The Scene:The Center was Hillcrest’s place to be when luminaries of the LGBT community gathered to support the Lambda Archives, an ambitious historical collection of photos, slides, diaries, t-shirts, books, newsletters, tapes, and other tangibles that tell the story of our region’s LGBT people. Working with Board President Frank Nobiletti, Gala Chair Sharna Langlais created a special occasion for the dozen honorees and hundreds of community luminaries gathered in the Center's auditorium, with crowds spilling into the adjoining library space to bid on silent auction items.

Who Came:This year’s honorees were Larry Baza, Bill Beck, Al Best, Stewart Bornhoft, Doug Case, Max Disposti, George Murphy, Gloria Johnson, Jennifer Lesar, Carol Pierce, Judi Schaim, Jeff Wynne and Sara Beth Brooks. (Read their stories at www.LambdaArchives.org.) Among the admiring throng there to show their appreciation were Jess Durfee, Sean Francis, Tom Freeman, Ben Dillingham, Steve Letz and Stan Lewis. Will Muldowney and Dennis Perry enjoyed the Mexican buffet, while Craig Roberts, Joseph Rocha, Nancy Rodriguez and Viviana Enrique Acosta visited and networked amidst the friendly crowd. Sally Seyler, Jennifer Sieber and Shaun Travers were there along with smartly attired Brandon Tate and Kyle McWilliams. Lambda Archive volunteers Kelly Revak, Marc Jones Matthew Eklund, Anthony Sierra, Andersen Yu, Trevor LaFontaine, and Daniel Ayd soaked in the gracious support of their work.

The Cause:Since 1987, the Lambda Archives have been collecting, preserving, and teaching the LGBT history of San Diego and Northern Baja California. Members can borrow titles from the 2,000-volume library, and researchers are welcome. The Archives create educational displays at the Pride Festival and last year offered an amazing exhibit in the public lobby at City Hall. Recently a backlog of material has been appropriately archived by more than 40 student volunteers from SDSU, with research participation from students at UCSD and Point Loma Nazerene colleges.

The Creative:A star-spangled program began with Ria Carey's rendition of the National Anthem, followed by remarks and presentations from LGBT elected officials and political figures including Christine Kehoe, Toni Atkins, Todd Gloria, Carl deMaio, and Nicole Murray Ramirez. A high-quality printed program designed by Belladia Marketing and printed by Will Copy and Print offered an archive-worthy souvenir. Food and drink came from the Hole, Bourbon Street, the Big Kitchen, the Caliph, Jimmy Carter's Mexican Cafe, Recess, Peet's, and the Bistro At San Diego Desserts. Thanks to the gala committee whose members included Matthew Bevan, Maureen Steiner, and Alex Miller, with volunteer support from Delta Lambda Phi San Diego's Queer Multicampus Fraternity and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The Good-Hearted:Anthony's Fish Grotto and the Imperial Court de San Diego headlined a team of event sponsors, whose generosity was bolstered by significant contributions from Allstate Insurance, the Gay and Lesbian Fund at the San Diego Foundation, and Union Bank. Ongoing support for the important and engaging mission of the Lambda Archives comes from the Human Dignity Foundation and the San Diego Foundation for Change.

Get Involved:Here’s an opportunity for hands-on history. Volunteers do it all, including: public speaking, processing collections, cataloging books, clipping newspaper articles and creating exhibits. Learn more at www.LambdaArchives.org.

Photo link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/50146795@N02/sets/72157626028967346/