Out Brunch at SAAF

    Each year during Out Brunch SAAF honors a special volunteer, a lifetime leader in the community, and an outstanding ally with the Steve Hall, Godat, and the Dr. Jean Baker Community Ally awards, respectively. SAAF invites the community to nominate members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community prior to January 21st when the nomination period closes.

    SAAF’s LGBTQ+ Initiatives unites the LGBTQ+ community of Southern Arizona and transforms lives. By working to eliminate the stigma of LGBTQ+ youth and adults alike, SAAF is leading the way for the LGBTQ+ community. Since taking on LGBTQ+ initiatives from Wingspan in 2014, SAAF has:

    • Opened the Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th, a SAAF space for LGBTQ+ & allied youth.
    • Facilitated the installation of Arizona’s first-ever Rainbow Crosswalk.
    • Worked to pass the first ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth in Arizona.
    • Continued to act as a fiscal agent to LGBTQ+ groups such as Senior Pride.

    Out Brunch Community Awards

    The Out Brunch Community Awards were a mainstay of the annual Wingspan Gala dinner, and SAAF has continued this tradition as a part of Out Brunch. Each of the awards honors a specific facet of the amazing work being done in Southern Arizona:

    • The Steve Hall Award is given to an individual who makes outstanding volunteer contributions to further the mission of promoting freedom, equality, safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people in Southern Arizona.
    • The Godat Award was inaugurated in 1998 to recognize extraordinary long-term contributions by an individual to Southern Arizona’s LGBTQ+ community.
    • The Jean Baker Community Ally Award honors a straight ally who has made significant contributions to advance the freedom, equality, safety, and well-being of LGBTQ+ people in Southern Arizona.
    • The Richard Elías Public Servant Award is presented to public or government servants who have made significant or extraordinary contributions to the equality, equity, health and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community of Tucson and Arizona.

    Recent Out Brunch Honorees

    Out Brunch 2020 honored: Dr. Tracey Kurtzman (Dr. Jean Baker Community Ally), Erin Russ (Godat), and Curt Beall (Steve Hall).

    Out Brunch 2021 honored: Lizette Trujillo (Dr. Jean Baker Community Ally), Liane Wong (Godat), Mike Steinberg and Alan Taylor (Steve Hall), and Richard Elías (Richard Elías Public Servant).