Eat, Drink, and Support a Great Cause
Thank you to all our ignite readers for picking up a copy of this magazine each month and supporting us! We appreciate your interest in our articles and our amazing advertisers, who make the publication of this magazine a reality each month.
This month, I would like to tell you about an important cause that I have been working to support: Equality Texas, an organization that advocates and lobbies the Texas legislature for the elimination of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. My partner, Snow Montemayor, and I have been working on a very special event: the fifth annual Spirit of Texas Brunch, which will be on Sunday, May 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the gorgeous Pearl Stable. All proceeds from the brunch go to Equality Texas and the Equality Texas Foundation.
We hope you will consider joining us for this great event! There will be a delicious brunch with ever-flowing champagne and mimosas. We'll have live music by vocalist Stacey Milton and pianist Wayne Miller, in addition to some amazing guest speakers. The Honorable Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston, will attend and say some words about being lesbian and getting elected as mayor of the nation's fourth largest city. Also speaking will be Amy and David Truong, the parents of bullying victim Asher Brown. The Truongs, with the help of Equality Texas, have been lobbying the Texas legislature to pass "Asher's Law," a sweeping anti-bullying measure. Rev. Deborah L. Johnson will be our keynote speaker, and her commitment to social justice activism will certainly provide for a soul-stirring speech.
You may ask: why work so hard to support pro-LGBT legislation in a state as "red" as Texas? That would be a fair question, but Equality Texas is a nonpartisan organization, and equality must be demanded regardless of who is running the state government. The more states that introduce pro-LGBT legislation, the closer our federal government will get to recognizing a united country that is governed with pro-equality laws.
The brunch will also feature awards given to community leaders: Ray Valencia, Associate Dean of St. Mary's Law School, will receive the Becky Cross Anchor Award, and Rackspace, which recently began providing domestic partner benefits, will receive the Advocate Award. Finally, there will be an amazing live and silent auction with great gift baskets and even vacation getaways, in addition to a raffle.
Come out and join us for terrific food and drink, inspirational guest speakers, and some great company. This is a legislative year in Texas, so there's no better cause for you to support right now. Tickets for the brunch can be purchased by calling 512-474-5475 or by going to the Event Calendar at equalitytexas.org. While you're there, read more about all the amazing work Equality Texas is doing for you and those like you.
Together in pride,
Richard Farias
Editor
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