Singers Adam Lambert and Sam Sparro and
comedian Kathy Griffin will attend Equality California's (EQCA)
annual Equality Awards on Saturday, August 13 at The Beverly Hilton
in Beverly Hills, California.
Lambert will be honored with the
group's Equality Idol Award for being an exemplary role model for the
LGBT community. Sparro will present the award.
Griffin will present social networking
site Facebook with the Equality Advocate Award.
“We're thrilled to honor Adam Lambert
and Facebook, whose work has been a catalyst for social change and
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality,” said EQCA
Executive Director Roland Palencia in a statement. “Their courage
and leadership in entertainment and social media have helped
Californians become supportive of LGBT rights.”
“I am so honored to be invited to and
recognized by the Equality California event,” the 29-year-old
openly gay Lambert said.
“It’s a pivotal time in the
progress of equal rights and I'm very grateful to be the subject of
such broad visibility. I strive to lead by example by making no
apologies for or withholding my identity as a proud and comfortable
gay man. I strongly believe that ALL people have a fundamental right
to love who they want to love and if they so choose, have their union
recognized by the laws of this country regardless of sex, age, race
or religious affiliation. I am hopeful that we are getting closer
every day to this idea of Equality,” he added.
EQCA noted Lambert's work with the It
Gets Better Project and The
Trevor Project in announcing the award. Both groups work to
support troubled LGBT teens. (Lambert's It Gets Better video is
embedded in the right panel of this page.)
(Related: Adam
Lambert voted best role model.)