fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

Jonathan D. Lovitz (born July 19, 1984) is a political candidate for Pennsylvania's House of Representatives 182nd district, an American lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocate, small business and public policy advocate, community organizer, former actor, and the Senior Vice President[1] of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce since 2015. He previously served as Communications Director and acting executive director of StartOut. Prior to advocacy, Lovitz was a performer in multiple national tours of Broadway shows, regional theatres, and television shows.

Jonathan Lovitz
Lovitz in 2020
Born	(1984-07-19) July 19, 1984 (age 38) Atlantic City, New Jersey
Alma mater	University of Florida
Organization	National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Title	Senior Vice President
Movement	LGBT rights movement
Spouse	Steven Sosna

Career

Lovitz toured the United States with two national touring productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar from 2006 to 2008. After moving to New York City in 2008, Lovitz worked in regional theaters and began taking small roles on television. In 2011 Lovitz joined Logo TV[2] as an on-air interviewer for LGBT issues, as well as one of the hosts of Setup Squad.

Lovitz's public profile as an LGBT advocate was raised in 2011 when he refused to serve on a New York City jury,[3] citing the lack of equal protections and marriage equality for LGBT citizens in the state. This led to multiple appearances on MSNBC[4] and NPR that year.

Lovitz joined the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce in 2015 as Vice President of External Affairs and Director of nglccNY;[5] he has served as Senior Vice President since 2016. At the NGLCC, Lovitz oversees media relations and public policy initiatives focused on the LGBT business community. As head of the NGLCC advocacy division, he led the efforts to write, lobby for, and implement policies for the inclusion of certified LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) in cities including Los Angeles, CA;[6] Chicago, IL;[7] Miami, FL;[8] Orlando, FL;[9] Nashville, TN; Baltimore, MD;[10] Seattle, WA;[11] and Jersey City, NJ.[12]

In 2018, Business Equality Magazine named Lovitz one of its "40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40" for his contributions to the LGBT rights movement.[13] He was named to the 40 Under 40 list[14] by the Philadelphia Business Journal in April 2019. The Advocate Magazine named Lovitz one of their 2019 Queer Icons in August 2019.[15]

Lovitz served on the Red Tape Commission for New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer; and is a pro-bono consultant focused on inclusion initiatives for the Gay Officers Action League (GOAL) of the NYPD, who honored Lovitz with the Sam Ciccone Community Service Award in April 2018.[16]

In 2020, Lovitz co-founded PhillyVoting.org initiative to register voters in the Philadelphia region. The initiative utilizes QR code technology to immediately connect residents to a list of digital resources using any smartphone, tablet, or computer, with a primary focus on engaging Black and LGBTQ+ voters[17] throughout the region. The coverage of the PhillyVoting project in major Philadelphia news outlets, including NBC10 Philadelphia,[18] 6ABC Action News,[19] and Philadelphia Gay News, resulted in over 300 new registered voters in the program's first month.

Political career

In April 2021, Lovitz announced his candidacy for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 182nd district, representing Center City Philadelphia.[20]

Personal

Lovitz was born in Atlantic City, NJ and grew up in Coral Springs, Florida. He came out at the age of 16 after being involved heavily in local youth theatre and volunteer organizations.[21] He studied theatre at the summer arts conservatory Stagedoor Manor.

Lovitz graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Florida in 2006. He was honored as the keynote speaker for University of Florida's Pride Awareness Month's (PAM) 20th anniversary in 2014. Lovitz was named an Outstanding Young Alumni[22] by the University of Florida in April 2018.

He lives in Philadelphia with his husband, NBC News meteorologist Steven Sosna. The two were married[23] in New York City in October 2017 in a ceremony officiated by Jim Obergefell, Supreme Court marriage equality plaintiff in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case.[24]

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	CSI: NY	Paralegal (uncredited)	(TV Series), 1 episode: "Page Turner"
2011	16th & 8th	Sam	(TV Series), 1 episode
	Setup Squad	Self	(TV Series), 10 episodes
	1 Girl 5 Gays	Self	(TV Series), 1 episode: "Episode #2.29"
2013	The Next American Gay	Self as Host	(TV Series), 3 episodes: "Underwear Model-Off", "Frayed Emotions" and "Spicing Up the Kitchen"

References

External links

• Jonathan Lovitz at IMDb

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