A Special Thanks to this Year’s Sponsors:

Entertainers and Keynote: 

Doria Biddle co-hosts a radio show with funnyman Frank DeCaro on Sirrus OUT Q. Doria will be our featured Speaker.

was born and raised in Pennsylvania.  My father
ran a chain of family-owned newspapers, along with
a couple of small radio stations.  Family vacations
often revolved around National Newspaper
Association conventions and I learned at a very
early age that the  ”liberal media”  is an illusion.

A pathologically shy and unpopular child, I was
miserable at school until my mother finally placed
me in a wonderful Quaker school.   I graduated from
a small women’s college in Massachusetts that has
since gone co-ed, so I don’t feel compelled to give
them a plug.  Nothing against the boys, it’s just not
the same school.
After frittering away a year or so bartending in
Boston, I moved to West Hollywood, CA, “The SilliestPlace on Earth,” where I bartended a while longer.
Eventually, Ilanded gigs writing for MTV, Rugrats, Disney’s Recess, along with various magazines,interactive products and web sites. I wrote for and edited a gay magazine called “Bent,” which would have been a marvelous periodical if the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher hadn’t been knee-deep in various criminal enterprises that landed them in jail.  Still, the experience enabled me to make the leap to Teen Magazine, where I remained for two and a half enjoyable years until Teen was ruthlessly squashed in a corporate takeover.

I joined OutQ when I was approached to produce the show Harrison on the Edge.  When Harrison and
Sirius parted ways, I was whisked to New York City to meet Frank DeCaro.  Less than a week later, TheFrank DeCaro Show debuted and the rest is radio history!

We are also excited to announce comedian Vickie Shaw was our entertainer of the evening.

Vickie Shaw looks like the woman next door … All-American with blond hair, lipstick and polished nails. Once she opens her mouth, you’ll know she was born and raised in Texas and you’ll never stop laughing. After eighteen years of marriage and three kids, 

something was missing in Vickie’s life…

“People were always coming up to me and saying, ‘You should do stand-up comedy.’

Vickie did become a stand-up comic and came out as a lesbian at the same time.

‘I would’ve come out as a stand-up, but it would’ve killed my parents.’

Now, she performs in both straight and gay venues opening audience’s minds with laughter.

‘I don’t look the part. I blow away all their stereotypes. I’m the woman next door – except I just happen to be gay.’

Overview  of Award Recipients

HRC Individual Equality Awardees

Dr. Rebecca Allison

Allison, a Mississippi native, moved her cardiology practice to Arizona after deciding to begin the process of transition. After finding much success in Phoenix, Allison decided to share her story of transitioning, creating a blog about her experiences and other issues important to transgender people. The website became a resource for people looking to find a therapist to aid in transition and for those seeking to have the information changed on their birth certificates.

In 2004, Allison was elected to the Board of Directors of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and served as GLMA President from 2009 to 2011. In 2011, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Angela Hughey

Hughey is the co-founder and President of ONE Community, an interactive web and events community for gay, lesbian and allied individuals and businesses. Her rich background in media has helped her succeed in uniting the LGBT community. Past positions include co-founder and president of Filling the Gap, a home entertainment company that focused on LGBT programming for home video markets; vice president of acquisitions/national sales for Spectrum Entertainment; sales manager for Desert Mountain Media; a position at Clear Channel with a focus on Hispanic outreach; and as Director of Sales and Marketing at Latino Perspectives.

Hughey has won awards for her work as an independent filmmaker and was recently inducted into Echo Magazine’s Hall of Fame. She has sat as chair on many committees and boards dedicated to supporting LGBT and Hispanic issues.

Nicole Stanton

Stanton is a well-respected member of the Phoenix law community and is partner at Quarles and Brady LLP. A graduate of University of Arizona, she is listed in Best Lawyers of America’s 2012 edition for malpractice law. Stanton is a distinguished lecturer, author and activist, with many contributions to the Phoenix community.

As the wife of Mayor Greg Stanton, she has adopted an agenda of her own—launching an anti-bullying initiative. The issue is close to her, as her brother was gay and bullied in high school. Though he was not out at the time, football players beat him for displaying effeminate mannerisms and asking for funds for the arts. She is concerned about the rise of cyberbullying and its growing effect on children.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

 Corporate Equality Award    

Common Ground. Uncommon Vision. At Quarles & Brady LLP, we find common ground in our diversity of experiences, expertise, and perspectives, giving us an unparalleled ability to provide inno- vative results and address client needs with uncommon vision. Our attorneys engage in creative thinking and problem solving and, as a result, we have built a culture that values diverse perspectives in order to advance sophisticated client service. Our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace that is rich in tal- ent and ideas is not just about meeting recruiting goals or fulfilling a requirement on a client’s RFP. It’s integral to how we see ourselves, each other, the clients we serve and our future in a multicultural world. The diversity programs we have in place are designed to provide mentoring, create incentives and open doors so that all our lawyers can enjoy long-term professional success with first-rate clients at Quarles. Our integrated model provides our core assets — our people — with resources in business planning, professional development, professional networking, work-life balance, social awareness and employee wellness. By focusing on these key areas, we provide our women and diverse attorneys with the foundation to succeed and the tools to build their professional and personal lives.

LGBT Friendly Policies Domestic Partner Benefits – We recognize and respect not only the individual differences in lawyers and staff, but also in their families. Wherever possible, the Firm extends insurance coverage and applicable policies (such as funeral leave, parental leave, sick leave and leave of absence) to domestic partners and their children. Domestic partners may be of the same or opposite sex. 

Salary “Gross-Up” – Quarles & Brady has adopted a change to how the firm administers its health care coverage for same-sex domestic partners which elim- inates the inequitable additional costs that are borne by an employee whose same-sex domestic partner is covered under Quarles & Brady’s health care in- surance. The policy levels out what would otherwise be an uneven playing field for Quarles & Brady’s employees. This is consistent with our firm’s commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace — one which will help us recruit, develop and retain top talent.

Minority Liaisons – In order to foster an environment that encourages associates of historically underrepresented backgrounds to build careers with the Firm, we have implemented a minority liaison program. This initiative ensures that every diverse associate is assigned a second mentor, above and beyond the one assigned through the formal mentoring program. Minority liaisons serve as an additional resource and voice for the diverse associate, from their first day at the Firm until they reach partnership.