Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner - Reflections

This weekend has been largely non-stop.  Hence the lack of posts today.  We drove to Richmond yesterday morning, settled into our friend's home that was on loan, went out to lunch and then more or less socialized non-stop other than sleeping and driving back from Richmond today.   The Commonwealth Diner was, as always a great time.  This year, too my surprise and humility, I was selected to be one of the "Outstanding Virginians" of 2017.  Besides seeing many friends, I had the surprise pleasure of seeing a former law school roommate and, of course, got to share the stage with six other amazing people who were similarly honored, including my friend Gavin Grimm.  As has been the norm for many of the more recent years, the event included a who's who of elected officials - at least Democrats since Republicans sadly still act as if LGBT individuals were lepers - and I had the privilege of having my award handed to me by our friend, Lt. Governor, Ralph Northam.  

After staying up way too late last night, the husband and I hosted a brunch in Richmond before heading back to Hampton and an event at the Hampton Yacht Club for new members and their sponsors (we sponsored a friend).  It will truly be early to bed this evening!  Some photos are above and below.  Yes, the husband and I did dress a bit over the top, :)

The take away from the weekend?  Now, more than ever it is critical that LGBT individuals "come out" and witness to others who they are.  Our enemies find it easy to demonize some theoretical stereotype.  But when faces and stores are connected to what our foes strive to label as the "other," suddenly anti-LGBT propaganda falls flat and is far less effective.  Living "out" and proudly is one of the highest forms of activism. 

EV Commonwealth Dinner - Reduced Posting

This morning the husband I and his sister and a dear friend are driving to Richmond to attend Equality Virginia's Commonwealth Dinner.  We will be staying at the home of a friend who is a member of Gov. McAuliffe's cabinet as we have done in previous years when attending the gala fundraiser.  The big difference this year is that I will be honored as an "Outstanding Virginian" along with six other honorees.  As an added treat, one of my law school roommates who I haven't seen in almost 20 years will be attending and sitting at my table.I am both excited and nervous about the event and suspect the nervousness will build as I get closer to standing in front of 1200 some people, including the Governor of Virginia (who is the keynote speaker) and other important elected officials. 

Between the cocktail party before ther event, the reception, dinner and post dinner party, posting on this blog will suffer. Expect pictures and reflections tomorrow late in the day.

PS, as is our habit, we have a friend staying at the house to house sit and baby sit the two Chihuahuas who while sweet and loving are truly some of the most spoiled dogs in Virginia.  

2016 Commonwealth Dinner

Last evening the husband and I attended the 2016 Commonwealth Dinner in Richmond.  It was an amazing event and coming to Richmond also gave us an opportunity to see friends - lunch at Can Can, a great French restaurant in Carytown and brunch today at another fun spot - and help support the effort to drag Virginia into the 21st century. We are fortunate that a friend let us use her beautiful, historic home in the Fan District for the weekend while she was out of town.  The photo above is as we headed off to the event with a friend who lives in Richmond.

A highlight of the evening was when out friend Charles Ford was recognized as an Outstanding Virginian.  Among his many activities, Charles has written a book:

A spin-off of his recent research is a pictorial history of LGBT life in Hampton Roads — written with his research partner, Dr. Jeffrey Littlejohn of Sam Houston State University, in Texas, and published in March 2016. It features images of local people and early public events. “It just scratches the surface of available pictures from local archives,” says Charles. Charles used some of these images, blown up to poster size, to celebrate local LGBT history in an exhibition for last year’s Norfolk Pride event, which also featured some panels from the AIDS quilt. As part of the exhibition, Charles led a tour of LGBT history sites in downtown Norfolk. “Most of the actual buildings are gone,” he says, “but it’s interesting to imagine LGBT life in Norfolk in the middle and late twentieth century when Norfolk lived to its long-standing reputation as the ‘wickedest city in America.’”

Again, it was a great evening!

2015 Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner

Last night the husband and I attended the 12th Annual Commonwealth Dinner, the largest fundraiser of the year for Equality Virginia, and one of the largest gathering of activists and their supporters in the state each year.   We drove up yesterday and had lunch with a friend and his boyfriend at a great restaurant on West Cary Street, before relaxing at the home of a friend (she was out of town and loan us use of her home in the historic Fan District - see image above) before dressing for the event which was held at the Richmond Convention Center.  The event as always was great fun and we saw many friends that we often see once a year at the event.  There was a large contingent from Hampton Roads as is always the case.  We also had the opportunity to chat with politicians we know, including the Lt. Governor, Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring and Congressman Bobby Scott.  I also had a chance to talk with U.S. Senator Tim Kaine. Here are some photos:

Dressed up and headed to the Dinner

Lt. Governor Ralph Northam

The husband and Mark Herring

We ended the evening at an LGBT bar called Babe's in Carytown.  I could see us living in the Fan area and the West Cary Street eateries and shops are wonderful.  Richmond is truly a fun place to visit and there is so much history if one is into that (which we are).  One advantage that Richmond has over Hampton Roads is that it is one central city as opposed to seven splintered cities that rarely cooperate for the larger good of the region. 

Carytown

Reflections on The EV Commonwealth Dinner

Yours truly and Mark Herring

Last night's Commonwealth Dinner was quite a gala affair and as always a great deal of fun.  Hampton Roads was well represented and we had plenty of friends with whom to share the festivities.  And then there were all the political types in attendance.  As were the four plaintiffs in Bostic v. Rainey. As were Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post (who I had the fun of chatting with) and Laverne Cox.  U.S. Senator Mark Warner gave a rousing speech, but perhaps the biggest round of applause went to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a hero to many LGBT Virginians.  The Washington Blade has a recap of some of the evening:

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring on Saturday said the same-sex couples who are challenging the commonwealth’s constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman are not asking for “special treatment.”

“They’re not asking for special privileges,” he said during the annual Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner at the Greater Richmond Convention Center that Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post emceed and during which Laverne Cox of “Orange is the New Black” delivered the keynote address. “They’re just asking to be treated fairly and equally.”

Herring – who announced in January shortly after taking office that he would not defend the marriage amendment that Virginia voters approved in 2006 – said one of the “great missions of attorney general is the pursuit of justice.” He told the more than 1,000 people who attended the Equality Virginia dinner he thought about what he described as the importance of the commonwealth’s position on the issue before U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen in February heard oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the state’s same-sex marriage ban that Timothy Bostic and Tony London of Norfolk and Carol Schall and Mary Townley of Chesterfield filed last year.

“We as Virginians have so much to be proud of in our long history, but the truth is there have been times when courageous Virginians were leading the way on civil rights and a lot of elected officials, including the attorney general were standing in the way,” said Herring, referring to former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli who opposes marriage rights for same-sex couples. “I was determined not to let the injustice of Virginia’s position in those past cases happen this time. This time the commonwealth, speaking through it’s attorney general, would stand up to protect for those individuals and all its people fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.”

“We still have a long way to go and a lot of hard work lies ahead of us.” said Herring. “Let’s keep working together to make sure that Virginia’s on the right side of the law and let’s keep working together to make sure Virginia’s on the right side of history.”

 It was indeed a glittering evening.  Here are some additional photos:

Me, Mark Herring and the boyfriend

Lt. Governor Northam and his wonderful wife

Some of the Norfolk crowd

This morning we are headed to the always fun and outrageous "drag brunch" at Godfrey's a few blocks from our hotel.

Richmond Bound for the Commonwealth Dinner

We have the house/dog sitter lined up as we get ready this morning to drive up to Richmond for the 11th Annual Equality Virginia "Commonwealth Dinner" this evening.  The event is Equality Virginia's largest fund raiser and has become quite a political event given the number of elected officials - sadly, almost all Democrats - who attend.  I suspect once again, we will have U.S. Senators, members of Congress and a host of other members of the General Assembly and down the line in attendance.  It is always a fun event and it is one time each year when activists and allies from across the state get to interact.  The corporate sponsors are quite impressive and Republicans would do well to check them out here (scroll down) so that they know who their anti-gay policies may be alienating.

This year is a special treat - last November at the Legends Gala, the boyfriend was the high bidder on a silent auction package for tonight's event provided by Tysinger Motors that included  2 tickets to the dinner, a hotel room for the night, and use of a 2014 Mercedes E350.  We picked up the car yesterday, and it is amazing:

 

Sadly, we will not be buying one any time soon!  If any reader are at the event, I hope you will say "hello" if you see us!

EV Commonwealth Dinner 2013

The boyfriend and I attended the Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner last night and we had a wonderful time.  A photo of some of our group is set out above.The event was sold out (1,000 attendees) and one of our good friends, Gregory Smith was honored as an "Outstanding Virginia" for the work his has done over the years (more on this below).  One thing that was amazing is that each year the number of political types who attend increases although as yet no Republican apparently dares attend for fear of facing the wrath of the viciously anti-gay theocrats at The Family Foundation, the de facto ruler of the Republican Party of Virginia.

Early in the evening I was surprised when someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around and it was U. S. Senator Mark Warner who had stopped by our table to say "hello."  Democrat nominee for governor, Terry McAuliffe was also in attendance as were other Democrat candidates for elected office in this years November elections for the General Assembly and state wide office.

The key note speaker was Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker - and U.S. Senate who gave a rousing talk on why he supports equality for all Americans.   Would that more people, especially among Republicans and the "godly Christian" crowd could see the common humanity in all of us.  The Richmond Times Dispatch has details on the political aspects of the event and Warner and McAuliffe's support for LGBT rights and marriage here. 

More Hampton Roads Attendees

Here's the EV write up on our friend Gregg Smith:

In 1987, Maryland -born Gregg Smith ended up in Norfolk, Virginia, after serving in the Navy as an officer and a helicopter pilot. Like so many promising service members, his military career was cut short by his sexuality. Unlike many, though, he was treated with respect and not pressured to inform on fellow sailors. This allowed him to leave feeling proud of his service and, incidentally, surprised Randy Shilts, who interviewed Gregg for his book Conduct Unbecoming about anti-gay witch hunts in the military.

Without regret, Gregg immediately took a position with the financial planning company Ameriprise. He soon found that he had joined a progressive company. Not only was his gayness never an issue, the company encouraged him to join with peers across the country to develop LGBT-centered marketing strategies.

Now a Certified Financial Planner and franchise owner, Gregg has developed seminars and workshops specifically for clients in same-sex partnerships. “The company lets me run my shop the way I want,” he says. Running the shop his way includes supporting local HIV-AIDS service organizations, pride events, and sponsoring tables for EV’s Commonwealth Dinner.

He has hosted and participated in many fundraisers supporting local organizations, as well. In addition, he has personally invested in these causes, plus the Human Rights Campaign Fund and the Servicemembers’ Legal Defense Network’s campaign to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and he supports LGBT-friendly political candidates. Gregg gives generously of his time as well, having served in board and officer roles in local HIV-AIDS service organizations almost continuously since 1993.

Although busy with his charitable activities, Gregg makes time for an activity he has enjoyed since his Navy days—flying—and spending time with other flyers. When not piloting a single-engine Cessna 182, he is busy supporting the National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA), where he has served in leadership roles since 2004. He combines both activities when he flies his plane to various NGPA events. The NGPA has been instrumental in helping airlines craft LGBT-friendly policies and countering the homophobia that sometimes occurs when pilots get together.

Part of Gregg’s work for the NGPA involves addressing the needs of young pilots and pilots in training. The organization gives out substantial grants to students, gay and straight, who, as part of the application process, write an essay about their aspirations and their support of LGBT causes. A sign of the times is the fact that the group’s membership now includes 20-30 active duty service members, who are perfectly happy to have their names included in the membership roster. “We’ll see a lot more of that in the future,” Gregg says.

Here in Virginia we have elections every year and this year it will be critical to see that Ken Cuccinelli and other GOP anti-gay, anti-minority and anti-women extremists are defeated.   EV will help mobilize needed efforts to keep these extremists  from dragging Virginia backward in time.

"Downton Abbey" Breaks Ratings Records

I will make admission: the boyfriend and I are Downton Abbey addicts and had bought tickets to a Downton Abbey costume fundraiser for the our local PBS station but for the event being rescheduled due to bad weather last October (it was rescheduled to the day we sailed on our cruise last October).  As a history major with an emphasis in British and Russian history, the boyfriend teases me that I am an encyclopedia on trivia as we watch the show.  Happily, the series is doing well and the last season set new records for PBS, a constant target of anti-arts funding Republicans.  A piece in The Daily Beast looks at the show's success.  Here are excerpts:

24 million viewers tuned in to watch the third season of Downton Abbey.

Just think about that for a second: 24 million viewers. In an age of increasingly fragmented television viewing, those numbers are even more staggering when you compare those figures next to say, a recent episode of NBC's Smash, which garnered roughly a tenth of that audience. Those numbers are huge for broadcast and cable, but considering that they're associated with a costume drama airing on a public broadcaster, even the Dowager Countess might choke on her tea upon seeing them.

In fact, Season 3 of Downton Abbey, which wrapped up its run last month, broke all records among households, according to finalized national ratings obtained from PBS, making Downton the highest-rated PBS drama of all time.

The third season of the British costume drama—which airs Stateside as part of Masterpiece Classic—had a season average rating of 7.7 and an average audience of 11.5 million across the seven week run. Compared to the second season, those ratings are up a stunning 64 and 65 percent respectively.

In fact, the controversial third season finale of Downton, which aired on February 17, was the highest-rated show on any network that night, posting a 8.1 national rating and an average audience of 12.3 million, numbers that placed it well above any other show on broadcast or cable that evening.

As for whether the future ratings of Season 4 of Downton Abbey will be influenced by the departure of Dan Stevens (and the death of Matthew Crawley), Eaton was decidedly upbeat. "I think there's still plenty of romance and intrigue to go around in Season 4,” she wrote. “All of Downton springs from the fertile imagination of Julian Fellowes, and he is in fine writing fettle."

Having missed the fundraiser last October, I may just wear my Downton Abbey attire to the Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner on April 6th.