Gay City News originally planned to host its fifth annual tribute to leaders and allies who have made significant contributions to the LGBTQ community on March 26 at the Ravel Hotel in Long Island City. When COVID-19 struck the city in early March we postponed, hopeful that a September 24 rescheduling would be ample time to weather the crisis.
Of course, we’re not out of the woods yet, but Gay City News and Schneps Media, our parent company, were determined to move forward.
The solution? A virtual celebration in the open-air setting of the Ravel’s sixth floor penthouse overlooking the Queensboro Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.
This week, our honorees arrived there one at a time to accept their award and deliver inspiring messages — informed by their committed activism — that will resonate with everyone in this very challenging time.
The celebration will be aired online at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 24 — and viewers will not only be able to enjoy a beautiful video presentation, they will also be able to participate.
The Impact Awards platform will allow attendees to post congratulatory messages to the honorees, and an accompanying app will allow them to engage not only with the awardees but also network with other viewers in attendance. A pop-up trivia contest will give participants the chance to win a $250 gift card.
Registration for the evening webcast is free at gaycitynews.com/impactawards. The event hashtags are #gaycitynews and #gaycitynewsimpactawards.
The presenting sponsor for the evening is MetroPlus Health Plan. Additional sponsoring organizations are Amida Care, the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, First Central Savings Bank, and TD Bank. Attendees can visit the sponsors’ virtual exhibition booths, and are encouraged to tell them you stopped by as a way of thanking them for their support for this community-building evening.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the GRIOT Circle, the nation’s only non-profit created to serve the needs of LGBTQ elders of color.
The 2020 Gay City News Impact Award honorees are:
Katherine Acey & José Albino
GRIOT Circle
Jared Arader
Lambda Independent Democrats
Dr. Mark Baehser
NYC Health + Hospitals/ Gotham Health, Judson
Kate Barnhart
New Alternatives
Kristen Browde
Browde Law
Joshua David & Robert Hammond
The Highline
Emilia Decaudin
Elected Democratic District Leader, Queens
Cody Dolly
Northwestern Mutual
Wes Enos
The Generations Project
Desmond Is Amazing
Haus of Amazing
Ethel A. Felix
Caribbean American Pride
Tracie M. Gardner
Legal Action Center
Richard Grossman
Halstead Real Estate
Mickey Heller
Brooklyn Pride
Barton L. Jackson II
TD Bank
Ken Kidd
Gays Against Guns
Jeffrey Cole LeFrancois
Meatpacking District BID
Jomil Luna
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Jevon Martin
Princess Janae Place
Aaron C. Morris
Immigration Equality
Joann Princivalli
GENDA Activist
Dr. Asa Radix
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
PJ Ryan (Phillip Johnson)
The Dear You Project
Michael Serao
First Central Savings Bank
Brian Silva
National Equality Action Team
Krishna Stone
GMHC
Rod Townsend
Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC
Dubbs Weinblatt
“Thank You For Coming Out” Podcast, Keshet
David Zink
AIDS Walk NY
For a complete list of upcoming virtual events produced by our sister publications, visit SchnepsMedia.com/Upcoming-Events.
