Gay Education

Why are people gay?

Sacramento LGBT Center Lambda Awards Held

I love it when I get to be extra queer. Monday night, the Sacramento LGBT Center, which started in 1978 as the Lambda Community Fund, held its 17th Annual Lambda Awards and I was there in all my gay glory as a guest of Outword Magazine. You can read my interview with kd lang at the link as well. What a great bunch the Outworders are and what a great community resource!

Oh, Henry, how I love some good irony – in 1984, a local MCC pastor sued Rev. Jerry Falwell for defaming MCC. The pastor won and with $5,000 of that money, a new Lambda Community Fund was formed. The Center itself finally opened its doors in 1986. Thank you Jerry Falwell, wherever you are (Uncle Doreen says he’s spending eternity as Rock Hudson’s pool boy), for helping create a safe place for our people.

The important parts of this entire event were to honor those who have made a significant contribution to our community and to raise money for the Center. Wells Fargo donated over $10,000 and bidders more than matched that gift in the auction held last night. The Counseling Center will be the major beneficiary of the fundraising – a program that desperately needed the funds to continue.

My favorite part of the night was when a young man received the first Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Award. Montana Hull was placed in foster care at age 11 – and you don’t end up there because your life has been a bowl of cherries. Between 11 and 14, he had 15 foster homes. He didn’t know if he’d ever find a home and never dreamed that college was in his future. Then, Sierra Adoption Services, which works well with our community youth and foster and adoptive parents, found him a new home with his two new moms. Last night, the now senior in high school said he had kept being gay to himself at each home because he didn’t know if it would be safe. The big day came when he moved in with his moms and he finally got to tell his parents he was gay! Montana is doing great in school, athletics, and student senate, and was accepted by Sacramento State University in the fall. Dreams. We should never give up on them.

Sheila James Kuehl, former California state senator and now head of California’s Integrated Waste Management Board, was also honored for her service to the community. Remember her? Zelda on Dobie Gillis? I’m not a fashion maven, but she wore a lime green jacket, just sayin’.

So, this is me on the right, all hob-knobbing, champagne in hand.