The fight for social justice and freedom of press were at the forefront on Feb. 7 at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2026 Greater New York Dinner, as evidenced by TV journalist Don Lemon’s surprise appearance and remarks at the event.
Lemon, who was arrested in Los Angeles on Jan. 29 after livestreaming anti-ICE protesters in Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18, said this was only his second public appearance since the arrest.
“I did Jimmy Kimmel and I’m doing this,” he said after walking out onto the stage hand-in-hand with his husband Tim Malone. “Because this is really important, because the freedom to live in America and be who you want, love who you want — it’s a human right, right?”
“The freedom of press is a human right,” Lemon continued. “Last week, I felt it. I saw how quickly a voice can be targeted. How easily truth can be distorted. How fast a story can be turned into a warning.
“But I am not an activist. I am not a protester. I am a journalist. My calling is not to shout. It is to witness,” Lemon said. “To observe. To tell the truth as clearly as I can, even when clarity comes with consequences.”
This thoroughline of journalistic freedom was highlighted throughout the night, especially by HRC Ally for Equality Awardee Jane Krakowski, known for her award-winning roles in “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and most recently for her starring role on Broadway in “Oh, Mary!”
Krakowski said that the AIDS epidemic and the government’s indifference towards the LGBTQ community during that time was the original catalyst that drove her to become an ally.
“When you’re losing your friends and castmates at such a young age, and it’s surrounding you and your community, there was no choice but for me to be an ally and an advocate for the rest of my life,” she said in an interview with Gay City News.
The Ally for Equality Award was presented by actor Tituss Burgess, who has worked alongside Krakowski on several projects, including “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” He described her as an “actor’s actor” as well as his “sister.”
A video montage of Krakowski’s lifetime achievements in theater and television paid close attention to Krakowski’s constant work with and within the LGBTQ+ community, and the mutual respect they hold for each other.
“Every choice I make to be funny or to be clever or to be good at anything is for you [the LGBTQ] community],” she said in an interview clip from the montage.
“…Once again, I am watching this community respond with the same defiance, with the same solidarity and the same insistence on being seen that I first witnessed all those years ago,” Krakowski said later in her remarks. “You refused to be silent when the government turned its back. You refused to hide when the world tells you to be ashamed. You refused to stop making art, making history and making your lives full and loud.”
HRC’s president, Kelley Robinson, sought to motivate the audience — and the broader community — with a message of hope for the future.
“I believe this with everything in me: If we stand together, if we fight together, one day soon we will know more joy than grief,” Robinson said. “Our children will feel just as safe surrounded by the American flag as they do when surrounded by Pride flags. That one day our children won’t just dream about the promise of freedom — they will have it. The question is not whether or not we can win. The question is what are we willing to do. Are you willing to choose hope, to choose love, to choose courage, to choose joy.”
Other honorees included lesbian fashion designer Daniella Kallmeyer, who received the Visibility Award, and trans rights advocate Juli Grey-Owens, who was recognized with the Community Impact Award.
US Senator Cory Booker and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also made surprise appearances, urging members to continue doing the critical work of supporting the HRC and providing resources to those who need it most.
Introducing each speaker was transportation journalist and beloved voice of the NYC subway (think: “Stand clear of the closing doors, please!”) Bernie Wagenblast. Since transitioning several years ago, Wagenblast feels very hopeful about the fact that her old, masculine voice still permeates so much of New York City.
“It was a way to remind New Yorkers, as my story became more well known, that trans people are part of their daily life,” Wagenblast said in an interview with Gay City News.
The HRC Dinner brings together activists, members, and supporters from their 3.6 million-person network and beyond. Last night, the HRC raised just under half a million dollars to support their continued efforts fighting for LGBTQ+ rights.
See some more photos below:
