More than 200 people attended Her HRC (Human Rights Campaign) Chicago's second annual "Va-Va-Vaudeville" extravaganza at the Mayne Stage March 10.
The evening began with words of welcome by Leah Schein, HRC Chicago co-chair for membership and community events. Schein spoke about the work HRC did in 2012 to advance LGBT equality.
Comedian Gwen La Roka hosted the event and also performed her act in between each of the performers. Tamale Sepp, Po' Chop, Titty Perkins and Red Hot Annie performed their own brands of burlesque dancing. Surayah and her belly-dance troupe, Mae the Belly Dancer, comedian Bradley Thomas, and the comedy-burlesque team of Tila Von Twirl and Brad French also performed.
During intermission Dawn Brown, a member of HRC Chicago's board of governors, said, "As one of my fellow steering committee members describes us, HRC is like the LGBT Red Cross. The donations are invested where the need is which means that right now your donations are coming here to Illinois to try to get marriage equality passed. HRC has paired up with Illinois Unites for Marriage and hired staffers to work to get this bill passed."
Sponsors for the evening included Wells Fargo, AfterEllen.com, The L Stop, lia sophia, the Westin Hotel, Early to Bed, Women and Children First Bookstore, pet store Jameson Loves Danger and many others.
See www.hrcchicago.org and www.facebook.com/HRCIllinois for more information and pictures from the event.
More photos by Kat Fitzgerald, MysticImagesPhotography.com at the Additional Photodpread link under the image.
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