2026 HRC Houston Dinner Program Book

Visit Houston.HRC.org to learn more!

THANK YOU TO OUR LOCAL SPONSORS

RUBY

EMERALD

PEARL

WINE

*Updated as of 05/08/2026

HRC NATIONAL CORPORATE PARTNERS

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

List current of 03/11/26 *Updated as as of 03/13/26

SPEAKER

BRANDON WOLF LGBTQ+ RIGHTS ADVOCATE

Brandon Wolf is a nationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ civil rights and gun safety and a survivor of the 2016 shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. He is a frequent face on MSNBC and CNN, and an opinion contributor in Oprah Daily, Newsweek, USA Today, and others. Brandon has graced the cover of Dazed Magazine and LGBTQ publications nationwide, having been named one of the Logo TV’s 30 LGBTQ Changemakers, Huffington Post’s 30 LGBTQ Influencers under 30 and Out Magazine’s 100 Most Influential LGBTQ People.

He was a national surrogate for Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Presidential Campaign and an advisory committee member for President Biden’s General Election bid. In 2019, he became the first survivor of the Pulse tragedy to testify before Congress and was returned in 2022 to testify on the rise of anti-LGBTQ hate violence before the House Oversight Committee. Brandon is a co-founder of The Dru Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers safe spaces in schools for LGBTQ youth, and recently served as National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign.

His debut memoir, “A Place for Us”, was released in July 2023 and became an instant bestseller.

Your journey matters. Your rights matter.

At American Airlines, caring for people on life’s journey drives everything we do.

That’s why we advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and partner with the Human Rights Campaign to ensure every person can travel, work and live authentically.

Join the AAdvantage® program and turn every trip into something more — because your journey matters.

PARTNER AWARD

LGBTQ+ CAUCUS Founded in 1975, the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus stands as the oldest civil rights organization in the South dedicated to advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community. For more than five decades, the Caucus has shaped Houston’s political landscape through advocacy, endorsements, and coalition building that have empowered countless candidates and driven meaningful policy change. Its unwavering commitment to representation and justice has made it a cornerstone of Houston’s progress toward fairness and inclusion—ensuring that LGBTQ+ voices are not only heard but have the power to lead.

COMMUNITY AWARD

LISA MADRY Lisa Madry is a dedicated champion for health equity and social justice, Houston’s own Lisa Madry is a transformative leader with over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. As the Founder and Principal of Rare Bird Advisors, Lisa provides strategic guidance for community development and environmental advocacy. A volunteer force within the human rights movement, she lent years of expertise to the National Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign.

Cocktails in every color for every identity.

It’s time to COLOR THE FUTURE.

Join Smirnoff in support for the LGBTQIA+ community, and toast to a more colorful and inclusive future for all!

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. SMIRNOFF NO. 21 VODKA. DISTILLED FROM GRAIN. 40% ALC/VOL. THE SMIRNOFF CO., NEW YORK, NY

Building a future that belongs to everyone When everyone’s included, we’re all more likely to succeed.

And at JPMorganChase, we’re working toward an equitable, inclusive future for LGBTQ+ communities every single day.

See our impact at jpmorganchase.com/LGBTQ

ALLY FOR EQUALITY

RENEE O’CONNOR Renee O’Connor, is an actress, director, producer, and visual artist best known for her role as Gabrielle on Xena: Warrior Princess (1996–2001). She recently appeared on HBO’s Hacks and has credits including The Adventures of Huck Finn, Hercules and the Lost Kingdom, and Boogeyman 2. O’Connor began her career at 17 and has since built a diverse body of work across film, television, and stage. She is the founder and artistic director of House of Bards Theatre Company in Los Angeles, where she produces immersive theater. A longtime supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, she champions inclusive storytelling and representation through her work. An accomplished visual artist, her work has been exhibited in galleries and supports charitable causes.

Now more than ever, we believe in standing with the LGBTQ+ community.

That's why we've been proudly supporting the Human Rights Campaign since 2009.

Our commitment to create brighter futures with bold representation for all. macysinc.com/purpose

Love Travels When We Take Action to Shape a Better World To foster our commitment to welcoming all, we are proud to support the Human Rights Campaign and their mission to change hearts and minds through programming that increases understanding, visibility and support for the diverse LGBTQ+ community.

Discover more at marriottbonvoylovetravels.com

We must do the work.

Real progress on diversity and inclusion doesn't happen without real work.

Our determination to drive sustainable change, grounds us in the ways we can make the systemic shifts necessary to create a more inclusive industry for all.

Microsoft continues to be a proud sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign.

Morgan Stanley is proud to support the

Human Rights Campaign

At Morgan Stanley, diversity is an opportunity — for clients, employees and the firm. Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion is fundamental to our role as a global leader striving for excellence in all that we do.

By valuing diverse perspectives, we continue to expand our inclusive culture, focus on our people and deliver innovative solutions to the communities where we live and work.

Learn more at

morganstanley.com/ about-us/diversity

© 2024 Morgan Stanley.

CS 1275799-4727859 08/24

HRC in ACTION The most impactful way to support HRC is through a monthly gift, because you will help fuel HRC’s fight for FULL equality all year long.

Your ongoing monthly support will provide critical resources to fight back against anti-LGBTQ+ bills, expand and protect our pro-equality Congress, invest more deeply in our grassroots efforts with strategic organizing in key districts, keep pressure to pass the Equality Act in Congress and continue to show up and fight for the multiply marginalized in our community and country.

Thank you for supporting HRC and for staying with us in the fight. Together, we are an unstoppable force for change!

Join Now

Check out our store Shop Now

shop.hrc.org

pfizer.com/about/responsibility/human-rights

WHAT WE DO The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality. Since 1980, we have been fighting for a better future for LGBTQ+ Americans. We are now working tirelessly to pass the Equality Act, which will soon head to the U.S. Senate for consideration, fight back against a multitude of anti-LGBTQ+ legis-lation in states nationwide and ensure everyone in our community is treated with dignity and respect. While our opponents are emboldened and on the attack, the Human Rights Campaign and our grass-roots army of more than 3.2 million members and supporters are energetically defending the rights we’ve gained and ramping up our fight for full equality across the board.

ANTI-EQUALITY LEADERS AND LEGISLATION

The alarming spate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across the country in 2020 has continued to surge in 2021. These include bills that would prohibit transgender youth from receiving genderaffirming care and bills that would prohibit transgender youth from participating in sports. This wave of anti-transgender legislation harkens back to the surge of anti-transgender bathroom bills that hit state legislatures in 2016, including North Carolina’s HB2. We remain committed to aggressively fighting these threats to equality by those who seek to undermine our rights. HRC will do whatever it takes to protect the rights and fundamental equality of every LGBTQ+ person in this country.

BUILDING AND DEMONSTRATING POLITICAL POWER

HRC’s decades-long work to build political power has uniquely positioned us to reach LGBTQ+ and ally voters who prioritize equality on the ballot, also known as Equality Voters. HRC has identified 57 million Equality Voters nationwide who, if they turn out to vote, will support pro-equality candidates. HRC’s early and sustained year-round engagement in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin bolstered historic turnout in 2018 and 2020 producing pro-equality outcomes at every level of government. In 2019, HRC’s mobilization of Equality Voters in Virginia, where lawmakers had repeatedly blocked proequality bills over many years, produced groundbreaking progress for LGBTQ+ Americans in the South. These victories led to the Virginia Values Act becoming law, making Virginia the first state in the South to advance statewide nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people.

ADVANCING EQUALITY IN OUR DAILY LIVES

The HRC Foundation improves the lives LGBTQ+ people by building understanding and shaping the public debate of LGBTQ+ people and the challenges they face through innovative research and public education campaigns. We also change the policies and practices in the institutions that shape our everyday lives (hospitals, schools, workplaces, and more) and empower strategic partners, community advocates, and allies through convenings and capacity-building.

Guided by these theories of change and seeking to prioritize work impacting those who are multiply marginalized, we have 11 cuttingedge programs advancing equality in the U.S. and beyond.

All Children - All Families is the only national program

dedicated to LGBTQ+ inclusion in child welfare (foster care and adoption agencies) that provides resource development, technical assistance and training.

Public Education & Research produces written resources and conducts original quantitative and qualitative research exploring the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

Global Partnerships provides capacity-building and leadership development opportunities to LGBTQ+ advocates from around the world to strengthen movements and advance global LGBTQ+ equality.

HBCU Program is the only national project that partners with Historically Black Colleges and Universities on establishing an LGBTQ+-inclusive campus climate.

Health & Aging provides resources and training to help thousands of healthcare facilities adopt inclusive policies and practices to better serve LGBTQ+ patients and employees.

HIV & Health Equity develops public education and capacitybuilding programs to address the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black and Latinx communities.

Religion & Faith provides faith leaders with opportunities

and tools to stand up for equality even as opponents attempt to weaponize faith against LGBTQ+ people.

Transgender Justice Initiative leads economic empowerment programs, capacity-building initiatives, community engagement efforts, and public safety education campaigns that combat the discrimination faced by transgender people.

Welcoming Schools is the only bias-based bullying prevention program in the nation to provide LGBTQ+-specific training and resources with an intersectional lens, developed for use in elementary schools.

Workplace Equality advances equality for LGBTQ+ workers through the adoption and implementation of inclusive policies, practices, and benefits in the U.S. and beyond.

Youth Well-Being provides professional development to over 5,000 youth-serving professionals annually, through the annual Time to THRIVE conference, webinars, participation at major national convenings, and by amplifying the stories of HRC Youth Ambassadors. The program also convenes HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council.

Updated 10-26-2021

GIVE THE GIFT OF EQUALITY This year, celebrate your loved ones, holidays or other special occasions by giving the gift of equality! Gift a membership to the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, host a fundraiser to benefit our work, sign up for our wedding registry or donate in someone’s memory! Each donation includes an HRC membership and furthers the fight for full LGBTQ+ equality.

GOAL

HOST A FUNDRAISER

HRC MEMBER

FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY, GRADUATION, PRIDE OR MORE...

DONATE YOUR WEDDING REGISTRY

FLY A FLAG

GIVE THE GIFT OF EQUALITY TODAY hrc.im/WaysToGive

GIVE A MEMBERSHIP FOR HOLIDAYS & SPECIAL OCCASIONS

DONATE IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF SOMEONE

Celebrating a special occasion and looking to further LGBTQ+ equality?

Join our over 3 million supporters today by giving the gift of membership, hosting a fundraiser, donating your wedding registry to HRC and more!

Target is dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone – our team members, guests, supply partners, and the more than 2,000 communities we’re proud to serve.

We all have ambitions. And working together, valuing each other and respecting our uniqueness creates the best environment for us to achieve them.

Our ambition is bold, to help the world get to net zero by 2050 or sooner.

That’s why we value diversity and put being inclusive at the heart of how we operate. It’s also why we’re recognized as a top employer by the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.

If that sounds like a culture you would thrive in, explore bp.com/careers

Valuing every voice To embrace inclusion, everyone in the room has a voice – a voice that can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.

At Shell in the USA, we are striving to be one of the most diverse and inclusive organizations in the world, putting the best minds to work on developing solutions to the energy challenges we all face.

We are moving forward with organizations that champion opportunity for the LGBT+ community because we are moving forward with everybody. www.shell.us/forward

The HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN salutes our National Partners based in the HOUSTON area.

THANK YOU

OUR

s e c n e r e f f i D MAKE THE

DIFFERENCE As a born-and-bred Texas company, H-E-B is committed to fostering a culture of diversity & inclusion in Texas, both in our workplaces and the communities we serve. Celebrating the differences and similarities of all Texans is integral to everything H-E-B does, every day, from employee recruitment to supplier registration, store locations to in-store product selection.

©2023 HEB, 24-0947

A strong community can do brilliant things.

Vibrant communities are built on steady and reliable dedication from their neighbors. As an institution that employs similar values, PNC proudly thanks the people, events, and businesses that help make the places we call home more brilliant.

Brilliantly Boring is a service mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. ©2026 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

www.abogadanaimeh.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Visit Houston.HRC.org to learn more!