The national LGBT-media organization GLAAD celebrated the fourth anniversary of its Chicago Leadership Council July 16 with a reception welcoming new CEO/President Sarah Kate Ellis. About 100 people attended the event at MillerCoors Headquarters' in downtown Chicago.
Additional photospread at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/photospreadthumbs.php .
"Here, it's really about personal engagement," said Christina Kahrl. "A movement isn't worth much if it isn't about the people that are involved in itso there isn't this kind of hang up on labels and distinctions. At the end of the day we're working collectively together on solving the problems that affect all of us in some form or another."
The casual celebration welcomed people working, supporting or friendly with GLAAD to enjoy the various beers, ciders and non-alcoholic beverages MillerCoors offers.
"We hope to elevate our brands within the LGBT community and to gain an understanding of just who we are as a company, and the great work we are helping as partners to achieve," said MillerCoors Community Commerce and Partnerships Manager Doug Sanborn.
MillerCoors and GLAAD have had a partnership for more than 10 years. Sanborn described the event's purpose as an opportunity for the GLAAD Leadership Council to bring members and leaders of Chicago's LGBT community together to interact, sharing the work that has been done and talking about the work that still needs to be tackled.
"All organizations need to be seen as relevant and communicate the work that they do," said Sanborn, also a GLAAD Chicago Leadership Council member. "You cannot just assume that folks know what you are doing, or that they are aware of the successes you have helped to achieve. It really warms my heart to see everyone come together and just have time to connect with one another in an atmosphere that celebrates partnerships and the work done to achieve fairness, accuracy, and inclusion."
Ellis worked 17 years experience working in the media, mainly in magazines and running a television shows, before she stepped up to her current role with GLAAD in January 2014. While interviewing for the job, she said she held tightly to the motto "Do the things that scare you most." Although still in the media, this work has a different end goal than her previous experience, and she said she still lives by that mottoand shares it with her two 5-year-old children.
"I want to make sure I'm creating and leaving a better world than I showed up to," said Ellis. "I feel a really deep responsibility for bringing my kids into a family that is a gay family and that they see their family reflected in society and the best way to do that is through GLAAD."
"We have a lot of events coming up over the next year that I think are going to be new to Chicago and new to the GLAAD Leadership Councils across the country, so I'm really excited to see what [Ellis] got to bring to the table," said Chicago Leadership Council Co-Chair Kinley Preston. "She's already done so many amazing changes. It's an exciting time."
The other Chicago co-chair is Chad Bermingham.
For more information on GLAAD, visit www.glaad.org .
Windy City Times video by Tracy Baim: GLAAD Leadership Council in Chicago July 16, 2014 .www.youtube.com/watch