Press

MEDIA CONTACT:
Inga Sarda-Sorensen
Director of Communications
(Office) 646.358.1463
(Cell) 202.641.5592
isorensen@theTaskForce.org

EVENT CONTACT:
Michael Bath, Special Events Manager
305.571.1924
mbath@theTaskTorce.org

WASHINGTON, July 7 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force announced today that it will present a 2010 National Leadership Award to Tony Award-winning actor and longtime human rights activist Alan Cumming at the 14th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. This major fundraising event, presented by Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company, recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the social, cultural, political and humanitarian needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

"Alan has been an outspoken and tenacious advocate for civil rights and HIV/AIDS causes for over a decade," says Rea Carey, executive director of the Task Force. "He has used his talent and his success to support the LGBT community and to effect real change in the world. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to honor him."

The Task Force announced in April that it would present the 2010 Humanitarian Award to Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson, and the 2010 Eddy McIntyre Community Service Award to Cindy Brown, who has been involved with many South Florida LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations.

The Scottish-born Cumming has enjoyed an eclectic career spanning theatre, film, television, music and even books. He won the Tony, the Drama Desk and the New York Press awards, to name just a few, for his performance as the emcee in the Broadway production of Cabaret in 1998. He has acted in films such as X2: X-Men United, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and the Spy Kids trilogy, and will appear alongside Cher and Christina Aguilera in Burlesque later this year. After filming the mini-series The Runaway in South Africa this summer, he will return this fall to the role of Eli Gold in the CBS show The Good Wife as a series regular.

His activism and passion for various civil rights causes has earned him many humanitarian awards and honors from organizations including the Trevor Project, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Lambda Legal, the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Last year he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the arts and his activism for LGBT rights.

Launched in 1997, the Miami Recognition Dinner quickly cemented its place as the premier event for uniting the community and honoring individuals and organizations for their achievements and efforts in fostering equal rights for LGBT people. Over the past decade, it has become a vital source of funding for organizations serving the LGBT community. Since assuming responsibility for the dinner and its sister event, Winter Party Festival, in 2004, the Task Force has donated close to a million dollars from the proceeds of the two events to the Miami-Dade community.

Information on individual and corporate sponsorship opportunities is available by calling the Task Force's Miami office at 305.571.1924. Tickets are available at www.theTaskForce.org/miami.

To learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, follow us on Twitter: @TheTaskForce.

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and 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.