15th Annual HRC Equality Dinner to pay tribute to past Tennessee LGBT leaders
Early-bird tickets on sale through Dec. 31

by O&AN Staff Reports
Dec 10, 2009  |  Email  |  Print  |  Share  |  RSS

Nashville’s LGBT community will dig into the past at its 15th Annual Human Rights Campaign Equality Dinner early next year. The event – sponsored by Bridgestone – will happen Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 at 6 p.m. at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.

The theme for the 2010 Equality Dinner is Tribute: 15 Years of Impact. It will celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of everyone the HRC has honored since its first Equality Dinner 15 years ago.

Event co-chair Debra Hyslop saw first-hand the positive difference those past honorees made when she moved back to Nashville from Canada in 2004.

“It was like family to me,” she said. “It was so overwhelming how much the gay community had grown, how far we’d come… I was blown away.”

Tickets are on-sale now at the “early bird” rate of $150 per ticket. The deadline to purchase early tickets is Dec. 31, 2009.

“The purpose of the “early bird” tickets is to make our dinner available to as many people as possible,” said co-chair Jeremy Davis. “We also have fellowship and scholarship programs to help people who otherwise might not be able to come.”

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay political organization in the United States. The HRC envisions an America where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are ensured of their basic equal rights—and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work, and in the community. HRC has more than 500,000 members, both gay and non-gay; all committed to making this vision a reality.

For tickets and to learn more about the 2010 HRC Equality Dinner, go to theequalitydinner.com.

“This is no 'upper-crust' or elitist event,” Davis said. “We are here with a mission to fight for equality for the LGBT community and that requires every individual doing what they can with what they have.”
 


Letter to the Editor

Freshly Unpredictable
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Posted by aguennewig  02/13/10 2:28 PM

I'm bored with you "yawn"

Posted by yawn  02/09/10 7:23 PM

Your comments smell like a{s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XuOXeUhjuQ

Posted by aguennewig  01/26/10 10:00 AM

There are many ways to get involved in HRC that don't require a ton of money. There have been several events with a $10 entry donation. For those who can't contribute, they can help by volunteering. No matter what your financial donotation is, HRC always values everyone who helps get them closer to equality for all people.

Posted by mtthwryn  01/21/10 3:28 PM

HRC is an organization made up of voluteers from all over our country making contributions and sacrifices and doing the work. Some give time, some give money, some give both. Either way, our work of changing hearts, minds, laws and educating in the process takes time AND money. The Nashville HRC Dinner is a fundraiser. Part of the event is entertaining, part is hearing the stories of others in our movement, part is acknowledging where we are, where we've come from and where we still need to go, and part is actually asking for the help and money to get us there. The dinner committee has made a sincere attempt to make this worthwhile and important event accessible to everyone. Yes, EVERYONE. It doesn't cost a dime to volunteer your time if that's what you're able to give. So how about we work together, give what each of us is able, and try lifting one another up rather than only the unproductive alternative. We still have a long way to go and it's going to take all of us.

Posted by Keith Merrill  01/21/10 3:28 PM

HRC and other organizations create fundraisers, such as The Equality Dinner, to definitely raise money and help spread their messages. Without such fundraisers, the message of an organization would not reach the largest possible audience. The dinner attendees are very diverse: a) people who can not afford a full price ticket, but volunteer during part or all of the dinner (non-students &students); b) people who can easily pay for their tickets (&may also purchase tickets for others); c) people who want to attend, believe in the message, and the ticket cost is HUGE to them ...but they save $3.37/ week during the year to be able to afford the dinner cost. After attending the past 15 TN HRC dinners, I can say the only "list" that dinner attendees can be grouped in, is the human list. Every age, color, gender identity, income level, political party, educational background, and sexual orientation (yes, many straight people attend) from all across Tennessee and the nation are present at the dinner. So talk with Jeremy, and join us.

Posted by mtthwryn  01/21/10 3:26 PM

I would like to thank all the people, those now and the ones who came before us, for making the sacrifices and doing the hard work that has brought the LGBT struggle for equal rights where it is today. It's way too easy to sit back and accept what others are all too willing to deny our community just because the work is hard or uncomfortable. We owe a great deal of respect and gratitude to the people who have been willing to do more than just sit on the sidelines offering little more than criticism and complaints to those out there trying to make a difference. Every single member of our community, including our straight allies, has a different gift or ability that they can contribute to our cause. For some that's volunteering, for some that's giving money, for some that's using a position of influence to help make change, for some it's just being out open and authentic in their everyday life, still others have a unique combination of contributions they can make. The bottom line is we are all different and one person's contribution isn't any more or less valuable than another's. It takes all of us doing what we can. What matters is that we EACH DO SOMETHING. It certainly doesn't help any of us to criticize or belittle what another person or group is contributing to the cause. The important part is that a contribution is being made.

Posted by billy leslie  01/21/10 2:47 PM

I guess people see the cost of $175 as being a steep cost for a fundraiser, so that makes it elitist or A-list. We have had the Wild West Showdown with a cost of $25. We have had Post Office nights at Tribe with a cost of $5. We have Her HRC events that average about $10 each. These and other events have drawn hundreds of people of through the years and support the hard work that HRC does. HRC has a membership fee of just $35. HRC has done a lot of work for our community. This past year Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This is the first piece of federal legislation that has ever been passed for GLBT rights. There are many more on the table. Please go to hrc.org to find more. HRC also does a lot of work on workplace, healthcare, military, and familty rights for GLBT people. All of this takes money. It also takes hard work and many volunteers to accomplish. The people that plan these events in Nashville are not paid staff. We are all volunteers who see a need and step in to fill it. It is not elitist, it is doing what is right. I would encourage anyone that would like to help or would simply like to discuss HRC (either good or bad) to email me at billy8271@comcast.net. I would be happy to talk with you about it. I would also encourge anyone that would like to go to the dinner, but can't afford it to go to www.equailitydinner.com and let the dinner committee know. We want everyone to attend that can.

Posted by ToddShelton  01/21/10 2:37 PM

I am disappointed to hear anonymous negative comments about an organization that does so much to advance equal rights for all Americans. Yes, it is true that the Equality Dinner is a fundraising event -the dinners across the country are very crucial fundraisers for the national organization. However, they also serve as an educational tool for people not as familiar with HRC. Speakers present very good information about programs and efforts of HRC and allow individuals the opportunity to meet a few hundred people who share some common interests in a goal of equality. When the Nashville Steering established a scholarship/fellowship program this year, it was not to segregate people in to financial categories. It is a new program the Nashville organizers worked hard to create to help anyone interested in participating -though they may not have the financial means. I for one am excited, and thankful, that Nashville has taken a leadership role in establishing such programs. My first introduction to HRC was through attending the dinner a few years back with tickets that were given to me by a sponsor to allow me to attend. I was thankful for the opportunity and decided to get involved. (I am a current member of the HRC Nashville Steering Committee and the Equality Dinner Committee)

Posted by jdavis  01/21/10 2:36 PM

You are correct, this event is a fundraising dinner. However, more than any other local LGBT event in Nashville -this particular event is about educating our allies &our community about the fight for full equality and how that can be achieved. Yes, financial resources are needed to continue our fight but are rendered worthless without the passion &service of those dedicated individuals that knock on doors, educate and vote to support equality. To achieve our goals requires each of us to do whatever we can with what we have now. The scholarship programs are a geniune effort to include involved, passion-filled members of our community regardless of their financial ability. Many of those that have applied for assistance are active &dedicated to our cause and attend nearly all of our other local HRC events which average a ticket price of $5-$25. My contact information is available on the event's website and I welcome a chance to discuss in greater detail. ~Jeremy

Posted by yawn  01/06/10 12:12 AM

Yeah, right... like I'm going to apply for a "scholarship or a fellowship" in order to attend a fundraising dinner. What world are you living in? That's like telling all the "A-List" f@%s that "I'm to poor, can I come to your event, please?" When you come down off of what ever you're on, I'll talk to you then.

Posted by shelbydhall  01/03/10 1:17 AM

Umm... maybe you missed the part of the article that refers to scholarships and fellowships available to people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to come. This is a fund-raising event, but don't misconstrue the good they're accomplishing.

Posted by wow  12/14/09 6:36 PM

Hmmm... if it walks like a duck and SMELLS like a duck, then "it isn't an top crust or elitist event." Yeah, right. Who do you think you're fooling? Yourself?