(MIAMI, FL – MARCH 7, 2024) The National LGBTQ Task Force announces initial plans for its 2024 Gala, which will tentatively be held on October 19 in Miami Beach. The Gala is the premier annual national celebration in South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community and serves as a night for LGBTQ+ people and allies to unite as a community, honor local heroes of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and support the work of advancing equality for all LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Former Task Force Board Co-Chair Roger Thomson and SAVE advocate Jim Tyrrell will receive the 2024 Eddy Mcintyre Community Service Award, an honor received by those who share generous contributions to the South Florida LGBTQ+ community through their time, talent, and treasure. Advocates deserving of this award have volunteered their time to community programs, applied their talent in service to the community, and offered the treasure of their personal contributions to local organizations.
“It was a unanimous decision from our staff and board to honor Jim and Roger. These two… have given everything – from their time to their souls — to the LGBTQ+ community,” shared Task Force Executive Director Kierra Johnson at a reception held during the recent Winter Party Festival. “Jim and Roger’s generosity has helped beat back discriminatory policies and legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ people and enabled the community to continue thriving and reaching for full liberation. We cannot think of anyone more deserving of this honor.”
Jim Tyrrell and Roger Thomson are a beloved fixture in the South Florida community. Coupled since 1999, the two have dedicated themselves to supporting the LGBTQ+ movement locally. Thomson served on the LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee for the City of Miami Beach, the Board of Miami Pride, and the LGBTQ+ Community Fund Committee at the Miami Foundation. They are also members of SAVE, SAGE, and Equality Florida and supporters of Pridelines and myriad other South Florida LGBTQ+ community organizations.
For live updates leading up to the 2024 National Task Force Gala, follow the Task Force’s socials listed below:
About the National LGBTQ Task Force:
The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ+ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. These barriers must go. That’s why the Task Force is training and mobilizing millions of activists across our nation to deliver a world where you can be you. For more information, go to https://www.thetaskforce.org
Media Contact
Cathy Renna, Communications Director, National LGBTQ Task Force
