Brunching to bring the LGBT community together

What is it about brunch us gays love so much?

Maybe it's the fact that we are able to sit through an entire meal wearing sunglasses while curing the morning's hangover with a hair of the dog mimosa. Or maybe it's the damage control. Gossiping about the previous evening's exploits and shenanigans before anyone else can. Well this weekend, two local organizations are hosting two special brunch soirees to raise funds and awareness about their important causes.

On Saturday, April 11, I'm From Driftwood will host their second annual Spring Brunch Fundraiser in the Courtyard of the John C. Anderson Apartments, the LGBT-friendly senior housing development that opened last February.

Proceeds from the event support I'm From Driftwood, a platform that collects and shares true, first person stories told by LGBTQ individuals from all over the world.

IFD held its first major fundraiser in Philadelphia last April, when the brunch drew more than 140 guests to the JCAA courtyard.

"Our main program that people from the Philadelphia community can become involved with is our weekly video series," Driftwood founder and executive director Nathan Manske explained. "If anyone wants to get involved with sharing their story, they would meet up with our Philadelphia-based video producer Marquise Lee and an interviewer."

I immediately assumed coming out stories. "We actually discourage coming out stories," he pointed out. "We want to focus on the rest of what it is like to be LGBTQ instead of just that one moment. We have a lot of first dates, love stories, family issues to work stories. So if anyone in Philadelphia wants to share their story, coming to the brunch is a great way to find out more about it."

Video producer and Board Member Marquise Lee explained, "I'm From Driftwood is all about the connections that are made when we share our stories. Guests at the brunch don't wear name tags, but stickers that say "I'm From" and they fill in the blank. It's amazing to see the conversations that get started from those stickers, to hear people exchanging their personal histories, especially in a city with as rich a history as Philly's."

Admission to Saturday's brunch includes a buffet, a silent auction, live jazz performed by Tal Shtuhl Trio and an open bar of brunch beverages.

Hopefully the next morning, you aren't suffering from Saturday's open bar too much, because on Sunday, April 12, the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund will award local heroes at a special ceremony and brunch in the Lafayette Ballroom of the Hotel Monaco. DVLF, a local community foundation, held the first heroes event nine years ago to honor those people whose work and leadership have helped advanced the rights of the LGBTQ community.

We have amazing heroes this year and every year. It gets harder and harder to pick," said Samantha Giusti, executive director of DVLF. "This year we are honoring Gloria Casarez with our Lifetime Legacy Award posthumously. There is not enough you can say about Gloria. Because of her, Philadelphia as a municipality was able to top the HRC's Municipality Equality Index as the number one city for LGBT equality in the country. She was the glue that kept the LGBT community together."

Ian Morrison, also known as drag queen Brittany Lynn, will be honored as this year's Community Hero. "Everybody knows Brittany Lynn but behind the scenes, Ian is doing a lot of work on behalf of the community. Ian got more nominations than we have ever received. These were organizations that banned together and nominated him. He is always doing so much on behalf of so many organizations in the community. He is really fantastic whether he is working as Ian or Brittany."

This weekend, supporting these two fantastic causes' are good enough reasons to get your bougie and boozy brunch on.

For more information on the I'm From Driftwood Spring Brunch, please visit here.

For more information on the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund's Heroes Awards, please visit here.