$129,000 raised at Equality Florida's Tampa Gala

More than 320 people attended an Equality Florida Gala at the Italian Club in Ybor City Feb. 26 and raised more than $129,000. The capacity crowd enjoyed cocktails and hor'douvres, mingled with local public figures and recognized several organizations and individuals who were recognized by Equality Florida for their commitment to equality and LGBT advancement.

See photos from the Equality Florida Tampa Gala 2012!

â┚¬Å”As we celebrate 15 years,â┚¬Â Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith told the audience, â┚¬Å”it's important to look back at where we came from and to see where we've arrived. But we have a long journey ahead of us.â┚¬Â

Smith shared her story of being a reporter with the Tampa Tribune back in the 1990s and how covering local politics opened her eyes to how too many viewed the LGBT community. During the February gala, she thanked local leaders for their ongoing support. Some notables in attendance included Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Tampa Chief of Police Jane Castor, former Florida CFO Alex Sink, Tampa City Councilwoman Yvonne Capin and Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, who served as emcee for the night.

While the gala served as a fundraiser for Equality Florida, it also gave the organization a chance to recognize those who have influenced progressive thinking in the area. The first-ever â┚¬Å”Equality Means Businessâ┚¬Â award was presented by Jim Harper to the GaYbor District Coalition and was accepted by coalition president Carrie West.

â┚¬Å”Thank you for this and for recognizing that we can make a difference,â┚¬Â West told the crowd. â┚¬Å”We still have more work to do.â┚¬Â

Equality Florida board member Charlie Hounchell presented the â┚¬Å”Corporate Voice of Equality Awardâ┚¬Â to the Tampa Bay Times and President and CEO Paul Tash accepted, promising to continue the paper's â┚¬Å”commitment to equality in the workplace.â┚¬Â

And finally, Smith presented the â┚¬Å”Voice of Equality Awardâ┚¬Â to Keith Roberts, who fought long with Smith in the early years of Equality Florida to get human rights ordinances passed in Tampa and Hillsborough County.

â┚¬Å”I am humbled and overwhelmed to accept this prestigious award,â┚¬Â Roberts said. â┚¬Å”There have been a lot of struggles and fights to get where we are today and I'm proud to have been involved from the beginning.â┚¬Â

Since Roberts' first involvement 15 years ago, Equality Florida has grown substantially, holding Galas like the one in Tampa in cities around the state. It's a sure sign of progress, and Smith was obviously proud of the success in the Sunshine State.

â┚¬Å”Florida has come a long way,â┚¬Â Smith said during her state of the State address. â┚¬Å”More than 50% of the communities in Florida have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A majority of our schools now have supporting groups for LGBT youth. But the fight isn't over and your help here tonight ensures we'll be able to continue that fight.â┚¬Â