A bevy of celebrities touched down in New York's Chelsea neighborhood on Monday in honor of some esteemed members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
The Family Equality Council, a U.S. advocacy group that supports the estimated three million parents who identify as LGBT as well as their six million children across the nation, celebrated its 11th annual Night at the Pier May 9. Revelers at the gala, which raised $1 million for the organization, enjoyed live performances by pop singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, Tony Award-winning singer-actress Jessie Mueller and the cast of the Broadway musical, "On Your Feet."
As magical as the festivities were, the Night at the Pier also had a more poignant aim. The evening's most moving moment was a speech by filmmaker Sharon Shattuck, who accepted the 2016 Hostetter-Habib Family Award for her commitment to advocating for equality as a member of Family Equality Council’s Outspoken Generation program. Her upcoming documentary, "From This Day Forward," recalls her own growing up with a transgender parent.
Pop superstar Gloria Estefan, who co-hosted the evening with her husband, Emilio, recalled her near-fatal 1990 bus crash while honoring Shattuck and Nick Scandalios, Executive Vice President of the Nederlander Organization, for their efforts on behalf of the LGBT community.
“Love is all it takes," Estefan told the crowd, "no matter what we face.”
