FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 20, 2005

Glenn Close to be Honored at Gala Benefiting the National Center for Lesbian Rights

(San Francisco, CA, April 20, 2005) — Multiple award-winning actress Glenn Close will be honored at the 28th Anniversary Gala for the National Center for Lesbian Rights on Saturday May 14, 2005, at the Moscone Center. NCLR is the lead counsel in the San Francisco marriage case and the nation's premier public interest legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of lesbians and their families. Always one of the hottest tickets in town, the sold-out Gala is generating added buzz this year with the recent San Francisco Superior Court ruling that it is unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to marry.

Ms. Close, a five-time Academy Award nominee, three-time Tony Award winner and acclaimed producer, will accept the NCLR Spirit Award in recognition of her important contributions as an ally of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, most notably for her bold Emmy Award-winning performance as Colonel Margarethe "Greta" Cammermeyer, who sued the military after being discharged for admitting she was a lesbian. The highly-rated "Serving in Silence," co-produced by Close and Barbra Streisand, garnered a Peabody Award and Golden Globe nomination. Most recently, Ms. Close has joined the cast of FX's groundbreaking drama The Shield as "Captain Monica Rawling," a street cop who has risen through the ranks.

As a special honor, Colonel Cammermeyer (Ret.) will personally present Ms. Close with the Spirit Award. The award was designed to pay tribute to those individuals who have devoted their time and energy to ensuring all people are respected without fear of discrimination and prejudice. Ms. Close's charitable contributions and creative endeavors such as "Serving in Silence," "In the Gloaming," and "Something about Amelia" epitomize the essence of this award. Actress and humanitarian Sharon Stone was the recipient of NCLR's first Spirit Award last year, presented by Mayor Gavin Newsom.

"We are at a pivotal moment in our community's history," said Kate Kendell, Esq., NCLR's Executive Director. "As the fight for marriage equality advances, NCLR is also leading the charge to secure equality and protection for the most vulnerable members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community: parents seeking custody of their children, athletes and coaches fighting discrimination, elders in need of affordable senior housing, and immigrants seeking asylum from gender and sexuality-based persecution in their home countries." Proceeds raised at the Gala will help win important legal victories for NCLR's clients.

The 28th Anniversary Gala, held at San Francisco's Moscone Center South in the Esplanade Ballroom, is NCLR's major annual fund-raising event that draws a sell-out crowd of 2,200 lesbians and their supporters. Festivities begin at 6 p.m., with the ever-witty Kate Clinton returning by command performance as Emcee. Other celebrity guests will be announced soon.

Gold Presenting Sponsors of the Gala include AAA Travel and Wells Fargo. Presenting Sponsors include Bluer & Bluer, LLP; Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP; Lesbian Equity Foundation, Kathy Levinson; and Jan Zivic.