In a historic development, hundreds of supporters gathered at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco as Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the 2008 Outspoken Award from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), according to an organizational press release. During his half-hour address, Tutu said that he felt it necessary to speak up ‘when people were frequently hounded … vilified, molested and even killed as targets of homophobia … for something they did not choose—their sexual orientation.’ Tutu also congratulated LGBTI (lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex) people for being ‘compassionate, caring, self-sacrificing and refusing to be embittered.’ In addition, he apologized to that very same demographic, saying that the church is wrong in criticizing and alienating LGBTIs. The event also featured Transcendence, the nation’s first transgender gospel choir, which sang at the ceremony..