Cimarron’s annual Gala promises fun, pride, and recognition

The goal of Cimarron Alliance Equality Center’s annual LGBT History Month Gala is to keep people entertained and proud of being part of the central Oklahoma LGBT community. This year’s Gala is Friday, October 24, at Oklahoma City’s Remington Park. Festivities begin at 6:30pm. This is a new venue for the event; it has outgrown past locations and presents the opportunity for a larger and more entertaining evening.

The program has been trimmed down, entertainment has been added, and for the first time, there will be dancing after the dinner, awards presentations, and live auction. The award presentations are, for most, the highlight of the evening. Scott Hamilton, Executive Director of Cimarron, praised the winners for their dedication to the LGBT community.

The Community Ally Award is going to Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers, the Senior Pastor at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ. “Robin has been absolutely steadfast in his support for equality….He has never slowed his resolve in support of the LGBT community,” said Hamilton.

The Horizon Award is presented to a younger person who has exhibited strong leadership and will continue to grow. This year’s winner is Kiki Pierce, a student at UCO. Pierce served as an officer of the Student Alliance for Equality (SAFE), and is the first female to be the Student Body President. Hamilton praised Pierce, saying, “Kiki is a proven leader on campus and off, very energetic in her advocacy work for equality, for LGBT folks, and for women’s rights. Really a shining star.”

The Volunteer of the Year is Bob Rogers, a volunteer at the Equality Center. Hamilton noted the hundreds of hours of work Rogers has given the Center, saying, “Bob has done so much in the Center in terms of social media, building a new website, integrating DBA with Cimarron, and streamlining our processes to membership. I’m delighted that he’s winning this year’s Volunteer of the Year Award.”

The organization’s Excellence in Media award goes to The Gayly. The award recognizes “the paper’s ongoing support of the community, and for providing news that’s not available other places. The Gayly shows a real responsiveness to the needs of LGBT Oklahomans,” said Hamilton.

The Gala’s premier award is the Lifetime Achievement Award. This year’s award goes to Don and Kay Holladay of Norman. Hamilton listed the couple’s achievements. “Kay has been active in Norman’s PFLAG, as well as nationally, and is now a regional coordinator for the organization. Kay and Don have been strong advocates since they learned they have a gay son, and have touched many lives. They each contribute so much on their own, but when you bring them together, you see the full force of what they have done.

“Don is the lead attorney on the Oklahoma marriage equality case, Bishop v. Oklahoma. His statesman-like conduct throughout the case has really been noticed throughout the country. He has never resorted to anything except the notion that equality belongs to everyone.”

The selection process for the awards changed this year. Cimarron solicited nominations from the community, fir the first time. Hamilton elaborated, “The best thing we ever could have done was to enlist recommendations from the community, because it has created a lot more visibility for individuals who are doing good work in the community, but may not be apparent to everyone.”

“It’s going to be a fun night,” said Hamilton of the Gala. “Our goal is to keep people entertained and to have everyone walk out of there with a better understanding of what Cimarron is doing for the community, and to feel really proud to be part of the LGBT community. It’s going to be a big crowd, and a fun evening.”

The annual LGBT History Month Gala is Cimarron’s major fundraising event for the year. 2013’s Gala raised $68,000, a record for the organization. Hamilton wouldn’t name a target for this year, but hopes it will be even bigger, given the new venue and higher attendance. He said that they have already received a lot of table sponsorships.

“I can’t stress enough how important table sponsorships are. We are at a critical juncture now in terms of fundraising, so we are very grateful to our table sponsors and our individual sponsors.”

The remainder of Cimarron’s funding comes from individual giving, and grants. They have accelerated their grant writing, and have several proposals out for consideration.

Tickets to the Gala are available by visiting http://www.equalityokc.org/gala/

Asked about the Equality Center’s achievements this year, Hamilton stressed that the year has solidified their direction going forward. He noted that when the center opened, they had one event a week on their calendar. Now they have programming six, and often seven, days a week. He is particularly proud of the Center’s programming for transgender persons, noting groups for Trans people 16 to 35, a new group for those over 35, and a forming support group for spouses of transgender persons.

He also commented on their Straight Up Real Talk program, which began as a discussion about racial issues in the community, but has expanded so successfully that the program is used as a model for other programs.

Hamilton praised the organization’s board, and the number of people eager to serve on it. They have identified the needs of the board, and are now looking for people with professional skills and experience to fill those needs. Elections to positions on the board will be in December.

by Rob Howard, Associate Editor

The Gayly – October 21, 2014 @ 9:00 am