On September 24, 2022, Robert Walker Emery received the Kuchling Humanitarian Award from the Dallas/FtWorth Black Tie Dinner, the largest annual fundraising event in the City of Dallas, with an audience of 2,700 guests. The theme of the event was: “Power of Pride”. The video may be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UOzGvy-EMc
The following is the written text of his acceptance speech (with his “flash card” images inserted) :
Thank you, Black Tie Dinner. Thank you to all those beautiful people who said nice things about me in that video. Most importantly, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your community!
Feel the Power of Pride! Here in North Texas, we have the largest predominantly-LGBT church in the world,
… the largest and most successful LGBT theater company in the world,
… and the most recorded male chorus in the world!
Feel the Power of Pride! You are the first in Texas to have an LGBTQ historical subject marker, certified by the Texas Historical Commission.
You have more Rainbow Crosswalks than any city in America.
You are the first and only city in America to have an official “pride” version of your City flag.
Feel the Power of Pride! Our magnificent community was forged through the cooperation of women & men working together … with our Allies!
The Dallas Way preserves our LGBTQ history, and was founded because you have been doing amazing things for the past 75 years. With so much external energy focused on erasing us, we must work even harder to secure our legacy.
That is why we will host a 13-state regional conference next weekend focusing on LGBTQ history. Archiving IS activism!
The Coalition for Aging LGBT was founded because … well … it’s later than you think! The 400,000 LGBT seniors who live in North Texas represent the Stonewall generation. They are the AIDS generation. They fought and they died to give us every right and privilege and equality we enjoy today. To advocate for those who first advocated for us is our greatest honor.
Our community personifies the Power of Pride. Not arrogance. Pride. We have pride in what we do with our lives, and what we accomplish as a community. We must feel the Power of Pride. We must practice Pride the same way we would practice anything we hope to do better…with frequency and repetition. We must practice pride to quiet the voices who speak against us and to feel ever more comfortable in our skin. Have pride in what you have done with your life and what we have accomplished as a community. I love you, North Texas. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you and I want you to love yourself as much as I love you.
Our Rainbow community is constantly under fire. Women’s reproductive rights have been cruelly curtailed. Our right to privacy is threatened. And marriage equality could disappear …. unless we vote!!!
Turn your anger, fear, and grief into action! Election Day is Nov 8. Early voting begins October 24. Sing it with me: October 24th!
The question we must ask ourselves is: Will we — once again — rise up as one to change this world for the better? Will we vote as a united community to say, loud and clear, that we have had enough of ignorant nonsense? Will we do something on November 8th we can all be proud of?
Yes we will! Vote for equality-minded candidates! Feel the Power of Pride! Thank you Black Tie Dinner. I love you!
