If you have not seen the award-winning TV show, the 2nd Annual Harvey Milk Commemorative Dinner is ready to enroll you in “Glee” 101.
Fans of the hit TV show — heralded for depicting a band of diverse high school glee club singers who come to embrace inclusivity and acceptance over bullying in a high school setting — have one more reason to attend and support the growing, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh-based fundraiser.
The 6 p.m., May 21 Harvey Milk dinner follows the 2011 kickoff for the annual event, held in honor of a pioneering San Francisco city elected official and social justice advocate. This year’s celebration and support of LGBTQ allies and community members honors Milk’s memory and message by embracing the spirit of Glee. The dinner will feature area high school vocal ensembles as part of the evening’s entertainment.
Windmeyer
Nationally-renown LGBTQ leader Shane Windmeyer, a leading author on and advocate for gay and lesbian civil rights on college campuses, will be the evening’s keynote speaker. Windmeyer is executive director of Campus Pride, an organization creating a safer college environment for LGBTQ students.
Sheraden Bobot, assistant director of the UW Oshkosh LGBTQ Resource Center, said Windmeyer and the campus and community team planning the 2nd annual Milk dinner have been energized by their efforts to superimpose the popularity and good of Glee with the selfless work of Milk.
“I think Glee is a really important phenomenon, even though people have different opinions about the music,” Bobot said. “I think really the theme of Glee is not just inclusivity for LGBTQ students, not just having a voice or a face for them, but really inclusivity for all kinds of students – historically discriminated groups and what they have struggled with.”
Nationally each year, Harvey Milk Day is organized by the Harvey Milk Foundation, celebrated in memory of the gay rights activist and leader.
The Harvey Milk Commemorative Dinner at UW Oshkosh was inaugurated in 2011 and is annually hosted to encourage and support all members and allies of the LGBTQ community on campus and in the New North region.
The event raises money for scholarships supporting LGBTQ youth and programs improving the climate in area K-12 educational systems. Donations are also welcomed by the UW Oshkosh Foundation.
A limited number of tickets are still available for the May 21 event. Tickets are $200 per table or $25 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 21.
For more information, contact the UW Oshkosh LGBTQ Center: lgbtqcenter@uwosh.edu.
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