David Mixner To Receive Lifetime Legend Award At GMCLA 40/STONEWALL 50 Concert

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA), one of the country's longest-running and largest LGBTQ arts organizations, will honor David Mixner, a leader in LGBTQ and civil rights for the past 60 years with its Lifetime Legend award for six decades of activism, service, and leadership, at its upcoming gala: GMCLA 40/STONEWALL 50 on August 16, 2019, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. This Concert and Gala will be a mil estone event which concludes GMCLA's 40th anniversary season and commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City.

David Mixner, has been a leader in American politics and LGBTQ Rights for the last 60 years. In addition to his fight for gay rights, he is a Vietnam War era anti-war activist, a civil rights activist, an HIV/AIDS advocate, and a best-selling author of three books. David was once named by Newsweek the most powerful gay man in America due to his political activism and influence.

Lou Spisto, GMCLA's Executive Director stated "as we celebrate a half century of activism- both GMCLA's and the heroes of, and since, Stonewall, honoring David Mixner is so right. David is a pioneer, hero, and legend, in our community and many others for the past six decades. And we are truly thankful to Hyundai Motor America for their generous Presenting Sponsorship of this concert and gala. This is the company's second major sponsorship in the past several months and we could not be more grateful."

Single Tickets to the concert for the general public will go on sale July 6 at the Walt Disney Hall Box office. For more information on Gala Ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities, please email GMCLA at events@gmcla.org or call (424) 239-6506.

GMCLA 40/STONEWALL 50 will feature over 500 singers. GMCLA's 270 members will be joined by the New York City Gay Men's Chorus and others from around the country to perform Quiet No More, a 35-minute work celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. This work was commissioned by LGBTQ choruses across the country including the NYC Gay Men's Chorus who will join GMCLA at Disney Hall, as GMCLA will join them on June 27 at Carnegie Hall. The remainder of the concert will feature great choral music from choral, musical theatre, and popular repertoire, and a special guest artist to be announced. In addition to the 7:30 p.m. concert for the general public, there will be a private pre-concert reception and post-concert dinner for 300 guests, in support of GMCLA's music education programs- the Alive Music Project, Arts for Incarcerated Youth, and the LA Schools Program.

David Mixner began his activism in 1959 as a volunteer for John Kennedy, and the added his leadership and activism against the Vietnam War, then joined the burgeoning Gay Rights movement, and found his strongest voice as an AIDS advocate. After learning that his long-time partner, Peter Scott, had AIDS Mixner assisted in creating an organization that spearheaded legislation to create a California alternative to the FDA, enabling the State to deal more aggressively with the AIDS epidemic than the federal government. Mixner has raised over $60 million for candidates and charitable organizations, including well over $1 million for openly gay and lesbian candidates across the country, and has participated in over 75 election campaigns - serving as campaign manager, fundraiser, or strategist. Mixner is a critically-acclaimed author of three books, several screenplays, and stage plays that deal with the subjects of his life's work: anti-war; gay, civil, and international human rights; and AIDS. He has created and performed a one-man show Off-Broadway, lectures around the globe, and he has written for most major American newspapers Recently, Yale University's Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies created the David B. Mixner Collection, a catalogue of Mixner's papers and correspondence from his work as a leading anti-war advocate during the Vietnam War to his participation in present day political campaigns. David Mixner lives in New York City.

Hyundai is a company that places a high value on inclusion and diversity because they know that our differences make us stronger. Hyundai has proudly received a score of 100 percent in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index for providing a positive and inclusive work environment for LGBTQ employees. "Drive: Equality" is the name of the Hyundai's employee resource group and it's how they describe their commitment to inclusion and diversity. They are a company that stands for human rights and believe that everyone should have an equal seat at the table.