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Inauguration Celebration

GLBT Groups to hold inaugural ball at Mayflower Hotel

by Yusef Najafi
December 10, 2008

A coalition of GLBT-advocacy organizations, including the nation’s largest, the Human Rights Campaign, have announced plans to celebrate Inauguration Day 2009 with a party, ”Out For Equality: The LGBT community commemoration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s Inauguration,” at D.C.’s Renaissance Mayflower Hotel.

”This is the dawn of a new political era of hope and engagement in the life of this country,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, one of the organizations included in the coalition of party organizers. ”A new administration brings a promise for a sea change in the tenor of the national dialogue on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. The Task Force Action Fund is pleased to join others in celebrating the historic election of soon-to-be President Obama.”

Tickets to Out For Equality are $350 until Dec. 17, when the price rises to $375. Beyond the requisite cocktail buffet and open bar, attendees will be treated to an impressive lineup of entertainers. Organizers have tapped lesbian rocker Melissa Etheridge, GLBT-ally and pop icon Cyndi Lauper, dance-floor diva Thelma Houston and gay musician Rufus Wainwright to appear at the event.

The other organizations in the Out For Equality coalition are: the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund & Leadership Institute, PFLAG, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, National Black Justice Coalition, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Freedom to Marry, BiNet USA, DignityUSA, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, Equality Federation, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, National Coalition for LGBT Health, LGBT Community Center of New York, International Federation of Black Prides, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, and the Family Equality Coalition.

The Mayflower Hotel is located at 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW. For tickets, visit www.boxofficetickets.com/outforequality.

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