BOOTS Star Miles Heizer and CEO of Center on Halsted Joli Robinson to be Honored at the 2025 Human Rights Campaign Chicago Dinner

CHICAGO — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization – announced that it will honor Miles Heizer, the star of Netflix’s hit series BOOTS, produced by Sony Pictures Television, and the CEO of Center on Halsted Joli Robinson, at the organization’s annual Chicago Dinner. Heizer will receive HRC’s Visibility Award for his incredible work uplifting LGBTQ+ stories and representation on screen. Robinson will receive HRC’s Community Impact Award for her commitment to creating safe spaces and providing critical services for Chicago’s local LGBTQ+ community. The event will also feature a powerful performance from LGBTQ+ advocate and singer/songwriter VINCINT. HRC President Kelley Robinson will also be speaking at the dinner, addressing guests about the fight ahead for LGBTQ+ equality in Illinois and beyond. The 2025 HRC Chicago dinner will take place on Saturday, November 15th. Tickets to attend the event can be purchased here. 

“It is such a pleasure to be recognizing Miles Heizer and Joli Robinson for their incredible work uplifting the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community and supporting LGBTQ+ people in their local community. Their power, commitment and passion are needed now more than ever, and we’re proud to recognize their contributions,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. “As the LGBTQ+ community faces continuing attempts to strip away our rights, we must remember to come together and leverage our shared strength to fight for a better world. This will be a beautiful night of community building and celebration as we continue our work to advance justice and equality for all.”

“I am so excited to receive HRC’s Visibility Award and to be joined alongside Chicago’s best and brightest advocates who are fighting to make our world a better place. As an out, queer actor, I know first-hand the barriers our community faces, and I also know the power of unapologetically embracing who I am and sharing our stories in spite of the discrimination we face,” said BOOTS star and LGBTQ+ Advocate Miles Heizer. “As we work together to fight for our rights, I will continue to use my voice to create opportunities, visibility and awareness for my community, until we can all live freely without fear.” 

Miles Heizer can currently be seen on the Netflix TV series BOOTS opposite Vera Farmiga. Miles starred in season 4 of Tom McCarthy's hit Netflix series 13 Reasons Why as fan-favorite Alex. He also appeared in Greg Berlanti’s Love, Simon opposite Nick Robinson. Miles grew up on the critically acclaimed hit NBC series Parenthood as 'Drew Holt' for six seasons. Upon the wrap of that series, Miles shot The Stanford Prison Experiment opposite Billy Crudup that premiered at Sundance in 2016. Additionally, Miles can be seen as a lead in the Lionsgate feature Nerve opposite Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, which was released in September of the same year.

“LGBTQ+ people deserve to live authentically without fear of harm. We deserve access to the care, resources and support we need to thrive, in Chicago and in every city across our country,” said LGBTQ+ advocate and CEO of Center on Halsted Joli Robinson. “Many folks in our LGBTQ+ community across the country have yet to experience a full sense of freedom to live their most authentic lives and what we are seeing now are numerous attacks aimed at rolling back our rights and stripping away critical services. It is more important than ever that local communities stand strong together and create safe spaces to support each other — especially as many of us navigate these attacks along multiple marginalized identities. I am beyond honored to be receiving this award and I will continue working alongside so many others, in making Chicago a welcoming and inclusive place for all.”   

Joli Robinson is the CEO of Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s leading LGBTQ+ community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community. As an LGBTQ+ leader with over two decades of leadership experience in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, Robinson has emerged as a trailblazer committed to advancing equity, fostering inclusivity and driving positive community change. Previously serving as President/CEO of Housing Forward, Joli has led transformative initiatives aimed at advocating for racial equity and elevating the narrative around housing and homelessness. She also served previously on the Village Tech Board and the Board of the ACLU of Texas, as well as the Co-Chair at the Dallas Truth, Racial Health & Transformation organization.  

This year’s Chicago Dinner will bring together HRC’s most active advocates, members and supporters across the state to raise crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. Tickets and further information are available here. 

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.