David Mixner will be honored with a lifetime legend award. (photo courtesy of David Mixner)

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles will honor David Mixner, a leader in LGBTQ and civil rights for the past 60 years with its lifetime legend award for six decades of activism, service and leadership, at its upcoming gala GMCLA 40/Stonewall 50 on Aug. 16 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

The concert and gala will conclude GMCLA’s 40th anniversary season and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, and will also include actress Chrissy Metz, star of NBC’s “This is Us” and actress Shoshana Bean, star of Broadway’s “Waitress” as performers.

In addition to his fight for gay rights, Mixner is a Vietnam War era anti-war activist, a civil rights activist, an HIV/AIDS advocate and a best-selling author of three books. He was once named “the most powerful gay man in America” by Newsweek due to his political activism and influence.

“As we celebrate a half century of activism, both GMCLA’s and the heroes of, and since, Stonewall, honoring David Mixner is so right,” GMCLA Executive Director Lou Spisto said. “David is a pioneer, hero, and legend, in our community and many others for the past six decades. And we are truly thankful to Hyundai Motor America for their generous presenting sponsorship of this concert and gala. This is the company’s second major sponsorship in the past several months and we could not be more grateful.”

GMCLA 40/Stonewall 50 will feature over 500 singers. GMCLA’s 270 members will be joined by the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and others from around the country to perform Quiet No More, a 35-minute work celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In addition to the 7:30 p.m. concert for the general public, there will be a private pre-concert reception and post-concert dinner for 300 guests, in support of GMCLA’s music education programs, specifically the Alive Music Project, Arts for Incarcerated Youth and the LA Schools Program.

Mixner began his activism in 1959 as a volunteer for John Kennedy, and added his leadership and activism against the Vietnam War, then joined the gay rights movement, and found his strongest voice as an AIDS advocate. After learning that his long-time partner Peter Scott had AIDS, Mixner assisted in creating an organization that spearheaded legislation to create a California alternative to the FDA, enabling the state to deal more aggressively with the AIDS epidemic than the federal government.

For information, email GMCLA at events@gmcla.org or call (424)239-6506.