13th Annual Human Rights Campaign Dinner to Honor Judy and Dennis Shepard

Dinner Will Also Feature Special Appearances by Lady Gaga and the cast of the New Hit Show “Glee”; Performance by Hair’s Gavin Creel

WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, recently announced the programmatic line-up for its 13th Annual National Dinner to be held on Saturday, October 10th in Washington, D.C.

The Human Rights Campaign unveiled details for this year’s National Dinner that will feature the first-ever Edward M. Kennedy National Leadership Award which will be presented to Judy and Dennis Shepard. The award is named in honor of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), a champion in the fight for LGBT equality. This will be an annual award handed out at HRC’s National Dinner which will be presented to a unique and valued leader in the fight for LGBT equality.

Special appearances this year include: Lady Gaga, an international singer-songwriter sensation, whose debut album The Fame swept the world by fire and the cast from the new hit comedy, Glee. Additionally, two-time Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel, who is currently starring on Broadway in the role of Claude in the Tony Award winning production of Hair, is also set to perform.

The National Dinner will be held in the Washington Convention Center. More than 3,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will be chaired by Anna Prow and Tucker Gallagher. In addition to the line-up already announced, the dinner will also feature a silent and live auction and a raffle drawing for a new 2010 Lexus HS 250H Hybrid.

WHAT: Human Rights Campaign Thirteenth Annual National Dinner

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 10th, 2009

WHERE: Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, D.C.

WHO:

--Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign

--Judy and Dennis Shepard, Recipient of the Edward M. Kennedy National Leadership Award

--Lady Gaga, International Singer-Songwriter

--The Cast of Glee, the new hit comedy

--Gavin Creel, two-time Tony nominated Broadway actor currently starring in Hair

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036 United States