Louisiana Dinner

Louisiana Trans Advocates is a nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to advance the lives of our trans and non-binary family in Louisiana. They operate with these straight forward principles:

1. Self-determination and expression for all transgender and gender nonconforming people is a core human right.
2. Trans liberation depends on the empowerment of intersecting communities that experience systemic oppression, especially people of color, the poor, immigrants, people with disabilities, and women and femme-identified people.
3. All trans people, regardless of individual socioeconomic status should have an opportunity to participate fully in organizational activities, especially those in under-resourced, isolated, and rural communities throughout the state.

The Human Rights Campaign is honored to work with Louisiana Trans Advocates and we are thrilled to honor them with the Community Award at the 2023 HRC Louisiana Dinner!

Dr. Marc Behar is a long time resident of New Orleans and maintains his chiropractic practice in Algiers. Marc is co-chair of Jewish Pride NOLA, an organization he formed in 2018 as an initiative of the Jewish Federation GNO. It's mission is to provide information, resources and affirmation to Louisiana's LGBTQ population and to promote LGBTQ-related programming, opportunities and advocacy. Following Hurricane Katrina when most local LGBTQ organizations were dissolving due to a lack of resources, Dr. Behar took on the chairmanship of Forum For Equality (Louisiana's statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization) 2006-2008, restructuring the organization and laying the groundwork to get it back on solid footing.

Dr. Behar chairs the Pride Prom NOLA committee which plans and promotes the annual Pride Prom. They conduct an annual formal wear drive and then create a pop-up shop to provide free prom attire for prom guests who may otherwise be fiscally challenged. The annual Prom event at the Hyatt Regency hosts 150-250 16-20yo LGBTQ+ prom guests and has featured performances by Big Freedia and RuPaul's Drag Race contestants. From proceeds of their fundraising, the Pride Prom NOLA committee also donates an annual college scholarship to an LGBTQ+ youth through PFLAG NO's LGBTQ+ scholarship program.

Dr. Marc Behar has been an outstanding advocate to the LGBTQ+ community of New Orleans and HRC is thrilled to honor him with the Equality Award at the 2023 HRC Louisiana Dinner!