Liberty Hill Foundation: Change Not Charity

The Liberty Hill Foundation hosted its Upton Sinclair Dinner on May 1 at the Century Plaza hotel and your's truly was there. The lovely and charming Alfre Woodard hosted and I have to say, next to Alec Mapa, the best non profit fundraising host I've seen in a while (Mapa wins out just for wearing full native American drag ala the Village People during the LA Gay & Lesbian Center's fall fundraiser last year.)

Out lesbian former president of HBO Carolyn Strauss presented the Upton Sinclair Awards to David Simon and Ed Burns, the creators of THE WIRE.

Former Paramount head Sherry Lansing presented the Founders Award to out phillanthopist Rick Jacobs, co founder and chairman of Brave New Films.

That's me with California Senator and out lesbian Sheila Kuehl there to the left. Photo credit: Gil Kaan.

The Liberty Hill Foundation partners with innovative and effective Los Angeles grassroots organizations to combat poverty and injustice, and help transform the "City of Angels" into a place that promises safety, equality and opportunity for everyone who lives here. .Since 1976, Liberty Hill Foundation has given away more than $30 million to grassroots community organizations in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Times has called Liberty Hill "the most effective organization of its type in the country."

Executive Director Kafi Blumenfield with Weston Milliken, one of the founders of Queer Youth Fund.
Andre Royo.

The goddess Judith Light with City Council President Eric Garcetti and honoree Rick Jacobs.

Former Paramount head, Sherry Lansing.

Judith Light and Thea Gill.

Socializing after the ceremony.

Our table.

After the ceremony, I spent the rest of the evening in the Plaza bar with some fabulous gay boys who all work in either politics, law or non profit. Other than talking social change, the biggest topic was how fast we'd all be seeing SEX & THE CITY THE MOVIE.



With Darrell and Erik!