At its 36th
Anniversary Gala and Auction, held Saturday, November 17,
the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center raised more
than $475,000.
The gala was
hosted by Advocate columnist Alec Mapa and
featured performances by Jennifer Lewis, Linda Ronstadt, and
the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles.
Shirley MacLaine
made an appearance to present Lewis with the center's
Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award. "I
feel like I am in the room of the future,"
MacLaine told the crowd during her introduction of
Lewis. "What you people are doing is resonating
exactly what the soul wants, and I thank you from my
heart for that."
Center CEO Lorri
L. Jean captivated the crowd with a heartfelt speech in
which she took stock of the gay rights movement and made a
bold statement that LGBT Americans are consistently
winning over the hearts and minds of their
heterosexual friends, family members, coworkers, and peers
on the issue of equal civil rights.
"Increasingly, we are claiming the moral high
ground," Jean said. "The center is a
shining example of that -- helping those in need, giving
people hope, fighting for fairness, being there for our
allies. The bottom line? We have won the culture wars.
At least, our ultimate victory is assured."
(The Advocate)
