What the Impact Awards Mean to Me
On September 24,
Gay City News
hosts its 2020
Virtual Impact
Awards, and the newspaper
congratulates all of the
evening’s honorees, and
thanks everyone joining us for
the virtual gala to show their
support and appreciation for
the contributions our awardees
are making day in and
day out.
You can register to attend
free at gaycitynews.com/impactawards.
I would like to brief ly address
what this event means
to me.
2020 has proven to be an
even more challenging year
than any of us imaged it would
be back in January.
In addition to the crucial
importance of the election
coming up on November 3, we
BY PAUL SCHINDLER
have been facing down a terrifying
virus that has robbed
many of us of friends and family
we cherished – and has put
particularly unfair burdens
on our heroic frontline healthcare
workers, other essential
workers who did not have the
luxury of sheltering in their
homes during the worst days
of the crisis, and communities
of color, including LGBTQ
folks, across the city where infections
and deaths hit hardest.
This year, we have also undergone
a long overdue reckoning
on the racial – and
social and economic – disparities
that continue to exist in
a society with extraordinary
aff luence and one that lays
claims to the guiding principles
of equality, justice, and
opportunity for all.
Tonight, we gather to honor
a group of New Yorkers whose
work every day is aimed at
moving our community and
our country in a positive direction.
So we are here to celebrate:
The diversity in our backgrounds
and our approaches
to creating change;
The resilience of our honorees
in the face of obstacles;
Their passion and commitment
to imagine and continue
working toward a better tomorrow;
And our collective unity –
the recognition that despite
our differences and the various
paths we have chosen in
life, we are working in cooperation
and coalition to make
2021 a better year than 2020.
Over the next six weeks as
we approach the November
election, our greatest challenge
will be to keep focused
on that last strength – our
unity.
If we and our likeminded
friends, family, and allies
across America remain
united – and we all pitch in,
especially in online activism
focused on critical swing
states – we can move through
this uncertain time and arrive
on the other side better off for
our struggle. Our honorees
tonight are critical players in
leading us to the other side.
For those of you who join us
this evening or catch a replay
available online, please enjoy
the gala.
And let’s all stay focused on
the critical challenge we face
over the next six weeks.
Stay safe and strong.
The Board of Directors, staff
and friends of
God’s Love We Deliver
congratulate all of the
honorees of the Gay City
News Impact Awards!
For the latest
news for New York City's LGBTQ
community, covering arts and
entertainment, local and international
news, crime, politics, and more
visit
www.gaycitynews.com
GayCityNews.nyc | 2020 Impact Awards 3
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