Brian Kennedy was a journalist

Journalist

A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...

 and LGBT rights activist

LGBT social movements

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...

 who helped set up the London Lesbian and Gay Centre

London Lesbian and Gay Centre

The London Lesbian and Gay Centre was a lesbian and gay community centre located at 67-69 Cowcross Street, London. It was established in 1985 by the Greater London Council, which donated three-quarters of a million pounds to its establishment....

 in 1985.

Career

Kennedy graduated from the University of York

University of York

The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...

 with a DPhil in Biochemistry in 1974 and thereafter researched cancer at the Open University

Open University

The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...

. He then moved into journalism, writing for City Limits and other publications about HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

 and AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 before they became prominent in the mainstream press. He also mediated between the gay community and the Metropolitan Police

Metropolitan police

Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...

, gaining the respect of the latter for his work.

Brian Kennedy Award

After his death in 1990, the Gay Business Association created the Brian Kennedy Award in his name to recognize people who have made a significant contribution to the gay and lesbian communities. Recipients of the Brian Kennedy Award include Angela Mason

Angela Mason

Angela Margaret Mason CBE is a British civil servant and activist, and a former director of the UK-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender lobbying organisation Stonewall...

, Nick Partridge

Nick Partridge

Sir Nicholas Wyndham Partridge, OBE, is a leading British health care and HIV/AIDS care activist.-Activism:He has worked for the Terrence Higgins Trust in the UK since 1985 when he started in the postroom, subsequently working his way to become Chief Executive in 1991...

, Chris Smith

Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury

Christopher "Chris" Robert Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury PC is a British Labour Party politician, and a former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister...

 MP, Ken Livingstone

Ken Livingstone

Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...

 and Ann Keen

Ann Keen

Ann Lloyd Keen is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth from 1997, until she was defeated by Conservative candidate Mary Macleod in 2010.-Early life:...

 MP, who received the award after she introduced the bill

Bill (proposed law)

A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....

for an equal age of consent.