David Mixner to Be Honored at Point Honors Benefit

Filed Under GLBT Equality, Gay Awards, Gay Events | November 19th, 2009 

Point Legend Award to be Presented to Activist David Mixner at Annual NY Point Honors Gala

David Mixner (via flickr/stevendamron)
David Mixner (via flickr/stevendamron [cc])

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — Author, political strategist and civil rights activist David Mixner will be honored by Point Foundation (Point) at the organization’s third annual “NY Point Honors” gala. Point, America’s largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, will present the Point Legend Award to Mixner at their benefit to be held at 583 Park Avenue in New York City on April 19, 2010.

Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of U.S. Senator Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, will present the award to Mixner during a program that will also include presentations of the Point Courage and Point Inspiration Awards to recipients to be announced.

“David Mixner is one of the great civil rights leaders of our time. I am proud to join the Point Foundation in honoring him, just as my husband was proud to work over the decades with David to achieve full equality for all our people,” said Vicki Kennedy. “Ted prized David as a powerful advocate, a teacher of truth, and a great friend. He is one of those rare people who bend history itself.”

The Point Legend Award is presented to an individual who has, through the course of their lifetime, achieved greatness in their professional career and unapologetically supported the LGBT community. Playwright/director Arthur Laurents received the inaugural award in April 2009.

Point’s Executive Director & CEO, Jorge Valencia, commented, “David has been a force within the LGBT community for many, many years and has been a supporter of Point Foundation since its early years. In celebrating 50 years of community organizing and volunteerism, we’re humbled that he’s graciously agreed to be recognized by Point. He continues to be a source of inspiration to society and more importantly, our youth. He deserves this award and is a shining example of the type of leader Point Scholars strive to be.”

“Fifty years of organizing? How could that be true? Especially since I am only 40!” said Mixner. “There is no better organization than the Point Foundation to celebrate such a milestone. Raising money to assist our future leaders is just the best. I am honored for the recognition and excited about a special evening.”

About David Mixner:

For 50 years, starting with the campaign of President John Kennedy in 1960, David Mixner has been in the forefront of the movement for change in America. In a distinguished journey that has continued with his participation in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and being one of the top organizers against the War in Vietnam, Mixner has continued to this day to speak out for justice, equality and peace.

After coming out in the 1970s, Mixner was involved in the creation of the first ever LGBT Political Action Committee. As HIV/AIDS hit the gay men’s community in the early 1980s, he was in the forefront of creating AIDS service organizations, fighting for promising drug therapies, reforming the FDA and ending discrimination against people with AIDS. Near 300 of Mixner’s friends passed away from the disease and he gave near 90 eulogies in a brief two year period of young men under 40.

Mixner was one of the founders of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and has raised well over a million dollars for LGBT candidates. He served as National Co-Chair of Congressman Dick Gephardt’s race for President and was in the “kitchen cabinet” of President Clinton’s first run in 1992. Mixner worked with Harvey Milk to defeat Proposition Six in California and also with Torie Osborn to defeat Proposition 64 (the AIDS Quarantine ballot measure). He has been a national fixture in American politics for his entire 50 years in numerous campaigns and social movements.

Mr. Mixner has written two best seller list books, two screenplays and a play. He was the first openly gay person to debate at the Oxford Union and was honored at a lunch in the State Dining Room of Number 10 Downing Street. He was Executive Producer of “House on Fire’. Yale University has created the “David Mixner Collection“. Mixner blogs regularly at DavidMixner.com.

Source: Point Foundation

Related Links:
- Point Honors Benefit – New York
- Wikipedia: David Mixner