Save the Date: 2027 Annual Gala
2027 Annual Gala
Celebrating Over 40 Years of Pride, Progress, and Community Impact
Save the date! Honoree announcements and ticket registrations opening soon.
Be the First to Know
Join hundreds of legal professionals, community partners, and advocates for our signature charitable celebration on May 19, 2027. Connect with us today to receive immediate notice when ticket sales officially launch or to secure advance corporate and law firm sponsorship packages.
Get Updates & Sponsorship InfoThis Year's Venue: City Winery NYC
We are excited to host this year's gala at the spectacular City Winery. Overlooking the Hudson River and Little Island, this premier waterfront venue offers sweeping skyline views, an open gathering space where colleagues and friends can celebrate, and VIP access to the Mezzanine Loft.
Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring focused programming, drinks, dinner, and dancing as we toast our community's legal achievements and fund our Foundation's frontline pro bono programs.
Direct Foundation Impact
The Annual Gala powers the charitable and educational mission of the LGBT Bar NY Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization). For over four decades, our Foundation has provided a safe harbor for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, evolving alongside our community's legal needs:
Flagship Walk-In Legal Clinic
Held every Tuesday at The Center in Manhattan for over 40 years, assisting over 1,000 visitors in 2025 with free guidance on housing, family law, immigration, and civil rights.
Legal Referrals & Direct Services
Connecting community members with representation through our Lawyer Referral Network, alongside pro bono partnerships providing legal name and gender marker changes.
Hank Henry Judicial Fellowships
Sponsoring law student fellows for rotations among openly LGBTQ+ judges across federal, state trial, appellate, and administrative courts to nurture future jurists.
LGBT Law Notes
Publishing the nation's oldest continuously running legal journal dedicated to LGBTQ+ scholarship and jurisprudence since 1980, tracking landmark decisions nationwide.
Community & Cultural Heritage DEI
Fostering education and connection through cultural heritage events, historic walking tours of The Center, film screenings, and public educational forums.
Educational Programming & Outreach
Organizing accredited Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars and year-round outreach that elevate LGBTQ+ legal visibility and protections.
"I want to thank each of you for being there to support my partner and me, as well as the entire LGBT community. It is a very crucial service which you provide, always there, professional and knowledgeable... You gave me the confidence to fight my legal battle."
"Times are changing and it's time we stand strong and create a better world for LGBT families. I have LeGaL to thank for creating the spark and for being mine and my son's superhero as we await a verdict. I will never forget their support and love."
Recent Honorees
2026 Honorees
- Susan L. Bender, Esq. • Partner, Bender & Crane LLP
- Hon. Cynthia S. Kern • Justice, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division (Ret.)
- Miss Peppermint • Artist, Performer, and Activist
2025 Honorees
- Chase Strangio, Esq. • Co-Director of the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project
- Hon. Adam Silvera • Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the New York City Courts