Queerty is proud to sponsor International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission’s A Celebration of Courage galas in New York (March 15) and San Francisco (March 18). You’re invited to join host Bebe Zahara Benet, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, as IGLHRC honors Rep. Barney Frank, Colombia Diversa, and UNAIDS’s Michel Sidibè. Click here to purchase your tickets.
The upcoming A Celebration of Courage gala fundraiser for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission is more than just another party. In our events in New York and San Francisco, we will be marking two decades of tireless work in every corner of the globe – sometimes in the spotlight but mostly behind the scenes – to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. In these last twenty years IGLHRC has been instrumental in achieving critical advances in global LGBT rights. From advocating for mainstream human-rights organizations to recognize these rights as an important part of their work to supporting the ground-breaking work of activists in places like Colombia, Uganda, Nepal, Malawi and Turkey.
We have come a long way from the small rag-tag group of activists that began this work in San Francisco in 1999, and we look forward to celebrating these two decades of work and its milestones with friends and long-time supporters of the organization. Of course none of the progress has happened without collaboration, partnership and support at many levels. Supporting our annual A Celebration of Courage events is an important piece of that support and collaboration.
For those who support us through this fundraiser and through more long-term support, this is an opportunity to share in our achievements but also to help us build and grow for the next decade. It is also an opportunity to recognize and learn more about the critical and impressive work being done by grassroots groups such as this year’s Felipe de Souza award winner – Colombia Diversa. This Bogota, Colombia NGO advocates for rights and recognition on behalf of LGBT Colombians and their steady and consistent work over many years is incredibly impressive and worth learning from. It is the work of such groups that is fundamental to progress on LGBT rights and we have a long history of collaborating with such partners to advance these rights. Also vital to our work is the support of individuals who, in their own work in different areas have contributed significantly to advocacy on behalf of LGBT people. We will be honoring UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibè with the Outspoken Award, which honors the leadership of a global ally of the LGBT community. We will also be presenting a Special Recognition Award to Representative Barney Frank for his work, particularly as a supporter of the organization from its earliest days.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
It is important to celebrate the positive work of all our awardees and we hope that the LGBT communities and allies in New York and San Francisco are able to join us to share in this celebration and to support the years of work ahead.
