The Paley Center for Media today announced additional support for previously announced Paley Center L.A. Gala Benefit celebrating Television’s Impact on LGBT Equality in Los Angeles on November 12th. Portia de Rossi, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sean Hayes, Norman Lear, and NBA player Jason Collins are among the stellar lineup of talent that will present at this year’s special event. ESPN joins as Co-Chair, alongside previously announced Co-Chairs Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Hearst Corporation, and Viacom & Paramount Pictures.
The annual Los Angeles gala will celebrate the critical role television has played in the issue of LGBT equality over six decades, marking the launch of an expanded LGBT media collection, including key highlights such as 1972’s groundbreaking TV movie That Certain Summer; landmark news and public affairs programs including Larry Kramer on Donahue in 1982 and the documentary How to Survive a Plague; and key episodes of All in the Family, Will & Grace, The Real World, Queer As Folk, Glee, Orange is the New Black and more, chronicling the history of LGBT images in the medium. The fundraising event will recognize television’s impact on LGBT equality, and celebrate the trailblazing work by networks, studios, producers, series, and other creative talents across the media landscape that have made a significant impact on our culture and society. The event is set for November 12, 2014, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and will benefit the Paley Center’s public, industry, and education programs.
New donors include Gala Committee Members A+E Networks, Tie The Knot, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Accenture, Neal Baer, M.D., Creative Artists Agency, William Morris Endeavor, United Talent Agency, and NHL Foundation, plus additional support from Lionsgate and The David Geffen Foundation. Previously announced supporters include AMC Networks, CBS/Showtime Networks, Disney/ABC Television Group, HBO, Interpublic Group, Shine America, 21st Century FOX, and World of Wonder Productions.
The Paley Center is also pleased to have the support of acclaimed organizations such as GLAAD, the nation's only LGBT media advocacy organization that has worked for decades to make television more inclusive of the LGBT community. "As we continue to strive for more inclusive programming, it's important to recognize the groundbreaking images and stories that have reshaped the way millions of television viewers think about equality," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "The Paley Center for Media is doing critical work to preserve those images for generations to come."
As part of its mission, The Paley Center for Media plays a critical role in preserving, exploring, discussing, and interpreting key issues as they appear in media. The LGBT Collection is one of many special collections that comprise the more than 160,000 programs in the curated archives of the Paley Center in Los Angeles and New York, accessible to educators, scholars, media creators, and the general public.
For information about tables or tickets for the November 12th gala benefit please contact Suzy Dyer at 310.786.1062 or sdyer@paleycenter.org. Additionally, those not able to attend in person may also support the event and the efforts to preserve and expand the LGBT Collection within the Paley Center’s archive, and can do so by donating online at: http://paley.me/lgbt-donate.
