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Have you ever wanted to own a "piece" of some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry? Can you picture Jerry Seinfeld or Martina Navratilova in your bedroom? Would you like to spend time with Oprah Winfrey or David Letterman? How about wearing Rosie O'Donnell's jacket or having dinner with Wilson Cruz?

Don't dream about it, come bid on it at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) Capital Pride Auction to be held on June 7, 1997 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., followed by a live auction at 6:00 p.m. at the Dupont Plaza Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC. More than 300 items will be available for bidding, including photographs donated by celebrities, tickets to television programs and other items like a Hawaiian cruise on Olivia Cruiselines, a Caribbean cruise from OUTthere Tours and Travel and a sterling silver cheese set from Tiffany & Co.

Other star-studded items include donations from singer kd lang, comedian Kate Clinton, and the stars of television's X-Files, Xena: Warrior Princess, and The Simpsons. Local media stars will shine and guests will have the chance to bid on a behind-the-scenes tour of WJLA-Channel 7 and the opportunity to watch a live news broadcast, as well as a chance to tour the WUSA-Channel 9 WeatherCenter followed by dinner with meteorologist, Doug Hill.

After an afternoon of silence, get ready to make some noise! The event also features a live auction with a chance to get in shape, go to the theater and have a big party. Among the items to be auctioned are 1997-98 season theater passes to Washington's Arena Stage, two one-year memberships to Results The Gym, a fully-catered cocktail party for 100 at Cobalt, and a complete set of the popular and hard to find Billy dolls straight from London.

"We have been overwhelmed by the generous outpouring of donations we have received for this event," said Kerry Lobel, NGLTF Executive Director. "The support that local, national and international businesses have given us and the generous donations from nationally-known and local celebrities really reflects the belief in our work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality," she added.

Tickets for the event are $6 and can be purchased in advance by calling Box Office Tickets at 301-738-7073. Tickets will also be sold at the door. The first 1000 guests will receive a free one-week pass to any Washington Sports Club gym. For information or to make a donation, contact the NGLTF Special Events office at 202-332-6483, ext. 3219, via email at auction@ngltf.org, or visit us at http://www.ngltf.org/auction.

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.