Black Tie Dinner, Nation's Largest Black-Tie Fundraiser, Announces 2012 Date

DALLAS, TX - This year's organizers of Black Tie Dinner, the largest one-night black tie fundraiser in the nation, announced this year's dinner theme at a Launch Party at T&P Station in Fort Worth, Texas.

Event Co-Chairs, Chris Kouvelis and Mitzi Lemons officially kicked off the 31st annual Black Tie Dinner, announcing that the event will be held Saturday, November 3, 2012 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas. They also revealed in a special video presentation that the annual dinner theme would be Affair of the Heart. "An Affair of the Heart is exactly what Black Tie Dinner is," stated co-chair Chris Kouvelis to over two hundred attendees. "Thousands of people coming together solely to make a difference in the lives of so many."

More than 3,000 people attend the annual dinner, which raises funds for local LGBT supportive organizations and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Co-chair Mitzi Lemons said, "From the very first meeting of each year, until we deliver the Dinner proceeds to the Beneficiaries, it is every effort that comes from the hearts of our supporters, volunteers and sponsors that actually make our work a reality." Last year's event, which sold out months before the dinner, raised more than $1.142 million dollars that was directly distributed to Black Tie Dinner's beneficiaries.

Black Tie Dinner, Inc. is a non-profit organization that raises funds for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender supportive organizations through a premier event of empowerment, education and entertainment in partnership with the community. The event has headlined local and national celebrities and leaders such as Maya Angelou, Ann Richards, Geena Davis, Lily Tomlin, Goldie Hawn, Martin Sheen and more recently, Academy Award-winning Actress Marlee Matlin, Multi-Platinum Recording Artist Taylor Dayne and Caroline Rhea as Master of Ceremonies.

Black Tie Dinner honored figures in 2011 for their support of the GLBT community on a national and local level. The most recent Elizabeth Birch Equality Award, an award given in recognition of the inspirational leadership of former HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch, was presented to Decorated Veteran Eric Alva. In previous years the award has been received by, Elizabeth Birch, Sharon Stone, Alan Cumming, Showtime Networks/Robert Greenblatt and Bishop V. Gene Robinson and Judy Shepard.

On a local level, Chet Flake and his late partner, Bud Knight, were the recipients of the 2011 Kuchling Humanitarian Award for their extraordinary gifts of time and talents on behalf of the GLBT community. The Black Tie Media Award was given to Jesse Tyler Ferguson, in recognition of positive, increased awareness of GLBT issues in the media. In 2010, the award was given to Chely Wright.

Black Tie Dinner, Inc. began in Dallas in 1982 to help support the Human Rights Campaign Fund. There were 140 guests in attendance at the first dinner, which raised $6,000. In 2011, there were 3,000 in attendance and they distributed $1.142 million to 17 local beneficiaries and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In its 30-year history, the dinner has distributed over $16 million.

For more information on the November event, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, go to: www.blacktie.org

For a link to the announcement video go to: http://youtu.be/8xxCRvn-sgw