Get to the Point Honors...
Please excuse the personal nature of this post — it's not the type of "news" you're used to here but it means a lot to me. I've been mentioning over the past few months that my friend, activist and fellow blogger David Mixner would be receiving the Point Foundation's Point Legend Award at this year's NYC Gala on April 19. I am proud to be one of the co-chairs of the event honoring David, and would encourage everyone who's in New York and able, to take part. It's a great organization which opens up huge educational possibilities for disenfranchised LGBT youth. Some additional news: Actress Jane Krakowski will be honored with the organization's Point Courage Award, and Citi will be recognized with the Point Inspiration Award. Since last month several big artists and performers have signed on to show their support for Point, and will make appearances. Mad Men's Bryan Batt, Tony winner Alan Cumming, and Adam Shankman (So You Think You Can Dance judge, Hairspray director) .
There will also be performances from Broadway and TV star Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu, 30 Rock) and Capitol recording artist Dave Koz.
Kelly Ripa and Bravo TV's Andy Cohen will be co-hosting the event, as I mentioned last month. And Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of Senator Ted Kennedy, will present the award to Mixner.
Please join me this April in honoring a great force for the LGBT community. Information on the event (tickets, etc) and how you can get involved can be found HERE. Tickets and tables are moving fast.
The Point Foundation is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit. Point provides financial support, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT individuals who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
POINT HONORS NEW YORK [tickets and information, or call 212-247-7318]
Posted Mar. 18,2010 at 6:53 PM EST by Andy Towle in David Mixner, towleroad | Permalink
Three cheers for the man who brought us Don't Ask Don't Tell!
Posted by: 24play | Mar 18, 2010 7:12:48 PM
Kelly Ripa and Bravo TV's Andy Cohen --- ugh
the gay charity class is just as vile as the straight charity class ... just better charities to make them feel so important.
Better that asshats do something good while they kiss each other's butt and "network".
Posted by: walter | Mar 18, 2010 7:53:47 PM
Harshness people! This is an 'important' cluster-fuck!!!
Posted by: bading | Mar 18, 2010 8:05:53 PM
"Three cheers for the man who brought us Don't Ask Don't Tell!"
Posted by: 24play | Mar 18, 2010 7:12:48 PM
....Ignorance is, indeed, bliss. To wit:
"Although he spoke at an event at the inaugural ball, introduced by his old friend Ted Kennedy, Mixner soon thrust himself in the middle of the furor over the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy proposed by Clinton, which represented a total betrayal to Mixner and many in the gay community.
When Mixner went on Nightline to complain about Clinton’s rapid shift away from allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, his calls to the White House stopped being returned and his consulting business began to tank, as he was no longer perceived as someone who had influence with the new administration. Emanuel was widely reported to be furious with Mixner for publicly crossing swords with Mixner; Mixner soon found himself a persona non grata at the White House.
- SNIP -
When Clinton announced the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on July 19, 1993, Mixner organized a march with CMS and was very publicly arrested outside the White House, for which he received a great deal of publicity because of his personal relationship with Clinton."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mixner#Clinton_Campaign_.E2.80.93_Don.E2.80.99t_ask.2C_don.E2.80.99t_tell
To wit, II:
http://www.davidmixner.com/
... spend a few hours there and just try and count his blog posts that absolutely lay waste to your blithe character assassination.
Did he support Clinton? Yes.
Did he unequivocally walk away from Clinton at the very moment Clinton walked away from him with DADT? Without a single doubt - and at severe and cataclysmic personal loss.
And just what have you done today vis-a-vis the DADT problem? Besides that is, construct a snarky and snide blog post sans merit or accuracy?
Posted by: dave02657 | Mar 18, 2010 8:15:38 PM
AS Clinton's closest gay advisor, did Mixner play a key role in getting Clinton to stupidly announce plans to let gays to serve openly within two weeks of taking office—before the non-veteran Democrat had any familiarity with, or trust from—the brass at the Pentogon?
Yes.
And was Clinton's rash move the reason DADT came into existence?
Most definitely.
Mixner is as responsible for DADT as Clinton is.
The best of intentions are meaningless when you have the worst of strategies.
Posted by: 24play | Mar 18, 2010 8:34:55 PM
Why do they hold these events in NYC anyway? Why don't you hold it in a smaller city for a lot less $$$. Think how much extra money there'd be for the actual charity.
Posted by: JT | Mar 18, 2010 8:45:10 PM
I used to send $$ to Point as it is a great group. I stopped when I learned that they were honoring Mixner. He should go the way of Candie Gingrich.. back to oblivion.
Posted by: hadassah weinreb | Mar 18, 2010 9:15:27 PM
The problem with this organization is that it's more about celebrity, self-styled beautiful people, and fundraisers than academics. If they were serious, they would have academics on their boards rather than TV actors and film stars. It's just hard to take this organization seriously when there isn't a single solitary academic in their leadership.
For an educational foundation, I don't think Kelly Ripa is your role model! I'd much rather see an accomplished gay academic like Jay Keasling honored or participating!
Posted by: Anonymous | Mar 18, 2010 10:51:40 PM
This just sounds like another HRC A-List wealthy white gay guys event.........
Posted by: Brian in NYC | Mar 18, 2010 11:22:37 PM
Andy-you certainly have the bitchiest comments of all the gay blogs i read. WTF?
I read Mixner's blog and get his email updates. I find him incredibly well-versed, well-read, well-rounded, and a very good writer. I congratulate him on a LIFETIME of helping the gay community.
the rest of you can go argue among yourselves about what charity is better than another, or who did what when back in the '90s. Maybe a lot of you don't remember earlier than the 90s, but DADT was a HUGE step forward at the time. AT THE TIME. now it's time for a new policy. that's the fucking way the world works. Time passes, things change.
Posted by: casey | Mar 18, 2010 11:39:23 PM
JT- How much gay money do you think there is to be raised in, say, Des Moines or Cheyenne? New York simply has a high concentration of gays and a high concentration of wealth. Yes, venues are more expensive, as is catering, etc. but the net is worth the effort. Considering the state of the economy, particularly in second-tier cities, it only makes fiscal sense to "go where the money is," which, for now and the foreseeable future, is New York City.
And as for you who bemoan the "charity class," what, pray tell are YOU doing to help educate LGBT youth who have been kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality? You coming up with $60,000 to personally sponsor one of these kids? What would you rather those of us who have been successful do with our money? Yes, giving to charity feels good, but it ACTUALLY HELPS PEOPLE.
Posted by: JesryPo | Mar 19, 2010 9:36:48 AM
Casey: It's because a faction of gay activism is now blinded by class warfare. All they do is comment on blogs and make up nasty new names for national gay groups (who deserve to be critiqued intelligently) that involve the word "champagne."
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | Mar 19, 2010 9:46:52 AM
Really, Clinton and Mixner stuck their neck out on DADT. Because it was a gay issue so early in Clinton's presidency it was seen by some as a by some as a big mistake. Really, Obama's reluctance to stick his neck out might be a reaction to some of the backlash that befell Clinton after DADT (backlash from conservatives, not gays).
Also, anyone who knows about charities knows that boards are primarily for fundraising. Most university boards are made up of people who have money and can raise money. Even university presidents are in their position at least as much for their fundraising prowess as their academic background.
Posted by: Scott | Mar 19, 2010 12:39:34 PM
Jay Keasling? Really? Clearly you don't know a THING about fundraising, entertaining and getting the message out to the masses. Saying Keasling should host or be a presenter is as smart as saying the guy who did the special effects for Avatar should host the Oscars. Point (or any other charity) enlists celebrity presenters or hosts - for FREE - to help get their message out to the masses - to have USA Today, Access Hollywood, People Mag or any other mass-media outlet cover the event and get the name of POINT out there. Otherwise, they'd get coverage on the Advocate site and well, no much elsewhere. POINT has done a great job in honoring an out gay leader (in Mixner) and a straight ally in (Krakowski), in addition to booking out gay "celebrities" like Bryan Batt, Shankman, Cheyenne, Koz etc.... Its not easy to get celebs to commit to attend an charity awards dinner for free. And Point is doing and has done a damn fine job.
Posted by: Jerome | Mar 19, 2010 2:54:14 PM
I challenge you to find an educational foundation (MacAuthur, Sloan, Hertz, etc.) that doesn't have strong academic representation on their boards. If Point wants to be taken seriously, they need to beef up their board with people who know something about how things work in universities and have experience as university educators.
I singled out Keasling as an example because it would be nice for what is supposed to be an educational foundation to actually honor an *educator* (imagine that); that is, to honor people that are actually contributing to the thing you are trying to support -- doesn't sound like a particularly radical concept to me. These are the kinds of role model you need for LGBT youth. I'm sorry people like this aren't as exciting as David Coz and Cheyenne Jackson, but IMHO they matter a lot more.
Posted by: Anonymous | Mar 19, 2010 6:11:03 PM
Point Foundation has one (ONE) celebrity on its Board and it does have several educators involved on its various boards and as mentors and leadership retreat presenters. David Mixner and Jane Krakowski will help Point net over half a million dollars from just this one event. The cast of Sex & the City did the same. These events make $$$ that go to college students with financial need. If you believe the foundation itself needs more academic representation, have friends step up and volunteer their time and resources.
Posted by: SomeGuy | Apr 2, 2010 11:35:21 AM