The 2026 LA LGBT Center Gala Raises $1.25 Million for LGBTQ+ Programs, Services

Billie Jean King with honorees LuAnn Boylan and Marcia Gay Harden at Center Gala. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for LA LGBT Center)

Billie Jean King, Ilana Kloss, and LA Mayor Karen Bass were among those at the podium for the 2026 Center Gala on May 16. The sold-out evening raised $1.25 million for life-saving support for LGBTQ+ people across Los Angeles. 

Honorees at the Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood were actress Marcia Gay Harden and activist LuAnn Boylan.

Hosted by Bianca Del Rio, winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (S6) the event drew community leaders, advocates and supporters. The Presenting Sponsor was Gilead Sciences.

“All of the Center’s services are available for free or at low cost, which means this place is a haven and a literal home for those who have nowhere else to go,” Del Rio said.

Vanguard Award Honoree

Joe Hollendoner and Mayor Karen Bass. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for LALGBT Center)

Academy and Tony Award-winning actor and advocate Marcia Gay Harden was honored with the Vanguard Award, in recognition of her longstanding support for LGBTQ+ people.  The award was presented by actor Harry Ford, who starred alongside Harden in “Code Black” on CBS.

“Instead of telling young people across the country that who they are is somehow wrong or undeserving of dignity,” Harden said, “join us in pointing out that what other people see as faults, or cracks, is simply where the light gets in.

“That is why the work of the Los Angeles LGBT Center matters so deeply. Because it creates something every person deserves,” she added. “That kind of love and support saves lives.”

Rand Schrader Award Honoree

Billie Jean King and wife Ilana Kloss presented the Rand Schrader Award to longtime LA Center board member LuAnn Boylan. Boylan was recognized for nearly 35 years of leadership and service to the Center and broader LGBTQ+ community.

“The Los Angeles LGBT Center was founded out of necessity,” said King, but it has always offered a “community of people who … show up for one another because sometimes no one else will.”

Supporting Housing to Healthcare

Proceeds from the Center Gala supports the center’s programs and services. Healthcare, housing, advocacy, cultural programming, and critical resources are provided for transgender and gender-diverse individuals across Los Angeles.

For additional information about the Los Angeles LGBT Center and upcoming events, visit lalgbtcenter.org or follow @lalgbtcenter on social media.

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