The Los Angeles LGBT Center will honor actress Marcia Gay Harden with its Vanguard Award during the organization’s annual Center Gala this weekend.
The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at the Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood and will feature drag performer Bianca Del Rio as host and tennis legend Billie Jean King as a presenter.
Harden is being recognized for her advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ+ communities and for her public support of her three queer-identifying children, according to the center.
Actor Harry Ford, who appeared with Harden in the television series “Code Black,” is scheduled to present the award.
“This year’s gala theme, `The Place We Call Home,’ is about creating spaces where LGBTQ+ people feel seen, protected, and supported — something the Los Angeles LGBT Center has been doing daily for nearly 60 years,” Joe Hollendoner, CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, said in a statement. “Marcia Gay Harden has used her voice and platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ communities with authenticity and courage, while demonstrating the profound impact family support can have in creating a more inclusive world.”
The gala’s theme highlights the importance of supportive spaces and community resources for LGBTQ+ people, organizers said.
Proceeds from the event will support the center’s programs and services, including housing, health care and advocacy initiatives.
The organization will also present the Rand Schrader Award to longtime board member and community leader LuAnn Boylan for her decades of service and advocacy work. King is scheduled to present the award.