Bruce Monroe
Bruce Monroe named Kuchling winner; Tan France, Cecile Richards, Cassie Nova to appear
From Staff Reports
Black Tie Dinner officials this week announced a line-up of actors, singers, an activist and a local drag legend who will all be featured in Black Tie LIVE!, a one-hour special airing Sunday, Oct. 18, from 4-5 p.m.WFAA-TV, the North Texas ABC affiliate.
Black Tie Dinner is the largest LGBTQ fundraising dinner of its kind in the country, and Black Tie LIVE! — Black Tie’s answer to fundraising in a pandemic — is the organization’s very first live TV special. The celebrity lineup includes fashion designer, television personality and author Tan France from Queer Eye, actresses Vicci Martinez and Emily Tarver from Orange is the New Black, actor Erich Bergen from Madam Secretary, activist Cecile Richards and local drag legend Cassie Nova.
The show will also feature performances from pop star Ava Max and local favorite Anton Shaw.
Another highlight of the broadcast will be the presentation of the 2020 Kuchling Humanitarian Award to activist and community leader Bruce Monroe, in recognition of his years of activism for and service to the Dallas LGBTQ community.
“As we continue to work through the challenges of 2020, we are excited to televise a groundbreaking and historic TV special that reflects our mission statement to entertain, educate, and empower our community”, said Jeremy Hawpe, 2020 Black Tie Dinner Co- Chair. “We want viewers to come away from the TV special feeling inspired and ready to make a positive impact on the community.”
Black Tie LIVE!, just like the annual Black Tie Dinner, is at its heart, a community fundraising event. The broadcast, presented by BBVA, along with the Black Tie online auction that goes live Thursday, Oct. 8, the annual raffle for a new car and Black Tie’s innovative virtual peer-to-peer fundraising tool called the Black Tie Dinner Ambassador Program are all combining to help fill the fundraising gap that could have been left when the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of Black Tie’s usual formal dinner. Funds raised this year will be divided among the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and 16 local beneficiaries serving the LGBTQ and HIV communities.
The local beneficiaries are AIDS Outreach Center, AIDS Services of Dallas, Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ, Celebration Community Church, Coalition for Aging LGBT, Equality Texas Foundation, HELP Health Education and Learning Project, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Legacy Counseling Center, Northaven United Methodist Church, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Promise House, Resource Center, Turtle Creek Chorale and Uptown Players.
“The fundraising for our 2020 beneficiaries will continue through the telecast of Black Tie LIVE,” said Brad Pritchett, the other 2020 Black Tie co-chair. “We are hoping to inspire viewers, friends, family, and co-workers to give money directly to these great organizations through our re-imagined television program.”
Black Tie Dinner online auction opens for bidding on Oct. 8 and closes at 10 p.m. on the evening of Oct. 18, five hours after the broadcast continues. North Texas residents can purchase car raffle tickets online for their chance to win a 2020 Mercedes, courtesy of Park Place Motorcars, through 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, the day of the broadcast.
For information on the online auction, on the raffle for the Mercedes Benz, Black Tie LIVE! And the Black Tie Dinner organization, visit BlackTie.org.
