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Mathews teams up with activist Ruby Corado and actress Laverne Cox (l-r, above) to raise money and awareness during D.C. Pride.
For the second year in a row, charismatic funnyman Ross Mathews has teamed up with Marriott Rewards "Love Travels", a campaign that supports the LGBT community through art.
“Marriott Rewards and Marriott International have a commitment to a culture of diversity and inclusion, which is what Love Travels is all about. They define their social movement as something that encourages everyone to embrace personal passions, and their stories. Celebrate who they are, what they love, why they travel,” explains Ross.
“Last year when I partnered with Marriott, we did something really cool at Capital Pride. This is before marriage equality was the law of the land, so I actually got ordained, and on the Marriott Rewards float in the center of Pride as we drove past 100,000 people I actually married, officiated a wedding between George and Shawn, a couple from Texas.”
To top last year's success, Marriott "Love Travels" enlisted over 3,500 people from nearly 100 countries to send in their visual expressions of love. These painting, drawings, collages and other artworks were brought together into one giant exhibition on display at the LongView Gallery on Friday, June 10. Both Ross and his partner Salvador contributed a piece of art. Ross co-hosted the Marriott-sponsored opening with special guests, actress Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) and trans activist Ruby Corado of Casa Ruby.
The goal of the exhibition was “not just about expressing love, spreading love, but also about doing something great, because for each submission Marriott is going to make a donation to Casa Ruby, which is the only bi-lingual, multicultural LGBTQ organization in D.C. led by trans women of color,” Ross mentions.
Loud and proud, Ross, the self-professed ‘waving machine’ appeared in this year’s Capital Pride on the Marriott float where he reunited with the George and Shawn, the newlyweds from Texas.
“I just really believe in this campaign. I believe in what Marriot Rewards is doing, and I am proud to be a part of it,” he adds.
