Black Tie Dinner officials announced today (Wednesday, Aug. 5) that DeeJay Johannessen, CEO of HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health, is the recipient of the 2026 Raymond Kuchling Humanitarian Award. He will receive the honor at the 45th Annual Black Tie Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 14 in Dallas.

The award, named after the late Raymond Kuchling, recognizes extraordinary service to the LGBTQ+ community.  Black Tie selected Johannessen as this year’s recipient in recognition of his “nearly three decades of leadership expanding access to healthcare, advancing equality and advocating for LGBTQ+ people across North Texas.”

He has advocated hate-crimes protections, was a cofounder of Fairness Fort Worth following the 2009 raid on the Rainbow Lounge, helped secure nondiscrimination protections in Fort Worth and Arlington and helped launch Arlington Pride, now one of North Texas’ largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.

Black Tie Dinner Senior Co-Chair Deirdre Coleman said, “I’ve had the privilege of watching DeeJay Johannessen lead with both conviction and compassion for many years. While his impact as CEO of the HELP Center has transformed LGBTQ+ health, wellness and advocacy in Arlington and throughout Tarrant County, what has always stood out to me is his willingness to serve wherever he is needed.

“Whether volunteering alongside our teams, supporting fellow nonprofits or quietly helping others succeed, DeeJay leads by example,” Coleman continued. “His lifetime of service reflects everything the Raymond Kuchling Humanitarian Award was created to honor, and we are proud to recognize his extraordinary contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.”

Under Johannessen’s leadership, HELP Center established Tarrant County’s first clinic offering PrEP at no cost. What began as an eight-hour-a-week clinic with a goal of 100 patients served more than 500 in its first year. Today, HELP Center serves more than 5,000 active patients.

Black Tie Dinner Junior Co-Chair Joshua Williams said, “Few leaders have shaped the health and well-being of the North Texas LGBTQ+ community as profoundly as DeeJay Johannessen. His unwavering commitment to service reflects the very essence of the Raymond Kuchling Humanitarian Award.”

Johannessen also expanded access to gender-affirming care, mental health services and healthcare coverage for uninsured patients, and he chaired the Arlington Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee from 2022 to 2025. Johannessen was one of the leading voices in the effort to get the city of Arlington to enact an inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance, and he led the fight against rescinding those protections when the ordinance was targeted by anti-DEI efforts.

“I am deeply grateful to the Black Tie Dinner selection committee for this honor,” Johannessen said. “I accept it as a renewed responsibility to keep opening doors, defending our community, and fighting for those who cannot yet safely fight for themselves.”

Black Tie ‘Renaissance’

The 45th Annual Black Tie Dinner, themed “Renaissance,” will take place Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Tables and individual tickets are now on sale at the Black Tie website. Tickets are also available for the Park Place vehicle raffle for a chance to win a $50,000 credit toward a new vehiclefrom participating Park Place dealerships including Park Place Motorcars, Park Place Porsche, and Park Place Volvo of Dallas.

‘Untux: Drag for a Cause’

In the lead-up to this year’s main event dinner, Black Tie is presenting the return of “Utux: Drag for a Cause” on Aug. 22 in The Rose Room inside S4, 3911 Cedar Springs Road. A VIP reception starts at 4:30 a.m., followed by doors opening for general admission at 5:30 p.m. and the show at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 for general admission — standing room only, $50 for general admission — seated and $100 for VIP admission. The “platinum experience,” which includes tickets for four, two drink tickets per person and a pre-show reception with the performers, are $1,000 each.

You can also tip performers via the website.

Since its founding in 1982, Black Tie Dinner has distributed more than $33 million to LGBTQ+ supportive organizations through premier events in partnership with the community. It is the largest fundraising dinner in the nation for the LGBTQ+ community, and, each year, Black Tie Dinner selects up to 20 non-profit organizations from North Texas as local beneficiaries of its fundraising, as well as the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as its national beneficiary.

Visit the website to learn more about this year’s beneficiaries, purchase tickets, or explore sponsorship opportunities.

— Tammye Nash

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