IVINS – Equality Utah will be hosting its inaugural Equality Celebration this year. The theme is “Building Bridges in Southern Utah.” It recognizes the services rendered by local residents in Southern Utah.
Claudia Bradshaw and Chris McArdle are to be honored for their advocacy of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members in the state and surrounding areas. Also, Southern Utah’s Gay-Straight Alliance will be recognized.
Winn Claybaugh, author of “Be Nice (or Else!)”, will be the keynote speaker of the inaugural event. There is also a dinner, live entertainment, prize drawings and a live auction.
The celebration will be held at the Coyote Gulch Art Village, in Ivins Utah. Guest have been encouraged to make early reservations for the event online at celebration.equalityutah.org. It will start at 5pm on May 21, 2011.
Proceeds from the event are going to be used to forward the campaign of Equality Utah in the Southern regions of the state.
Event co-chairs Linda Stay said, “It is an opportunity to celebrate what the people of Utah have in common: a deep commitment to our families and a broader respect for diversity in our community.”
Equality Utah was started in 2001 as Unity Utah. In 2004 it evolved to become Equality Utah Action Committee and the Equality Utah Foundation. It is the largest LGBT civil rights organization in Utah, and leads political efforts state wide.