For their leadership in the fight to advance LGBT civil rights and social justice, Equality California recently honored Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Palm Springs City Councilmember Ginny Foat and Raymond Cree Middle School for their leadership in the fight to advance LGBT civil rights and social justice at its annual Palm Springs Equality Awards Oct. 7 at the Riviera Palm Springs.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters received this year’s Geoff Kors Leadership Award, given to individuals who have had a national impact in the fight for LGBTQ civil rights and social justice. Congresswoman Waters has been a powerful voice for the civil rights of LGBTQ and all Americans for more than three decades, and is one of the Trump Administration’s most vocal critics in Congress and in the broader community. Waters serves as ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. She is the first woman and the first African-American of either party to serve as the senior member of this powerful committee.
Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Ginny Foat was honored with Equality California’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a nationally prominent advocate for the civil rights of women and LGBTQ people, and has served on four organizing committees for national marches for women’s and LGBTQ civil rights. She also has had a distinguished career in the non-profit sector, teaching non-profit management and serving as executive director of Legal Advocates for Women, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Caring for Babies with AIDS, chair of the Los Angeles County HIV/AIDS Commission and National Director of Regional Services for the YWCA of the USA. For the past five years she has served as the executive director of the Mizell Senior Center in Palm Springs. In 2014, she also served as interim executive director of the LGBT Community Center of the Desert.
Raymond Cree Middle School earned this year’s Equality for All Award. Research has shown that when schools implement LGBTQ curricula and programs, it reduces bullying of LGBTQ kids and improves academic success rates for all students. The bill establishing Harvey Milk Day in California, sponsored by EQCA, was passed by the California legislature in 2009. The goal was to acknowledge the tremendous contributions Harvey Milk made to California and to encourage school districts and others to commemorate the day and use it as a means to teach LGBTQ history. Raymond Cree Middle School embraced the new holiday, holding its first special day of celebration in 2016 and creating classroom lessons and a concert to promote diversity and inclusion.
The Palm Springs Equality Awards were co-chaired by Palm Springs City Councilmember and former Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors; his husband, Palm Springs Unified School Board Member and Equality California board member James Williamson; Riverside County Board of Education President Elizabeth Romero and Jackie Lopez from the office of Congressman Raúl Ruiz.
Each year, Equality California recognizes individuals and organizations who have made an impact on the movement to secure full and lasting equality for LGBTQ people at its annual Equality Awards — a series of formal events held in San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.
For more information about the Equality Awards, visit eqcaawards.com.
