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You are at:Home»Community»Pamela Anderson Shares Words of Wisdom at Center Gala: ‘Love Relentlessly’
The Los Angeles LGBT Center Hosts The Center Gala
Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Los Angeles LGBT Center

Pamela Anderson Shares Words of Wisdom at Center Gala: ‘Love Relentlessly’

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By on April 22, 2023 Community

Actress and model Pamela Anderson was honored at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s annual Gala on Saturday for her resilience and unwavering commitment to LGBTQ+ activism throughout her career. Anderson, known for her iconic role in “Baywatch” and her recently released memoir Love, Pamela, used the platform to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and call for continued progress in the fight for equality.

Anderson was presented with the Center’s Vanguard Award by the Center’s Phillip Picardi and Mariana Marroquin, who highlighted Anderson’s impressive career and extensive philanthropic work, making it clear that her dedication to the LGBTQ+ community runs deep.

“When I saw Pamela for the first time as a young trans person, I saw a woman embodying her beauty and power, and I wanted to wield that power,” Marroquin said. “In her story, I always see a piece of my own. Everyone thinks that they know who we are, but we are more than anything they could ever imagine.”

In her acceptance speech, Anderson reflected on her personal connection to the LGBTQ+ community and how her experiences have shaped her activism. She recalled landing in Los Angeles for the first time and arriving just in time for Pride, where a pair of gay men called out her bad highlights.

“They go, ‘Honey that is not one of God’s colors,'” she said. “And I thought, this is how I think. This is how I speak. I arrived. I’m gonna be okay.”

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Over the years, Anderson has used her platform to bring attention to critical issues impacting the community, such as HIV/AIDS, discrimination, and sexual abuse. She is also a lifelong vegetarian and committed animal rights activist—a far cry from the objectified persona she has repeatedly been shoehorned into throughout her career.

She asked the crowd to picture their younger selves, at an age where they were still unsure of who they were—and who they would become.

“This is when we run up to our little selves and we give them a huge hug,” she said. “Kiss them on the cheek. Look into their eyes and tell that little person, I love you so much. You’re beautiful. You’re talented. You are worthy. You have value. You’re important. And you’re gonna get through life with flying colors. Because I’m proof I’m here and I’ll always be here for you and I love you.”

Expressing gratitude for the big year she’s had with her Netflix docuseries Pamela, a Love Story and her bestselling memoir Love, Pamela, Anderson emphasized the importance of self-love and self-respect in her speech.

“Life isn’t easy. No one is perfect and we learn every day. I continue to stay on my path,” she said. “Love relentlessly. The world is a safe place, and we are painting the picture of our lives every day. Every time we walk out the door, it’s performance art. Might as well have a blast.”

The Los Angeles LGBT Center Hosts The Center Gala
Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Los Angeles LGBT Center

Anderson was honored at the event alongside Nope star Keke Palmer and the late comedy legend Leslie Jordan, who was honored with the Center’s inaugural Leslie Jordan Award for Excellence in the Arts by his friends and collaborators Mayim Bialik and Del Shores. The evening was hosted by social media star TS Madison and featured performances by R&B-soul sensation Durand Bernarr.

“As someone who is fighting for our liberation every day, words cannot describe how sickened I am by the wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment in our country. But as the political attacks worsen, the need for our work and the financial resources to support it increase,” said Joe Hollendoner, the CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, who addressed the audience at his first Gala. “No matter how hard they try to take us backwards, the only direction the Center will ever move is forward.”

The Center Gala raised over $1 million for the Center’s life-saving services dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. If you’d like to support our mission, you can donate here.

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LGBT News Now is a publication of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the Center is the largest LGBT organization in the world, dedicated to building a world where LGBT thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org.

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🌈Great news! #California Gov. Gavin Newsom sign 🌈Great news! #California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law 9 bills this weekend that will help ensure the safety and dignity of the #LGBTQ+ community through measures addressing inclusive school climates, gender-affirming business licensing, and public accommodations. This is a moment to take action, click the link in bio to urge Gov. Newsom to sign AB1645 🗣️
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“Queer people are told to minimize everything. W “Queer people are told to minimize everything. We’re told to be the friend or the supporting character. But drag makes us think, what if I’m the main character?” asked #TrixieMattel in her speech at last year’s #ModelsofPride, the world’s largest free conference for #LGBTQ+ youth. “I want you guys to know that you are all the main character.”

The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” champ accepted the event’s Model of Pride award, celebrating her epic career spanning entertainment, music, cosmetics—and even commercial renovation, with the hotel makeover series “Trixie Motel” for Discovery—at a time when drag was becoming a growing target for the far-right. 

This year, the drag bans have evolved into an anti-LGBTQ assault on California schools, but Models of Pride is back on October 14th with keynote speakers like #DylanMulvaney and #HayleyKiyoko to create the safe, empowering space our students need right now. You can register at the #linkinbio, or head to modelsofpride.org for more info.
Closing out #BiVisibilityWeek with a banger. (Did Closing out #BiVisibilityWeek with a banger. (Did YOU know the B in Cardi B was for #Bisexual?) Remember you are valid, you owe nobody an explanation, and you’re loved. 🩷💜💙
Happy #BiVisibilityDay! Today we’re giving love Happy #BiVisibilityDay! Today we’re giving love to and celebrating the B in LGBTQ. Bi Visibility Day was created to recognize and celebrate the Bi+ community including the need to reduce stigma of the identity. Bisexuality is beautiful and bi folks deserve love, support and acceptance. How are you celebrating Bi Visibility Day? Drop your 🩷💜💙’s in the comments 

🎥 @kimhoyos
🚨#Breaking: The United States is facing a short 🚨#Breaking: The United States is facing a shortage of injectable penicillin, which is the usual medication used for treating #syphilis. Fortunately, #DoxyPEP has been proven to effectively lower the risk of sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis, by as much as 87%. For more information, swipe to view our FAQs on DoxyPEP or visit the link in our bio.
We are excited to announce recording artist #Hayle We are excited to announce recording artist #HayleyKiyoko (@hayleykiyoko), AKA #LesbianJesus, as this year’s double headliner and honoree at our #ModelsofPride youth summit! She joins keynote speaker and Model of Pride Award recipient #DylanMulvaney and social media star @RubasWorld, who will serve as the event’s host on October 14.

At a time when LGBTQ+ education is under attack, Models of Pride lifts love, acceptance, and queer joy for LGBTQ+ youth and allies. For more info and registration, visit modelsofpride.org. 

#ModelsofPride #LGBTQYouth  #LoveAndAcceptance
Join us for #Queerceañera on Friday, Sept. 29th! Join us for #Queerceañera on Friday, Sept. 29th! 

Hosted by RuPaul's #DragRace Season 15 alum, @EsTitties, Queerce is a vivid cultural summit and community cotillion rooted in unbridled celebration. This year’s honorees RuPaul’s #DragRaceMéxico host @allaboutvalentina and actress/recording artist @MissBenny sitting down together in a candid keynote conversation. 

But wait, there’s more! The post-program reception features tropical cocktails and live performances by #LA’s own Latin dance phenomenon @Queerchata. RSVP now at our #linkinbio #LatinxHeritageMonth
We are thrilled to announce superstar and host of We are thrilled to announce superstar and host of #DragRaceMexico #Valentina as an honoree and keynote speaker at the Center’s first-ever #Queerceañera! Join us in celebrating the vibrancy of LA's LGBTQ+ Latinx community on Friday, Sept. 29 in Hollywood.

There’s more! The post program reception features tropical cocktails and live performances curated by LA’s own Latin dance phenomenon @Queerchata. RSVP now at our #linkinbio #LatinxHeritageMonth
“You don’t necessarily have to be from a ranch “You don’t necessarily have to be from a ranch to be a cowboy.” Every spring in Zacatecas, Mexico, men from across North America don their finest cowboy attire for a private gathering of gay vaqueros. The weekend-long convention is a celebration of Mexican culture where attendees are free to embrace their authentic selves. “[Mexican culture] is ours, too,” one attendee told the Los Angeles Times.

Founded nearly 20 years ago by bar owner Mariano Escobar, the event features live music, dancing, and a contest for “rostro vaquero”—the official face of the convention and a nod to Mexican festivals where women are crowned “princesses” or “queens.” This year, the title went to Eros Herrera, a police officer who recently opened a homeless shelter and soup kitchen serving the #LGBTQ+ community in San Luis Potosi.

“When I’m on the street, I’m very discreet,” Daniel Renteria, an agave farmer who traveled an hour and a half to attend, told the Times. “Having to hide yourself is hard. Events like this one unite us.” Read more at the #linkinbio.

Happy #LatinxHeritageMonth—stay tuned for more coverage on this page over the next few weeks.

📷 Gary Coronado via @latimes
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