GLT » Champion of Pride: Dr. William ‘Bill’ Beck

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Champion of Pride: Dr. William ‘Bill’ Beck

Published Thursday, 28-Jul-2005 in issue 918

After more than 20 years of dedicated service for dozens of non-profit boards, and having raising nearly $10 million for AIDS organizations, civil rights causes, new foundations and GLBT-supportive political candidates, Dr. Bill Beck receives his first San Diego LGBT Pride award this year.

“It’s a personal honor, that’s for sure. I think there are many people that do a lot of fine things for the community, and for Jennifer and I to be singled out is humbling” said Dr. Beck, in response to being named Champion of Pride.

A recent recipient of the 20th Year Salute by the Greater San Diego Business Association and the President’s Award from the San Diego Democratic Club, Dr. Beck has also been knighted by the Imperial Court, a title elevated to Golden Eagle Prince in 2000.

Honored as Outstanding Male Citizen of the Year by Governor Gray Davis, Dr. Beck is a founding member of the Human Dignity Foundation, a non-profit organization that created an endowment for distributing funds throughout the GLBT community.

During his years serving as a board member of the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Dr. Beck significantly increased its membership base in San Diego, and coordinated the Fund’s 10th anniversary national gala dinner in 2001.

Looking over his years of service to the community, Dr. Beck said helping with the election of Christine Kehoe has to be one of his proudest moments.

“I feel good about what happened in 1993,” he said. “We raised $40,000 at one event that year … That was the beginning of change; for us to be at the table and really gain some political power.”

Dr. Beck is being honored this year for his extensive fund-raising efforts and organizational involvement, which makes a direct and positive impact on the diverse GLBT community.

“I represent a segment of the community that oftentimes has not been recognized as much as it could have been,” he said. “For Pride, The Center and other organizations, the volunteers and the activist are singled out, and I think that’s great, but those of us who are trying to raise money to provide for our community have not been recognized as much, and I think that’s what Jennifer and I do.”