Photo courtesy of Los Angeles LGBT Center | Jordan Doyle
Over 500 LGBTQ+ youth and allies gathered on Saturday, October 25, for the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s 33rd annual Models of Pride, the largest free summit for queer youth.
The day-long event, held at the Anita May Rosenstein Campus, celebrated community, creativity, and intergenerational connection.
Hosted by content creator Kevin Ninh (FlawlessKevin), the summit featured workshops, performances, and activities for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and under), alongside the Parents and Professionals Institute (PPI), which offered dedicated learning sessions for adults.
Key moments and awards presented included:
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Model of Pride Award: Presented to actor Tonatiuh (star of Kiss of the Spider Woman), who reflected on returning to the Center more than a decade after his early career performance on campus: “There is no difference between me and you… I was one of you in the audience, looking at someone else and realizing that dreams, acting, art are all possible.”
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Artist of Pride Award: Honored RuPaul’s Drag RaceSeason 16 superstar Mirage, who uses her work to reflect queer Indigenous and Latinx identities. She closed the day with a performance and message: “Just be exactly who you are, and that is going to be good enough for the people who care about you.”
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Student of Pride Award: Recognized a young leader for resilience and commitment to change within their community.
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CEO Joe Hollendoner emphasized the event’s mission to create a space where youth “can feel safe, celebrated, and be seen exactly as they are,” affirming that “you belong, you are loved, and your voice matters.”
The event, which concluded with a high-energy dance party, was made possible by numerous sponsors including Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, Glamazon L.A. (Amazon’s LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group), NYX Professional Makeup, and U.S. Bank.
