Patti LaBelle, left, Dustin Lance Black, right.
Among those who will be entertaining us this weekend at Dallas’ Black Tie Dinner will be two entertainment icons with very different backgrounds: R&B legend Patti LaBelle and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. But each in his or her way has had a significant impact on the gay community.
So for this special edition of Show vs. Show, we decided to figure out what they will bring to the table during their appearances: LaBelle as the featured entertainment, and Black at the featured speaker.
Patti LaBelle
Gay rights activism : Minority AIDS Council, African-American and Hispanic Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS, and many other campaigns
How bright does this star shine?: at No. 95).
Career arc: “Lady Marmalade’ by her band LaBelle released in 1974.
Awards cred : Won 1992 Grammy for best female R&B vocal performance for Burnin’.
Stage presence: Appeared on Broadway with Your Arms Too Short to Box with God and Fela!
What about their closets?: As a true diva, Patti has a fabulous closet.
Deets: Featured entertainment at Black Tie Dinner on Saturday.
Dustin Lance Black
Gay rights activism: Advocates for LGBT equality as a founding member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, active with marriage equality and The Trevor Project.
How bright does this star shine?: The Advocate named DLB it its 40 Under 40 list of influential gays (at No. 1).
Career arc: DLB was born in 1974.
Awards cred : Won 2008 Oscar for best original screenplay for Milk.
Stage presence: Wrote the celebrity-filled play 8, about the trial to overturn California’s Proposition 8.
What about their closets?: Wrote about closeted FBI director in 2011 film J. Edgar.
Deets: Featured speaker at the Black Tie Dinner on Saturday
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition November 1, 2013.