Night at the Pier 2017 Honorees Included

"When We Rise"

“When We Rise” is a four-part mini-series from Academy Award-winner Dustin Lance Black that chronicles the real-life personal and political struggles, set-backs and triumphs of a diverse family of LGBTQ people who helped pioneer one of the last legs of the U.S. equality movement from its turbulent infancy in the 20th century to today.

The mini-series stars Guy Pearce as Cleve Jones, Mary-Louise Parker as Roma Guy, Rachel Griffiths as Diane, Michael K. Williams as Ken Jones, Austin P. McKenzie as Young Cleve, Jonathan Majors as Young Ken, Emily Skeggs as Young Roma Fiona Dourif as Young Diane and Ivory Aquino as Cecilia Chung.

Hostetter-Habib Family Award

Dr. David Baker-Hargrove

The Hostetter-Habib Family Award is given annually in honor of Alex Habib, Mark Hostetter and their entire family in recognition of their extraordinary dedication to and unwavering commitment to Family Equality Council’s core values: love, justice, family, equality. Family Equality Council is proud to give the 2017 award to Dr. David Baker-Hargrove, a licensed mental health counselor and leader in the response to the Pulse nightclub shooting last year in Orlando, FL.

Dr. Baker-Hargrove has been providing mental health services to the LGBTQ community for 20 years. He spearheaded the response effort for the Pulse Nightclub Massacre in June 2016, mobilizing over 650 volunteer counselors to provide nearly 1,000 mental health encounters between June 12 and the July 4 Weekend.  He is the co-founder of Two Spirit Health Services, Inc, Central Florida’s LGBTQ Health Center that continues to provide primary medical and mental health care for the ongoing Pulse healing effort.

He has been actively involved in Central Florida’s LGBTQ community and has strong linkages to every LGBTQ social service, social justice, wellness and health organization in Central Florida.  He is the past president of Central Florida’s LGBTQ chamber of commerce and past president of Central Florida’s LGBTQ Pride event. He has worked with over 1,000 transgender clients and regularly speaks at transgender and professional conferences.  He is an approved CEU provider for the State of Florida to train other healthcare professionals on the cultural competencies involved in working with LGBTQ patients. As an American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Responder, he also worked at World Trade Center Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.