The Outfest Legacy Awards celebrated its 40th year in late October at Paramount Studios. Outfest Legacy began with UCLA students trying to find a way to support LGBTQIA+ representation in the media. Now, the non-profit organization continues to “create visibility to diverse LGBTQIA+ stories and empowers storytellers, building empathy to drive meaningful social change.” Kerri Stoughton Jackson plays a big role in the success of Outfest. Jackson began her involvement as a volunteer, and now runs the program of over 500 volunteers while holding the title of Deputy Director. Jackson was awarded the Outfest Jonathan Howard Legacy Award. Additionally, Amazon’s diversity and inclusion branch ‘Glamazon’ was awarded the Corporate Award, for the company’s efforts to advocate and provide mentorship for their employees. Moreover, the Star Trek franchise celebrated their win of the Visionary Award, for their outstanding efforts in representation over the years. The guest of honor, Janelle Monae, was awarded the Trailblazer Award. Monae has been involved with efforts such as advocating for The Trevor Project’s Suicide Prevention, co-chair for When We All Vote, and creating the Fem the Future initiative. Fem the Future aims to provide a platform for women in the arts industry spreading the word about their visions for their future. In addition to Monae’s effervescent talent as an actress and a Grammy winner, there is no denying that she is a feminist ally. All of the other guests were thrilled that Janelle Monae would be in attendance.
The common thread throughout the red carpet interviews, and throughout the evening, was that these individuals have a vision of the future in which there is no need to have a separate awards ceremony for the LGBTQIA+ community. The industry hopes that representation will be so commonplace that it will be unnecessary to celebrate the LGBTQIA+’s achievements separately.
In order to celebrate Outfest, Paramount Studios transformed one of their filming lots into a white tablecloth dining area for the donors. The theatrics of the lot, such as colorful spotlights all over the buildings, made it feel like a very special evening. At one point during the evening, it started raining in Los Angeles. This only added romanticism to the night, as the waitstaff was prepared with ponchos for all of the guests. Overall, Paramount Studios hosted a lovely evening to celebrate the 40th Outfest Legacy Awards.