Rob Reiner and wife Michele honoured at Human Rights Campaign Gala for ‘making LGBTQ+ marriage possible’
The couple, who were instrumental in overturning California’s Proposition 8, were remembered on Saturday night (28 March)
By Eve Ellis
Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were posthumously honoured at the Human Rights Campaign Gala in Los Angeles for their pivotal role in the fight for marriage equality.
The couple, who were instrumental in overturning California’s Proposition 8 which intended to ban same-sex marriage, were remembered on Saturday night (28 March) for their tireless advocacy and lasting impact on LGBTQ+ rights.
Gala chairman Todd Hawkins dedicated the event to the pair – who were found dead at their home in Brentwood, California on December 14.
“We may have lost them in the physical sense, but we have never lost their spirit, their fire, their fight, their energy, their friendship, their influence and their everlasting impact”- Todd Hawkins
He said, “We may have lost them in the physical sense, but we have never lost their spirit, their fire, their fight, their energy, their friendship, their influence and their everlasting impact.”
Rob and Michele were found dead at their home just before Christmas. Their son Nick has since been charged with their murders and has pleaded not guilty. The case is ongoing.
Human Rights Campaign president, Kelly Robinson also paid tribute to their legacy. “Rob and Michele were and are superheroes,” she said.
“When Prop 8 passed in 2008, Rob and Michele stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a real-life league of queer Avengers. I’m talking about Chad Griffin and Kristina Schake, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami, Justin Mikita and Adam Umhoefer, who’s here tonight.
“And from that moment when they locked arms, they decided to launch the American Foundation for Equal Rights and that legal team took the fight all the way to the Supreme Court and won for our rights and for our lives.”
“Rob and Michele were and are superheroes”- Kelly Robinson
Amid the tributes, Lisa Kudrow and RuPaul presented Sex and the City, And Just Like That and 2 Broke Girls creator Michael Patrick King with the Visibility Award.
Reflecting on his own journey, King told the audience: “Even in a family as filled with as much love as mine, the societal shame got in,” recalling that he did not come out until the age of 36.
Reiner was also recently honoured during the 98th Academy Awards where former stars of his iconic films such as When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and All in the Family, reunited to celebrate his legacy.