The evening will also honor Rev. Dr. Susan
Hrostowski, Kathy Garner and their son, Hudson, with the Human Rights
Champion Award. Additionally, Lexus will be recognized with the
Corporate Champion Award. Other special guests include actor
and activist Wilson Cruz, The Fosters’ Hayden Byerly and the Plaintiffs in California’s Prop. 8 case and activists
Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami. Guests will be entertained with performances by
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 winner Jinkx Monsoon and country music star
Chely Wright.
With a rapidly shifting political climate in the
United States, marked by an increase in dangerous and divisive rhetoric
against the LGBTQ and other marginalized communities, SFGMC recently
announced the launch of its “Lavender
Pen Tour.” This October, over the course of nine days, SFGMC will
visit seven cities and numerous small towns in six states including
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee. While in each of these states, SFGMC will
host performances and begin a dialogue with community leaders in an
effort to support local LGBTQ communities.
“We couldn’t be happier
to honor this extraordinary group of game-changers at this year’s
Crescendo Gala for using their voices to amplify the message of equality
and acceptance,” said Chris Verdugo, executive
director of SFGMC. “Proceeds raised throughout the evening will support
our ‘Lavender Pen Tour.’ This tour will give the chorus a chance to use
our voices to affect change in lives of young people struggling to live
their authentic lives and communities throughout
the south.”
SFGMC 2017 Crescendo Gala honorees include:
Vanguard Award:
Kathy Griffin
Griffin,
a two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian, is a towering figure
on television, on tour and in publishing. She breaks through the
entertainment
clutter with her universally recognized brand of pull-no-punches
comedy. Through humor and laughter Griffin shines a spotlight on
equality and has been a vocal advocate against California’s Prop. 8 and a
staunch supporter of marriage equality. She continues
to use her platform to recognize how personal experiences can lead to
change and is unafraid to keep the conversation going during these
contentious times.
Human Rights Champion Award: The Hrostowski/Garner Family
The family from Hattiesburg, MS, will be honored for their role as one of the plaintiff families in the
Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant (CSE III) case. The case overturned Mississippi’s ban on allowing same-sex couples to adopt. In addition, working with the
Campaign for Southern Equality,
the Rev. Dr. Susan Hrostowski filed a lawsuit against several state
officials arguing House Bill 1523 violated the First and 14th Amendments
of the U.S. Constitution. On March 31, 2016, a federal judge ruled in
favor of Hrostowski and struck down the law.
Governor Bryant has appealed the ruling on House Bill 1523. On April 3, 2017, the Hrostowski/Garner family will go before the 5th District Court of Appeals represented by Roberta Kaplan.
Corporate Champion: Lexus
By
creating custom brand content films and producing and airing
commercials developed specifically for the LGBTQ audience, Lexus
continues to show their commitment to the LGBTQ community.
Over the past few years, Lexus has partnered with LGBTQ media brands
OUT and Four Two Nine to celebrate
LGBTQ innovators and influencers. Their content
showcases these inspiring journeys and how their experiences help influence innovative thinking and bold moves keeping
them ahead of the curve. Additionally, in 2015, Lexus released two commercials, “Make Some Noise” and “Ahead
of the Curve,” geared specifically towards the LGBTQ community.
