I usually go out several times a month for dancing, socializing, and maybe some dinner. I have volunteered and attended several events like a Rainbow Exposition (basically a business and group thing), collegiate question and answer panels, and doing outreach for my support group. But all of these are in the sense of a structured atmosphere with everyone knowing who and what you are. There are other ways to present a positive image of our community, have fun, and do it very inexpensively.

This is a synopsis of an event that was very out of the ordinary for most of us (mostly because of the cost), but a lot of fun. I was at a friend's housewarming party and was invited by another guest, Charalee, to attend the Human Rights Campaign Dinner later that evening; as a volunteer. This is a black tie/evening gown fund raiser with prices of $150 a plate. "Affirmations", a local GLB group was having an auction there. I accepted the invitation with some hesitation, as I didn't bring anything special to wear, other than some clothes in case I went to the local watering hole later. So I wore a black suede skirt and black turtle neck sweater with gold thread running through it, and 3" heels to wear dancing. As I lived over an hour away, going home for different clothes was out of the question. I was assured that what I brought would be just fine for a volunteer and be dressy enough, although I thought the heels were too high.

We arrived at the Westin Hotel in the Renaissance Center (Detroit's Premier Hotel and General Motors World Headquarters), parked the car, and proceeded to the fourth floor. Even though I saw plenty of Rolls Royce's, Bentleys, Cadillac's, Lincoln's, and even a Ferrari, I didn't know the magnitude of the event until I saw the ballroom with the lavish decorations and the auction items (where I would eventually be working.) There appeared to be well over 600 people there for dinner. We located the volunteer area and put away our purses and coats. After finding the coordinator, we were told to just mingle, socialize, and enjoy ourselves until after dinner when we would be needed to conduct the silent auction. What a way to get started for the evening, mingling with the other guests and just enjoying the atmosphere. I did get to meet the movers and shakers of this area and had many conversations with both the other volunteers and regular guests. With the arrival of dinner, we went to the volunteer room for a delicious buffet and received our assignments for the evening. Mine was, like most of the others, to mingle and socialize while watching the auction items, making sure the bids were correctly placed in the proper amounts (bid cards were in front of each item). There were several hundred items on display ranging from vacation packages, gift certificates to local clubs and restaurants, diamond jewelry, car leases, various people services, wine, artwork, sculpture, clothing, and much, much more. The speeches were going on during this time and many people were out browsing the displays. After the program was over our real "work" started. We gathered up the auction bid sheets and items and placed them in a holding area while waiting for the winning bidders to come and collect their purchases. This lasted for about an hour after which we were free to attend whatever other events we desired.

There was a huge dance party in the main ballroom with live entertainment and fast dancing. Upstairs in another ballroom was another live band with a more mellow sound and a slower tempo. Both were excellent and gave me the chance to just relax and enjoy. One of the regular guests I met earlier asked me to dance. I accepted his invitation and went upstairs on his arm for some slow dancing and an enjoyable conclusion to the evening.

What did all this cost? Just the gas money for my driving down to the hotel. Everything else was taken care of (just what any woman would expect!) How many other T's were there at the event? I counted about five - 3 volunteers and 2 guests from about 700 people, and I did meet most of them at one time or another. Yes, I was asked a little about myself (I'm not 100% passable.) I just responded to their questions with open, honest, and straightforward answers. Most of them were just general type questions that all of us get asked at one time or another. Everyone treated me as I presented myself - as a woman - with no problems or attitudes whatever. I even received several positive compliments on my appearance (grin). I would highly recommend this type of event as an excellent evening out experience and way to present our community to others in a positive atmosphere. I definitely plan on helping out again in the spring when they have another dinner.