Equality California (EQCA) honored gay
rights proponents Saturday at its annual awards ceremony in Palm
Springs.
Over 400 people attended the Equality
Awards, one of the group's largest events and fundraisers, held at
the Riviera Resort & Spa.
“This raises the funds that allows us
to do the work,” Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality
California, told The Desert Sun.
The group honored Emmy award-winning
actress Debra Messing with a Lifetime Ally Award.
Messing, who played Grace Adler on the
hit NBC show Will & Grace, is a strong supporter of gay
and lesbian rights.
“For me, it's a no-brainer,” she
told the paper. “Equal rights means equal rights for everyone.”
Also recognized were the efforts of
California Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez, an ardent supporter of gay
marriage. Perez, a Democrat from Coachella, called marriage a “civil
rights issue.”
“I decided very early on that I was
going to stand up for what I believe in when it comes to civil
rights, and that includes the LGBT community,” Perez said.
EQCA is California's largest group
dedicated to gay and lesbian rights.