Thursday night, Lambda Legal, the nation’s oldest and largest LGBT legal organization hosted the 2019 National Liberty Awards, at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, in New York City. The evening honored former Executive Director of National Center for Lesbian Rights, Kate Kendell and LGBTQ youth advocates and Lambda Legal Youth in Out-of-Home CareProject partner Baker McKenzie – for their advocacy, activism, and commitment in the fight for LGBT equality.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Lambda Legal is one of the greatest allies of the LGBTQ community, accepting select cases –pro bono, that will have the most significant impact on protecting and advancing the rights of LGBT people and those with HIV. They receive no government funding; therefore contributions from around the country are imperative to their efforts.
Some of Lamba Legal’s recent high-profile cases include challenging Trump-era healthcare rules that discriminate against women and LGBT people, defending the rights of same-sex spouses to gain access to social security survivor’s benefits, and fighting a proposal in Tennessee that would allow welfare agencies to reject same-sex parents from adopting children or being foster parents.
The 2019 National Liberty Awards was not only an event to highlight the tireless efforts of honorees, but also to continue to raise awareness of LGBT issues, and raise money in support of helping the organization maintain its legal efforts.
The evening also featured remarks by renowned comedian Dana Goldberg and a performance by pop singer VINCINT. Other notable guests included Andrew Kohagen, Jeffrey Marsh, Javier Munoz, Yuval David –one of my favorite hotties, Peppermint, Yuhua Hamasaki and Alexis Michelle. DJ Pamela Katz provided music for the after party.
Please visit Lambda Legal’s website to learn more about what they do and how you can get involved with their efforts to protect LGBT rights.
