Rustin co-writer Julian Breece to be honored for uplifting queer stories in film and television

Equality California announced on Tuesday that it will be honoring writer and director Julian Breece with the Equality Visibility Award at its 25th anniversary Los Angeles Equality Awards.

The event will be hosted by Sasha Colby and be held on October 5 at Los Angeles’s Fairmont Century Plaza.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and California State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will be featured as special guest speakers, according to the organization.

“I didn’t grow up with affirming representations of black queer and trans people in my immediate environment, so novels and movies weren’t just an escape, they were a vital lifeline and my key source of personal liberation. While voices in my immediate surroundings communicated that LGBTQ+ people were less than, defective, and unworthy of dignity and love, the books I read and movies I watched on-screen challenged that hostile world-view and opened my eyes to the vastness of human experience and the vast possibilities for my life as a gay man,” Breece said in the announcement. “As a filmmaker, my goal has always been to pay that forward on some level. I aim to tell stories that reveal the beautiful complexity of queer lives in a way that promotes empathy, healing, and equality for all people.”

Equality California said in its announcement that Breece had been dedicated to centering queer stories both in film and television, and noted his work on the Oscar-nominated film Rustin. The Netflix film told the life story of activist Bayard Rustin as he faced racism and homophobia while changing the course of the Civil Rights movement by helping organize the 1963 March on Washington.

“For a quarter of a century, we have strived to create a world where every LGBTQ+ person can live freely and authentically,” said Equality California executive director Tony Hoang. “We are thrilled to celebrate the Los Angeles Equality Awards with steadfast LGBTQ+ community leaders and visionaries as we celebrate this significant milestone and the many victories we have accomplished to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ Californians. This year’s event will not only honor the leaders and advocates who have paved the way for equality, but it will also reaffirm our commitment to the work still ahead.”

Dr. Greg Sarris, chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, will be honored as well with the Community Leadership Award.

"Chairman Sarris is a noted philanthropist whose contributions to Indigenous people, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized communities have made lasting impacts," Equality California said.