Hundreds gather to honor Gigi Gorgeous Getty and Nats Getty, and California Cryobank at home of Joey Gonzalez and Jonathan Rollo in Los Angeles on October 5
LOS ANGELES — Over 400 guests gathered on October 5, 2019 at the home of Joey Gonzalez and Jonathan Rollo to show their support for Family Equality at the 2019 LA Impact Awards. Attendees enjoyed a night of entertainment, moving stories, and celebration of those who make a difference in the fight for legal and lived equality. The event succeeded in raising nearly $700,000 to support Family Equality’s work.
This year Family Equality honored LGBTQ+ activists and digital creators, Gigi Gorgeous Getty and Nats Getty, with the 2019 Murray-Reese Family Award for paving the way for future LGBTQ+ parents everywhere by sharing their experiences as an LGBTQ+ couple via Youtube, a feature-length documentary (This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous), and a book (HE SAID, SHE SAID: Lessons, Stories, and Mistakes from my Transgender Journey). Together, Gigi and Nats fearlessly (and hilariously) share their authentic selves with their nearly 8 million followers, and, in doing so, draw attention to major issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community today. The award was presented by Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese.
“Due to the years of tireless work from those dedicated to making love stories like ours a visible and loud reality in this world, many are able to openly share their wants, desires, and NEEDS of starting a family,” said Gigi Gorgeous Getty. “We need to have access to doctors who specialize in non-discriminatory fertility treatments, resources, and education on the options for LGBTQIA+ people. I can truthfully make that statement based off of Nats’ and my own experience with our own fertility story.”
Nats Getty said: “I’m very happy that Family Equality exists. Despite the current time that we are in as a couple, the experience of pursuing family planning was still incredibly traumatizing for us. We still have a long way to go as a society, but we are grateful for the work this organization has done so that young couples don’t have to go through what we went through. Without people like Gigi who are willing to be vulnerable and tell their stories, progress wouldn’t be made. Living out loud is necessary, and what needs to happen in order to create change.”
Family Equality’s 2019 Corporate Impact Award honored dedicated LGBTQ+ allies California Cryobank. Driven by a belief that love makes a family, California Cryobank has supported LGBTQ+ families on every step of the path to parenthood since 1977. By sponsoring national and local LGBTQ+ events and pioneering efforts to make services accessible for transgender individuals, California Cryobank has helped thousands of LGBTQ+ families when many service providers have turned them away. The award was presented by creator and star of the critically-acclaimed comedy show and podcast, “Don’t Tell my Mother,” Nikki Levy.
“Working with Family Equality to help promote healthy, safe, LGBTQ+ family building across the US is tremendously rewarding,” says California Cryobank Life Science’s Scott Brown. “We are deeply committed to supporting all individuals interested in creating families or preserving their fertility through our frozen gamete programs, as well as advancing equality for all LGBTQ+ families via our partnership with Family Equality.”
Guests were also treated to a musical performance by Cheyenne Jackson as part of an evening program introduced by emcees Alec Mapa and Max Greenfield.
“In any fight for equality, it’s important to stop and celebrate the progress we’ve made. This is what the LA Impact Awards are all about: recognizing those who have been instrumental in our mission,” said The Rev. Stan J. Sloan, CEO of Family Equality. “This year’s honorees have worked tirelessly to ensure that current and future LGBTQ+ families feel seen and supported. Gigi Gorgeous Getty and Nats Getty have courageously shared their family-building journey with an audience of more than 8 million—many of whom are young, LGBTQ+ individuals that will be forming families of their own. California Cryobank has been at the forefront of LGBTQ+ family formation for decades, embracing our community before others in assisted reproductive technology were ready to step up.”
The 2019 LA Impact Awards were chaired by Joey Gonzalez, Lauran Huff, JR McGinnis, Jonathan Rollo, and Victor Self, with honorary chairs, Greg Berlanti and Marcia Gay Harden, and honorary committee, David Collins and Joe Rivas, Cheyenne Jackson and Jason Landau, David Marshall Grant and KC Reischerl, Vanessa and Laura Marano, Becca Tobin-Martin and Zach Martin, and Nick Swisher and Joanna Garcia.
Family Equality gratefully acknowledges the support of the following LA Impact Awards sponsors: (Gold Level) Rose, Sam, Grace, and Hope Swan; (Silver Level) Greenberg Traurig and North Castle Partners; (Bronze Level) MIssion Yoghurt, Modern Family Surrogacy and The David and Stacey Cynamon Family Foundation; (Event Sponsors) Blue Ice, Califia Farms, Donor Concierge, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, La Historia de Nosotros Tequila, LGTBQ Nation, the Murray-Reese Foundation, Paco & Lola, and The Refinery.
Access photos from the event using the following link:
https://assignments.gettyimages.com/v2/share/5f3ad982-185e-462f-aa28-27cf7dc3134e
If you couldn’t attend but would like to celebrate the honorees and support Family Equality’s work, click below to make a donation now:
https://laimpact19.givesmart.com
About Family Equality
Family Equality advances legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families, and for those who wish to form them, through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change. Family Equality believes every LGBTQ+ person should have the right and opportunity to form and sustain a loving family, regardless of who they are or where they live. Learn more at familyequality.org.
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Media Contact:
Ed Harris, Chief Communications Officer
communications@familyequality.org / 646-880-3005 x117