Jean Smart and Sterling K. Brown honored for their LGBTQ allyship

Although Saturday night’s Human Rights Campaign gala in Los Angeles was briefly interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the annual gala largely stayed on course, serving as a rallying cry of war for Democratic candidates and the LGBTQ+ community.

In addition to the First Lady’s keynote address, Dr. Jill Biden, Jean Smart and Sterling K. Brown were honored with the National Equality Award and the Allied Equality Award, respectively.

Smart has long been associated with series that have had a strong resonance with queer people, including “Hacks,” “Watchmen” and the ’80s sitcom “Designing Women,” which featured one of the first stories about AIDS on television networks.

“They asked me… how I felt about being a gay icon. And I thought, ‘Well, if I’m in the company of Judy, Liza, Bette, Joan, Bette and Cher, then I’m (honored),’ Smart said. “Actually, what did those women have? I think it’s because they told you exactly what they thought and didn’t care, but they always looked fabulous doing it.”

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

“The show took off and moved off-Broadway, where women in the gay community were hungry for a story like this, where they could see themselves in a positive light. And they came to see him six, eight, 10, 12 times and even more,” Smart recalled.

She also talked about a friend of hers who died of AIDS at the worst moment of the crisis. Then, living in Los Angeles, Smart flew to New York to be at her bedside in her final days. He was surprised to discover that his mother refused to come see him and that his beloved little sister had only visited once.

“I sat with him and held his hand,” he said. “He was barely conscious and he was on oxygen. And I really didn’t think he knew I was there. But then I learned from his dear friend that after I left, he whispered to me, ‘I feel so loved.’”

Smart added that “in a world where children starve and die from war, it seems crazy and incomprehensible that any of us should care about another person’s sexuality.”

Brown evoked the importance of HRC’s work in his remarks, drawing connections between civil rights and LGBTQ rights. Brown said her Oscar-nominated role in “American Fiction” was a tribute to her “vibrant, brilliant, black lesbian” aunt, Vera Harris.

“I long for a world where Aunt Vera, and many others like her, are embraced and celebrated for the entirety of their being without exception,” Brown said. “Thanks to movements like the Human Rights Campaign, I believe the world is our oyster. We just have to find the strength to keep fighting forward. And to achieve this, we must recognize the interconnectedness of our struggle. The fight for LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice cannot be seen as separate battles. “They are inextricably intertwined.”

Biden praised HRC while defending her husband’s re-election.

“This is our chapter in history and it is up to us how it ends,” Biden said. “We have risen from the depths of despair with hope, grace and love. Our victories bear witness to that strength. Thanks to President Biden, marriage equality is now the law of the land. He ended the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. He made it possible for trans-Americans to serve openly and honorably in the military. He strongly opposes conversion therapy.”

He also highlighted “victories in the small moments,” such as queer people being able to use the pronouns they choose and walk down the street as themselves.

“Yes, MAGA extremists are trying to erase these hard-won gains, trying to undo all the progress we have made. They want us to be afraid. They want to take away our victories. But we won’t let them. We will fight and we will win – today, tomorrow and every day after – until all people everywhere can live freely surrounded by love. I love you. “Your president loves you.”

After an introduction by his daughter Ashley Biden, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the opening of Dr. Biden’s speech, shouting, “Cease fire now!” Secret Service and security guards at Fairmont Century Plaza quickly removed the disruptors as the audience drowned out chants with “Four more years!” A larger group of protesters also gathered at the entrance to the Fairmont driveway.

Among the stars present was Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family”), who reflected before Variety about its unique place in the history of LGBTQ+ representation on television.

“What’s really touching is that I’m meeting people who are just starting to watch (‘Modern Family’) with their kids again, and new people who are discovering it for the first time,” Ferguson said. “So, I think back to when he was young and didn’t have a program like that. “I am so proud to be able to be there for the children and families who need us now.”

“Ghosts” star Rebecca Wisocky spoke about the importance of using humor to reach and educate a wide online audience about queer issues. “I think our show manages to be a silly comedy and also very subversive with the kind of political inquiries that it manages to include and accusations that it manages to make of the…ghosts in these different time periods,” she said. saying.

Comedian Dana Goldberg led the fundraising portions of the night, raising more than $30,000 in donations on the spot. Goldberg spoke with Variety about the important role HRC plays during an election year.

“I have been working with the organization since 2009,” Goldberg said. “And right now we are politically leading the fight to get people to vote. “We have 64 million equality voters who care about the LGBTQ community and will vote based on that.”

The overall theme of the evening could be surmised by the word “vote,” as virtually every speaker reminded attendees of what is at stake in the 2024 election.

“Now is not the time to become complacent,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. “Now is the time to move forward.”