Family Equality hosts a star-studded evening of love, equality, family, and inspiration celebrating a decade of marriage equality and honoring champions of change, Jason Weinberg and Merritt Johnson, with a night of celebration, inspiration, and Broadway magic.
New York, NY – Night at the Pier, Family Equality’s signature fundraising gala, returns on Monday, May 12 for an unforgettable evening of celebration, inspiration, and show-stopping Broadway performances. Held at the stunning Pier Sixty in New York City, this annual event brings together LGBTQ+ families, allies, and advocates to honor the changemakers who have fought for equality and shaped a more inclusive world.
This year, entertainment industry powerhouses Jason Weinberg and Merritt Johnson will be honored with the Luigi Caiola Luminary Award which will be presented by Academy Award nominee Demi Moore, Presidential Medal of Freedom Honoree Marlo Thomas, and two-time Grammy Award nominee Debbie Harry. Weinberg and Johnson are steadfast supporters of Family Equality and their continued advocacy and leadership have made a lasting impact, helping to ensure that every LGBTQ+ family has the legal protections, visibility, and support they deserve.
Peggy Gillespie, co-founder/director of Family Diversity Projects, a national nonprofit organization devoted to helping eliminate discrimination, will receive the Hostetter-Habib Family Award presented by renowned choreographer and two-time Tony Award-winner, Bill T. Jones.
The event will also include a celebration of ten years of marriage equality with Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case that ushered in marriage equality, Obergefell v. Hodges.
Of course, no Night at the Pier would be complete without a bit of Broadway magic. The evening will feature breathtaking performances from some of the biggest names on Broadway, continuing a tradition that in past years included talent from The Outsiders, SIX, The Wiz, Kimberly Akimbo, Some Like it Hot, and many more.
“This event is more than a moment. It’s a movement,” said Darra Gordon, CEO of Family Equality. “We are not simply acknowledging the resilience of LGBTQ+ families. We are actively investing in their future. Each story, each song, each dollar is a critical catalyst in a world where our families are not just respected, but where they are guaranteed the full spectrum of legal and social protection, now and for generations to come.”
Honorary Chairs for 2025 Night at the Pier are Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka and Nick Scandalios.The Honorary Committee members are Kristin Caskey, Bruce Cohen and Gabe Catone, John Gore, Kevin Huvane, Jef Kaplan and Amanda Green, Bryan Lourd and Bruce Bozzi, Joe Machota and Michael Russell, Margo and James L. Nederlander, Zac Posen and Harrison Ball, Lauren Reid, Daryl Roth, and Robert E. Wankel.
All proceeds from Night at the Pier support Family Equality’s work to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families nationwide.
- Date: Monday, May 12, 2025, 6-10PM
- Press Call: 5:15PM
- Press RSVP: Lisa Goldberg, lisa@lsgpublicrelations.com
- Location: Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, New York, NY
Download honoree photos for use with the press release.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit familyequality.org/natp.
About our Honorees
Jason Weinberg is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated and Tony award-winning producer, talent manager, and founding partner of Untitled Entertainment — an entertainment management firm representing many of the most talented and successful actors, writers, directors, musicians, athletes and artists around, including recent award winners Michael Arden, Penelope Cruz, Laura Dern, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jane Fonda, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Lange, Bonnie Milligan, Demi Moore, Mike Myers, Leslie Odom, Jr., Zac Posen, Zachary Quinto, Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Sam Rockwell, Molly Ringwald, Benny Safdie, Dominic Sessa, Jean Smart, Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts, Olivia Wilde, and Russell Wilson. After attending Wesleyan University and the London School of Economics, he returned home to New York and began his career in entertainment. Weinberg serves on the board of the Professional Children’s School, Hamptons Doc Fest, The Sag Harbor Cinema, The Hamptons Film Festival, and the President’s Council of Wesleyan University in addition to being a long-term advocate and supporter for Avenues: The World School, Family Equality, and St. Jude’s Research Hospital. He is also known to collaborate on film projects with a close creative partner — his husband, Merritt Johnson.
Merritt Johnson is a producer and screenwriter, best known for writing the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning “Temple Grandin” and the HBO series “In Treatment,” for which he received a Writers Guild Award. In addition to his commitment to Family Equality and St Jude’s, (and being Weinberg’s plus one at his many, many, many events and organizations – see above), Johnson also supports Reading Partners, Hudson Guild, 8 Billion Trees, and a robust TV-binging habit. When he’s not working, writing, or hiding from his kids, Johnson likes to read…in peace. He’s a Gemini and a middle child; You do the math.
Exemplifying Family Equality’s mission by tirelessly advocating for our most marginalized families, Weinberg and Johnson along with their twins, Harry and Jasper, share the belief that everyone deserves to know the unconditional love and belonging of family.
For over 15 years, they have proudly supported Family Equality’s advocacy, education, and storytelling that have made it possible for LGBTQ+ families like theirs to exist. Grateful for the progress made as a community, but acutely aware that progress is fragile and never guaranteed, the Johnson-Weinberg family is unwaveringly dedicated to the movement.
Peggy Gillespie is a journalist and the co-founder/director of Family Diversity Projects, a national nonprofit organization devoted to helping eliminate prejudice, stereotyping, bullying, and harassment of people who are discriminated against through award-winning traveling photo-text exhibits and books that are featured in elementary schools, colleges, libraries, and museums. Their most recent project is Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and their Families. In addition to her work at Family Diversity Projects, Gillespie is a freelance journalist, author, certified social worker, teacher, and performer. She is also a mother to Jay, a role that continues to be an inspiration and joy.
About Family Equality
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.
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Press Contact
Tonya Agnew,
Vice President,
Communications & Marketing
(765) 490-4709 / tagnew@familyequality.org