Billy Porter to be Honored at Lambda Legal 50th Anniversary Gala

Lambda Legal has announced the celebration of its 50-year anniversary with the 2023 Liberty Awards National Dinner, which will take place at The Glasshouse in New York on Thursday, June 8, where artist Billy Porter and the late activist Urvashi Vaid will be honored.

A significant milestone for Lambda Legal, the event will celebrate half a century of advocacy and legal victories on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV. More than 1,000 attendees will join Lambda Legal to reflect on the significant impacts and progress the organization has made in the past, find strength together to continue urgent action in the present, and experience a renewed commitment for an unstoppable future.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion alongside our national supporters and allies in New York, where Lambda Legal started 50 years ago,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal. “While we have made incredible strides in five decades, this anniversary comes at a time when that progress is under attack. More than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, most targeting transgender youth, have been introduced by legislatures across the country. Through our history, Lambda Legal has been the leading force in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and we will continue to advocate for a world where we can live free from discrimination. Together, we are unstoppable.”

“I am deeply honored to be recognized by Lambda Legal. This award is incredibly personal to me. I have witnessed how far we have come as a community - with much gratitude to Lambda Legal for their 50 years fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, and for everyone living with HIV,” said Billy Porter. In this moment, with states like Florida and others trying to silence and erase our communities, we must let our people, especially our young people, know what time it is: It’s time to fight back and counteract the fear and discrimination with love, joy and living unapologetically as our ourselves,” added Porter. “Move with unstoppable pride. We all can contribute from the rooms and spaces we are in, speak up and take action to protect each other and advocate for our rights.”

The Liberty Awards National Dinner is Lambda Legal’s largest event of the year, bringing together supporters, advocates, and allies from across the country to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the fight for justice and equality.

Confirmed special honorees and guests for the red-carpet event are:

Billy Porter – Presented with the Lambda Legal Liberty Award for demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and those impacted by HIV/AIDS, Porter has served as both an artist and advocate throughout his career. An Emmy Award winner for his role in FX’s “Pose,” Porter lives as an openly HIV+ actor, offering an authentic voice on-and off-screen and stage for those most impacted by the ongoing epidemic.

Becky Pepper-Jackson and her Mother Heather Jackson – Becky is a 12-year-old transgender girl and member of her middle school’s track and field team for the past three seasons, who will speak about her fight against the state of West Virginia’s anti-trans sports ban. Lambda Legal and our partners, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of West Virginia, won an injunction blocking the state’s law. Determined to kick Becky off her team, the state appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to lift the stay – and lost. Until these types of laws are struck from the books, Lambda Legal will continue to represent Becky and all trans kids who want a chance to play sports with their peers.

Isaiah Wilkins – Isaiah will speak about his dream to enlist in the armed forces and how Lambda Legal’s lawsuit won him that right. Military service runs in Isaiah’s family and, at the age of 17, he enrolled and exceled at Georgia Military College. He was soon accepted into West Point. This was a dream come true until he tested positive for HIV and was unceremoniously discharged and banned from reenlisting in the military. Lambda Legal represents Isaiah on behalf of all HIV-positive civilians who seek to serve their country having already established this right for those currently enlisted. Lambda Legal’s case – Harrison v. Austin, decided in 2022 – was the most significant legal victory for those living with HIV in decades and representing a triumph of science over stigma against the world’s largest employer.

Urvashi Vaid - Posthumously presented with the Kevin Cathcart Movement Leader Award in recognition of her vision, compassion, and commitment to justice, which propelled the LGBTQ+ movement toward historic gains in our fight for equality. Urvashi’s life was dedicated to activism. She spoke at the 1993 March on Washington, served as executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, co-founded the Creating Change conference, and played key roles with the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and with foundations that supported LGBTQ+ equality. This award will be accepted by Urvashi’s partner, Kate Clinton.

Following the program, the celebration continues with an after party hosted by the legendary Susanne Bartsch and featuring trailblazing model and artist Amanda Lepore, with music by DJ Amber Valentine.

Susanne Bartsch is known to many as the queen of New York City’s nightlife. For three decades the parties she’s thrown have provided a venue for the LGBTQ+ community to express themselves and come together in community. In 1989, devastated by the many friends she lost to AIDS, Susanne created The Love Ball, an event that rallied the fashion community to raise awareness and funds that went directly to those affected by AIDS. For the first time, elements of Harlem ball culture were introduced to a national audience. To this day, she continues to throw extravagant events and happenings in New York and special events around the globe.

For more information about the 2023 Liberty Awards National Dinner, including ticket information and sponsorship opportunities, please visit Lambda Legal’s website at lambdalegal.org/libertyawards. Press credentials available.

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