HRC’s 35th Annual SF Gala Dinner & Auction to Take Place on October 19

By Elliott Kozuch–

We Are HRC. Under this banner of community, strength, and resilience, hundreds of the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) most active supporters, allies, business leaders, elected officials, and luminaries will gather October 19 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel for the 35th San Francisco Bay Area Gala and Auction. This event is HRC’s largest annual event in Northern California, and raises resources and awareness for issues faced by LGBTQ Americans and fuels our fight for full federal equality—nothing more and nothing less.

“Now is the time to celebrate our victories,” said HRC San Francisco Bay Area Gala & Auction Co-Chairs Lisa Allen and Stephen Gossman. “Let’s double-down on our work to advance equality here locally, and to protect the gains we’ve made nationally. We are so excited to join our fellow HRC San Francisco Bay Area community members as we hold this annual event to further mobilize in our fight for equality.”

This year, guests will hear from HRC President Alphonso David—the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to serve as president of HRC in the organization’s nearly 40-year history. He has been at the forefront of the movement for LGBTQ equality for more than a decade and worked at both the state and national level. Before joining HRC, David was appointed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as Counsel to the Governor. Prior to this appointment, David served in the Governor’s cabinet as the Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights, the first position of its kind in New York State. Before working in the public sector, David served as a staff attorney at the Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

HRC will also be honoring Levi Strauss & Co. with the Corporate Equality award and John Lake, Vice President, Multicultural Strategy and LGBTQ Segment leader for Wells Fargo, with the Charles M. Holmes Community Service Award. More exciting guests and speakers will be announced in the lead-up to the event.

During the event, guests will have the opportunity to bid on fabulous action items from HRC’s National Corporate Partners—including travel experiences, fitness packages, wine tastings, cool merchandise, and much more. The loyal support and donations from so many San Francisco- and Bay Area-based companies and organizations are critical to our continued success in fighting for full LGBTQ equality.

HRC is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBTQ people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.sfhrcgala.org/

Elliott Kozuch is the Deputy Press Secretary of the Human Rights Campaign.