Celebration of local LGBT leaders to feature special performance by multiplatinum Grammy Award-winning artist MONICA

GLAAD Champion Award presented to local LGBT advocate Sally Ringo

NEW YORK, NY – GLAAD, the world's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today announced that television personality Miss Lawrence will host GLAAD Atlanta on October 21, a celebration of national and local leaders accelerating LGBT acceptance. Multiplatinum Grammy Award-winning artist MONICA will deliver a special performance at the event.

Receiving the GLAAD Champion Award this year will be Sally Ringo. The GLAAD Champion Award is given to an individual who has had an important impact on the local LGBT community. With her staunch support of Birmingham AIDS Outreach, GLAAD's Southern Stories Summer Tour, State and Union: Lesbian Families in the Deep South, Living in Limbo documentary, and many other LGBT advocacy endeavors, Ringo is a powerful force for LGBT equality and acceptance in the South.

GLAAD Atlanta is made possible by generous support from presenting partners Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Ketel One Vodka, and Legendary Events, as well as official partners 131 Ponce, Atlantic American, Dermatology Consultants, Gray Television, and Sanofi.

"GLAAD Atlanta will highlight the important work being done across the South to accelerate acceptance of the LGBT community," said GLAAD CEO & President Sarah Kate Ellis. "We're thrilled to be continuing this event as part of our Southern Stories initiative and celebrate local champions like Atlanta’s Sally Ringo."

During the event, GLAAD will also highlight experiences from LGBT Americans as part of its Southern Stories program, which aims to build support for equality and acceptance in the U.S. South. GLAAD Southern Stories complements statewide and on-the-ground advocates' ongoing initiatives; mobilizes LGBT individuals and their allies to share their stories with the media; interacts with local media outlets; and amplifies stories of family, faith, communities of color, sports, and military personnel. GLAAD Atlanta will feature stories from three different individuals whose varied experiences include being an advocate for employment protections, healthcare for people living with HIV and AIDS, military vets who are LGBT; a transgender woman who works to equip LGBT people with the support and skills to be leaders in seeking both legal and lived equality; and a gay Christian who works as a motivational speaker encouraging people to live their lives unconfined.

GLAAD Atlanta 2015 event represents GLAAD's continuing commitment to accelerating acceptance in the U.S. South and comes after a successful first year, the highlights of which can be viewed here.

For more information, visit glaad.org/events/glaad-atlanta.