The Human Rights Campaign has announced that comedian and actor Fortune Feimster will appear as a special guest at its North Carolina Dinner on Saturday, March 21 at The Westin in Charlotte, where she will also be recognized as this year’s Visibility Award recipient.
As the dinner marks its 30th year, Feimster’s appearance grounds the night in North Carolina.
Raised in Belmont, just outside Charlotte, Feimster has often spoken about growing up in a small North Carolina town at a time when LGBTQ+ visibility was limited. In the 1990s, she has said, there were few examples of openly LGBTQ+ people in her community or in media, making it difficult to see a path forward or recognize herself in the world around her.
That distance between visibility and lived experience would later become central to her work.
Feimster began her career in Los Angeles after graduating from Peace College in Raleigh, eventually working as an entertainment journalist before transitioning into comedy. She gained national recognition after appearing on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2010, which helped launch a career spanning stand-up, television and film.
Her credits include writing and appearing on Chelsea Handler’s shows, a recurring role on “The Mindy Project,” and appearances in projects such as “Office Christmas Party.” Across those roles, she has built a reputation for blending humor with personal storytelling, often drawing directly from her Southern upbringing, her coming out experience and her family.
That connection to place remains a throughline in her life and work.
Feimster has said she still returns to Belmont multiple times a year to visit family, describing the town as one where “you’ve never met a stranger” and where community support played a role in her early career. Before gaining national attention, she performed in local venues where residents showed up and supported her work.
At the March 21 dinner, that personal history will be reflected in her appearance alongside her mother, Ginger Feimster. According to HRC NC, their joint appearance is intended to highlight “the vital role of family support and allyship.”
The HRC North Carolina Dinner, now in its 30th year, will be held under the theme “30 Years Fit for a Queen.” The event brings together community members, advocates and leaders from across the state.
Additional program elements will include a keynote address from State Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed, remarks from Charlotte City Councilmember JD Mazuera Arias and entertainment from comedian Dana Goldberg, with an opening performance by One Voice Chorus. Asheboro Latinx Services will be recognized for its work supporting Latinx and LGBTQI+ communities, and the Young Trailblazer Award will honor MacGregor VanBeurden, founding president of the LGBTQ+ Democrats of Catawba County, for launching the Newton Rainbow Festival and raising thousands of dollars for advocacy in Western North Carolina.
The event will take place Saturday, March 21 at The Westin Charlotte. Tickets and additional information are available at https://northcarolina.hrc.org/events/north-carolina-dinner.