To mark the 15th anniversary of her Oscar-winning performance in “Boys Don’t Cry,” Outfest will honor Hilary Swank with another accolade. The actress will receive the Trailblazer Award from the Los Angeles-based nonprofit LGBT organization.
Swank portrayed a transgender man in the 1999 film, bringing significant visibility to the issue.
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Also being recognized this year is author Armistead Maupin who’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of his “Tales of the City” series being adapted for television. The show first aired on PBS in 1994 and sparked outrage in Congress over its LGBT themes. Maupin will be honored with Outfest’s Visionary Award.
The Guardian Award is being given to longtime ally in the fight for LGBT equality, Levi Strauss & Co. The San Francisco-based company has offered employee domestic partner benefits for years and has supported same-sex marriage and equal rights legislature in California and at the federal level.
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Outfest’s Legacy Awards serves as a fundraiser to support the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the largest archive of LGBT moving images in the world, with over 30,000 pieces of material.
This marks the inaugural year that the organization will host a dinner for the occasion. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
Tickets for the event go on sale on Tues., Oct. 7.