No matter how you slice it, 2015 was a banner year for equality. Dare we call it a historical year? Oh, of course we do.
From tremendous victories (the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling to legalize same-sex marriage this summer, for starters) to crushing defeats (we’re looking at you, HERO rights ordinance), the last twelve months have been jam-packed with drama, and a particularly colorful cast of characters has dominated the national headlines, making our job rather easy. But here’s the burning question: Who among these heavy-hitters will get your vote as the Biggest Newsmaker of the Year?
The following list contains people you might expect (Barack Obama, Anthony Kennedy, Tim Cook); political mavericks you should definitely know about if you don’t already (Bisi Alimi, Jackie Biskupski) and even a certain Rowan County clerk that’s sure to raise your hackles and make you storm away from your Internet connection in disgust. So vote very carefully — or else Kim Davis just might succeed where she has otherwise failed. (Or give her your top prize. After all, her protest backfired, and gave a bad name to law-abiding conservatives everywhere.)
So who’s it gonna be? Be sure to cast your vote on the last page of this feature, and we’ll return with the results sometime next week.