Fall Dinner Advisory 081909

Press Contacts: Stephanie Berger (212) 627-0305, cell (480) 2063543 Josh Meltzer (212) 627-0305, cell (646) 660-2787

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer to speak and Hathaway family to be honored at Empire State Pride Agenda’s NYC Fall Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 22 Additional guests include Margaret Cho and Alan Cumming Who:

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer - Keynote Speaker The Hathaway Family - Anne Hathaway, Gerald & Kate Hathaway, Thomas Hathaway and Michael Hathaway & Joshua Lawson - Recipients of the 2009 Douglas W. Jones Leadership Award Margaret Cho - Emcee Alan Cumming, with Lance Horne leading the band - Special Performance State and Local Elected Officials Other Celebrity Guests

Where:

Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street, NYC

When:

Thursday, October 22, 2009 Reception: 5:30 pm Dinner & Program: 7 pm

To inquire about press credentials, call Stephanie Berger or Josh Meltzer at 212-627-0305. No one will be admitted to the event without prior approval.

New York City, October 2009 – U.S. Senator from New York Charles Schumer will deliver the keynote address and the Hathaway family will be honored with the Douglas W. Jones Leadership Award at the Empire State Pride Agenda’s Fall Dinner in New York City on October 22. The Empire State Pride Agenda is New York’s statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization. Proceeds from the dinner support the Pride Agenda’s ongoing advocacy and education work. “We are thrilled to have our senior Senator from New York, Charles Schumer—who proves that legislators can and do listen to our community and care about our issues—speaking at the Fall Dinner

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this year. We’re also very excited to be honoring the Hathaway family, whose active support of our community demonstrates the importance of family in our movement,” said Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of the Pride Agenda. “Our community has worked tremendously hard this year, and we look forward to celebrating this work with more than a thousand of our dedicated friends and allies.” Comedian and actress Margaret Cho will emcee the evening’s program. Actor and singer Alan Cumming will also give a special performance. With more than 1,000 guests expected at the Sheraton Hotel, the event is one of the nation’s largest LGBT fundraisers. Past speakers have included President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Governor Paterson, Governor Spitzer, Governor George E. Pataki, Senator Hillary Clinton, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Governor Mario Cuomo, Governor Ann Richards, and U.S. Senators Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold. * * * * Founded in 1990, the Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide civil rights organization committed to achieving full equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers and our families. The Pride Agenda fights for these objectives by: educating the public, elected officials and policymakers; building coalitions and mobilizing allies; and, organizing and empowering the LGBT community.