William Way LGBT Community Center’s 17th-annual gala will honor Stonewall 50 with the theme of “Activism!” Celebrating the contributions of LGBTQ pioneers, the event will focus on those made by Black and Brown trans women and femmes while bringing together 280 business and community leaders, artists, activists, friends and neighbors.
The nonprofit’s Director of Grants and Events Erin Busbee said choosing the theme for this year’s event began after the end of the 2018 event, when Stonewall 50 was already in the minds of members of the LGBTQ community.
“It got the wheels turning,” she said, “around how we could highlight Philadelphia as opposed to New York and the great things we’ve done here to push forward LGBTQ rights and access … and highlighting, as with Stonewall, how many of these movements have been charged and led by trans women of color and how that part of our community still faces a lot of barriers within larger society and our community.”
Busbee said she doesn’t believe trans and femme women of color have been celebrated enough or identified for the work they’ve done. This year, William Way wanted to recognize these folks for their “activism and their inability to step back from that role because they are constantly fighting for their identities and survival.”
On Oct. 12 at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Hamilton Building, William Way hopes to raise $80,000-100,000 to “increase programming and our ability to work within our community. Events like this for us, allow us to raise unrestricted funds,” said Busbee. Last year’s donations exceeded $70,000.
Funding for nonprofits often comes in the form of restricted funds, which are program-specific or assigned for a particular purpose. Unrestricted funds from the gala go toward operations necessary to keep the building open, “so that we can really continue to do the good work and have people in here to run the center,” said Busbee. She added that this year’s funds, relative to keeping with the theme, will also go toward developing resources for the transgender community.
The black-tie-optional gala includes a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres and a three-course seated dinner, followed by live entertainment and dancing. Performers include DJ Delish, photographer Shanel Edwards, and Kemar Jewel and Xcel Dance Crew, along with a “surprise” guest.
While tickets are $250, Busbee said each year organizers try to bring in LGBTQ performers and give them exposure to a new audience. While the event is a fundraiser, the nonprofit’s team does its best to integrate community by giving “exposure to younger and newer artists. Anyone who reads about this or knows anyone, we’d love to get new people and faces into our events.”
At the gala, William Way will give out several awards. The Humanitarian of the Year award is going to local LGBTQ pioneers Tom Wilson Weinberg and John Whyte, who “have been great supporters of the center and have done so much within the community,” according to Busbee.
Philly Black Pride will receive the Community Partner Award, marking the organization’s 20th anniversary. Catering company Aramark nabbed the Business Partner Award for being a longtime supporter of the Center, both monetarily and with volunteer efforts, Busbee said. The Leadership Champion Award goes out to Klay Fennell from Comcast, “who has just been a great ally to the community, but outside of our community does refugee work, immigrant work — really lays the groundwork trying to better our community or support anyone in need,” Busbee added.
Kendall Stephens, cofacilitator of the center’s TransWay program, will receive the Community Service Award for doing “so much work within the trans community.” The final honor, the John J.Wilcox, Jr., Leadership and Service Award, will be given to William Way board members Anh Dang and Bob Lenahan.
Busbee said the organization is looking forward to “having an exciting evening” centered around Black and Brown trans women and femmes.
”[We’re] honoring who they have been to the LGBTQ movement, to one another in this fight, and looking at the people who have really gotten us to where we are,” Busbee added.
For more information, visit https://indigoball2019.eventbrite.com