THE GAYLA

April 5, 2025

4pm - 10pm

St Julien Hotel & Spa

900 Walnut St, Boulder, CO

DETAILS:

The Gayla is BACK this Spring!

Join us as we not only return to the St Julien Hotel but move our GAYLA back to the spring for the first time in 6 years. All attendees will enjoy the evening’s entertainment, including our live auction and our surprise guest for the evening! This year, we’re switching things up and instead of heads or tails, we’ll be hosting Auction Grab!

The Gayla is sold out. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please email Juan Moreno (he) at gayla@rmequality.org.

You won’t want to miss it—this year’s special guest is Harper Steele!

Harper Steele is an Emmy-winning veteran comedy writer and producer, most known for her thirteen years with Saturday Night Live where she eventually became the head writer. After leaving Saturday Night Live, Steele took over as Creative Director of the comedy website Funny or Die, started by her friends Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. While at Funny or Die, Steele wrote the films, Casa De Mi Padre, Deadly Adoption, and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

Most recently, Steele was the subject of the new Netflix documentary Will & Harper, which chronicles her evolving relationship with longtime collaborator and friend Will Ferrell. The documentary centers around a road trip the two friends take across America for the first time since Harper’s transition, and nearly thirty years after they first met on the set of SNL. Will & Harper premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and debuted on Netflix on September 27.

2025 Changemaker Indiviual Award:

Nadine Bridges

Nadine Bridges is a dedicated advocate, leader, and champion for social justice with over 20 years of experience working with vulnerable communities. As the first Black and female Executive Director of One Colorado, the state’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, Nadine has led groundbreaking initiatives, including the successful effort to repeal Colorado’s same-sex marriage ban and blocking over 30 anti-trans ballot initiatives. Under her leadership, One Colorado has expanded access to gender-affirming care, fought against book bans and forced outings, and strengthened protections for LGBTQ+ Coloradans.

A committed racial equity and anti-oppression advocate, Nadine has served as a professor, mentor, counselor, and activist. Before joining One Colorado, she managed the Community Health Division for Boulder County Public Health, leading programs that shaped local and state policy to reduce health disparities. She served on the Advisory Committee of Racial Diversity to the Dean at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, is a Health Equity Commissioner for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and is on the Board of Directors for the Equality Federation. She was a director of LGBTQIA+ youth programs, a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua, and a professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work.

Nadine’s contributions to advocacy have earned her numerous honors, including the Transformation 2024 IDEA Leader in Nonprofit Award, the Denver Pride Center Stage Icon Award and the African American Who Makes a Difference Award. Her insights on leadership and equity have been published in Nonprofit Quarterly, and she is a sought-after speaker for national and local conferences.

Nadine holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver and a BA and BS in Biology from the College of Charleston. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time with her wife, Liz, and their loved ones.

2025 Changemaker Corporate Award:

Social Venture Partners Boulder County

SVP Boulder County is where community and collaboration meet to strengthen local nonprofits. As the only organization in Boulder County dedicated to supporting nonprofits at their core, they connect passionate individuals— SVP Partners—with local organizations to amplify their impact.

Through mentorship, strategic support, and financial resources, they help nonprofits thrive. SVP partners work alongside nonprofit leaders, offering expertise in board development, fundraising, operations, finance, marketing, and more. Since 2000, SVP has supported hundreds of nonprofits, providing $1.7 million in grants and $7 million in pro bono consulting and skilled volunteering.

At SVP, they believe that strong nonprofits create a stronger community.

2025 GAYLA EMCEE:

Jordan Chavez is the weekday morning anchor at 9NEWS here in Denver. You can watch him and his team weekday mornings from 4:30am - 9am. Prior to his time on 9NEWS Mornings, Jordan was a general assignment reporter covering some of the biggest stories impacting Coloradans - including extreme weather events, criminal cases that garnered national attention like Chris Watts, and controversial political decisions that kept him inside the state capitol overnight holding legislators accountable while so many others were sleeping.

Jordan is also a gay man who represents the LGBTQ+ community every single morning he goes on air as his authentic self. He's bravely shared his coming out story and his struggles with mental health in hopes of removing and challenging stigmas and stereotypes cast upon them and, ultimately, connecting people with life-saving resources. He says his goal every morning is to give at least one person hope that they can inspire change in their own community to create a better world that serves all of us. Jordan's partner, Kaleb, grew up in Colorado. Together, the two call our state home. Before making the move to Denver, Jordan worked as a weekend anchor and a general assignment reporter at KAMR, the NBC affiliate, in Amarillo, Texas.

ENTERTAINMENT BY: SOPH AND AUSTIN

Soph and Austin is the blending of different people, and different genres. This original songwriting/musician duo makes music about the complexities of existence. Their debut album You Could’ve Just Called Me centers around college angst, and experiences, and was a strong jumping point for more insightful and experimental music. Their upcoming EP Despairia is a project that blends indie and bossa nova. It heavily features a string quartet, which romanticizes its lyricism and adds a color of sophistication.

Soph and Austin frequently gig around Colorado with their band. They have played at places such as Larimer Lounge, 100 Nickel, CU Pride events, and more. When not performing or dreaming of their next ambition, they continue to give to the arts through administrative work, and piano instruction.