Over the weekend, The Los Angeles LGBT Center welcomed hundreds of guests at the inaugural Highly Favored, honoring the trailblazing Black and queer entertainer Raven-Symoné.
The event, a celebration of everything Black and queer in Los Angeles, is an evolution of the Center’s trademark Black History Month event, The Future Is Black. At the event, Giovanna Fischer, Chief Equity Officer, Los Angeles LGBT Center, presented Raven-Symoné with the Center’s Bayard Rustin Award, recognizing her prominence as an fearless advocate and face of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Raven-Symoné has been a household name and a fan favorite for most of her life, commanding an iconic Hollywood career as a multi-hyphenate actor, singer, producer, and director,” Fischer said on stage. “In addition to her on-camera work, Raven is a prolific director and has several projects in development under her production banner, I See Pictures, which focuses on creating powerful and meaningful stories about underrepresented communities and championing LGBTQ+ voices.
“That’s So Raven was filmed right across the street. So I’ve been looking over at this building since I was 15 years old, when I had to not say I was gay—but definitely had my moments. I remember looking across the street, and being like ‘Aw, maybe one day,'” Raven-Symoné said in her acceptance speech.
“But being that I’m in Hollywood, everyone told me that I couldn’t at the time—especially during that time. So it feels like a dream to be able to come here today and stand here and be like, ‘I’m gay!’”
The celebration culminated with an Open to All (OTA) mini-ball curated by the House of Marc Jacobs—offering five inclusive categories, cash prizes, and a superstar roster of guest judges from the LA ball scene.
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Photos by Zev Rose Woolley
Highly Favored event sponsors include Angel City Football Club, NYX Professional Makeup, and ADP.
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