Tag Archives: good work

Massachusetts Businessman Donates $100M To AIDS Research

A straight married tech exec in MA is giving one of the largest private donations to AIDS research in world history. A Massachusetts businessman has donated $100 million to fund research into the development of an AIDS vaccine, according to Massachusetts General Hospital, which received the gift. Phillip T. Ragon, provider of the gift, is the chief executive of a …

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Chesley Sullenberger

Chesley Sullenberger, 57, the pilot of the plane that crashed into the Hudson River yesterday, accomplished something never done in over 50 years of commercial aviation. When he brought his Airbus 320 to an as-perfect-as-possible landing, it was the first ever non-fatal emergency ditching for a passenger jetliner. Often, one of the wingtips will graze the water and cause the …

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UK: AIDS Charity Head Given Knighthood

Nick Partridge, the head of UK’s oldest HIV/AIDS charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust, was knighted yesterday. A leading UK HIV campaigner who has strived to transform attitudes towards HIV/Aids and to the role of gay men and women in society has been knighted. Nick Partridge, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, was recognised for his 20-year service to healthcare. …

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Guest Post – Carl Siciliano
Executive Director, Ali Forney Center

Christmas is a bittersweet time for me. Ali Forney was murdered on the streets of New York City in December of 1997. He was the seventh homeless LGBT kid I knew who had been killed on the streets between 1994 and 1997. In those days there was no shelter for LGBT kids in New York City. The only youth shelter …

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Jingle 2008

On Thursday night, Aaron and I attended Jingle 2008, the fifth annual holiday fundraising party for the Ali Forney Center, NYC’s shelter for homeless LGBT youth. Held at the lovely Meatpacking District loft of David Raleigh and Richard Bahl, the party brought out a nice crowd of Gotham’s homorati including pop star Ari Gold, Tony winner B.D. Wong, gossip maven …

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Richard Burns To Leave NYC LGBT Center

Richard Burns, the longest-serving head of any LGBT organization in the United States, is resigning after 22 years as executive director of the NYC LGBT Community Center. Via press release: Richard Burns, Executive Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City, has announced his departure from the Center. The longest serving leader of an …

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Guest Post – Carl Siciliano
Executive Director, Ali Forney Center

At the Ali Forney Center we work hard to provide a holiday season of joy for the homeless LGBT youth who come to us for help. Many of our kids find this season challenging; it’s getting colder outside, and they really feel the pain of being rejected by their families during a time that so emphasizes family togetherness. We try …

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Ali Forney Center Holiday Giving

Please click the box at the top of my far right ad column and consider making a holiday donation to the Ali Forney Center, NYC’s homeless shelter for LGBT youth. In addition to accepting cash donations online, the Ali Forney Center has a lengthy list of desperately needed everyday items such as socks, underwear, toiletries, cleaning supplies, new and “gently …

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Real Bad Donates $160K

The staff of the 20th anniversary Real Bad party held their check presentation ceremony last night where they donated a record-setting $160,000 to five LGBT charities: AIDS Legal Referral Panel, GLBT Historical Society, Dimensions Clinic, openhouse, and The Positive Care Center at UCSF. Real Bad is the fantastic closing night party of the Folsom Street Fair put on by Grass …

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Today: Double Your Donation To Prop 8 With The Help Of Tim Gill

Tim Gill, the founder of software giant Quark and gay social network Connextion, has made a $100K matching donation to No On 8. Gill said “Proposition 8 needs all of our support to be defeated and protect marriage for gays and lesbians not just in California, but across the country. This amendment would eliminate the equal treatment of all Californians …

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Silicon Valley Stands Up For Equality

A broad coalition of Silicon Valley tech companies have formed “Silicon Valley Leaders Says No On Proposition 8” and will publish a full-page ad in tomorrow’s San Jose Mercury-News urging opposition to Prop 8. The honorary co-chairs of “Silicon Valley Leaders Say NO on Proposition 8″ include: Brin; Bill Campbell, Chairman, Intuit; David Filo, Founder, Yahoo; Chuck Geschke, Founder and …

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NCTE Fifth Anniversary: Dec.2nd

The National Center for Transgender Equality is celebrating their fifth anniversary with a fundraising gala in Washington DC on December 2nd. We are celebrating NCTE’s Five Year Anniversary with a Benefit hosted by Kate Bornstein, noted transgender author, playwright, performance artist and gender theorist. For the past five years, NCTE has been working for transgender equality in Washington, DC. We …

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$4M Raised For No On 8 In Hollywood Event

Melissa Etheridge and Mary J. Blige entertained a Hollywood crowd at the home of supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle yesterday, raising $4M to fight Proposition 8. Andy Towle has the story.

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8 Against 8: Lesbian Bloggers Unite

Eight prominent lesbian bloggers have united to work with Equality California and raise funds to fight Proposition 8. Visit their page on the EQCA site where all donations go directly to the No On 8 effort. 8 Against 8:Grace Chu and Grace Rosen – Grace The SpotLori Hahn – Hahn At HomeKelly Leszczynski – The Lesbian LifestyleDorothy Snarker – Dorothy …

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Ellen DeGeneres Buys $100K Of Airtime
For Her No On 8 Message

Ellen DeGeneres has purchased $100,000 of media time to air her No On 8 PSA. Via press release: NO on Prop 8 campaign, Equality for All, is pleased to announce today that Ellen DeGeneres has made a media buy to urge Californians to vote NO on Proposition 8. The effort was partially revealed Tuesday when Ellen released a special video …

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Teachers Donate $1M To No On 8

The California Teacher’s Union has topped the list of institutional donors to No On 8 with a staggering $1M gift. California’s largest teacher’s union has given another $1 million to defeat a Nov. 4 ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in the state. The contribution recorded Tuesday makes the California Teachers Association the largest institutional donor to the No …

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$500K Prop 8 Challenge To Hollywood

Now we’re talking! Jonathan Lewis, entrepreneur and political activist and scion of the Cleveland-based Progressive Insurance Cos. fortune, is pledging to chip in $500,000 to defeat Proposition 8 if the entertainment industry does the same. The proposition would restrict marriage in California to unions between a man and a woman. His matching offer comes after Brad Pitt, and Steven Spielberg …

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Paul Newman Dead At 83

Paul Newman died of lung cancer yesterday at age 83, leaving behind one of the greatest acting legacies in history. For many, however, Newman will be more fondly remembered for a lifetime spent as a generous philanthropist. Newman’s line of natural food products has donated over $250 million to numerous charities since he first came up with the idea of …

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Pepsi Gives $500K To PFLAG

Ah, finally some GOOD news today! PepsiCo has donated $500K to Straight For Equality, PFLAG’s program to reach straight allies of the LGBT community who don’t have a traditional family connection to an LGBT person. In a move that may upset conservative organizations and leaders, the PepsiCo Foundation has given a grant of $500,000 to Parents, Family and Friends of …

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Spielbergs Donate $100K To No On 8

Famed director Steven Spielberg and his actress wife Kate Capshaw have followed Brad Pitt onto the straight-celebrities-do-right list. By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has NO place in California’s constitution, or any other. We’re still waiting …

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