and SexVibe. His screenplays have placed highly in competition, including the Nicholl's Fellowship, Writer's Digest, and Amazon Studios.

When Esther Saw the Light, a theatrical production Kergan directed, won awards at the Kennedy Center for both Best Play and Meritorious Direction. The Washington Post called it "Gaspingly funny", while the Washington Times noted it was a "nose-thumbing comedy worth its weight in sacred cows."
Kergan received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at UCLA, where he received the Doris Packer Award for Graduating Senior, and directed actor Jack Black in his first collegiate productions.

Kergan worked for many years at AIDS Project Los Angeles, where he headed an HIV education program. In this capacity, Kergan gave hundreds of educational speeches, and was honored to be the keynote speaker for the Louisiana State Department of Health's Annual Conference. This passion for social justice led him not only to APLA, but to the L.A. Free Clinic, where he created traveling theatrical productions educating teens about high risk behaviors.

In a volunteer capacity, Kergan has organized protests, benefits, and rallies, and the Peace & Justice Speakers Series he created at Church of the Foothills (ChOTF) featured experts from the Southern Poverty Law Center, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Children of Uganda, OC Transgender Coalition, Habitat for Humanity, OC Equality Coalition, OC Food Bank, and Schindler's List/Holocaust survivor Laura Hillman.

Also at ChOTF, Kergan was pleased to bring the controversial and important plays Corpus Christi and Confessions of a Mormon Boy to conservative Orange County.Currently, Kergan lives in Orange, California, with his partner Russ Noe and their two sons, Mason (11) and Marcus (8). He is currently at work on his forthcoming memoir, Never Turn Your Back on the Tide.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. www.hrc.org/fatheroftheyear