More than 2,000 attend Black Tie Dinner

More than 2,000 guests attended the 44th Annual Black Tie Dinner at the Sheraton Dallas on Saturday night, Nov. 8. The dinner, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ fundraiser, provided “a powerful evening of solidarity, celebration and commitment to equality,” organizers said, adding that “the event’s significance was underscored today (Monday, Nov. 10) as the Supreme Court declined to revisit marriage equality, affirming the landmark decision championed by Black Tie Dinner’s keynote speaker” and Equality Award recipient, Jim Obergefell.

Obergefell was the named plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges, the lawsuit that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling making marriage equality the law of the land.

Obergefell, in his keynote speech, said, “Young queer kids are growing up in a world where their right to marry is part of everyday life, a choice they may one day make. “I think about the closeted queer kids who, in Obergefell v Hodges, found a reason to not take their own lives. Because of marriage equality, they could suddenly see a future that — for once — included them.”

Obergefell ended his address Saturday night with the reminder that, “Yet here we are, 10 years later, worried about the right to marry the person we love.” Today’s announcement from the Supreme Court allayed those concerns somewhat, but, as Lambda Legal’s Kevin Jennings stressed, we can’t assume the fight is over.

Centered around the theme “Still We Rise,” Black Tie Dinner “raised critical funds to benefit 20 local nonprofit organizations and national beneficiary The Human Rights Campaign Foundation. A final tally of funds will be announced at a fund distribution event on Dec. 18.

Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project and a former Dallas resident, was presented with Black Tie Dinner’s  Kuchling Humanitarian Award on Saturday night, recognizing “their transformative work supporting LGBTQ+ youth in crisis,” according to a Black Tie Dinner press release on Monday, which noted that under Black’s leadership, The Trevor Project has expanded its reach and impact, providing life-saving resources.

“This award, it’s not only about me. It is about them,” too,” Black said, indicating with a sweep of their arm the LGBTQ+ youth who had stepped out to line the stage behind them. “It’s about the collective choice: Do we choose to protect our most vulnerable young people, or do we look away?

“These young people represent the growing population of LGBTQ+ youth in this country, who need to know their LGBTQ+ elders and allies have their backs now, more than ever before,” Black said.

The evening’s line-up of speakers included U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from a Southern state, who opened the program to a standing ovation, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a fierce advocate for civil rights and social justice who delivered a powerful address.

“Let’s be clear: The real story isn’t just in the numbers; it’s in the spirit that fuels them, [in] the belief that even when times are hard, ‘Still We Rise,’” said Crockett. “When I look around this room, I see people who have turned pain into power.”

Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, also spoke at the dinner, stressing the continued importance of visibility, advocacy, and community strength in advancing LGBTQ+ rights across the nation.

“The truth is cowardice has shown itself to be contagious, but I came here to tell you that courage is contagious too,” Robinson said. “So tonight, I want to remind you that we are not without hope, and we are certainly not without power. That’s how we win — by showing up for one another again and again.”

Additional featured speakers included Carl Nassib, the NFL’s first openly gay active player; acclaimed actor Brian Michael Smith of 9-1-1: Lone Star and Queen Sugar and Dallas-born singer-songwriter and actress Hayley Orrantia. Award-winning Dallas-based actress and singer Denise Lee opened the Dinner with a powerful performance of “Rise Up,” and the band Extended Play performed throughout the night.

The 44th annual Black Tie Dinner marked a first for the organization: It was the first time the event has been chaired by two women (and not just two women, but two women of color), the first time one of the co-chairs has been a straight ally, and the first time one of the co-chairs has been a Black woman. Senior co-chair is Liliana Villarreal and junior co-chair is Deirdre Coleman.

“It is not lost on us what this moment means — not just for us, but for every young person, every woman, every person of color and every LGBTQ+ person who’s ever wondered if they belong in leadership,” said Coleman.

Villarreal emphasized the evening’s theme, saying, “This past year has not been easy, but, through it all, we have remained resilient, which shows the true meaning of our theme tonight, “Still We Rise.” This community will not stop trying. I will never stop trying as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.”

A highlight of the evening was the raffle featuring a $50,000 credit toward a luxury vehicle at Park Place Motorcars Dallas, Park Place Porsche, or Park Place Volvo, made possible through the longstanding 17-year partnership with Park Place Motorcars Dallas.

The 45th Annual Black Tie Dinner will take place on Nov. 14, 2026. For more information, visit blacktie.org.