Academy-Award Winning Actress and Ally Marcia Gay Harden and Legendary LGBTQ+ Icons André De Shields and Junior LaBeija Announced as Human Rights Campaign 2026 National Dinner[...]

WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) - the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization - announced that it will honor changemakers and LGBTQ+ allies and icons Marcia Gay Harden, André De Shields and Junior LaBeija at this year's National Dinner in Washington, D.C. Harden will receive the Ally for Equality award, presented by actress and ally Camryn Manheim, for being an outspoken ally for the LGBTQ+ community and using her platform to advocate for equality. DeShields and LaBeija will each be receiving HRC's Legendary Visibility Award for their deeply impactful work expanding visibility on critical LGBTQ+ issues, permanently shaping the culture and legacy of the LGBTQ+ community.

The event will also include HRC's National Dinner Chairs Gurpreet Brar, Shawn Skelly, Michelle Hurst and Vincenzo Volpe. HRC President Kelley Robinson will deliver remarks on the fight ahead for LGBTQ+ equality, and comedian and Out 100 honoree Dana Goldberg will host a live auction. The 2026 HRC National dinner will be a night of celebration and community building, taking place on Saturday, September 26th at the Washington Hilton. Reporters interested in covering the event must fill out the credential request form linked here.

"We are honored to celebrate Marcia Gay Harden, André De Shields and Junior LaBeija, who have each helped to advance the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ+ community," said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. "Harden is a proud mom to LGBTQ+ children and an outspoken ally, standing ten-toes-down for equality. De Shields and LaBeija are legends in their own right, two changemakers who have made a profound impact on the visibility and culture of our community. Their support in our mission to build a brighter future for the LGBTQ+ community is invaluable, and we are proud to have them join us for a night of authentic celebration, community building and joy."

"Being an advocate for equality is a calling I could not refuse," said advocate and actress Marcia Gay Harden. "We all deserve to be loved, seen and supported. Yet, LGBTQ+ people are facing attacks aimed to strip away their rights and freedoms. That is why it is so important that we all stand strong against discrimination, remain loud in our protest and fight hard for the dignity we all deserve. I am grateful to be recognized for my allyship and will continue to use my voice and my platform to advance LGBTQ+ equality so that we can all live authentically and freely without fear."

Academy Award-winning and four-time Emmy Award-nominated actress Marcia Gay Harden,  known for her chameleon-like character transformations, has forged an incomparable body of work. Her critically lauded performances are myriad - from artist Lee Krasner in Pollock, to the down-and-out Celeste in Mystic River, to the glamorous Ava Gardner in Sinatra, - and her versatility has been praised in other films such as Miller's Crossing, The First Wives Club, Meet Joe Black, Mona Lisa Smile, The Hoax and Used People.

Harden earned a Best Actress Tony Award for the Tony winning play God of Carnage and saw the publication of The Seasons of My Mother, A Memoir of Love, Family, and Flowers (Atria/Simon & Schuster) in 2018.

Harden can currently be seen in Apple TV's Margo's Got Money Troubles with Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer, and can next be seen starring in Netflix's much anticipated Trinity with Richard Madden and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. 

"There is a great power in living your life in authenticity. Our community knows this, we embody it," said LGBTQ+ advocate and Broadway star André De Shields. "Though the fight for a world that will honor the truth in all of us remains ongoing, I know we will continue to lean on the shared resilience that has carried us through hardship time and time again. I am called to be a part of this work and am grateful to be recognized for my accomplishments."

At eighty Earth years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor/activist, educator, iconic philanthropist and Broadway Deity. As Actor, Mr. De Shields' mission is to fill intimate spaces with enormous beauty. He defines intimate spaces as the hearts of humanity. As Activist, he endeavors to restore majesty, elegance and literacy to the Black Thespian's toolbox, to advocate for long term survivors of HIV and AIDS, and to champion the legacy of the Wellderly. His idiosyncratic career has resulted in a treasure trove of accolades, among them an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has founded The André De Shields Fund.

His other markers of esteem include being declared the triple crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having garnered Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Grammy Awards for his universally acclaimed role inHadestown as Hermes, messenger to the gods. Perennially renowned for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions -The Wiz (title role), Ain't Misbehavin' (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony nomination), and The Full Monty (Tony nomination). His portrayal of Old Deuteronomy in the radically re-imagined Cats: The Jellicle Ball was rewarded with the 2024 A.U.D.E.L.C.O. Award, the 2025 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical, the 2025 Dorian Theater Award for Outstanding Featured Performance in an Off-Broadway Production, and the 2025 LGBTQ Theater Trailblazer Award. In addition to special citations from the New York Drama Critics Circle and the Obie Awards, he received nominations for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical from the Drama Desk and for Distinguished Performance Award by The Drama League.

In 2026, Mr. De Shields garnered his fourth Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for the Broadway production ofCats: The Jellicle Ball, received the 2026 New 42 Ovation Award, and rang the closing bell for the New York Stock Exchange in June as part of The "Ring the Bell for LGBTQI+ Equality" Initiative. Mr. De Shields reigned as The Grand Marshal of the 51st Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, achieving the sui generis reputation as one of the ten wonders of New York City.

"LGBTQ+ people, Black people have been on the front-lines of the fight for equality forever. We've carved out our place when society did not make space for us. We protected ourselves when politicians pushed us aside. We've created a deep and rich culture when others refused to recognize our brilliance," said LGTBQ+ advocate and Ballroom icon Junior LaBeija. "Our voices, our visibility are powerful tools that we must leverage in our shared fight to reclaim our rights and freedoms."

Legend of the Ballroom scene, Junior LaBeija has been a member of the Iconic House of LaBeija for more than 50 years. A trailblazer, pioneer, and iconic master of ceremony for the annual "Paris Is Burning Ball," LaBeija is the M.C. in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning by filmmaker Jennie Livingston. Known for the theatricality in his voice, Junior LaBeija often commanded the room with his spirit, wit, and power and several of his catchphrases have become iconic. LaBeija also hit the stage, starring as Gus in the groundbreaking production of Cats: The Jellicle Ball. To this day, he is a steadfast Ballroom and LGBTQ+ historian, determined to keep the struggles, victories, and literature accurate and alive in this world.

This year's National Dinner will bring together HRC's dedicated advocates, members and supporters across the country to raise crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. Tickets and further information are available here.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 4 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action-working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.