What do you get when you put three-hundred dapper queer Black icons in one venue? One hell of a steppers set.
GLAAD celebrated its 4th annual GLAAD Honors event at the luxurious Fonda Theater in Hollywood with electric live performances, a bar hosted by Hornitos Tequila and rousing remarks from Senior Director of Communities of Color, DaShawn Usher, among others. The event was a bit of a warmup for the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, which will stream exclusively on Hulu April 12, 2025.
Jeronelle kicked off the night’s musical performances and was devastatingly good, a singer reminiscent of Donny Hathaway in his rich tone and urgent tessitura. He started with a stripped guitar track, then hit us with two Neo-soul bangers that brought me back to a time when my hair wasn’t a mess.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 26: Luxx Noir London performs at 2025 #GLAAD Honors at The Fonda Theatre on March 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Luxx Noir London is one of my favorite alumni of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and while I knew she was a singer, I had no idea how great of a musical performer she was. She, too, started her set with something more stripped before working the entire stage with a ferocity only a drag queen can muster.
Jessica Betts was unbelievable while singing and playing acoustic guitar. The minimal accompaniment made their voice ring out in the cavernous theater. Tracy Chapman is proud, I promise you that.
I bounced between several photo activations, including one sponsored by Gilead on the rooftop terrace. It’s tough to describe but it was a trippy video where you sort of vogue down a carpet. Shoutout to Gilead for making my Instagram story POP.
I have to highlight how stunning we all looked. I showed up in my lil Willy Wonka hipster look, but I was no competition for the full glam worn by seemingly everyone in the building. I’ve never seen a better looking crowd.
Notable attendees included JESSICA BETTS and NIECY NASH-BETTS, JONATHAN BURKE, SCOTT EVANS, SHAR JOSSELL, ISIS KING, TS MADISON, AMBER RILEY, TOKYO STYLEZ and the ever-present WILSON CRUZ.
Guests enjoyed specialty curated cocktails by Hornitos Tequila, such as the Mex-presso Martini, the Pineapple Margarita, and the Sip & Twirl!
Access Hollywood co-anchor Scott Evans and award-winning writer and journalist Shar Jossell raised a Hornitos Pineapple Margarita as they toasted to the evening.
I made my way out into a brisk Hollywood night feeling inspired and grateful. One could say I was…GLAAD I got to experience the night.