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Los Angeles Outfest Next Film Festival

Outfest the Los Angeles-based film festival kicks off their Next chapter November 6th to 9th with new programming initiatives & opening night films Yen Tan's “All That We Love” & Bryan Fuller's “Dust Bunny”. Christopher Racster, Interim Executive Director of Outfest stated, “Outfest was born of the need for our LGBTQ+ community to have a place to safely gather & to support filmmakers who were telling authentic stories.  Outfest is being reborn at a time when telling our stories has never been more important. We are re-emerging to ensure that our community is not being erased by those working to deny us equal & civil rights. We are proud & grateful to have our decades long partner HBO Max returning as Presenting Sponsor for the event. Now more than ever, our community needs to come together & our voices need to be heard.” Lucas Bailey, Outfest’s new President of the Board of Directors concluded, “In addition to the rehiring of key staff members, Outfest has also elected a new Board of Directors, filling key board leadership roles with new, vibrant voices representing a cross-section of the arts & entertainment communities. We are humbled to be standing on the shoulders of those who have spent four decades building Outfest. We are committed to rebuilding in the face of the current headwinds facing the arts, QTBIPOC & LGBTQ+ communities. We are inspired by the knowledge that our community has overcome countless obstacles in the past by standing together.” Founded in 1982 by UCLA students Outfest promotes empathy & equality by creating, sharing & protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen. 
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Creating Change Washington DC Event

The Task Force’s 38th Creating Change Conference will take place in Washington D.C. from January 21st to 25th with keynote presentations, annual awards & more than 100 workshops & caucuses. Creating Change has generated opportunities for thousands of committed people from around the country & globally to develop their skills, build community & be inspired by visionaries & allied movements for justice & equity. This year’s Creating Change theme is “Unstoppable”. Fernando Lopez, Director of Creating Change stated, “There is a palpable call for courage in D.C. as we build momentum for Creating Change, where we will continue to blueprint our liberation at a time when our very existence is being legislated out of classrooms, clinics & courtrooms. Our convening is our rebellion, our refuge & our rallying cry. From the streets of our neighborhoods to the suites of power, we will gather to share wisdom, to turn outrage into strategy & strategy into action, equipping people from across the nation to build an unstoppable movement.” The 5-day convening will hold institutes workshops & plenaries through a series of organizations & caucuses that vary in community aspects. Mobilizing will be key as Creating Change will be held 10 months before the U.S. midterm elections. While programming assesses organizing opportunities Creating Change will host skill building & planning workshops to sharpen qualities in campaign organizing strategies, activism, direct action, lobbying & legal advocacy. Since 1988 the National LGBTQ Task Force's Creating Change Conference has trained & mobilized thousands of activists across the nation to deliver a world where you can be you. 
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The Academy Legends Archive Honorees

The Academy will honor trailblazer & activist Cleve Jones as their 2025 Legends Archive inductee along with esteemed community honorees Suzanne Ford with The Diane Jones Solidarity Award, Sara Yergovich & Danielle Thoe with The Architect Award & Alex U. Inn with The Exemplar Award. Enjoy a night of fabulous entertainment hosted by the legendary Donna Sachet Friday November 7th at the Swedish American Hall 2174 Market Street in San Francisco, CA from 6P to 9P followed by an afterparty. The Legends Archive was created to recognize people in our own era that have shaped the LGBTQ community that we live in. The Legends of the past have included Sylvester, Harvey Milk & Divine. Each year The Academy selects one individual who has truly become a Legend worthy of being remembered in this historical archive. They are invited to donate a personal artifact to represent themselves & their contribution to the community to be put on permanent display. The entire community is warmly invited to join in celebrating their 2025 Legends Archive inductee iconic activist Cleve Jones along with their esteemed community honorees for a fabulous night of entertainment provided by Russell Deason with performances by the Queer Chorus of San Francisco, San Francisco Pride Band, Courtney Merrill & Verne Smith as well as special VIP appearances. Proceeds from the event will benefit the fabulous org the Horizons Foundation founded in 1980 as the world’s first community foundation of by & for LGBTQ people. In this retro podcast I talked to Cleve back in 2009 just prior to the historic National Equality March that took place in Washington DC. LISTEN  
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Richard Kind Everywhere All At Once

The Creative Coalition in partnership with The New York Comedy Festival is presenting “Richard Kind: Everywhere All at Once” a one-night-only gala benefit dinner featuring a roast, toast & tribute celebrating one of comedy’s most dynamic voices. The event takes place Saturday November 8th at Circo in NYC. The evening will bring together the best & brightest in comedy, entertainment & advocacy to honor Richard Kind’s career, philanthropy & lasting impact on the world of comedy. Jeffrey Ross (The Roast of Tom Brady, Ricky Stanicky) will host along with Caroline Hirsch founder & chair of the New York Comedy Festival, Tony Award-winning Producer Rob O’Neill, Chairman & CEO Golf Nation & NBTV Nick Buzzell, Managing Partner, Roberti Global Steven Irizarry & Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Lori Lesser. Also set to attend are Tim Daly (President, The Creative Coalition, Madam Secretary, Leanne), Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Lea DeLaria (Orange Is The New Black, Cars 3), Lawrence O’Donnell (The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell), Reid Scott (Veep, Law & Order), Steven Weber (Chicago Med), Ben Shenkman (Billions, Trial of the Chicago 7), Robert Wuhl (Arli$$, American Dad, Saturday Night), Ricki Lake (Ricki Lake, Hairspray) & more TBA. The Creative Coalition is the premier nonprofit nonpartisan advocacy organization of the arts & entertainment industry. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community the organization is committed to educating, mobilizing & activating artists & leaders on issues of public importance. The Creative Coalition leverages the power of the arts to drive social impact & inspire civic engagement. 
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Night Out Comedy Fundraising Event

Family Equality is hosting a night of comedy on the evening of Saturday November 8th at Nya Studios West in Los Angeles, CA to raise critical funds that will fuel their mission. They will be honoring Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne with the Family Equality Visibility Award. Tig Notaro is an Emmy & Grammy nominated stand-up comedian, actor (The Morning Show, Star Trek: Discovery), co-director (Am I OK?), New York Times best-selling author (I’m Just a Person), producer (Come See Me in the Good Light) & radio contributor (NPR), named by Rolling Stone as one of the “50 best stand-up comics of all time.” Stephanie Allynne is an Emmy-nominated director (Hello Again), co-director & producer (Am I OK?), actor (The L Word: Generation Q, One Mississippi, Grey’s Anatomy, The Mindy Project, Twin Peaks) & writer (One Mississippi). Next she will be starring in Marc Forster’s Anxious People. Tig & Stephanie are married & live in Los Angeles with their children. They will be presented with the Visibility Award by Glennon Doyle & Abby Wambach. Alec Mapa & Jamison Hebert will receive the Murray/Reese Family Award present by Lauren Weedman. The comedy lineup will include Monét X Change, Solomon Georgio, Bryan Safi, Brendan Scannell, Tien Tran & Mo Welch plus a special guest set at the end of the night. Family Equality is the only national organization dedicated to protecting & advancing the freedoms of all LGBTQ families through bold advocacy, transformative education, & powerful community building. Family Equality’s Night OUT takes place Saturday November 8th In Los Angeles, CA with tickets starting at $500. 
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Fenway Health Gala Fundraising Event

The Fenway Gala takes place Friday November 14th at the SoWa Power Station in Boston, MA from 6P to 9P. This is more than a night of celebration it’s a vital source of support for Fenway Health’s mission to provide lifesaving care, advance groundbreaking research & educate healthcare staff across the US & beyond in how to care for our community. This year’s honorees are Chase Strangio, Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project who will receive The Catalyst Award that recognizes leaders whose work sparks transformative change for our community & other underserved groups & Massachusetts Representative Aaron Michlewitz will receive the Heroes in Action Award that was originally established by the AIDS Action Committee in 2010 to honor visionary public health leaders & steadfast allies. Chase made history as the first openly transgender person to deliver oral arguments before the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Skrmetti the landmark case with profound implications for healthcare access. His tireless advocacy continues to inspire solidarity, amplify community voices & advance equity nationwide. State Rep Michlewitz has demonstrated unwavering commitment to health equity as Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee he secured critical state-level funding for gender-affirming care & championed a nearly 10% increase in HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis C funding in the FY26 budget—bringing it to $35 million to address rising diagnoses & persistent disparities. Celebrate these extraordinary changemakers & support Fenway Health’s mission to provide lifesaving care, drive groundbreaking research & advocate for justice. Tickets for the Fenway Gala fundraising event start at $275. 
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Sports Legend Diana Nyad Florida Event

Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library (SNMAL) in Fort Lauderdale, FL is kicking off November with a visit from Diana Nyad best known for her historic swim from Cuba to Key West. Nyad will be the featured guest at a dinner on November 5th when SNMAL will announce a new project celebrating LGBTQ athletes, sports history & culture with the new national Nyad LGBTQ Sports Archive. I first met Diana years ago in NYC when she was with ABC Sports & I was with CBS Sports. Last Spring we were reacquainted at Radcliff Day honoring Jodi Foster. Robert Kesten, Stonewall Museum’s President & CEO stated, “Each day we face new challenges, many of which are unprecedented in their cruelty. However, each morning we wake up ready to take on the fight of the day & continue working to make this a better world for all of us. Our new archive bearing Diana's name will be about success in sports, advocacy & to Diana's iconic fighting spirit. Like Nyad, no one in our community can afford to give up on the belief that a better more accepting world is possible. That is as much a part of our mission at Stonewall as protecting our archives & sharing our community's history.” The new Nyad archive will include invaluable contributions from leading professional & amateur sports figures who have changed sports for the better eliminating the false stigmas about our community. Stonewall National Museum, Archives, & Library houses millions of pages of records & materials drawing direct lines from our nation’s history to today. Tickets for the event are $250. 
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Los Angeles Outfest Next Film Festival

Outfest the Los Angeles-based film festival kicks off their Next chapter November 6th to 9th with new programming initiatives & opening ...

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