Black Tie Dinner is a formal charity dinner held each year in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

to raise money for the

North Texas North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wor ...

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

) community. The first dinner was held in 1982. Since its inception, Black Tie Dinner has remained one of the largest LGBTQ fund-raising dinners in the nation, both in attendance and distribution. Today, the dinner is attended by over 2,500 guests per year, and has an annual distribution of over $1 million. Each year, Black Tie Dinner selects up to 20 LGBT focused organizations in the North Texas area to receive proceeds from the dinner, in addition to one standing National beneficiary, the

Human Rights Campaign Foundation The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...

. To date, Black Tie Dinner has raised over $25 million. Over the years, Black Tie Dinner has attracted an array of high-profile politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and other public figures, both as program entertainment and as attendees of the dinner. Examples include Billy Porter,

Debra Messing Debra Lynn Messing (born August 15, 1968) is an American actress. After graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Messing received short-lived roles on television series such as ''Ned and Stacey'' on Fox (1995–1997) and ...

Connie Britton Constance Elaine Britton ( Womack; born March 6, 1967) is an American actress. Britton made her feature film debut in the independent comedy-drama film ''The Brothers McMullen'' (1995), and the following year, she was cast as Nikki Faber on the ...

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, dancer, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and Go ...

Megan Mullally Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for playing Karen Walker on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'' (1998–2006, 2017–2020), for which she received eight Primetime Emmy Award no ...

Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...

Martin Sheen Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...

and

Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the vari ...

. Black Tie Dinner is often mistaken for the

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...

(HRC) "gala" dinners which are held in many major cities around the nation. The Black Tie Dinner event was originally organized solely to support the Human Right Camping Fund (HRCF) that later became HRC, and was run for that purpose for a number of years. That concept would become the model for the HRC Black Tie Dinners around the country. While the Human Rights Campaign Foundation receives approximately one half of the proceeds from the dinner, Black Tie Dinner, Inc. is an independent

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

organization with its own Board of Directors. Black Tie Dinner also has the distinction of benefiting local beneficiaries.

Mission statement

"Black Tie Dinner is a non-profit organization that raises funds for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) supportive organizations serving North Texas through a premier event of empowerment, education and entertainment in partnership with the community."

History

In early 1982, the newly formed Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF), which became the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) under the leadership of Executive Director Elizabeth Birch in the late 1990s, designated one of its leaders, Jim Foster, to make contact with the gay communities of several larger cities to test their interest in holding a formal fund-raising dinner to support HRCF. One of the individuals Foster contacted was an old friend who had recently moved to Dallas, Texas, John Thomas. Thomas agreed to meet with Foster if he would come to Dallas, and to pull in a couple of friends who had broader connections with the gay community there, Ray Kuchling and Mike Anglin. That meeting was held, and after a short discussion of the magnitude of such a project, Anglin said: "I think we're going to need a bigger boat." He called his friend Dick Weaver, who immediately agreed to host a larger gathering of potential volunteers for the effort at his apartment the following evening (March 19, 1982). At the second meeting, the first "Dallas Dinner Committee" was formed, and it was agreed that John Thomas would serve as chair and that the group would commit itself to hosting a large (for that era) formal black tie dinner, with the net proceeds to be donated to HRCF. One unique feature of this effort was that it would be entirely controlled through its local committee rather than by the national HRCF organization, and in later years the net proceeds from the event would be split between HRCF and local Dallas charitable organizations serving the gay community. The first Dallas Black Tie Dinner, held in October 1982 at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas, was attended by 140 people, and produced a $6,000 donation to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Each year thereafter, the dinner grew in both attendance and distribution. During its first 25 years, the dinner raised more than $10 million. Since then, the dinner has maintained an annual distribution of over $1 million and an average attendance of 3,000 guests per year.

Beneficiaries

Each year, beneficiaries are selected by Black Tie Dinner's Board of Directors. Beneficiaries are selected based on the quality and impact of service they provide to the North Texas LGBTQ community, as well their financial health and overall stability. Only 501(c)(3) non-profits are considered. In addition to providing a significant service to the North Texas LGBTQ community, applicants must use the majority of their funds for direct programs, services, and/or activities. The beneficiaries selected for 2019 are: *

(standing National beneficiary) * AIDS Interfaith Network * AIDS Services Dallas * Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star * Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ * Celebration Community Church * Equality Texas Foundation *

Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, better known as Lambda Legal, is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS ( PWAs) through impa ...

* Legacy Counseling Center * Northaven United Methodist Church * Planned Parenthood * Promise House * Rainbow Roundup * Resource Center * Trans Kids & Families of North Texas *

Turtle Creek Chorale The Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC) is an American men's chorus located in Dallas, Texas. With 38 recordings and two commercially produced, feature-length motion picture documentaries in public distribution, it is among the most recorded men's chor ...

* Uptown Players

Awards

Each year, Black Tie Dinner recognizes several individuals and/or organizations that have made a "significant contribution to the continued fight for LGBTQ equality". The awards are publicly announced in advance of the dinner, and presented to their recipients as part of the dinner program. Of the three awards given, two are generally awarded to public figures, while the third is meant to recognize local community leaders.

Media Award

The Black Tie Dinner Media Award was established in 2008, and recognizes the importance of increased positive awareness of LGBTQ issues in the media. Recipients have included: *

Erich Bergen Erich Bergen (born December 31, 1985) is an American actor, singer and presenter, best known for his roles as Bob Gaudio in the biographical musical drama film ''Jersey Boys'' and as Blake Moran in the CBS television series '' Madam Secretary''. ...

(2018) *

(2016) *

E! Entertainment E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUnive ...

(2015) *

Dale Hansen Dale Eugene Hansen (born August 2, 1948) is an American sportscaster, who formerly worked as the weeknight sports anchor during the 10 pm newscasts on ABC's Dallas affiliate WFAA, who left the station on September 2, 2021. He formerly als ...

(2014) *

Fran Drescher Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress, comedian, writer, activist, and trade union leader. She is known for her role as Fran Fine in the television sitcom ''The Nanny'' (1993–1999), which she created and produ ...

and

Peter Marc Jacobson Peter Marc Jacobson (born October 27, 1957) is an American television writer, director, producer, and actor. He is best known as the showrunner of the popular sitcom ''The Nanny'', which he created and produced with his then-wife, Fran Dresch ...

(2013) *

JC Penney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...

(2012) *

Jesse Tyler Ferguson Jesse Tyler Ferguson (born October 22, 1975) is an American actor. From 2009 to 2020, he portrayed Mitchell Pritchett on the sitcom ''Modern Family'', for which he earned five consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding ...

(2011) *

Chely Wright Chely Wright (born Richell Rene Wright; October 25, 1970) is an American Activism, activist, author and country music artist. She initially rose to fame as a commercial country recording artist with several charting singles, including the numbe ...

(2010) *

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

(2009) *

Logo Network Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progr ...

(2008)

Elizabeth Birch Equality Award

Named for the former executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, The Elizabeth Birch Equality Award is given in recognition of demonstrated national impact on LGBTQ rights. Recipients have included: * Billy Porter (2019) *

Edith Windsor Edith "Edie" Windsor (née Schlain; June 20, 1929 – September 12, 2017) was an American LGBT rights activist and a technology manager at IBM. She was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court of the United States case ''United States v. ...

(2017) *

Greg Louganis Gregory Efthimios Louganis (; born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver, LGBT activist, and author who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics on the springboard and platform. He is the only man and the second diver in Ol ...

(2016) *

The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number wher ...

(2015) *

David Boies David Boies (; born March 11, 1941) is an American lawyer and chairman of the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. Boies rose to national prominence for three major cases: leading the U.S. federal government's successful prosecution of Microsoft ...

and

Ted Olson Theodore Bevry Olson (born September 11, 1940) is an American lawyer, practicing at the Washington, D.C., office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Olson served as United States Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Legal Counsel (1981–1984) ...

(2014) *

Zach Wahls Zacharia Wahls (born July 15, 1991) is an Iowa state senator, and American LGBTQ+ activist and author. Early years Zach Wahls is the son of two lesbian women and was conceived using artificial insemination. He was born on July 15, 1991 to his b ...

(2013) *

Chaz Bono Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonny ...

(2012) * Eric Alva (2011) *

American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...

(2010) *

Judy Shepard Judy Shepard (née Peck; born August 15, 1952) is the mother of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at University of Wyoming who was murdered in October 1998 in what became one of the most high-profiled cases highlighting hate-crimes against ...

(2009) * Bishop V. Gene Robinson (2008) *

Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a British actor. His London stage appearances include ''Hamlet'', the Maniac in ''Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in '' Bent'', The National Theatre o ...

(2006) *

(2005) * Robert Greenblatt and

Showtime Networks Showtime Networks Inc. is an American entertainment company that oversees the company's pay television, premium cable television television channel, channels, including its flagship service Showtime (TV network), Showtime. It is a subsidiary of me ...

(2004) *

Elizabeth Birch Elizabeth Millen Birch (born September 2, 1956) is an American attorney and former corporate executive who chaired the board of directors of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1992-1994. She served as the executive director of the Human ...

(2003)

Ally for Equality Award

Established in 2016, the Black Tie Dinner Ally for Equality Award recognizes a distinguished ally who has made a significant, positive impact, through personal and professional activities, on the LGBT community. * Jessi Cruickshank (2018) * Terrence McNally (2017) *

(2016)

Kuchling Humanitarian Award

The Kuchling Humanitarian Award has been presented at every Black Tie Dinner since 1983. The award is given to individuals who have made extraordinary gifts of their time and talents on behalf of the gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender community. The award is named in honor of the late Raymond Kuchling, a leading activist in Dallas’ LGBTQ community in the 1980s.

Speakers

For many years, Black Tie Dinner featured a high-profile keynote speaker. Speakers were typically politicians, Hollywood celebrities or other prominent figures who have demonstrated a notable advocacy to the LGBTQ community. Recent keynote speakers have included: *

Lance Bass James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, dancer, actor, film, and television producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band NSYNC. NSYNC's success led Bass to work in film ...

(2019) *

Matt Bomer Matthew Staton Bomer (born October 11, 1977) is an American actor. He is the recipient of accolades such as a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. In 2000, he made his television debut o ...

(2018) *

Beto O'Rourke Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke ( , ; ; born September 26, 1972) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2013 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, O'Rourke was the party's nominee for the U.S. Senat ...

(2018) *

Dustin Lance Black Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. He is known for writing the film ''Milk (2008 American film), Milk'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenpl ...

(2013) *

Meredith Baxter Meredith Ann Baxter (born June 21, 1947) is an American actress and Film producer, producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom ''Bridget Loves Bernie'' (1972–73), American Broadcasting Company, ABC drama series ''Family (1976 TV ser ...

(2012) *

Marlee Matlin Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...

(2011) * Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (2010) *

Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...

(2009) * Kenneth Cole (2008) *

(2007) *

Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor

(2006) *

(2005) * Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun (2004) * Governor Ann Richards (2003) *

(2003) *

Stockard Channing Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard; February 13, 1944) is an American actress. She is known for playing Betty Rizzo in the film '' Grease'' (1978) and First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series ''The West Wing'' ( ...

(2002) *

(2001) *

Kathy Najimy Kathy Ann Najimy ( ; ar, كاثي ان نجيمي ; born February 6, 1957) is an American actress and activist. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Soapdish'' (1991), ''Sister Act'' (1992), '' Hocus Pocus'' (1993), ''Hope Floats'' (1 ...

(2000) *

Armistead Maupin Armistead Jones Maupin, Jr. ( ) (born May 13, 1944) is an American writer notable for ''Tales of the City'', a series of novels set in San Francisco. Early life Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., to Diana Jane (Barton) and Armistead Jones Maup ...

(1999) *

Linda Ellerbee Linda Ellerbee (born Linda Jane Smith; August 15, 1944) is an American journalist, anchor, producer, reporter, author, speaker and commentator, noted as longtime Washington correspondent for NBC News and host of NBC News Overnight. She is widel ...

(1998) *

Dr. Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

(1997) * Congressman Pat Schroeder (1996) * Governor Ann Richards (1995) * Sandra Gillis (1994) * Governor Barbara Roberts (1993) *

Senator Paul Tsongas A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...

(1992) * Congressman Barney Frank (1991) * Congresswoman Eleanor H. Norton (1990) * Joe Steffan (1990) * Senator Craig Washington (1989) *

Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny; February 3, 1950) is an American actress. She began acting in the early 1970s and has had roles in several television series since. Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera ''Search for T ...

(1988) * Congressman Gary Studds (1987) *

Harry Britt Harry Britt (June 8, 1938 – June 24, 2020) was an American political activist and politician in San Francisco. Britt was involved during the late-1960s in the civil rights movement when he was a Methodist minister in Chicago. He was first appoin ...

(1986) * Vivian Shapiro (1985) *

David Goodstein David Louis Goodstein (born April 5, 1939) is an American physicist and educator. From 1988 to 2007 he served as Vice- provost of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he is also a professor of physics and applied physics, as w ...

(1984) * Congressman Bill Green (1983) * Virginia Apuzzo (1983) *

Joel Wachs Joel Wachs (, ; born March 1, 1939) is an American former politician and lawyer. He is the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City. He was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 30 years, where he was k ...

(1982) In addition to the keynote speaker, the dinner often includes other celebrity entertainment. Recent dinners have included such entertainers as

Deborah Cox Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Toronto, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before ...

Kim Petras Kim Petras (born 27 August 1992) is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republ ...

Todrick Hall Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition ''American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a huge following on YouTu ...

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

Dana Goldberg Dana Goldberg (; born March 1, 1979) is an Israeli poet, filmmaker and playwright. Biography Goldberg was born in Herzliya. Her father was a pilot and her mother worked at a bank. As a child, she studied many different creative fields: photogr ...

Mickey Guyton Mickey Guyton (; born Candace Mycale Guyton; June 17, 1983) is an American country music artist. Raised in Texas, Guyton was exposed to various types of music at a young age, and her material subsequently incorporates elements of contemporary cou ...

Leslie Jordan Leslie Allen Jordan (April 29, 1955 – October 24, 2022) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer. His television roles include Beverley Leslie on ''Will & Grace'' (2001–2006 and 2017–2020), several characters on television in ...

Caroline Rhea Caroline Gilchrist Rhea (; born April 13, 1964) is a Canadian actress and stand-up comedian, who is best known for her role as Hilda Spellman on the ABC series ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch''. She has performed numerous comedy specials, including t ...

Robert Gant Robert Gant (born Robert John Gonzalez; July 13, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ben Bruckner on the Showtime series '' Queer as Folk''. Early life and education At age ten, Gant began acting in television commercial ...

Peter Paige Peter Paige (born June 20, 1969) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for his portrayal of Emmet Honeycutt in the gay drama Queer as Folk. His debut as director and writer was on the film ''Say Uncle''. Early life ...

Sharon Gless Sharon Marguerite Gless (born May 31, 1943) is an American actress and author, who is known for her television roles as Maggie Philbin on ''Switch'' (1975–78), Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series ''Cagney & Lacey'' (198 ...

Neil Meron Neil Meron (born October 26, 1955) is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film ''Chicago'' and the 2007 film ''Hairspray''. With partner Craig Zadan he ran the production company Storyline Entertainment until Zadan's death in ...

Craig Zadan Craig Zadan (April 15, 1949 – August 20, 2018) was an American producer and writer. Working alone and with Neil Meron, his partner in the production company Storyline Entertainment, he produced such films as ''Footloose'', ''Chicago'' and ...

Leisha Hailey Leisha Hailey (born July 11, 1971) is an American actress and musician known for playing Alice Pieszecki in the Showtime Networks series ''The L Word'' and '' The L Word: Generation Q''. Hailey first came to the public's attention as a musician ...

Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distin ...

Beth Grant Beth Grant (born September 18, 1949) is an American character actress. Between 2012 and 2017, she was a series regular on the television comedy ''The Mindy Project'' in the role of Beverly Janoszewski. She is also known for her role as Gracie L ...

and

Ross Mathews Ross Mathews (born September 24, 1979) is an American television host and personality. He first rose to fame as an intern and a correspondent for ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''; he was known as "Ross the Intern" on air. Mathews has appeared ...

References

External links

blacktie.org

edupowertainment.com
{{LGBT in Texas LGBT organizations in the United States LGBT events in Texas Culture of Dallas

Mission statement

History

Beneficiaries

Awards

Media Award

Elizabeth Birch Equality Award

Ally for Equality Award

Kuchling Humanitarian Award

Speakers

See also

References

External links