In a night with more than $600,000 raised, Family Equality Council's annual Los Angeles Awards Dinner honored activists like Houston Mayor Annise Parker, companies with inclusive advertising like Honey Maid, and the creators of TV shows such as Modern Family and Glee that have changed the nation's view of what an LGBT family looks like.
The 11th annual gala was held Saturday at the famous Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills and helped raise money to promote the themes of the Family Equality Council's mission: "connecting, supporting, and representing the three million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country and their six million children."
The star-studded event was hosted by commedian-actress-singer Sandra Bernhard and also featured performances from Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson, disco icon Maxine Nightingale, and the cast of Glee.
The Advocate spoke with some of the stars on the Los Angeles Awards Dinner's purple carpet and asked them about the importance of LGBT families, and their work toward equality for all. Here's what some of them had to say, plus more pictures of the celebrity-filled affair.
"It's taking the luxury that people in Hollywood have and sharing it with the people that don't always have the ability or the money or the access to be able to do what we get to do like adopt children, foster children, and have the support of a community," said host Sandra Bernhard of the importance of the Family Equality Council's fundraising event.
"I was never so proud as I was when we did the transitioning episode with the trans choir," said Dot-Marie Jones (pictured in the middle with her wife, Bridgett Casteen, and her daughter) about her favorite episode of Glee. "We had over 200 trans men and women who made up our choir, and I cried the whole way home because they were so proud to be there and be represented."
The Normal Heart's Matt Bomer and husband, Simon Halls, arrive on the purple carpet at the Family Equality Council's Los Angeles Awards Dinner. During Bomer's speech, the father of three joked that he was "just happy to be out of the house."
Bravo's Real Housewives on the purple carpet at Saturday night's awards dinner. (From left: Eileen Davidson, Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Shannon Beador, and Camille Grammer)
"I have many same-sex couple friends that have amazing families and are some of the best parents I know," said Kyle Richards. "Even though it's [same-sex marriage] legal in a lot of states now, we still have a long way to go and there are still a lot of battles to win."
Glee star Lea Michele arrives on the purple carpet.
Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson performs a rendition of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come."
The cast of Glee (From left: Alex Newell, Lea Michele, Becca Tobin, Darren Criss, Jenna Ushkowitz, Harry Shum Jr., Chord Overstreet) getting ready to perform on stage.
Jenna Ushkowitz, Alex Newell, and Lea Michele performing.
Chord Overstreet and Darren Criss performing.
American Horror Story's Sarah Paulson and The Normal Heart's Matt Bomer both presented awards during the Family Equality Council's dinner.
Glee's Lea Michele and American Horror Story's Sarah Paulson.
New Girl's Max Greenfield (right) presented a Family Equality Council award to Glee cocreator Ryan Murphy (left) for his outstanding work promoting LGBT families through the show.
Out Houston Mayor Annise Parker was a presented with an award by Houston native Matt Bomer.
"After all of these years of activism, I no longer go around saying that there is no such thing as a gay agenda," Parker said in her acceptance speech. "There is a gay agenda. The gay agenda is to be able to attend school safely without fear of bullying. The gay agenda is to be able to serve proudly in the U.S. military. The gay agenda is to be able to work openly. The gay agenda is to be able to raise our children lovingly with the full protection of the United States."
