Outright Speakers & Talent Bureau [Staff Credits]

Craig Dean started Outright Speakers and Talent Bureau 13 years ago after he had filed his landmark same sex marriage case that began the movement for same sex marriage in the United States. (See Same-Sex Marriage page). He had been asked to speak at so many places after appearing on such shows as Oprah, Donahue, and many news/talk shows that he began to see a real need to provide for the alternative programming need for colleges, universities, and events.

As an attorney, he was able to form a small company now called Outright Speakers and Talent Bureau and had asked some of the leaders in the Gay movement and gay performers that he had known to be a part of it. Today the company has grown to be the largest and most well known Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered speakers and performers agency in the nation. Craig wished to thank his clients and friends for their support over the years and looks forward to continuing to provide the best in LGBT programming.

A native of Hendersonville, NC, 20 miles from Asheville, NC, Jeffrey Blackwell has tried to fight discrimination for his local GLBT Community as well as the Mental Health Community (MHC). Jeffrey was the figurehead representative for the MHC of Hendersonville, in 1993, when it was forced to file suit against the City Of Hendersonville, for rights to build HUD apartments, which would house persons dealing with Mental Illness, & won. He served on The North Carolina Mental Health Consumers Organization (NC MHCO) Board of Directors from 1991-94, where he was elected Alternate Vice President in 1994. Jeffrey then served on the Board of Directors for Asheville's oldest & largest GLBT Support Group called CLOSER (Community Liaison Organization, for Support, Education, & Reform), from 1994 to 2001, where he was elected to various offices, including the President of the 2000-01 term, and was also their Webmaster.

Currently homebound due to temporary illness, Jeff still does his part by making websites for GLBT community groups that are in need of one. His website design "Company" is called Celebrate Pride. After speaking with Craig Dean, he has designed and maintains the Outright Speakers and Talent Bureau website.