New Orleans Advocates for LGBTQ+ Elders (NOAGE) is hosting a fundraiser gala on Friday, November 22, 7-10PM, at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). Tickets are available online now at noagenola.org. The last several NOAGE galas have sold out in advance, and there will be no tickets available at the door, so be sure to get your tickets as soon as possible.
There will be live entertainment by Eureeka Starfish, music, dancing, food, an open bar, a silent auction, and all the great fun you’ve come to expect from this annual event. This year is NOAGE’s tenth anniversary, so we’re celebrating our first decade of providing services and advocacy for the community! The theme for costuming is “Decades,” so please feel free to costume in the style of your favorite decade. (Costuming is encouraged, but not required. Business casual is OK too!)
The gala will also feature the presentation of the 2024 NOAGE Awards. The 2024 NOAGE Trailblazer Award winner is Kenneth J. Mitchell. Kenn was born, raised, and educated in New Orleans, and he became an activist soon after coming out in the mid 1970s. He volunteered at New Orleans’ first gay community center (Gay Services Center), and became the first president of the local chapter of Dignity, a support group for gay Catholics. Later, with a group of other social workers, he helped start a coming out support group to help people who were struggling with the unpredictable coming out process. He helped found the Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus (LAGPAC), Louisiana’s first political action committee devoted to empowering the LGBTQ+ community politically. Later, he helped found the Langston/Jones Society, which aimed to increase the involvement of people of color in LAGPAC. When HIV/AIDS began impacting the community, he worked at the NO/AIDS Task Force, now known as CrescentCare. Initially, he was a volunteer HIV testing counselor, and eventually became a contract therapist for people who tested positive. He also worked with the Hate Crimes Project, helping those victimized by homophobic and racist acts. In 1987, he attended “The Great March” on Washington, a massive protest for LGBTQ+ civil rights. He also helped found Men of Color New Orleans, an organization serving gay men of color in the greater New Orleans area. Part of that organization was a group called ManTalk, a discussion group for men that remains active to this day. More recently, Kenn served on the steering committee that created NOAGE, and he served on the NOAGE board of directors for several years. Kenn’s service to our community over the last five decades is deeply appreciated, and NOAGE is very pleased for the opportunity to honor him as the Trailblazer that he is.
This year’s NOAGE Community Impact Award winners are the 2024 Southern Decadence Parade grand marshals: Vanessa Carr Kennedy, Paribe Meyer, and Jeffrey Mayeux. These amazing people hosted dozens of fundraiser events during the past year, and all funds raised (after expenses) will benefit both NOAGE and the cost of replacing the UpStairs Lounge memorial plaque. They have made an incredible impact on the local LGBTQ+ community, and we look forward to honoring them for all the work they have done on our behalf.
At press time, confirmed sponsors include Home Instead, CrescentCare, St. Thomas Community Health Center, Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), Maison Vie, Lake Lawn, Galloway Law Firm, the Gulf South LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, The Bach Group, Louisiana Assistive Technologies Access Network (LATAN), Liskow, the John Burton Harter Foundation, the Big Easy Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Integrity Health and Wellness, Ambush Magazine, St. Bernard Veterinary Hospital, Sir Speedy, Agape Care Group, Green Coast Enterprises, Michael Hickerson & David Munroe, Bobby Revere, DonPaul Landry, Jim Firmin, Brian Sands, and David Bernard, and Charles Urstadt.
NOAGE is still seeking more sponsors for this event. If you’d like to receive a sponsor packet, which includes information on the various sponsorship levels and benefits, send an email info@noagenola.org, or call (504) 517-2345.
NOAGE’s mission is to improve the well-being of LGBTQ+ older adults in the New Orleans metro area. NOAGE hosts regular socialization and educational events for LGBTQ+ older adults, including potlucks, fitness groups, a book club, coffee talks, support groups, and more. NOAGE also works to increase the cultural competency of healthcare and other service providers who work with older adults through trainings, workshops, and conferences. NOAGE is committed to ensuring that all LGBTQ+ older adults in the New Orleans metro area can live their best possible lives with the dignity, respect, and good health that they deserve. For more information, visit noagenola.org.