With its Evening for Equality just two weeks away, Georgia Equality on Wednesday announced the recipients of awards for the annual event.

The fifth annual cocktail reception, which often draws a Who’s Who of LGBT leaders and activists, will recognize four people and one group with Equality Awards:

Paul Horning and Cindy Abel, past board chairs of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Victory Campaign Fund, for their contributions in helping to elect openly gay candidates around the country.

Ronald Moore, has served as a member of numerous LGBT serving organizations including Project Open Hand, Georgia Equality and the national board of Out and Equal.

Atlanta PFLAG’s Safe Schools Initiative, which works to train educators and administrators on how to deal effectively with school bullying. Dale Merkle will be accepting the award on behalf of the Atlanta Chapter of Parents Friends and Family of Lesbians & Gays

Simone Bell, a long-time community organizer and activist who has worked with organizations including the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative, Lambda Legal and the Black LGBT Coalition. She is the first recipient of the newly created Phillip Rush Community Builder Award. Rush (photo), a longtime LGBT activist, died April 28.

View the Project Q Atlanta event listing for Evening for Equality.

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