2026 Center Gala Honors LuAnn Boylan and Marcia Gay Harden

On May 16, the Los Angeles LGBT Center welcomed hundreds of guests to the Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood for the annual Center Gala. Hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio, the event raised a total of $1.25 million in support of the Center’s life-saving programs and services.

Held at the intergenerational campus under the theme “The Place We Call Home,” the event celebrated the power of chosen family and belonging at a time when targeted political attacks present a growing threat to the Center’s ability to house and care for countless LGBTQ+ people each day.

Academy and Tony Award-winning actor and advocate Marcia Gay Harden, who was honored with the Vanguard Award in recognition of her longstanding support for LGBTQ+ people as the mother of three queer children, highlighted the importance of organizations like the Center in the lives of those who access its services:

“That is why the work of the Los Angeles LGBT Center matters so deeply,” Harden said. “Because it creates something every person deserves: A place where people can exhale, feel safe, and know they don’t have to face the world alone. That kind of love and support saves lives.”

The gala also honored longtime Los Angeles LGBT Center board member LuAnn Boylan with the Rand Schrader Award in recognition of nearly 35 years of leadership and service to the Center and broader LGBTQ+ community. She was presented the award by tennis legend Billie Jean King and her wife, Ilana Kloss.

During the evening’s cocktail reception, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed guests, presenting CEO Joe Hollendoner with a commemoration from the City of Los Angeles in honor of the life-saving services the Center provides each day.

Throughout the evening, honorees, presenters, and special guests spoke to the importance of visibility and advocacy in a moment when attacks on the LGBTQ+ community continue to escalate.

(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for the Los Angeles LGBT Center)

“As I see it, we have two paths forward: Either we choose to cede our hard-won progress in our fight for liberation, joy, and community,” said Center CEO Joe Hollendoner. “Or, we choose courage. We choose integrity. We choose to do what’s right. The Los Angeles LGBT Center will always choose to lead with our values, and I know we can count on you to do the same.”

Special thanks to our honorary co-chairs Anita May Rosenstein, The Ariadne Getty Foundation, and Scott and Jairo Parra-Matthews, as well as our Presenting Sponsor Gilead Sciences. To see more images from the event, click here.