Cathedral of Hope OKC, a leading, progressive, Christian congregation affiliated with the United Church of Christ, proudly announces Freedom Oklahoma Executive Director Cole McAfee as the recipient of the esteemed 2026 Hero of Hope award.
Cole McAfee (they/she) is the Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma, where they work to foster physical, material, and emotional safety rooted in community that does not change based on any of the identities someone holds or where they call home through information sharing, community building, and art-based activism that centers 2SLGBTQ+ people in Oklahoma. They also organize in community with Home Base, the People’s Budget Coalition, No New Jail OK, and Oklahomans for Privacy, working to build local power to disrupt carcerality, practice hope, and practice futurism rooted in shared values. They live in OKC with their spouse Andrew, and three cats, Sabrina, Annapurrna, and Brunhilda, where they enjoy building strength in their Empowerhouse gym community, yapping about whatever they’re currently reading, the hobby of trying new hobbies (currently junk journaling and collaging) and planning their next travel opportunity.
The Hero of Hope award ceremony will take place during Cathedral of Hope OKC’s evening service on Sunday, April 26th, at 6:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of Church of the Open Arms, located at 3131 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Oklahoma City. Cole McAfee will deliver a keynote address and be presented with the Hero of Hope award. Following the service, a reception will commence at 7:00 p.m., providing attendees with an opportunity to celebrate Cole McAfee’s achievements and engage in fellowship. All members of the community are cordially invited to attend both events.
The founding mission of the Cathedral of Hope is to reclaim Christianity as a faith of extravagant grace, radical inclusion, and relentless compassion. As such, we seek ways to honor those who embody and live out this mission through lives that are transforming our society at every level. The Hero of Hope is a person or organization who works to:
- Change how the world thinks about LGBTQIA+ people;
- Change how LGBTQIA+ people think about God;
- Reach marginalized people, especially teens living in isolation in small towns; and
- Redefine Christianity as an including faith rather than an excluding religion.
The Hero of Hope Award originated in the early 1990s as a way for the Cathedral of Hope to single out and honor people who have courageously taken a stand for LGBTQIA+ rights. The Hero of Hope Award is presented in recognition of those who have taken courageous stands for the rights of all people without regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
We honor our previous Hero of Hope winners who have made a lasting impact for justice and peace in our community.
Representative Cyndi Munson
Community Activist for the LGBTQIA+ Community
2025 Hero of Hope
Councilman James Cooper
Community Activist for the LGBTQIA+ Community
2024 Hero of Hope
SISU Youth Service
Youth Housing & Homeless Shelter
2023 Hero of Hope
Victor Gorin
Community Activist for the LGBTQIA+ Community
2020 Hero of Hope
Robin Dorner
Community Activist and The Gayly Editor in Chief
2019 Hero of Hope
Sara Cunningham
Community Activist for the LGBTQIA+ Community
2018 Hero of Hope
Paula Sophia Schonauer
Community Activist for the LGBTQIA+ Community
2017 Hero of Hope
Mary Arbuckle
Executive Director of Other Options, Inc
2016 Hero of Hope
Scott J Hamilton
Former Executive Director of the Cimarron Alliance Equality Center
2014 Hero of Hope
Mr. Ginger Lamar
Community Activist & Entertainer
2013 Hero of Hope
Dr. Ed Shadid
Oklahoma City Councilman & Doctor
2012 Hero of Hope
Bob Lemon
Equal Rights Advocate
2011 Hero of Hope
Kay Holladay
Co-Founder, PFLAG-Norman
2009 Hero of Hope
Jim Roth
Former Corporation Commissioner & County Commissioner
2007 Hero of Hope
Rev. Bruce Lowe
Retired Southern Baptist Pastor
2006 Hero of Hope
