National LGBTQ Task Force to honor Billy Eichner at its Miami Beach gala on October 23
Activist and entertainment icon will receive the 2021 National Leadership Award for his efforts to encourage voting in the 2018 midterms.
The National LGBTQ Task Force will honor activist and entertainment icon Billy Eichner with the 2021 National Leadership Award at the 25th edition of the National LGBTQ Task Force Gala on Saturday, October 23, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Eichner recently began shooting BROS, which will premier in theaters next summer, making him the first openly gay man to write, star in, and produce a comedy for a major Hollywood studio. He is also set to star in and produce Man in the Box, a biopic based on the life of TV icon Paul Lynde.
Eichner was among six out entertainment professionals chosen to appear on the cover of Variety‘s inaugural “Power of Pride” issue in June 2019, where he used the platform to shine a light on homophobia in the entertainment industry.
In addition to calling out homophobia within the industry, Eichner is being honored for his efforts to engage voters in the 2018 midterm elections. That year, Eichner launched “Glam Up the Midterms,” a get-out-the-vote campaign for which he recruited celebrities and activists from across the country to encourage people to vote. More recently, he was a senior advisor to Swing Left, an organization committed to building a lasting culture of grassroots participation and engagement for voters on the political left, ahead of the 2020 election.
Also being honored this year at the gala is local hero Robin J. Schwartz, who will be presented the 2021 Eddy McIntyre Community Service Award. Schwartz, an activist and community leaders who has served in multiple roles, has championed the advancement of LGBTQ women, homeless youth, trans individuals, and other marginalized communities. Following George Floyd’s murder last year, she obtained funding for and pushed many of South Florida’s LGBTQ organizations to receive anti-racism training to better address issues of racial inequity and inequality.
The National LGBTQ Task Force Gala will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the newly renovated Grand Ballroom at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and will feature food and drinks, a silent auction, live entertainment, an awards ceremony, and an after-party.
Proceeds from the gala will support the Task Force’s “All of Me, All the Time” campaign, a nationwide effort to educate elected officials and the general public about the importance of passing federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, as well as The Miami Foundation’s LGBTQ Community Fund, which provides grants to local South Florida community service organizations.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendees of the gala will be required to submit proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 72 hours of the event. Guests will also be asked to sign a liability waiver prior to check-in and will have their temperature checked upon arrival.
For more information on the National LGBTQ Task Force Gala, visit www.thetaskforcegala.org.
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