James Pearse Connelly and Wallie Wachter to receive Family Equality’s Visibility Award at a 1980s themed fundraising gala in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, CA — Grab the hairspray. Turn up the synth. Find your best shoulder pads. Family Equality’s Night OUT is going back to the 1980s on Saturday, November 14 for an evening celebrating LGBTQ+ families, community, visibility, and the people helping shape a more inclusive future – all while raising funds to fuel the organization’s mission. 

Expect big hair, big hits, and a big night that starts with a cocktail hour at a 1980s themed speakeasy – Break Room 86 at The LINE Hotel Los Angeles – with vintage arcade games and private karaoke suites and then moves into the ballroom for high-energy 80s covers by glam rock band, Apocalypse Noir. 

The evening will also shine a spotlight on two people who know something about creating worlds worth watching: James Pearse Connelly and Wallie Wachter, this year’s Family Equality Visibility Award honorees. 

Connelly and Wachter have spent their careers behind some of television and streaming’s most recognizable stories. An Emmy Award-winning production designer, art director, and set decorator, Connelly has helped create the visual worlds of The Voice, Top Chef, and The Kids Are All Right. He is also the founder and CEO of Studio Connelly, a creative design house whose work spans entertainment and lifestyle brands.

As a production executive at Netflix for more than a decade, Wachter has shepherded global series including Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, You and I Will Find You from idea to screen.

And then there’s the part that makes this honor especially personal: Connelly and Wachter are married fathers of two children. 

“Building our family took so much time, resources, financial commitment, and navigation through a legal maze that looked different depending on the state,”  Wachter and Connelly shared. “We feel incredibly fortunate to have the family we do, but we also know that LGBTQ+ parents can still find themselves having to fight to be recognized as equal parents in the eyes of the law. Cases like St. Mary v. Roy are a reminder that these deeply personal questions are still being decided in real time for families just like ours.

“Working in television, we know firsthand just how much visibility matters. Family Equality is doing the important work of making sure our families are not only seen and heard, but have the resources, support and advocacy they deserve.”

Connelly and Wachter know what it means to look for your family in the stories being told and what it means when you find it. Through their work and their visibility in entertainment, they are helping make more room for LGBTQ+ families and more space for authentic family stories to be seen.

“At a time when empathy feels in short supply, James and Wallie build worlds where everyone belongs,” said Darra Gordon, CEO of Family Equality. “They also know, as LGBTQ+ parents, how powerful it is to see your own family reflected in those worlds. Their talent has entertained millions of people, but their commitment to authentic representation can reach even further. We’re thrilled to celebrate them and the visibility they’re creating for LGBTQ+ families.”

Connelly and Wachter join a stellar list of past award recipients that includes Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita, Bruce Cohen, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Jason Bolden and Adair Curtis.

Long-time Family Equality supporters, entertainment industry icons, and dear friends of Connelly and Wachter, Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese shared the following:  

“James and Wallie represent a new generation of LGBTQ parents who by living their lives openly and honestly are changing attitudes and building allies in the greater community.  They also see the need at the local level for more connection between LGBTQ families and are working with Family Equality to make that happen.” 

There are a limited number of red carpet media passes available. To cover the event, contact:

Family Equality is creating a world where everyone can experience the love, safety, and belonging of family. As the leading national organization for current and future LGBTQ+ families, we work to ensure that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing LGBTQ+ equality through advocacy, resources, storytelling, and education.

###