This week marks the Los Angeles Blade’s 9th Annual Best of LA Award Show, honoring leading members from the community as voted on by readers of the Blade. Presented in part by MISTR and Visit West Hollywood, the community gathered on Thursday, March 26th, at The Abbey, to celebrate the winners: 

Best Drag Performer 

Cake Moss

Kyra Jete, Runner-up

Best Drag Show

Rocc-ettes at Mattie’s

Hamburger Mary’s Weho. Runner-up

Local Influencer of the Year

Rose Montoya

Lucas Dell, Runner-up

Best LGBTQ Bar

Gym Bar

The Abbey, Runner-up

Best Happy Hour

Motherlode

Hi-Tops, Runner-up

Go-Go of the Year

Steven Dehler

Prince Joshua, Runner-up

Best Restaurant

Bottega Louie

WeHo Bistro, Runner-up

Best Radio or TV Station

REVRY

KTLA, Runner-up

Best Cannabis Retailer/Lounge

Green Qween

Artist Tree Lounge, Runner-up

Best LGBTQ Owned Business        

MISTR

Green Qween, Runner-up

Best LGBTQ Social Group

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles

Dark Circle Film Society, Runner-up

Best House of Worship  

Hollywood United Methodist

Congregation Kol Ami, Runner-up

Activist of the Year

Maebe A. Girl

Rose Montoya, Runner-up

Public Official of the Year

John Erickson

Lindsey Horvath, Runner-up 

Best Local Pro Sports Team, co-presented by Pride House LA/West Hollywood

LA Dodgers

LA Lakers, Runner-up

Local Ally of the Year   

Kevin De Nicolo

Jessica Steinman, Runner-up

Best Doctor/Medical Provider

AIDS Healthcare Foundation

LA LGBT Center, Runner-up

Most LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace

Los Angeles LGBT Center

City of West Hollywood, Runner-up

Non-Profit of the Year

Los Angeles LGBT Center

Trans Lifeline, Runner-up

Best Local Actor

Annie Reznik

Matthew Scott Montgomery, Runner-up

Best Local Theatre

Celebration Theatre

Pasadena Playhouse, Runner-up

Local Musical Artist of the Year

Prince Joshua

Ross Alan, Runner-up

Best LGBTQ Event

Outloud Music Festival at Weho Pride

GLAAD Awards, Runner-up

Best Regional Pride    

WeHo Pride

Long Beach Pride, Runner-up

Best Promoter of the Year

Beau Byron

Paul Nicholls, Runner-up

LGBTQ Professional of the Year

Erik Braverman

Michael Ferrera, Runner-up

Best Bartender

Danny Hernandez

Michael Susi, Runner-up

Best DJ

Boy Apocalypse

DJ Les Ortiz, Runner-up

Best Local LGBTQ Podcast

BabyGay

On The Rocks, Runner-up

Best Salon/Spa

Shorty’s Barber Shop

The Massage Company WEHO, Runner-up

Best Music Venue

The Hollywood Bowl

The Troubadour, Runner-up

Best Fitness/Workout Spot

LA Fitness, Hollywood

Barry’s WEHO, Runner-up

Best Hotel

Hotel Ziggy

SoHo House, Runner-up

This year’s Local Hero Award goes to Genevieve Morrill in honor of her role as an ally, serving as president and CEO of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. 

Gus Kenworthy received the first-ever Los Angeles Blade Athlete Legacy Award, co-presented by Pride House LA/West Hollywood. 

Los Angeles Blade publisher Alexander Rodriguez shared, “In light of the year we’ve had to contend with as the queer community, it is imperative that we take moments to share the accomplishments and resilience of our local family of activists, leaders, and allies. Honoring our nominees and winners this year is proof of the power of queer joy. Until next year!” 

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.

“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.

The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”

“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”

The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”

The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”

“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

(Video courtesy of the IOC)

Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.

Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.

Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.

President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.

“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.

An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.

There was a time, according to queer lore, when gay men referred to themselves as a “Friend of Dorothy” as a coded way of communicating their sexual orientation to each other without fear of “the straights” catching on. The reference, of course, is a winking nod to the love and affinity felt by the community toward the main character of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” – especially as personified by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 big screen musical version from MGM.

It may be that the origins of this phrase have been mythologized, exaggerated and/or retro-fitted to convey the underground nature of the queer community – as, indeed, is suggested in “It’s Dorothy!” (the new documentary from filmmaker Jeffrey McHale, now streaming on Peacock), which concerns itself with the enduring cultural legacy of this quintessentially American fictional heroine. But regardless of whether it truly served as a sort of “secret password,” it has come to be embraced as a part of the LGBTQ lexicon. As “campy” as the reference may be, being a “Friend of Dorothy” is now a proudly held communal watchword not just for gay men, but for an entire rainbow community – and McHale’s fizzy-yet-reverential exploration taps into all the reasons how and why this fictional Kansas farm girl has come to be a touchstone for so many by tracking her journey across popular culture over the 125 years since she first sprung to life in the pages of Baum’s timeless literary fantasy.

Calling on the commentary of cultural figures – writers, performers, and other artists whose paths have been, by fate or by personal design, have become associated with Dorothy’s legacy across pop culture, as well as the observations of scholars and historians that provide insight on the appeal that has made her into a sort of avatar for anyone who feels marginalized in a wild and self-contradictory world – and enriched by a plentiful trove of clips from the myriad incarnations through which she has become embedded into the American pop culture imagination, it’s a documentary that leans heavily into the notion that Baum’s timeless heroine remains relevant through her relatability. Given a minimum of descriptors by the author who created her and portrayed in the public imagination through a widely divergent array of social viewpoints, she represents a kind of “blank page” on which we can imprint ourselves; but at the same time, there is something about her – her nebulous status as presumed orphan, raised by an aunt and uncle who don’t quite understand her and thrust without warning into a world of contradictory rules and unfair expectations – that speaks directly to those who feel like outsiders, or who dream of freedom, acceptance, and personal agency beyond the proverbial rainbow.

Naturally, McHale imprints on Dorothy’s most iconic incarnation off the pages of Baum’s books; the cultural legacy of Dorothy cannot be separated from that of her most iconic representative – Garland, of course – and his documentary easily makes the case that, through her association with the character, this beloved actress who was constantly judged and frequently stigmatized throughout a career that took her through the heights of public success to the depths of personal heartbreak, all while living under the constant scrutiny of Hollywood’s publicity-and-propaganda machine. As a result, she somehow merged identities with her most famous role: Judy was Dorothy, but Dorothy was Judy, too. “It’s Dorothy” takes advantage of this almost mystical transfiguration to reflect on the qualities that make this pairing of actress and character so deeply complementary, while also using it to illuminate why the empathy which binds her with the queer community is so tightly connected to the qualities she shared with the non-descript but unforgettable character that would make her into an undisputed icon.

As famous as Garland’s Dorothy is, however, it’s not the end-and-be-all of Baum’s beloved heroine, and much of McHale’s movie turns its attention to the numerous other performers who have taken on the role throughout the decades, in various incarnations of the “Wizard of Oz” mythos – particularly through “The Wiz,” the 1974 Broadway musical that reframes and remolds the story (and Dorothy) through the lens of Black culture and experience, and other iterations that have emerged throughout pop culture as a testament to her enduring appeal. Indeed, the movie brings illumination to the way that Dorothy – and the “Oz” mythos in general – has become a touchstone within Black community culture as well, and how artists (like musician Rufus Wainwright, gay counterculture icon John Waters, comedian/actor Margaret Cho, comedian/writer/director Lena Waithe, and “Wicked” author Gregory Maguire, all of whom participate in the film’s conversation) have found inspiration in the character and her story, which has helped to shape their own creative lives.

Thoughtful and scholarly while also delivering a celebratory tribute to the character (and the outsider qualities which make her beloved by so many who can relate to her sense of longing and the call she feels to journey “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”), “It’s Dorothy” provides a respectful yet candid examination of the lasting impact of Baum’s iconic character and the world he created around her in our popular imagination, not just as queer people but as a larger American community. It’s an entertaining journey into cultural history, which connects the dots to give us insight on why Dorothy and her adventures continue to speak to us with such profound resonance. It’s also entertaining in a way that feels like a “guilty pleasure” but is validated by the reverence it exudes for its subject, and loaded with memorably evocative clips from movies, shows, and performances from across the decades; and while it may begin to feel a bit repetitive, at points, as it examines the various actresses who have played Dorothy over the years (and the meaning they have found in her that connects her to their own lives), it nevertheless maintains a sincerity of feeling that keeps us invested.

And just in case you might feel like the times are too somber for a nostalgic stroll down the “yellow brick road” of cultural memories, be aware that McHale also explores the ominous presence of the Wizard himself in these tales, a phony who pretends at power while hiding behind a benevolent mask to maintain it.

As if the “Wicked” movies didn’t make the point clearly enough, we’re in a world that’s a lot more Oz-like than we would like to imagine, and it’s hard not to wish we had the ability to go “home” simply by tapping our heels together in fabulous footwear. “It’s Dorothy!” conveys that longing in a way that feels light-hearted and joyful, and reminds us why being a “friend of Dorothy” has been and continues to be a resonant way of identifying ourselves in a world full of wizards, witches, and “twisters” that can carry us far away from home.

And if you want to follow it up with an impromptu rewatch of the 1939 classic, we wouldn’t blame you. It’s a movie that feels, to so many of us, like home – and there’s no place like it.

Bartenders are a unique blend of therapist, den mother, and bouncer. In gay bars, their role is even more important as they administer to the queer community and keep our remaining few safe spaces queer-friendly and well lubricated. Meet Michael Vega. 

You may remember him from his tenure at Micky’s or you can currently catch him at Mattie’s (formerly Rocco’s). If you lived in New York City you may have seen him at The Monster in the West Village. If you lived in San Francisco you may remember him from the popular night spot The Powerhouse. He took some time to share some insights from behind the bar. 

How did you get into bartending?

When I was between college years, I spent a summer in Philly, where a friend got me a job as a waiter in a fancy pants restaurant called The Moshulu. I had no experience, but was a quick study. 

They had me as a cocktail waiter in the lounge, serving drinks that I wasn’t old enough to drink. I watched the bartender and asked a lot of questions. So, when a year or so later the opportunity to work in a nightclub called “The Cartwheel” in New Hope, PA, came up, I was able to fudge my experience behind a bar and say, “Sure, I can do this.” Then it snowballed from there. It helped that I got a theatre degree, so needing a side gig was necessary. No one tells you that a 3-picture deal doesn’t come with the degree. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Vega (@michaelvegaactor)

How long have you been bartending?

Longer than I care to admit.

What do you love about bartending?

Over the years so many of the dearest people in my life have come from being behind a bar.

What do you love about Los Angeles/West Hollywood?

Diversity & opportunity. 

What brought you to LA?

I’m an actor first and foremost, so after several years in San Francisco, where I was a working actor in theatre & some film, I’d grown less interested in the acting opportunities there. So moving to LA was the next logical step for my career. I go back several times a year to visit, though.

What is your passion?

My passion is being an actor. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a kid. I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to continuously do it for all these years.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Vega (@michaelvegaactor)

What’s a weird thing you learned about life from bartending?

One thing I learned about life through bartending is that everyone has a very primal need to be seen, heard, and acknowledged. Simply remembering someone’s name can make all the difference in their day. 

Favorite spot in Los Angeles?

My place. Outside of that I love Scum and Villainy, a sci-fi geek bar in Hollywood.

How has Los Angeles changed you?

Not sure if it qualifies as a change, but I’ve never been one to alter who I am to fit in. If anything, LA made me more steadfast in that. 

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Stay out of tanning beds & wear sunscreen.

If you could make one wish for Los Angeles what would it be?

Less traffic

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Vega (@michaelvegaactor)

What do you want for the queer community? 

To be kinder to each other. Mean Girls was a fun film…not something to aspire to. 

What do you look for in a person?

I gravitate to those with a love for, involvement in, or at the very least a curiosity for the arts.

Celebrity crush?

Jonathon Bailey… because he’s so fucking charming. I feel like I’m under his spell and not in control of my carnal wits. 

What is your favorite thing to do in your down time?

Not Speak. I value having time to just be alone with my thoughts. It helps me to focus and  figure stuff out.

When the idea was tossed around to try to bring the original 1976 Charlie’s Angels cast back together for a reunion event, PaleyFest LA’s vice president of public programming and festivals, Rene Reyes, admits he “never” thought it would happen logistically.

But on April 6, the festival’s headlining event will feature Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd for a one-of-a-kind 50th anniversary celebration. The show spanned five seasons, found a dedicated legion of queer fans, and evolved through multiple reboots, including the 2019 film starring Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Banks, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska.

“You think about how there really weren’t female-driven narratives at the center of a TV investigative drama. That just wasn’t happening with great frequency [in the ‘70s], and they did it,” Reyes says of the original show. “They haven’t been together on stage in 34 years, so it’s a miracle that it all came together because schedules are all over the place. When it happens, we always seize the opportunity.”

Running April 4-12 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, PaleyFest LA’s 43rd edition will once again feature screenings and panels celebrating some of the best shows of the past year; Pluribus, The Pitt, Shrinking, Scrubs, Emily in Paris, Nobody Wants This, and Your Friends & Neighbors are among the lineup. Stars expected to attend include Noah Wyle, Karolina Wydra, Jason Segel, Lily Collins, Kristen Bell, and Adam Brody.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Paley Center for Media (@paleycenter)

“Across my 26 years with the festival, I’ve been able to see so many changes in media and so many changes in the way we consume media,” Reyes says. “But what’s interesting is what remains the same — the connection to the shows we love and the stars we love. That really powers what happens at the festival.”

LGBTQ+ storytelling is a cornerstone of the shows represented in this year’s line-up. In Pluribus, the lead character Carol (played by Golden Globe winner Rhea Seehorn) is queer and talks about her experience with conversion therapy in a standout episode. In The Pitt, many of the patients and doctors are queer. And in Shrinking, Michael Urie and Devin Kawaoka play a married couple navigating their relationship.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Paley Center for Media (@paleycenter)

Reyes, who identifies as queer, sees these stories as an essential part of the festival in today’s climate: “It always becomes a facet of the conversation just because, thankfully, a fair amount of shows on television right now have queer storylines. We always want more, but that kind of representation just makes everything better and makes the conversations that happen at the festival more insightful. It always comes up and is a factor when we’re planning the festival to ensure we’re celebrating series that have representation across the spectrum.”

After the red carpets and star-studded panels end, though, the work has only just begun. The Paley Center for Media, the non-profit organization behind the festival, continues their work year-around, focusing on preservation and educational efforts. Over 160,000 TV and radio programs are featured in the collection, including an archive specifically dedicated to queer shows like That Certain Summer, Pose, and Glee.

“We shoot all of the PaleyFest events and all the events that we host at the Paley Center in New York for the archive, so it’s like a living history,” Reyes says. “You can hear what the writers of Pose were actually doing, what their thoughts were, what their creative process was. You can always look back on that. I think it’s so important to preserve our history, to make it accessible to people — especially queer history, which in so many cases is largely untold. That drives me.”

Head to PaleyCenter.org for more info

Watching a good musical can be transcendental. 

As the more theater-inclined members of the queer community can attest, watching a musical that makes you feel something is a legitimately unforgettable experience. These are productions that feature not only amazing music but resonant themes, drawing on core aspects of the human experience to make viewers feel connected with the artistry taking place onstage. Modern audiences are lucky to have many inventive musicals that they can connect with — but few are as unfortunately relevant as David Byrne’s Here Lies Love. 

First premiering off-Broadway in 2013, Here Lies Love documents the glamorously haunting rise of Imelda Marcos, who, with her husband, served as the Philippines’ dictator for decades in the late 1900s. The story uses pop music to document her steady descent into fascism, with its dazzling images reflecting how Marcos used her trademark style as a cover for mistreating millions of citizens she was meant to serve.

In recent years, as the Philippines and the U.S. struggle with fascism, viewers have recognized the production’s political importance, with its themes of fighting oppression becoming more important than ever before. It’s why so many fans were thrilled when it was announced Here Lies Love was coming to LA in what was promised to be the queerest version of the show yet — meaning it was perfect for RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna, Aura Mayari. 

“What really caught my attention was the Filipino-ness of this story,” said Mayari, as she sat down with the LA Blade to discuss her role in the show. “In my drag, I really love to intertwine my culture into what I do. And so when I was told that it’s a Filipino story and it’s going to be an all-Filipino cast, I was all in!” 

It’s an aspect of the performer’s art that fans know well; Aura first made waves on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 as one of that cast’s best dancers (and self-titled ‘trade’ of the season). While on the series, she proudly discussed her experience as a queer Filipino, with the years since seeing Mayari bring her intersectional drag to countless clubs across the country. It made her a perfect fit for a show that merges Filipino culture with visually stunning effects, with the LA iteration creating a new role just for the queen: Imeldific, a drag version of Imelda Marcos who narrates the story to a group of club goers. 

Aura spoke about what a personal honor it was to originate this role, explaining, “I moved to the United States [from the Philippines] when I was 11…and I wanted to be American so bad. I didn’t want to stand out, and I wanted to avoid being bullied. I didn’t want to be seen as someone who was an immigrant until after college, when I met a lot of my Filipino friends that I’m still  friends with today.” It’s a pride that she was honored to bring into Here Lies Love, and it only grew once she encountered a cast who understood and loved the intersectional identities she showed through her drag. “They embraced my queerness and what I could bring to the table. And I think a lot of what I’ve learned through my Drag Race experience, I was able to use and [help] inspire my cast members to make something as magical as this show is.”

The performer stressed how being a part of this ensemble truly felt like being at home. “We get to eat a lot of Filipino food — people bring in a lot of Filipino snacks, and a lot of Filipino egg rolls!” Aura laughed, describing her experience on set. “Every day, being in the show…it’s so special to me. I’ve never, ever thought to be a part of a project that celebrates Filipino culture and that dives into the history that a lot of people don’t know about. I have learned so much about my own history from this show.” 

It’s a history that, unfortunately, we are seeing repeated across the world today. 

Since the 2024 election, U.S. citizens have seen numerous attempts by this administration to strip away the freedoms of marginalized communities. And in the Philippines, for many months in 2025, thousands of citizens fought against widespread government corruption through protests extremely similar to the ones that toppled the Marcos regime. It’s a deeply disheartening experience to watch Here Lies Love and realize that not only have the issues portrayed in the show not gone away, in some cases, they’ve also worsened. Aura recognized this fact, but she reminded everyone watching: Here Lies Love’s story doesn’t end with corruption. 

“History repeats itself. And it’s really important to know and understand that history — and to fight the erasure of our stories.” 

She emphasized how Imelda Marcos is not the only character in this show, that the audience gets to meet many of the real advocates who never stopped fighting against their country’s authoritarianism and eventually toppled their gorgeous dictator. “[Here Lies Love] really reminds us how quickly power can shift and how propaganda can influence people…[it shows] that people have fought things like this in the past, and [their fighting] has worked.” On what these stories are meant to teach the audience, Mayari continued, “I think [the lesson] is: if you do believe in something, anything can change. You just really have got to be aware, and you have to teach yourself [to fight back].” It’s an inspiring message that so many need to hear right now, and that Aura Mayari is delighted to share through her performance as Imeldific eight times a week. 

As the interview came to a close, Aura realized that in the span of thirty minutes she’d discussed Here Lies Love’s queerness, innovative storytelling, and political pertinence — and she’d barely scratched the surface of all that this production contains! Recognizing that she would need many hours to speak about everything she’s experienced during her time with the show, Aura summed up her feelings by saying, “It’s so special to me. I’ve never, ever thought to be a part of a project that celebrates Filipino culture and that dives into the history that a lot of people don’t know about. And I have learned so much about [myself and] my history from this show.”

It’s a truly deserved experience for an artist who’s dedicated her career to uplifting her communities. And, for the many people who get to watch Aura perform in Here Lies Love at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the show is a good reminder that, yes, the issues we’re facing today have all happened before. But those people fought back, and they won. 

So that means we can too.  

Here Lies Love is playing at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles from February 11 to April 5, 2026.

Pride House LA/West Hollywood, an organization that creates safe spaces for out athletes and allies, announced yesterday that it will partner with Angel City Football Club (FC), L.A.’s National Women’s Soccer League team. 

Formed in 2020, Angel City FC has made its stance on queer rights clear. They collaborate with Girls Play Los Angeles, a countywide program that creates low-cost soccer programming for young girls and gender expansive youth. Accessibility and LGBTQ+ representation are not afterthoughts, and they will continue to advocate for queer representation in sports as a sponsor of Pride House LA/West Hollywood.

This new partnership merges the growing power of these two organizations’ work in highlighting queer athletes and their stories. Angel City FC will provide financial backing for Pride House LA/West Hollywood’s upcoming 2026 World Cup Weekend in June, which will include a Women in Sports Day to shine a light on women and their continued leadership in queer movements. 

“We are so excited to partner with Angel City Football Club, an organization that furthers our mission of increasing visibility and inclusion for Out Athletes and LGBTQ+ fans as part of their DNA,” wrote Pride House LA/West Hollywood CEO Michael Ferrera to the Blade. “With female athletes leading the way out of the closet, this is a perfect partnership for us.” 

The organizations will uplift queer joy, representation, and unity in upcoming joint community engagement efforts, which include the aforementioned World Cup Weekend as well as Angel City’s Pride-themed match night on July 26. 

The partnership marks progress for vocal allyship and defining action when it comes to protecting queer safety in sports. There is still time before Pride House LA/West Hollywood’s ambitious and historic takeover of West Hollywood Park for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Who else will join in and explicitly declare their support for queer athletes?

For more information, visit the social pages of Pride House LA/West Hollywood and Angel City Football Club.

Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.

In 2013, Melvin Robert stepped into the parking lot of his old elementary school. He observed the playground equipment he hadn’t touched in 20 years, and rounded the corner until he reached a set of stairs that would lead to the auditorium. He was here to attend his first rehearsal as part of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA). 

Untethered and unsituated, Robert wanted community. At his best friend Trinity’s urging, he found himself now with one foot in the past, and one inching towards a new future. 

Taking a few hesitant steps forward, he sees it. A wayside trash can: not, but might as well have been, the same trash can he was thrown into as a child, the first time he was called a gay slur. He felt anxiety knot his stomach, building in his throat. “I [thought] about that little boy,” Robert told the Blade. “I put my hand over my heart and said, ‘We’re good.’ Because, on the other side of the trash can, was the most beautiful group.” 

Robert found the community he’d always wanted, and the voice within himself that he had buried out of shame. In the chorus, a sea of 300, Robert met people who would provide him with love, support, and encouragement that was a plentiful stream. He would also sing, for the first time in his life, without fear — the fear that had dampened and smothered his joy for so long.

On Mar. 21 and 22, Robert will return as a guest soloist for GMCLA’s upcoming Spring concert, “AND THE BEAT GOES ON.” A celebration of gospel, R&B, and Motown, the concert will transport guests through the expansive and transformative sonic fabric of Black American music and history. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GMCLA (@gaymenschorusla)

Robert performed his last concert for GMCLA in 2018, after which he began his rocketing rise in entertainment journalism. A self-starter in the field, Robert is now an Emmy-winning broadcast host and currently serves as entertainment anchor for KTLA 5. 

The Blade sat down with Robert to discuss his lifelong relationship to music, his return to GMCLA and his dreams as an artist.  

Music has shaped your life from a young age. What were those early listening experiences like, and how does it continue to change and influence you?

I have a very eclectic taste in music. I attribute that to my dad. Growing up, [on] many mornings, my younger brother, Eric, and I would wake up to the sound of my dad. He would open the door to our room, and he’d go sit in a chair and play the saxophone. That’s how he would wake us up in the morning. [On the way to] school, my dad would play — some days it’d be Steely Dan, and some days it’d be Bob, Tupac Shakur, and Stevie Wonder. My dad had this really eclectic taste in music that inspired me. 

And I always loved musical theater. I used to love going to the theater as a kid, to the Ahmanson and the Pantages. I wanted to be in a big buxom Broadway show. My grandma Vera loved Nat King Cole and Ray Charles and Fats Domino, and was from New Orleans. So I grew up with a lot of that Zydeco music playing throughout the house, and jazz, and that really influenced me as a person.

Music has been there for me when I really needed it. When I was first coming out, I remember listening to Yolanda Adams’ “Open My Heart,” and I would play that while driving around. It was my prayer when I was trying to figure out my identity and my sexuality — knowing I was gay but being really afraid and being like: God, please, help me get through this [at] 16 or 17. 

Music is transformational, and it is a healing balm. I believe so much in the power of music. I believe so much in the power of musical theater and Broadway. I believe that theater is a temple: [we’re] together for that one moment in time, [in a] sanctuary to learn, heal, and be transformed. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melvin Robert (@_melvinrobert)

What does it feel like to return to GMCLA for this Spring concert?

I’m so excited to be back with my brothers in song, [and] I’m humbled at the invitation to return. It’s very much a homecoming to be with everybody, and when they told me what I was going to be singing, it was so meaningful and impactful to me. One of the songs I’m going to sing is Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind.” It was such a wink from my grandmother, Vera, because she would listen to that song. I have such fond memories of being in the kitchen or other rooms in her house and hearing that song. 

Music is a big connection to memory. Sometimes you hear the first couple notes of a song, and you just go somewhere mentally: whether it takes you back to a moment of sadness or joy or heartbreak or pain, or maybe where you were when you first heard it, or you hear a new song, and you just stop, because the lyrics are so powerful and the melody is touching to you. Music is so important and necessary. It’s medicine. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melvin Robert (@_melvinrobert)

Do you still have dreams of being on Broadway, and how does that fuel you?

Those dreams have never left me. I haven’t given up on it. I think in the last couple of years, I paused on that because I just didn’t have the time to devote myself to anything other than being a host. I’m really humbled by all of it. Within that, I love to sing and dance. It’s still very much a part of who I am. I think in my core, I am an artist. It’s what sets my soul on fire, and it’s what makes me feel the most blissful, the most at peace, and the most at ease. 

We spoke about the concept of “homecoming” and the cycles of returning to who you are. What would you say to your younger self, who you saw again at that first rehearsal?

That people love you, even when you think people are not thinking of you, or people are not holding you in their hearts. I know that that’s your story that you want to tell yourself, [but] you’re more meaningful and impactful to people than you realize. It’s not always easy to believe in yourself, yet you must continue journeying forward and continue the work that you’re doing to believe in yourself. As hard as it is, you have to keep pushing, and you have to keep going, and you have to continue to have faith in who you are and the intent behind why you do what you do. 

“AND THE BEAT GOES ON” will be performed on Mar. 21 and 22. Tickets and information can be found here.

Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.

Sapphic exaltation can be found poolside at The Dinah, where for the last three decades, sapphic people have gathered to dance, find long-lasting community, and celebrate their own sacred queer joy. Affectionately dubbed “lesbian Coachella,” The Dinah is one of the largest music festivals held for queer women and sapphic people, including trans and nonbinary community members. 

The Dinah has always been loud and proud, and was brought to fruition by renowned party thrower Mariah Hanson. In 1991, she organized the festival’s first iteration, molding the Palm Springs Modern Art Museum into a lively, safe bubble for sapphic people to experience high-voltage, unfettered togetherness and belonging — without shame, harm, or discrimination. 

Over 30 years later, The Dinah has become a sapphic “utopia”: a multi-day gathering where people can find community, revel in sapphic excellence, and see some of the biggest superstars in their space thrive on stage. Previous performers include Doechii, Margaret Cho, the Indigo Girls, Tegan and Sara, Princess Nokia, and Lauren Jauregui. 

In 2026, the festival sees another evolution: new leadership. Bella Barkow and Rose Garcia have acquired the festival from Hanson and are aiming to make the event more inclusive, accessible, and joyful than ever. They want to preserve the alchemy of queer parties — these are the very spaces that they, as queer youth, discovered liberation and love. 

Barkow grew up in Toronto’s rave scene and would spend time hanging out in Church and Wellesley, the city’s queer-friendly nucleus. 2,000 miles away, Garcia was stirring up L.A.’s club scene, her infectious wiles becoming the real-life inspiration for a character in the lesbian TV bible, The L Word.

They both also have history with The Dinah: Barkow, a queer event producer, managed the festival’s operations before their recent acquisition. Garcia was hand-plucked by Hanson to host and emcee the festival for over a decade. 

Wild, rebellious, and uplifted by community, Barkow and Garcia are now dedicated to preserving and multiplying this space for other sapphic people across generations. As co-owners of the festival, they speak with great care about carrying this torch forward: of preserving this ecosystem that Hanson constructed and maintained, alone. Their challenge is two-fold: how do they preserve its history and essence while also creating enough breathing room for change and transformation?

The Blade sat down with Barkow and Garcia to talk about their vision for The Dinah and its future. 

Rose, before you were an emcee and now co-owner of The Dinah, you were attending the festival as a young queer person. What was that like for you?

Garcia: When I first discovered the Dinah, it was in my early twenties, and I couldn’t afford to go for the whole weekend. I was young, working, going to school, and figuring things out, so my friends and I would hop into a car and drive up for Sunday’s pool party. When I first showed up there, I was like: this is incredible. I’ve never seen so many sapphic women in one space. It was thousands upon thousands of women. And even though I’m in a big “market” in LA, we still didn’t have a lot of places to go back then. We had the Palms bar and a couple of clubs, but nothing to this scale. 

So when I walked [into the Dinah], I was meeting people from Australia, Europe, Canada — people from all over the world. And it was so amazing, because I never knew something like this existed. It became my go-to place and a part of my life, honestly: [I could] congregate with my friends, take this amazing trip, and be around thousands of folks and feel a sense of acceptance and safety. 

You’ve both been upfront that you want to make sure The Dinah is affordable, inclusive and accessible. Tell me more about the value of that and how you’re making this happen. 

Barkow: It’s nice to think that LGBTQ rights are on a linear path towards betterness, but unfortunately, the world is not working like that. We both believe that this event needs to keep being accessible to the younger generation, to the people who, like us, came out when they were young, and perhaps saw it on The L Word, or The Real L Word, like myself. I remember seeing it when I was in Toronto and being like: “Oh my God. This place exists. This is a real thing. I can actually go there and be myself.” We do think it’s important that this event is for everyone. I’ve had women in their 70’s who are first timers coming up, so you never know. 

Garcia: I also want to interject that even though it’s been open to everyone, we want to actually scream it from the top of the mountains: that it’s not only a sapphic, women-loving-women (WLW) event. It’s open to all of our friends, and we accept and want everyone to feel welcome. That’s really important to Bella and me. We want to make sure our trans community feels welcome, [our] nonbinary community. We want everyone to feel that they can come to this space and feel accepted. 

Barkow: I started gender sensitivity and proper pronoun usage training with the front-of-house staff at Dinah about two years ago, and we’re hoping to expand that and make sure that all staff, including hotel and security, are aware of that. There’s always the fear that [they could] misgender or misrepresent someone based on how they look. [We make it clear] you need to understand that our community is very, very specific. You need to support that and be a part of it. 

What are you most excited about in this new era of The Dinah?

Garcia: I’m excited to see the people who are going to come. When we launched the tickets, we got an overwhelming, warm, amazing reception. That was something that I was initially worried about [in] the change of hands. “Is it going to fare well with the community?” And we’ve been accepted. So, we’re excited to see what the community says about our first production and to see the faces of people just being happy, celebrating, and enjoying the weekend, and to look at my partner and be like: Man, we did this. Our blood, sweat, and tears for the last 10 months are finally coming to fruition.

Bella: I’m really excited to see how the community takes to the new initiatives that we’re bringing out that are community building-specific activations, so things for the solo and single travelers and things for the sober community that really expand the event. [It’s] a music festival first and foremost, but also a space to build lifelong friendships. As Mariah used to call it, this five-day utopia [is] a place where the outside world doesn’t matter and we’re all there to be together and enjoy community together. 

You’ve acquired The Dinah and you’re deep in the planning of this year’s festival. Does all of this, and the reception you’ve received, give you hope for the future of sapphic spaces?

Garcia: Yes, I think it does. Mariah used to have a partnership program [and] we’re going to reignite that. [We’ll] reach out to a lot of sapphic spaces throughout the country and all over the world, and [become] promotional partners. Not only does it support them in any events that they plan on having, because Dinah does have a big draw and a big reach, but it also helps us reach out to those markets as well. And we support each other. It’s a win-win for both. We [also] see a lot of the younger generation working on bringing more events to the community, and Bella and I are big supporters of all of them. 

Barkow: It’s the understanding that there’s enough room at the table for everyone. We need to support each other as a community. Historically, it’s always been like a woman is sitting at the table and she says: “Oh, this is my seat, and it’s the only seat, and so I have to protect my seat.” And that’s not true. I see this as an opportunity for us to help pull other women up to come join the table because there’s a seat for everyone. 

Dinah 2026 takes place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5 in Palm Springs. More information can be found on their website.

Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.

With all of the political and social turmoil going on in the nation, it is imperative that our community take a breath and focus on the strength we queer folk have and the good that our leaders are doing. On March 26^th, 7 pm at the Abbey in West Hollywood, the Los Angeles Blade and the community will come together to celebrate the 9^th annual Best of LA Awards.

Nominated by and voted on by our readers in an online process, the Best of LA Awards puts the spotlight on the leading movers and shakers from the business, political, entertainment, nightlife, non-profit, sports realms, and beyond. This year featured a particularly diverse mix of longtime leaders and fresh faces, all making waves to bolster the queer community in Los Angeles.

This year’s award show will be co-hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Salina EsTitties (winner of last year’s Best Drag Performer) and Los Angeles Blade publisher Alexander Rodriguez. The evening will also include a live performance by three of this year’s Local Musical Artist of the Year: Prince Joshua, Tom Goss, and Ross Alan. The men of MISTR will also make an appearance to spice up the evening. In an excited text to the Blade, EsTitties exclaimed, “As the current reigning Best Drag Performer of Los Angeles, and having won Best Drag Show and Best Brunch in the years prior, I’m thrilled to be hosting this year’s Best of LA Awards!”

Graciously hosted by The Abbey, the awards show is supported by Visit West Hollywood and MISTR, longtime supporters of the Blade, as well as Gym Bar, a first-time Best of LA sponsor.

This year, Pride House LA/West Hollywood will co-present the Best Local Sports Team award and the Blade’s first-ever Legacy Athlete Award, being awarded to Gus Kenworthy. In addition, Genevieve Morrill will accept the Local Hero Award, in recognition of her 15 years as the president and CEO of the West Hollywood Chamber.

Congratulations to this year’s nominees. Winners will be announced online and at the Best of LA Awards show on March 26^th. The event is free and open to the public.

• Best Drag Performer
• Cake Moss
• Charles Galin King
• Kyra Jete
• Laylah Amor
• Misty Violet
• Best Drag Show
• Bring It To Brunch at Mattie’s
• Brunch Service at The Abbey
• Hamburger Mary’s West Hollywood
• Las Reinas at Mickys
• Rocc-ettes at Mattie’s
• Local Influencer of the Year
• Charles Hernandez (CnoteLA)
• Curly Velasquez
• Justin Martindale
• Lucas Dell
• Rose Montoya
• Victoria Pousada Kreindler
• Best LGBTQ Bar
• Gym Bar
• Kiso Los Angeles
• Mattie’s Weho
• Or Bar
• The Abbey
• Best Happy Hour
• 33 Taps
• Fiesta Cantina
• Hi-Tops
• Mickys
• Motherlode
• The Abbey
• Go-Go of the Year
• Daniel Mooney
• Gabriel Gonzalez
• Jay Nova
• Prince Joshua
• Steven Dehler
• Victoria Shaw
• Best Restaurant
• Bottega Louie
• Hamburger Mary’s
• La Boheme
• Pura Vita
• WeHo Bistro
• Best Radio or TV Station
• CHANNEL Q
• KTLA
• LatiNation
• OUTtv
• REVRY
• Best Cannabis Retailer/Lounge
• Artist Tree Lounge
• Elevate
• Green Qween
• Med Men
• The Woods WeHo
• Best LGBTQ Owned Business
• Fan Girl Cafe
• Green Qween
• JJLA
• MISTR
• Wildfang
• Best LGBTQ Social Group
• Dark Circle Film Society
• Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles
• NLGJA Los Angeles
• Outloud Sports
• Unique Woman’s Coalition
• WeHo Dodgeball
• Best House of Worship
• Congregation Kol Ami
• Founders Metropolitan Community Church Los Angeles
• Hollywood Boulevard Episcopal
• Hollywood United Methodist
• InVision Church Los Angeles
• Activist of the Year
• Cory Allen
• Joshua Marin-Mora
• Liliana Perez
• Maebe A. Girl
• Rose Montoya
• Public Official of the Year
• CA State Treasurer Fiona Ma
• Chelsea Byers
• John Erickson
• Lindsey Horvath
• Maebe A. Girl
• Best Local Pro Sports Team (co-presented by PrideHouse LA/West Hollywood)
• Angel City FC
• LA Chargers
• LA Dodgers
• LA Lakers
• LA Rams
• LA Sparks
• Los Angeles FC
• Local Ally of the Year
• Abbe Land
• Jessica Steinman
• Kevin De Nicolo
• Lindsey Horvath
• Senator Lena Gonzalez
• Best Doctor/Medical Provider
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation
• Better U
• Dr. Eric Chaghouri
• LA LGBT Center
• St. John’s Wellness
• UCLA CARE Center
• Most LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation
• City of West Hollywood
• JJLA
• Los Angeles LGBT Center
• Revry
• Non-Profit of the Year
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (SoCal)
• Equality California
• Los Angeles LGBT Center
• Out Athlete Fund
• Project Angel Food
• Trans Lifeline
• Best Local Actor
• Annie Reznik
• Jason Caceres
• Matthew Scott Montgomery
• Nhut Le
• Shaan Dasani
• Trevor Dow
• Best Local Theatre
• Celebration Theatre
• Center Theatre Group
• Geffen Playhouse
• International City Theatre
• LA Opera
• Pasadena Playhouse
• Local Musical Artist of the Year
• Prince Joshua
• Robert Rene
• Ross Alan
• San Cha
• Tom Goss
• Best LGBTQ Event
• Dinah Shore
• GLAAD Awards
• LA Opera Pride Night
• MISTR’s National PrEP Day
• Outloud Music Festival at Weho Pride
• Pride Night by Hyperion LA
• Best Regional Pride
• DTLA Proud
• Hermosa Beach
• Long Beach Pride
• Palm Springs Pride
• WeHo Pride
• Best Promoter of the Year
• Andres Rigal
• Ash Rodriguez
• Beau Byron
• Joshua Flores
• Paul Nicholls
• LGBTQ Professional of the Year
• Cory Allen
• Erik Braverman
• Kathleen Rawson
• Liliana Perez
• Michael Ferrera
• Tristan Schukraft
• Best Bartender
• Alex Satoshi DiDio
• Danny Hernandez
• Manny De Cielo
• Matthew Stratman
• Michael Susi
• Michael Vega
• Best DJ
• Boy Apocalypse
• DJ Les Ortiz
• DJ SRO
• Lord Izac
• Simon Harrison
• Best Local LGBTQ Podcast
• BabyGay
• No Matter What Club
• On The Rocks
• Sloppy Seconds Podcast
• Very Delta
• Best Salon/Spa
• Bautis LA
• Folklore Salon & Barber
• Project Q
• Shorty’s Barber Shop
• The Massage Company WEHO
• Best Music Venue
• The Disney Concert Hall
• The Hollywood Bowl
• The Roxy Theatre
• The Troubadour
• The Wiltern
• Best Fitness/Workout Spot
• Barry’s WEHO
• Equinox on Sunset
• Gold’s Gym
• John Reed Fitness
• LA Fitness, Hollywood
• Best Hotel
• Andaz
• The West Hollywood EDITION
• Hotel Ziggy
• Kimpton La Peer Hotel
• SoHo House

Local Hero Award: Genevieve Morrill, West Hollywood Chamber

Legacy Athlete Award (co-presented by PrideHouse LA/West Hollywood): Gus Kenworthy

For more information, email [email protected]