Equality Florida Tampa Gala

Everyone in the Tampa Bay community is invited to Equality Florida’s annual Tampa Gala, presented by PNC Bank. It will be held on Saturday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m., and this year the venue for the gala will be TPepin’s Hospitality Centre (4121 N. 50th Street).

The Tampa Gala is Equality Florida’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and TPepin’s Hospitality Centre, beautiful and luxurious, offers a spacious floor plan and more room than galas in years past, meaning even more people can celebrate our successes and support Equality Florida.

At the Gala, there will be cocktails and hors d’oeuvres catered and served by Puff ‘n Stuff, live entertainment featuring songs by Jurika and Anthony Hamilton on the harp, DjCK playing music you can dance to, a silent auction exclusively featuring various works of art, and a program that will underscore just how far Florida has come in the past year with regard to LGBT rights. A “State of the State” Address will be given by Equality Florida’s Chief Executive Officer, Nadine Smith, to commemorate the occasion.

This year’s Voice for Equality honoree at the Tampa Gala is Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner. The only member of the LGBT community currently sitting on the County Commission, Kevin Beckner has helped right many wrongs that the Commission had made in years past.

In 2014, he helped overturn the ban on gay pride in Hillsborough County, which had been on the books for nine years. He also helped bring a domestic partnership registry to Hillsborough County and championed the cause of adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the county’s non-discrimination ordinance. The Voice for Equality Award is given to a person who “with courage, passion, and unwavering commitment, moves us closer to full equality.” Commissioner Beckner, throughout his career, has been a tireless advocate for equality.

Tickets are on sale right now and cost $125 per person. Please RSVP by calling (813) 870-3735 or go to eqfl.org/tampagala. Sponsorship opportunities exist and start at $500; for more information, contact Jaclyn at jaclyn@eqfl.org.

Hotspots Media Group is proud to be a sponsor of the Equality Florida Tampa Gala. For more information about Equality Florida, visit eqfl.org.