April 30 Equality Gala to honor local change-makers
By Sharon Bishop-Baldwin
Special to The Gayly
(Tulsa) LGBT Oklahomans know that as life changing as marriage equality was, the road to full equality stretches out many miles in front of us. In Oklahoma, a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender employee can be fired just for being LGBT. An LGBT Oklahoman can be denied a mortgage or lease or be evicted just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
These and many other reasons are why we at Oklahomans for Equality have given the theme “The Revolution Continues” to our 2016 Equality Gala and why we think you might find an interesting story or two among our honorees. The Gala is slated for this Saturday, April 30, at the Cox Business Center in downtown Tulsa.
But even as we’re asking our community and donors to sign on to our crusade with their money and their might, we’re going to celebrate, too.
With marriage-equality plaintiffs Mary and Sharon Bishop-Baldwin as our hosts, we’re going to honor The Bama Companies, which has gone above and beyond to keep its transgender workers safe from discrimination on the job.
We’ll pay tribute to the Rev. Todd Freeman of College Hill Presbyterian Church, who came out to his denomination as it struggled with the issue of same-sex marriage in the church. We’re going to honor Megan Sayler of Booker T. Washington High School and Marley Groves of McAlester High School for working to protect their LGBT peers on campus. Marley has even endured death threats because of her advocacy.
In addition, we’ll celebrate former Southeastern Oklahoma State University professor Rachel Tudor, who, with the U.S. Justice Department, is suing the college for firing her after she transitioned from male to female while on the faculty.
We’ll recognize Tulsan Chris Shoaf, who has taken on the bigotry coming from the Oklahoma Legislature while simultaneously educating his community about HIV/AIDS. And we’ll present our Lifetime Achievement Award to Kirk Holt, a Tulsa interior designer whose efforts over three decades have helped ensure that LGBT Tulsans always had a place to call home. (For full profiles of our honorees, click on their names above.)
Oklahomans for Equality operates Tulsa’s Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, the sixth-largest LGBT community center in the world. More than 45,000 people annually – on average more than 400 a day – come through its doors to participate in its 60 to 70 programs or events weekly. On average, 200 calls a day come in to the center’s helpline, and more than 160 volunteers work at the center each week.
OkEq operates on a nearly million-dollar budget, yet we have done all of this without a dime of government funding. The Gala – our biggest revenue source – will be attended by more than 900 people, more than 200 of whom are high school students whose attendance has been funded by generous sponsors.
For more information, contact Oklahomans for Equality Executive Director Toby Jenkins at (918) 742-4397.
Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) seeks equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs, alliances, and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.
The Gayly – April 28, 2016