Jean Good, Sterling, okay. Brown is honored by his LGBTQ alliance

Although Saturday night’s Human Rights Marketing campaign gala in Los Angeles was briefly interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the yearbook largely remained on track, serving as a rallying cry for Democratic candidates and the LGBTQ+ group.

Along with keynote speeches from First Girl Dr. Jill Biden, Jean Good and Sterling Okay. Brown was honored with the Nationwide Equality Award and the Ally for Equality Award, respectively.

Good has long been associated with series that resonated strongly with queer people, including “Hacks,” “Watchmen” and the 1980s sitcom “Designing Ladies,” which featured one of the first stories addressing AIDS on local television.

“I was asked… how I felt about being a homosexual icon. And I thought, ‘Well, if I’m in the company of Judy and Liza and Bette and Joan and Bette and Cher, then I’m (honored),’ Good said. “Actually, what was with these women? I think it’s because they said exactly what they thought and didn’t give a shit, but they always looked fabulous doing it.

Good’s first theater credit in New York was playing a lesbian in the play “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.”

“The show took off and moved off-Broadway, where the women in the homosexual group were hungry for a story like this – where they could see themselves in an optimistic light. And then they came to see it six, eight, 10, 12 times and more,” Good recalled.

She also spoke about a friend of hers who died of AIDS at the height of the crisis. Afterwards, living in Los Angeles, Good flew to New York to be at his bedside in his final days. She was shocked to discover that his mother refused to come back to see him, and his beloved younger sister had only come to visit him once.

“I sat with him and held his hand,” she associated. “He was barely conscious and was on oxygen. And I really didn’t think he knew I was there. But I later found out from his dear friend that when I left, he whispered, ‘I feel so wanted.’

Good added that “in a world where children are starving and dying from battles, it seems crazy and incomprehensible that any of us would want to be involved with another person’s sexuality.”

Brown evoked the importance of the HRC’s work in his remarks, drawing the connections between civil rights and LGBTQ rights. Brown said her Oscar-nominated role in “American Fiction” was a tribute to her “vibrant, no-nonsense, black lesbian” aunt, Vera Harris.

“I long for a world where Aunt Vera, and many others like her, are embraced and celebrated for their entire being, without exception,” Brown said. “Due to actions like the Human Rights Marketing campaign, I believe the world is within our reach. We just need to find the energy to keep fighting. And to do this, we need to recognize the interconnectedness of our battle. The fight for LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice cannot be seen as separate battles. They are inextricably intertwined.”

Biden praised the CDH when defending her husband’s re-election.

“This is our chapter in history and it’s up to us how it ends,” Biden said. “Now we emerge from the depths of despair with hope, with grace, with love. Our victories testify to this energy. Because of President Biden, marriage equality is now the regulation of the country. He ended the ban on homosexual and bisexual men donating blood. He made it possible for trans people to serve shamelessly and honorably in the military. He is firmly opposed to the conversion medicine.”

She also commented on the “victories in the small moments,” like queer people being able to use their chosen pronouns and walk down the street as themselves.

“Yes, MAGA extremists are trying to erase these hard-won positives, trying to undo all the progress we have made. They need us to be afraid. They need to take away our victories. But we will not allow that to happen. We will fight and win – today, tomorrow and the days after – until all people everywhere can live freely surrounded by love. I like you. Your president loves you.”

After a performance by his daughter Ashley Biden, a small group of pro-Palestine protesters interrupted the opening of Dr. Biden’s speech, chanting, “Ceasefire now!” The Secret Service and security guards at the Fairmont Century Plaza quickly eliminated the disruptors as viewers drowned out their screams with “4 extra years!” A larger group of protesters also gathered at the Fairmont’s driveway.

Among the stars present was Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family”), who looked like Selection about her own unique place in the history of LGBTQ+ illustration on television.

“What’s really exciting is that I’m meeting people who are starting to watch (‘Modern Family’) with their kids again, and new people who are seeing it for the first time,” Ferguson said. “So I feel again like I did when I was young and I didn’t have a gift like this. I am very proud to be able to be there for the young people and families who need us now.”

“Ghosts” star Rebecca Wisocky mentioned the importance of using humor to reach and educate the general public about queer issues. “I think Our Present manages to be a silly comedy and also very subversive with the kind of political digs it manages to make and the indictments it manages to make of…ghosts in these various totally different time periods,” she said.

Comedian Dana Goldberg led the fundraising portions of the night, raising more than $30,000 from on-site donations. Goldberg spoke to Selection with regard to the essential role that the HRC performs during an election year.

“I’ve been working with the group since 2009,” said Goldberg. “And we are leading the political fight right now to get people to vote. We got 64 million quality voters who care about the LGBTQ community, and they’re going to vote based on that.”

The overall theme of the evening could be assumed from the word “vote,” as nearly every speaker reminded attendees of what is at stake in the 2024 elections.

“Now is not the time for complacency,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. “Now may be the time to continue moving forward.”