If you’re anxious to get up and GO this fall, the good times are just waiting to happen at these fab, gay gatherings.
Begin by laughing your ass off at the 17th Annual Comedy Hour sponsored by the Ms. Foundation for women at Carolines on October 23rd. Each year the famed Carolines on Broadway hosts an evening of fun and philanthropy benefiting the Ms. Foundation for Women. Presented by author and activist Gloria Steinem, President & CEO Sara K. Gould, and President of Carolines on Broadway Caroline Hirsch, the evening showcases many of today’s hottest female comics with hilarious material from the female perspective. There may be no gonads on stage, but trust me, these chicks have balls! ms.foundation.org
And speaking of balls, squeeze into your sexiest Cinderella getup and get thee to the LGBT Sweetest Day Dance and Mixer on October 20th at the Church of the Messiah in Chester, NJ. Who knows, your own Princess Charming may just appear. gaycenter.org
If you “won’t forget, can’t regret what you did for love,” then you will not want to miss the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. Join Lambda Legal for an outing to the show on October 18th. You’ll find lots of folks to share the fun with, and remember, those show queens know all the lyrics—so brush up! lambdalegal.org
If your favorite phrase is “shop till you drop,” you’ll have that opportunity at the GLAAD OUT Auction at Metropolitan Pavilion on October 22nd. GLAAD’s fifth annual art event celebrates established as well as emerging artists. Prior auctions have included works by Herb Ritts, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Max and many others. Dress “cocktail chic” for drinks and hors d’oeuvres from 5–9pm. You’ll look and feel like a work of art yourself.
For you Left Coasters, dust off your letter sweater and poodle skirt and head to ABSOLUT Potrero High on October 28th, when GLAAD kicks off the Halloween weekend at the Design Studio of Robert W. Fountain in San Francisco. On November 12th in West Hollywood, take part in the 9th Annual GLAAD Tidings. Not another auction! This one has over 200 items to bid on from travel to health and beauty packages so get there before it’s all going, going, gone. glaad.org
Of course the piece de resistance this fall will be The Center’s Women’s Event 9 at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, which takes place on October 28th. It’s the formal gala and awards event for women; definitely the place to see and be seen with leaders from business, cultural and civic arenas, and women who hold sway in Gotham’s LGBT community. Proceeds are used to support The Center’s services and activities for the lesbian community in the tri-state area.
This year The Center’s fundraiser, which honors those who contribute to improving the lives of women, will recognize Lisa Kron, 2006 Tony nominee, and H. Gwen Marcus, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Showtime Network. So if you want to be in the audience screaming, “You go, girl!”, then you gotta’ go, girl!
The Center requests your help this year in choosing a family to which R Family Vacations will reward with a gift. Rosie and Kelli want to donate a cabin on a cruise to an exceptional family in our community, who might not otherwise be able to afford it. In 500 words or less, please tell The Center about the family you wish to nominate and why you feel they deserve or need a vacation. The family chosen will be presented their trip at Women’s Event 9. To find out about the gala or to nominate a family, visit gaycenter.org.
There will be more awards and rewards on October 30th, at the 11th SAGE Awards Dinner: Out—Then and Now at the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park. The national advocacy group for LGBT seniors will honor Jayne Sherman and Henry van Ameringen, co-chairs of In The Life, Charles Leslie & Fritz Lohman, founders of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation, Dr. Renee Richards and Amy Ashworth. It’s a cause worth supporting; we’ll all be seniors someday. sageusa.org
November takes off with the 2006 Courage Awards on November 1st at Gotham Hall, hosted by the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. The nation’s largest crime-victim service agency will honor the courageous individuals and organizations whose work has made a profound impact on LGBT victims of hate and bias, and survivors of same-sex domestic violence. This year’s confirmed honorees include Rose Arce of CNN; Sam Champion of Good Morning America; as well as the Ali Forney Center, a safe shelter for LGBT youth; and television’s Law and Order: SVU, for addressing issues of violence and domestic violence that happen to and within the LGBT community. To find out more about this event, hosted by BD Wong, go to courage-awards.org.
You’ll meet women from Buenos Aires to Chicago, Sarajevo to San Antonio, at the Astraea Giving and Activism Retreat in Dallas, Texas November 2nd–5th at the Omni Mandalay Hotel. This three-day junket is for women and trans people involved in feminist and LGBTI social justice. Speakers will include Ghada Boulos of the ASWAT-Palestinian Gay Women; Marjorie Hill from GMHC; Bin Xu, Director of Common Language in China; and many, many other international leaders involved in the Astraea mission. To learn more about Astraea, the world’s only lesbian-led feminist foundation, and this international retreat, go to astraea.org.
Racing into the month? Sign up for the 13th Annual Race to Deliver to benefit God’s Love We Deliver. Help celebrate the org’s 20th anniversary by participating in the four-mile run/walk in Central Park on November 19th, beginning with registration at 7:45am. If you’re interested in putting your own team together, attending the Kick Off Party or winning any of the potential prizes visit racetodeliver.org.
Calling all Yentas! The Jewish Community Center at 334 Amsterdam Avenue near 76th Street is holding its 2nd Annual Women’s-Only Shabbat Dinner on November 10th. If it’s Shabbat, it must be Friday. jccmanhattan.org.
Closing the events for the fall on November 29th, Hetrick Martin Institute will honor outstanding accomplishments and acknowledge the critical support that has significantly furthered their mission to provide a safe and supportive environment where all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, can achieve their full potential. This year, nominees for the Emery Awards are: Academy-Award winner Hilary Swank, for her unfailing support of HMI and her tireless efforts as National Spokesperson; Focus Films, for producing groundbreaking LGBTQ films, like Brokeback Mountain and TransAmerica; Christine Quinn, the first female and openly gay Speaker of the New York City Council; and Luna Luis Ortiz, a former HMI youth member, graduate of the Harvey Milk High School, and national spokesperson for the Department of Health’s “AIDS Stops With Me” campaign. The awards ceremony will also feature some amazing performances from a group of super-talented HMI kids, as well as a silent auction. hmi.org
That’s it for now. See you there!
What Do You Think?