Hosted by David Geffen, Hilary Swank, J.J. Abrams, Rob Reiner, and Marie-Josee Kravis, among others, with Special Guest Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Event will Auction Works by Artists Including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, John Waters, Diane Arbus and Pipilotti Rist; Event Follows September 22 New York Event that Brought Together Impressive Array of GOP and Wall Street Leaders

EDS: For auction artwork images and an expanded listing of supporters, please visit auction.equalrightsfoundation.org. Information on the American Foundation for Equal Rights and its case is at www.equalrightsfoundation.org.

NEW YORK – The American Foundation of Equal Rights will hold a major benefit art auction on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at the Gladstone Gallery in New York to build support for its mission to achieve full federal marriage equality. The Foundation is the sole sponsor of the landmark Perry v. Schwarzenegger federal case that declared California’s Proposition 8 unconstitutional. Theodore B. Olson and David Boies head the case’s legal team.

Co-hosted by David Geffen, Hilary Swank, Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams, Rob and Michele Reiner, and Marie-Josee Kravis, among others, with special guest Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the event will feature live and silent auctions of artwork from a roster of high-profile, international artists. The auction will raise funds to support the Foundation’s work to advance the Perry case through the 9th Circuit Court of federal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Other supporters of the event and the Foundation’s case include Steve Bing, Dustin Lance Black, Gabriel Catone and Bruce Cohen, Lyn and Norman Lear, Jonathan Lewis, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, Ken Mehlman, Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich, Michael Ovitz, John and Lisa Pritzker, Paul E. Singer, Michael Smith, Yeardley Smith, and Marisa Tomei.

“This would be an incredible event just in terms of the attendees and artists represented,” said American Foundation for Equal Rights Foundation Board President Chad Griffin, “But what makes it truly important is that it will provide critical support in furthering the equality of all Americans through the United States Supreme Court.”

The event will include live and silent auctions of works of many of the most significant 20th-century and contemporary artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, John Waters, Diane Arbus, Pipilotti Rist, Mark Bradford, Paul Chan, Will Cotton, Barnaby Furnas, Katy Grannan, Rachel Harrison, Roni Horn, Luisa Lambri, Louise Lawler, Glenn Ligon, Nate Lowman, Marilyn Minter, Richard Misrach, Catherine Opie, Raymond Pettibone, Elizabeth Peyton, Jack Pierson, Rob Pruitt, Gedi Sibony, Josh Smith, Jennifer Steinkamp, Joel Sternfelfd, Rirkrit Tiravanija, among many others.

Amy Cappellazzo and George McNeely of Christie’s will conduct the live auction. The event is being held at the Gladstone Gallery on 21st Street in New York City.

For tickets to the event, an absentee bid form, or to view auction works, please visit auction.equalrightsfoundation.org or contact Liz Gilchrist of Livet Reichard Company, Inc. at (212) 868-8450 x210 or liz@livetreichard.com.

About the American Foundation for Equal Rights

The American Foundation for Equal Rights, which launched the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case 18 months ago, has endeavored to expand equality for all Americans by linking marriage equality to the nation’s founding constitutional principles. In September 2010, the Foundation garnered more than $1.3 million in support from an event that drew together a surprising array of GOP and Wall Street leaders, including President Bush’s chief strategist, Senator John McCain’s chief strategist, two former GOP governors, and top executives at firms like Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts (KKR), Goldman Sachs, and The Carlyle Group.

As the first step in its mission to protect and advance equal rights for every American, the American Foundation for Equal Rights filed Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a groundbreaking federal court challenge to Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry. On August 4, 2010, citing the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the 14th Amendment, a federal district court forcefully struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional.