A Party With A Purpose for Three Decades

The story of Winter Party begins with the passage of a gay civil rights ordinance in the City of Miami Beach in 1992. The following year, the American Family Association (AFA) initiated a statewide referendum that would have prevented any municipality or county in Florida from legislating equal protection based on sexual orientation. Their goal was to get the referendum on the November 1994 ballot.

In August 1993, a group of Miami friends attended the Morning Party on Fire Island, a fundraiser for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, and left with the idea of throwing a similar event in Miami Beach during the winter to raise money to fight the AFA-championed referendum. The first Winter Party was held on February 13, 1994. The event was staffed entirely by volunteers, and was underwritten by the founders, their friends and four sponsors. More than 1,600 people showed up -- many more than expected -- and $45,000 was raised.

Shortly after the event, the Supreme Court of Florida dismissed the referendum, so the $45,000 was donated to S.A.V.E., the non-profit organization created to fight the referendum. Realizing they had created a wonderful vehicle for raising funds for the LGBTQ community, the founders formed the Dade Human Rights Foundation (DHRF).

By mid-2002, all founders of the Winter Party had retired from the Foundation and the Party. In 2004, after raising over $1.2 million for South Florida LGBTQ organizations during its nine years of existence, DHRF closed its doors and the National LGBTQ Task Force (then known as the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force) took over the production responsibilities for Winter Party Festival and its sister event, the Miami Recognition Dinner (now renamed the National LGBTQ Task Force Gala). In assuming responsibilities for the two events, the Task Force pledged that a major portion of the proceeds would stay in South Florida to be administered as grants through the Dade Community Foundation, now known as The Miami Foundation. The remainder would go to support the Task Force's national efforts to build the grassroots power of the LGBT! community.

Over the past 18 years of producing the events, the Task Force has donated just more than $3.3 million to organizations in South Florida, first through The Miami Foundation and now through the LGBTQ+ Equity Fund, a joint venture of the Task Force, The Miami Foundation and Our Fund Foundation. More than 90 organizations have received funding. The Task Force is proud to continue the legacy begun by the founders of Winter Party: creating a spectacular celebration while raising funds to improve the lives of LGBTQ people.