On Tuesday, November 19, Equality Now hosted the 2nd Annual “Make Equality Reality” gala at Capitale in New York City. What was once a small group of activists, has transformed into a global organization changing the lives of millions of women around the world. According to Equality Now’s website,“More than 50 of the sexist laws Equality Now has highlighted over the years have been repealed or amended by their governments.”
The night was filled with great food, great company, powerful performances, and the issue that brought everyone together- equality. This year’s gala honoree was the award-winning author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the Changemaker Award for young activists, presented by Gucci and Chime For Change, was given to Scarlett Curtis, author of Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and Other Lies.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said that she never “planned to become a feminist.”
“I was a feminist before I knew what the word meant,” explained Adichie “I was a feminist, not because I read heavy feminist theory or feminist books.” She explained that instead, it was that she knew the world did not extend itself to women the same way it did men, and it made her angry.
Near the end of the gala, Karen Lehner announced that she would donate a whopping 1,000 dollars for every tie handed to her. All of a sudden, men started swarming the stage, removing their ties, and quite literally standing up for equality. Okay but seriously, some of those ties were expensive. We’re talking Hermes people, not cheap! Once she had the tie of every man in the room, she said she would donate the same amount for any belts, or ~unused~ handkerchiefs. Basically, she would donate $1,000 for any men’s accessory.
To close the evening, Grammy award-winning Linda Perry performed two songs. One of which, she literally wrote on the plane ride to New York and didn’t even rehearse. Oh, she also designed the hat that she wore to the gala. Okay so apparently Linda Perry has more talent in her pinky nail than I do in my entire body, but that’s besides the point.
Linda Perry recently received a Grammy nomination for the song, “Girl in the Movies” in which she collaborated with Dolly Parton for the Netflix Original, Dumplin’. Perry told Knockturnal that she did an “in the studio” with Dolly Parton, Alicia Keys, Grimes and Angel Haze. “We were in there and we were just talking. We weren’t talking about how we’re females in the music business. We never once said as females, as women, as blah blah blah, we were just people in a studio talking about music.”
Just when I thought the night was over and was ready to hop in an Uber Pool and head on home, I realized I was walking next to Meg freaking Ryan on the way out. Of course, I had to say “hello” and yes, I literally peaked.