Who says Monday nights are boring?!

Stonewall Inn Gives Back (SIGBI) is the official charitable giving organization of New York City’s historic Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the modern international gay rights movement and the centerpiece of one of the United States’ newest national monuments. On Monday, November 18th, the organization celebrated our LGBTQ+ leaders– both in the USA and beyond– and their tireless work for equality at the Second Annual Brick Awards at the Manhattan hotspot Racket.  Few could argue that the fight for equality as we approach 2025 is more important than ever before. The night was a diverse, multi-generational “Who’s Who?” of LGBTQ+ activists, artists, trailblazers, supporters, and miscellaneous movers ‘n’ shakers. The Awards were hosted by dynamic Drag Race Alumnus Peppermint (Head Over Heels on Broadway) and featured Murray Hill (Somebody Somewhere) as celebrity DJ.  Performers included Kevin Aviance (Din Da Da), 76th Street, AKA Haley Gold and Spencer Bryant (Girl), Drag Race Alumnus Alaska, and Billy Porter (Pose, Kinky Boots).  Porter received the highest honor that night: the Icon Award.  

Presenters included Dominique Jackson (Pose), an Inaugural Icon Award Honoree, as well as Cissy Walken, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Greg Baker, Josh Helfgott, Punkie Johnson, RaeShanda Lias, Tina Romero, Tomas Matos, and Yuhua Hamasaki.  AJ Hikes of the ACLU and Kierra Johnson of National LGBTQ Task Force gave the crowd some energetic and inspirational speeches.  The event also included a Live Auction which was emceed by Dana Goldberg.

Now, how about those Brick Awards?! (The Awards were designed by glass artist Deborah Czeresko.) Kayla Gore received the Community Activist Award for founding My Sistah’s House, which provides emergency housing for transgender and gender-nonconforming people of color in Memphis, Tennessee. Puck Carlson, a 17-year-old Iowa activist, was honored with the Billy Bean Youth Courage Award for their work in challenging Iowa’s “Don’t Say Gay” law and book ban. Italian LGBTQ+ activist Daniela Lourdes Falanga received the Global Activist Award. Falanga has worked to counsel LGBTQ+ incarcerated individuals, has support trans sex workers, and became the first trans woman to be elected president of the Italian LGBTQ+ right organization Arcigay. Jon Tilli, a director at Deutsche Bank, was presented with the Safe Spaces Champion Award for his work at fighting for LGBTQ+ inclusion within that company and for support for LGBTQ+ causes at large. 

Also, in attendance were Stacy Lentz (CEO of SIGBI), Kurt Kelly (Co-founder of SIGBI), and the rest of the Board of SIGBI: Angelica Torres, Dara Nai, David Studinski, Kevin McDowell, Dr. Marisa Richmond, Stephanie Gayle, and Victoria Valera. 

To learn more about the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative visit Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative | NYC Charity