Sir Ian McKellen Honorary Chair of Night of a Thousand Gowns 

Sir Ian Murray McKellen,�CH,�CBE� will be the Honorary Chair and will receive the Fred E. Tree Spirit of Stonewall Award at this year's Night of a Thousand�Gowns.

Sir Ian is the recipient of six�Laurence Olivier Awards, a�Tony Award, a�Golden Globe Award, a�Screen Actors Guild Award, a�BIF Award, two�Saturn Awards, four�Drama Desk Awards�and two�Critics' Choice Awards. He has also received two�Oscar�nominations, four�BAFTA�nominations, and five�Emmy Award nominations.

Also at this year's ball, we will honor�Dustin Lance Black, with our Diamond Award.�Black is the writer and producer of the current miniseries "When We Rise," airing on the ABC television network.���

Entertainers for this year's ball include R&B and disco singer Linda Clifford and singer/songwriter and former LaBelle member Sarah Dash. Peppermint from "RuPaul's Drag Race" will also join us. Mary Callahan, who will star in the upcoming Broadway show�"Bandstand,"�will sing the National Anthem.��

The Imperial Court of New York (ICNY) is happy to announce the 31st�annual�Night of a Thousand Gowns.�

The ball, titled Casino Royale this year, will be held at the�Marriott�Marquis in Times Square on�Saturday, March 11, and is presented by the ICNY�membership and Their Most Imperial Sovereign Majesties Emperor XXV Tree and Empress XXX Sugar B. Real.

This year's event will benefit the�Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.�

Our sponsors for the 31st�ball include Stoli, JetBlue Airways, Li-Lac Chocolates, Barefoot Wines, Miller Coors, The Brownstone and Manhattan Mini Storage.�

The Imperial Court of New York, a 501(c)3 corporation, is New York's most regal fundraising organization serving the LGBT community for the past 31 years. Part of a proud tradition, the Court has raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations�serving the LGBT community and our partners.��

For more information, please visit: http://icny.org.�