Los Angeles LGBT Center Celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month with “Golden Hour” Night Market, Drawing Hundreds and Honoring Community Leaders
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The Center’s third annual Queer AANHPI celebration transformed its Hollywood campus into a vibrant night market with live performances, and cultural experiences
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Presented by PS
Event Images | Photos courtesy of the Los Angeles LGBT Center
LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2026—The Los Angeles LGBT Center welcomed hundreds of community members to Golden Hour: The Queer AANHPI Night Market—the Center’s annual celebration honoring Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month on Saturday, May 2, 6–10 p.m. at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza in Hollywood.
Now in its third year, Golden Hour continues to grow as a vibrant community gathering honoring the intersection of queer identity and AANHPI heritage—bringing together culture, connection, and celebration through a dynamic night market, live performances, and immersive experiences.
This year, the Center honored Mayumi “Kat” Fox (she/her), founder of Mayumi Market, with the Blooming Impact Award, recognizing her leadership in uplifting AANHPI small businesses and creatives. The Center also honored Andre Lawes Menchavez (they/them), founder of Queer LiberAsian, with the Golden Horizon Award, celebrating their work in elevating queer AANHPI artists and creating platforms for community storytelling through performance.
“This is the third year of Golden Hour—a particularly special event at the Center, where we get to support local queer- and AANHPI-owned businesses and creatives while uplifting incredible community partners, “ said Giovanna Fischer, Chief Equity Officer, Los Angeles LGBT Center in her opening remarks “Tonight we recognize two of those partners and all they have done for our community.”
From the stage, honorees reflected on the power of building space for the queer AANHPI community:
“Thank you so much to the Los Angeles LGBT Center for this honor. Receiving the Blooming Impact Award truly means so much to me. When I was younger, I didn’t see people who looked like me getting recognition. I didn’t see AANHPI creatives being celebrated the way we deserved—and definitely not queer people being able to exist fully, loudly, and safely. So I built what I wish existed. That’s how Mayumi Market was born. This ecosystem only grows when we pour into it, so let’s keep building spaces that are expansive, inclusive, and unapologetically us.”
–Mayumi “Kat” Fox, founder of Mayumi Market
“It’s been an honor to create a safe space for queer and trans people through Queer LiberAsian, especially during times like these. We’ve worked to bring mutual aid to nightlife and reimagine what a club can look like. Thank you to the Center for believing in my vision. I share this honor with my younger self. I used to dream of nights like these—of being this visible. I used to say, ‘one day, baby, one day.’ Today is one of those days.”
–Andre Lawes Menchavez, founder of Queer LiberAsian
In partnership with Mayumi Market, the Center’s campus was transformed into Golden Hour’s signature night market experience, featuring queer and trans AANHPI vendors, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Queer LiberAsian, led by Menchavez, curated a vibrant lineup of live performances throughout the evening.
Stage performances included House of Menchavez, Crosseye, Rae Oblivion, and Skirt, alongside DJ sets from Azure and PaulieWog, creating a high-energy celebration rooted in community and self-expression. Guests also enjoyed a custom portrait studio by Kissing Booth LA, adding a personal and creative element to the night.
Honoring the intersection of queer identity and AANHPI heritage, this year’s Golden Hour drew inspiration from the Chinese zodiac and the Year of the Fire Horse. Across the AANHPI diaspora, themes of courage, transformation, and bold self-expression came to life throughout the evening—woven through the night market, performances, and the vibrant community gathered in celebration.
“Golden Hour makes me feel proud to be from this city,” continued Fischer. “The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community—and its diversity—is fundamental to Los Angeles.”
For more information about Golden Hour and upcoming events, visit lalgbtcenter.org or follow @lalgbtcenter on social media.
Golden Hour is made possible by Presenting Sponsor PS, and Official Sponsors Gilead and United Airlines.
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About the Los Angeles LGBT Center
Since 1969, the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBTQ+ individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond. Today the Center’s nearly 800 employees provide services for more LGBTQ+ people than any other organization in the world, offering programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services and Housing, Culture and Education, Leadership and Advocacy. We are an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to build a better world; a world in which LGBTQ+ people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org.